Tracks of Light

Chapter 07 – Empathy


"We're almost there!" Summer yelled excitedly. "Come on, Ben! Let's decrease altitude so we can see the island before we land! I bet it looks cool!"

"Wait, Summer!" Ben called after her, but his voice was cut off by the flock of Pidgeot flew past them. He watched the birds soar in the skies, until he saw something blue flash by the flock, disrupting their dance in the air. Summer fell quiet, and looked up at Ben.

"I hear machines!"

"Whee haa!" A man's voice echoed above them. They looked up and saw a pair of green-uniformed people whizzing by on some sort of machine that allowed them to fly and levitate.

"Let's go after them," Ben suggested, and Summer gave a grunt of approval and gave her partner a small nudge on the side to start flying after the strangers. They were very quiet, flying behind those people. Ben took a closer look. With his goggles on, he could see that they were chasing after a strange blue Pokemon he had never seen before in real life… it must be a legendary…

One of the people in pursuit of the Pokemon cackled. "Just give up already! Do you really think you can get away? You just don't know when to give up!"

Ben's Staraptor squawked in offense of the woman's taunts, catching both the strangers' attention. Ben could clearly see that the two wore the near same thing: the same pattern and colors.

"Wh-Who's that?" The woman gaped.

The man squinted, his eyes widening upon realization. "Red goggles... A yellow scarf…"

The woman paled in response. "And a Capture Styler! You're... A Pokemon Ranger!"

The Pokemon they were chasing gave a small cry before speeding away into the clouds. The man snarled at his loss.

"Feh! Our target got away!"

The woman delivered a nasty glare at them. "Oblivia's very peaceful. We don't need a Ranger like you!"

"You must be Pinchers," Ben declared. "If you are causing trouble around here, I will have to hurt you."

"Hurt us? Ha!" the men laughed, and pressed several buttons into their machine. "This is how we dispose of unnecessary trash! With a Plasma Cannon!"

Ben's reflexes peaked the moment he saw a fireball of green and pink come straight at him, and with a harsh kick into his Staraptor's side, they rolled over in the air, just like a well-piloted fighter plane. He didn't get quite a break just yet when a shower of green fireballs was still being fired at him. The Pinchers gaped at his quick movements.

"How did that Ranger manage to dodge my attacks...?"

The woman was still glaring at him. "You are good... But let's see if you can handle our double-team attack!"

Ben didn't say anything as he took out the steel tonfas that Murph gave him, and he swung it across the plasma fireball, hitting it back at them. The Pinchers gasped as they dodged the returning attack, but they didn't relent. Ben was in the face of a lot more fireballs, more than he can dodge, so much he had to hit a few back at them, hoping it would destroy their cannons. However, the barrage of bullets stopped and the Pinchers were feverishly jamming their fingers on their triggers, confused as to why their cannons weren't launching anymore fireballs.

The male Pincher was the first to go sheet white. "Oh no! My Plasma Cannon's battery is dead!"

The woman Pincher was next to go pale, "Mine, too! Scaring our target with wild firing might not have been the best idea..."

The Pinchers exchanged looks before facing Ben, who kept his tonfas up in defense. "I guess we'll just have to ram 'em!"

The two of them approached him slowly, their motors running faster as they prepared for acceleration, but a streak of gray blocked them, and Ben was still in place. Summer flew to his side, her hair flying in the wind. She was proud that she managed to make it before Ben got into any more trouble, and she sat up on her Staraptor, head held high.

"Are you sure you want to do that? Now you have to deal with two Rangers! Let's make this a fair fight!"

Summer's appearance didn't make the Pinchers' situation any better. "Oh no! There was more than one of them!"

The male Pincher was still hysterical over his weapon. "The Plasma Cannons aren't working! Rangers keep popping up! I hate to say it, but it looks like we have to retreat!"

"What do you mean, 'retreat'?" Another voice rose from behind the Pinchers. Ben and Summer held their arms up in defense as new figure rose from the clouds. A man with blonde hair with red endings appeared, in a red version of the Pinchers' flying machines. Ben recognized that the newcomer must be a rank higher than the two they had just fought. He didn't think he'd meet an executive this soon.

"Our leader!" the Pinchers gasped. "They're Pokemon Rangers!"

The man didn't seem to pay any attention to them. "I can see that. Two aerial Ranger brats putting on airs with their bright red goggles and yellow scarves. What a joke!"

Ben could feel anger rising from his partner. "Who's a joke? You're the leader of a team that can't even handle a couple of 'brats'!"

The man's eyes turned cold as they fell upon Summer. "You there... Do you know the consequences for mouthing off like that? I have just the sport for a tough-talking brat like you. Skydiving... with no parachute! Take that!"

"Summer!" Ben didn't take any second to wait. He directed his Staraptor towards Summer and quickly shoved her out of the way, a bright ball of purple flying coming in from his left. In a matter of seconds, Ben could feel electricity coursing through his body. Despite the resistance his body had built up thanks to Black Water, it was incredibly painful, and he screamed. He could hear Summer's anguished cry as he and his Staraptor began to hover before losing altitude, gravity taking over their bodies.

Summer was sure this wasn't supposed to happen. Ben was a superman! He couldn't get out of a mission like this! This was too soon! It was only a few seconds into the mission, and he was already dead, all because she was too full of herself.

The leader of the Pinchers was more than pleased with his results. "Sacrificing themselves to save another... How bold. You should a least thank your partner for saving you."

Summer's grip on her Staraptor began to slacken. Ben was going to die. There was no way he was going to survive a drop like that, even if he had his durability from that poison. He wasn't going to live. The chances were very slim... She was going to have to face all this alone. She would have to take the burden upon herself, hers and Ben's.

But Ben meant so much to her… she couldn't let his death be in vain… but she realized it now. She could never really do anything without him. Now that he was gone… She might as well…

Before she could seriously consider letting go of her partner Pokemon, she felt a pair of strong arms catch her, and her Staraptor squawking in terror as it was being collared and leashed down. She felt rings of steel clasped around her wrists behind her, and she made no effort to move. [1]

"Well, now... You seem lucky," the man's voice chuckled. "Maybe we should make you into our lucky charm."


Keith tapped his foot impatiently, wondering if he should just go inside. He had trust in his student that he and his partner would make it on time to Basil's residence without delay, but he was mistaken when it had three hours off timing already. But the voice in his head was floundering with possibilities.

Perhaps they were facing of Pinchers on the way.

True, Keith thought. Lately, the three days after he and Ice found Nema running from Pinchers, the organization's activities spiked. More and more reports of Pinchers and their vehicles were sent in, and Rand was complaining nonstop about the lack of Rangers that were supposed to come in. Lately, the Oblivian Ranger Base was becoming more busy, with people running in to report instead of using the telephone.

Sadly to say, Rand was already just as panicky about the situation more than anyone else. Ever since he got that threat in the mail, he had been one edge about things lately. It wasn't long when Basil offered to let the family stay at his place. After all, Pinchers shouldn't be able to attack the home of a worldwide billionaire when they didn't want any attention.

Ice had already gone to Rand's home to help move things into their house. Leanne learned of the situation quickly, but Rand had heavily noted that they had not told Nema, but he has made much effort to bring her experiments over to Basil's. Progress was moderately slow, but Ice reassured Keith and Basil that things were going all right.

"Keith?"

He turned around and saw that Basil had come to join him up on the roof. The young man had decided to stay back home, putting his utmost trust in Ice to bring Leanne's research to his home.

"Hey, Basil," Keith replied curtly. Basil took a seat in one of the chairs that were set up on the roof.

"They haven't come here yet, have they?" Basil guessed, and Keith nodded slowly.

Basil laid back in his seat, shielding his eyes from the oppressive sun.

"Is your headache all right?"

"I guess it's all right," Keith said absentmindedly. The day after he was invited to a bar with Booker and Arley, he had somehow gotten stone drunk, and he woke the next day back in his usual bedroom in Basil's place.

What puzzled Keith even more was his sudden dream of having heard her, but never seeing her. It was almost too lucid for a dream. He was sure he could remember how close his proximity was to her, and he had felt her hand, but then again, it could be just something he desired so much he fooled himself into thinking that every dream he had about her was real.

Speaking of dreams, he really should be dreaming that they weren't making it on time.

"I really can't wait here any longer," the redhead made his way to the ladder that led downstairs, and Basil called after him.

"I called Booker to go see if any of them were found on Dolce Island, just to let you know."


Ben opened his eyes and saw a vast area of blue. His body was unfeeling, as if he had been stuffed into the refridgerator to be cooked later. He then realized that he was in the ocean, and he stared at his hands, which weren't cut up as they really should be.

"I'm… alive?"

No one was going to answer him, so he proceeded to look around. He was still wearing his regular Ranger uniform, and he was very sure his Styler was with him. He even had his shoes on, too. He stared down at the rubble that lay before him.

Ben could only assume he was very deep in the ocean, if he managed to get this far to the sea floor. And the rubble must have existed for a long time, with all the algae stuck all over the place. The most prominent thing he could see with the ruins under this sea was the strange symbol of red and orange flourishes, almost similar to feathers.

However, a loud rumbling echoed in his ears, and he turned around to see a large block of steel and lights coming his way. He held his arms up to shield himself, but he could feel the harsh pull of the water tugging him away from the rubble and to the rest of the ocean. Salt began to fill his mouth, and he gasped for air, his vision blackening.


Eyes snapping open, Ben sprang from where he stood. He was now on a white, sandy beach, just like something that should come from the tourist postcard one could find in a gift shop. Was he in Oblivia? He was drenching wet, but his clothes were already starting to dry. Slightly irritated, Ben tried to wipe off the sand that clung to his arms and legs, but his arms stung with cuts. He seethed at the pain and stared at the ocean. How did he even get here?

Tattered and torn, he decided to trudge into the jungle that awaited him. Just a few steps in, and he met with a very large overgrowth of vines and trees. His shoes squelched against his feet and snapped the twigs across the floor. Ben really would have liked walking in here, had it not been for his very wet appearance. He finally made it into a clearing in the jungle and wanted to fall over in the grass and sleep for the night. Surely, no hostile Pokemon would attack him, as long as he made a fire.

His thoughts stopped when he heard an anguished cry of Pokemon, mostly likely small. He made his way over to the source of the sound, hoping it was a Pokemon he heard. So far, he had noticed the sudden lack of Pokemon. A jungle as dense as this should be full of Pokemon, large and small.

Ben pushed a leaf out of his way, and he stepped out into a crudely made dirt path. So someone did live here, if there was a path…

The Ranger looked about and finally spotted a small ball of yellow fire and a small blue object in the distance. He trotted over to the supposed Pokemon, feet squelching loudly. The Pokemon jumped in fright of his terrible shoes, and it looked in its direction.

"Pi…?"

Ben stopped when he was a meter's distance from it. It was a Pichu, with a large blue ukulele strapped across its back. Most noticeably, Ben could see that it wasn't looking cheerful like most Pichu would be. Its ears were drooping over its face, as if trying to hide its expression. The poor little thing was even hiccupping. Had it been… crying…?

He bent down to his knees and held out his hand, hoping to sympathize with it. The Pichu flinched at his movements, and it panicked. Sparks began to fly everywhere, mostly directed at Ben, and he held his hands to his face. These electric sparks were nothing to him, so he merely stayed here until Pichu calmed down. The Pichu continued to sob as it possibly amplified its energy, stinging Ben.

Ben began to scoot towards the crying Pokemon. He could understand what was going on. The Pichu must have lost something very dear to it, and it was natural. Young Pichu like this one was prone to emotional instability, as he had remembered from the research notes he had to study back at the Academy. [2]

The Ranger was only inches away from the Pichu before bringing his arms around the yellow mouse Pokemon. The Pichu squeaked, but buried its poor little head into his chest as Ben hugged the little Pokemon close. It needed support, and Ben was lucky enough to make it in time.

"It's okay…" he choked out. "It's okay…"

The Pichu trembled as the electric storm died down, and Ben could see the area around him was entirely devoid of vegetation. Ben cradled the poor thing, careful not to break the strings of the ukulele.

"It's okay…" he said quietly, coaxing it to sleep. At this point, the Pichu should rest. He waited quietly for the little mouse to fall asleep before looking around to find his way out of this jungle. He still wasn't sure which island of Oblivia he was, and he was had just tried to send a signal to Keith, but the Styler was broken. Well, now he had no other option than to find a way out himself.

He was searching in this winding maze of trees for what seemed like an hour when he finally admitted to himself that he was lost. He was still holding onto the Pichu as it was asleep. He should've just left it sleeping near a tree, since it was much more comfortable with his arms a metal Styler, but it was deeply asleep.

"Oi!" a voice called out, and the boy looked up from where he stood. The Pichu twitched in its sleep, but continued to slumber as an elderly man was hobbling over through the greenery over to him. He noticed that Ben was holding Pichu.

"Ah, Pichu's okay," he was relieved. "But he's sleeping. This is the first time I've seen the little tyke like this."

"What?" Ben was confused. "Is this Pichu yours?"

"Oh, no," the man shook his head. "It lives on this island. I don't think it'd like to work in my workshop."

"Oh…" Ben trailed off. "I'm sure there were supposed to be Pokemon here. What happened?"

"Don't know," the other shrugged. "Who were those folks who showed up on those UFO-lookin' things anyhow? I was far away, and I couldn't see very well... But what were they doin' chasin' Pokémon 'round anyways?"

"UFO?" the Ranger was puzzled ."Um… I wouldn't know that…"

"Well, you're a Ranger," the man laughed. "Boys like you should know! Just kiddin' ya! Your name's Ben, right? Basil's told me all about you before I set off for the island! He said that you 'were off the grid' or something'. I'm Booker, the master shipbuilder from Renbow Island across the way."

"Well," Ben said hesitantly. "Nice to meet you, Booker."

"No worries," Booker chuckled. And pointed to a path. "This way, m'boy! We're going back to Renbow!"

"Oh…" Ben followe after them. "If we're going to Renbow… then which island is this one?"

"This is Dolce Island!" the shipbuilder narrated. "This island doesn't have many places much higher than this, so if there was a tidal wave or somethin', there wouldn't be anyplace to run. So to make sure I'm ready, I'm always buildin' small boats. They're life rafts for the Pokemon that can't fly or swim."

The Pichu whimpered and rolled over in Ben's arms, earning both Booker and Ben's attention.

"Seems like Ukulele Pichu's taken a shine to you," Booker chuckled. "I came up with the nickname 'Ukulele Pichu.'"

"Oh," Ben continued to stare at Pichu, mainly the blue little ukulele. "So is this Pichu special or something? I've never seen a Pichu carry a musical instrument like this."

"The blue ukulele looks great on the Pichu, eh?" Booker smiled, very proud at this fact. "This little Pichu's always makes me feel better when I'm worn out from a hard day of working. So I threw together a ukulele with leftover wood. It can't really play, but every time electricity runs through it, the Ukulele makes a little twang. So it's a great toy for Pichu."

"Oh," Ben nodded in understanding. "I guess it's usually energetic and happy."

"Yup," Booker laughed. "I was almost sure it never slept."

They made their way out of the thick jungle into a grassy knoll, and they took a turn around the little extent of the trees.

"By the way," Booker noted as they walked. "Had ya ever seem a UFO?"

Oh, Ben thought, this talk about UFO. He was thoroughly sure that aliens were not in Oblivia. Otherwise, Murph would have said so in the report, and he probably would've dispatched more Rangers to the region. A mistake?

"No," Ben said. "I suppose I wasn't told about that. What's your story?"

"When I was strollin' 'long the beach of Renbow Island," Booker narrated. "I saw UfO's flyin' above Dolce Island. I was worried about the Pokemon so I hurried over on my boat, well, before Basil gave me a call about you possibly landing in Dolce Island."

"Oh, sorry about that," Ben smiled unsurely.

"Don't worry about it," Booker laughed. "When I got here a suspicious group was chasin' round the Pokemon. Then, before I could even holler, they disappeared to the sky on their UfO's. Were they aliens? Seems like this Pichu was fine, but there's no sign of its little Pichu pals or any of its other Pokemon friends. They probably hid themselves somewheres."

"I don't know about that…" Ben muttered under his breath. Someone chasing the Pokemon? That sure sounded like Pinchers to him. So, from what he heard, the Pinchers must have abducted the Pokemon off the island. But, surely, this was only a few hours. To wipe all the Pokemon off this island sounded like it would take a week, or even a month.

"But Basil called me about 'cha," Booker was still talking. "So don't you worry! I have a boat on the pier on the beach. Let's head that way! On this part of the fork!"

They rounded about the grove onto an escarpment that sat right next to the bright blue sea. Ben held back a gasp at the breathtaking sight of an ocean, and in the distance, an island, shimmering with the glasses of a town. At the top of the island, at the tallest of mountains, was a blinking light of a metal tower.

"That's where we're headed - Renbow Island," Booker said pointedly. "I live in Cocona Village on that island. Renbow island boasts bountiful Pokemon-filled nature, simple and honest folk, and the magnificent Wireless Tower on top of that mountain. An' Basil's house is there, too."

"Well, I think I'll have to be in a hurry," Ben added. "I think I might have accidentally spent too much time trying to find my way out. I think my teacher might get mad or something."

"Like I said, Benny," Booker patted him on the back. "Don't you worry. I'll get you to Renbow in a jiffy! This way please!"

They arrived out into another beach, where there was a floor's worth of wooden stairs. However, that wasn't what Booker was worried about. He gaped at the beach, his hands flailing.

"What?" Booker turned red in embarrassment. "My boat is gone? I must've been in such a rush that I plumb forgot to tie my boat to the pier. I may be a mater shipbuilder, but I'm a tad rash and tend to do hints like this from time to time..."

"Hah…" Ben shrugged, rocking the Pichu in his arms. "I figured you reminded me of someone…"

"Now I've done it..." Booker complained, almost similar to whining. "I can't get back to Renbow Island now. I've got it! We can just use the ship I started building here!"

Ben looked at the boat that was right next to the first flight of stairs, "Um… you sure?"

"No need fer the worried face," Booker's mood bounced back. "Even if it ain't finished, I still built it! It's still safer than other people's finished boats. I need a favor though, Ben. Can you push that boat into the ocean? Usually I need about five strong backs to move it, but today all I got is you. You're a Pokemon Ranger so you can figure something out, right?"

"Um… sure…" Ben shrugged, and then handed him the sleeping Pichu. "Just hold the little guy…"

"Sure thing, Benny!" Booker nodded, and Ben walked back to the wooden boat. He eyed the boat, estimating the weight and tucked his hands under the wooden planks, and heaved. He effortlessly lifted it over his head, and began carrying it down the wooden stairs. Booker followed suit, his jaw dropping at the Ranger's inhuman strength.

"That's a pokemon ranger for you!" He laughed nervously as Ben set the boat down on the sand. "Now we can go to Renbow island. Well then, now our long voyage shall begin! ...Well, actually, it's over in a flash. I've just always been wantin' to say that."

"Oh, okay."


Indeed, they arrived quite quickly, and with Booker's approval, Ben took the liberty to haul Booker's half-done ship aboard. He wiped his forehead, looking up at the very vast jungle that edged alongside the beach. Booker laughed at Ben's befuddled expression.

"Pretty quick, wasn't it?" Booker then pointed to his beach house and workshop. "My house is right over there. I'll call Basil up for 'ya real quick."

Ben gave a slow nod, and he made his way to the house. Before he could turn the doorknob, the door opened for him, and a boy with green hair and striped shirt and pants stood before him. Another boy was hiding behind him, wearing a cap with the prominent letter R. Booker followed closely behind, earning a sense of familiarity from the boy.

"Welcome back, Booker!" the capped boy grinned.

"Oh, hello there, Ralph," Booker allowed Ben inside first, before stepping in himself. "You're nice and dirty. Full of energy as always, I see."

"You're embarrassing me," Ralph giggled as the elderly man took off his hat and ruffled his hair. "That's a weird compliment, by the way."

Ben made his way over to the green haired boy handing Pichu over quietly. The boy was no younger than he was, and he seemed to live in the same house as Booker.

"Hey," he said in a low voice. "You can put this Pichu in a bed. It's kinda unstable, so it needs to sleep a bit."

The green haired boy seemed squeamish, but upon the touch of soft fur, the boy complied, muttering a small nervous "okay" before slinking away to a bedroom behind the workshop. Ben turned around to see that Ralph, the boy with the cap, was staring directly at him.

"Grandpa Booker," the boy said. "Who's that?"

"Oh," Booker pointed at Ben. "This here's Ben, a Pokémon Ranger."

Ralph was very excited about this fact. "Really? But that Pokémon Ranger uniform seems kinda different. I've never seen a Ranger with red goggles and a yellow scarf before."

Booker nodded in agreement, "The uniform does seem a little different. There's no doubt Ben's a Ranger, though. The proof is that I saw the whirlin' round stuff with my own eyes."

"Whirl stuff around?" Ralph was even more excited. "Do you mean a capture? If that's what it was, I sure wish I could've seen it."

"Well, I'm sure you'll see me in action soon," Ben smiled encouragingly. "I'm here to take care of your 'UFO' problem after all."

"Really?" Ralph beamed. "Thank you very much, Ranger! Everyone's worried about the UFOs here. I hope you do your best!"

"Sure thing, Ralph," Ben smiled, and Ralph waved goodbye before running out of the house. Booker laughed afterwards, heading off to the phone.

"Ralph is such a reliable boy," he commented. "He can probably tell you lots about this island as well. By the by... I'll bet you're tuckered out from everythin' today. Take a rest before that redheaded Ranger comes by to pick you up."

Oh, Ben inwardly groaned. His teacher was coming to pick him up. He hoped he wouldn't be getting an earful about not following directions, not when his day got all screwed up.

"Okay," the green haired boy walked out from behind the house and saw Booker. "Welcome home, boss! Who is this person with you-"

The green haired boy turned pale, and soon he began to sputter, "Oh no... Could it be? Disillusioned with being a Ranger, this person has come to ask to be your new apprentice? Then, moved by those words, you decided to take them in? If that's the case, I'm no longer needed, so it's pack your bags and hit the road, right? Boss! How could you do that to me?"

"Ben isn't doin' any such thing," Booker walked out of the kitchen, the phone in his hand. "If you don't have anythin' better to do than dream up lame stories, why don't you hurry and get our guest some tea! Ah, yes? Yes, I'm telling you, Ben's over here…"

The green haired boy gave a sigh of relief before facing Ben, "Well, sorry about that… Um… do you want anything? Tea? Juice?"

"Juice is fine," Ben smiled, and Nick hurried to the kitchen. Booker emerged, his face looking very pleased.

"Well, I called Basil," Booker grinned. "Oh, and that boy? That's my apprentice shipbuilder, Nick. He's a hard worker, but he has a wild imagination, and he's always worryin' about foolish things. 'Cause of that, work gets interrupted all the time."

"Oh, he's probably a good person," Ben tried to be nice. "He probably worries about everyone a lot."

"Well, figures…" Booker said. "By the way, Ben, how'dya get on Dolce Island? And... When I met you, your clothes were soaked. What in the world happened?"

Ben took a deep breath to explain certain things, with Booker nodding at every part of the story. Nick came in later, with drinks, and he sat down to listen as well.

"I see..." the master shipbuilder stroked his short beard, almost similar to some other elderly man Ben knew. "So those UFOs are the vehicles of the Pokémon Pinchers, a group that kidnaps Pokémon. That means... They took Dolce Island's Pokémon! What an unbelievable group of good-fer-nothin's!"

"Well, that's only a guess," Ben laughed nervously. "Although from what you described, it sounds like the work of Pinchers."

"What I find worrying is your story about the other Ranger," Nick took everyone's empty glasses, but stopped dead in his tracks on the way to the kitchen. "Oh no! Could it be? Your partner's been caught by the bad guys and is bound with a rope in..."

"Nick!" Booker scolded his apprentice. "Knock off that worthless daydreamin'!"

"S-sorry!" Nick squeaked before scurrying away.

"Ben," Booker spoke reassuringly to Ben. "Being separated from your partner and washin' up here has probably made you a little unsure, but don't you worry none. I'm here, and so is energetic little Ralph and my apprentice Nick. You're not alone. And Ukulele Pichu can soothe you with its cheery music… I've heard you're a friend of Basil's, so you're really in good hands."

"Oh… thank you…" Ben smiled back. "I just hope Pichu's all right, the state it's in…"

"Oh, it'll be all right," Booker grinned. "It's a cheerful little tyke. Loves to sing and dance, no doubt."

"If you want," Nick offered. "We can check up on the Pichu again…"

Ben watched as the green haired apprentice walked behind the shop, and in a few minutes, the boy came rushing out.

"The Pichu is gone!" he said in grief. The front door opened, and in came Ralph.

"We've got big trouble!" The boy screeched. "The UFOs are back! I saw them flying, one after another!"

Fire sparked in Ben's system, and he jumped from his seat. "Really? Where were they heading?"

"Toward Teakwood Forest!" the capped boy said to everyone. "Arley went to see what's going on, but he hasn't come back."

"But this is Arley we're talking about, and he's incredibly strong, so... " Nick trailed off before turning white as a sheet again. "Oh no! Could it be? Perhaps he caught a UFO and was trying to crush it! Catching it was all well and good, but maybe they ended up hitting him with a shrinking ray? And then, and then..."

"Nick!" Booker said warningly before turning to Ben, his face softening. "Ben... I'm sorry to ask favors when you're all tuckered out, but... Could you go to Teakwood Forest and see what's goin' on? I'm sure to tell Keith what's going on, and I'm sure he'll understand."

Ben really wanted to argue that Keith wouldn't do that, and as he walked out the door, Ralph followed suit.

"I'll come, too!"

"Are you sure?" Ben raised an eyebrow. "It may get a little dangerous in the jungle, so I can't keep watch on you."

"I'm worried about Arley!" Ralph reasoned. "He's big and strong, but I was surprised when I heard how old he was. He's really old!"

Ben looked back at Booker, whose face only showed encouragement.

"Don't worry about Ralph so much," the shipbuilder smiled. "The boy has lived near forests all his life. He can help you find the way through Teakwood."

"Thank you, Booker!" Ralph grinned and Ben quietly walked out, with a little boy trailing behind him. Two things were on his mind as he trudged through the sand and up the wooden stairs to the village. He was very concerned about the Pinchers in a jungle, and he was worried about the Pichu. An emotionally unstable Pokemon on the loose could mean bad news for anyone who came across it. He had to hurry.


Ben was hoping that little Ralph would be able to catch up with him. The Ranger was literally running as fast as he could, so much he could just be tapping into Black Water by accident. They rushed through the village square, and past the large set of ruins. It wasn't long before the two of them arrived at a wooden sign labeled "Teakwood Forest: Enter at your own risk."

"Is this the place?" Ben looked at the panting little boy.

"Uh-huh…"

"Hey! Wait a minute!" A voice came to their attention. The Ranger and boy turned around and saw a concerned archaeologist. "Are you two going to Teakwood Forest? The Pokémon there were really frightened by all the commotion with the UFOs. Many Pokémon will run at the sight of a person. Young boys, especially you, the one with the cap, shouldn't be entering the forest at this day."

"Don't worry, sir," Ben reassured him, displaying his Styler as identification. "I've got permission, and the boy's with me."

The fossil buff reconsidered for a moment before backing down, knowing that a Ranger was in charge. "I won't try to stop you from going into the forest, but be careful."

"Thank you, sir!" Ralph waved away as they ran off into the forest.

They stayed on trail as they proceeded deeper into the thick forest, until Ben heard a distant murmur of voices. He skidded to a halt and held Ralph back, dragging him behind an overgrowth of leaves. Needless to say, a pair of uniformed Pinchers passed right by them, and they were laughing. Ben could feel Ralph quiver in fear, and he could understand why. From what Murph had told him, a great majority of the Pinchers' organization consisted of professional Pokemon poachers, known to be very violent and brutal. He hadn't met the worst of them yet, it seems.

Then, an unfortunate Cherubi hopped out into the open, and it gave a curious look at the Pinchers, who slowed down before it. It seemed to have absolutely no clue as to what was going on, but it seemed very eager to get to know the Pinchers. However, the next thing it got was a very large boot to the face. Ben winced as the poor thing bounced on the jungle grounds, dust flying from wherever it landed. Ralph gasped, but Ben's hands flew over the boy's mouth, and he covered Ralph's eyes, too. Bending over, Ben was right by the little boy's ears.

"Cover your ears," he whispered harshly, and the boy quickly obeyed, right before a loud smack echoed in the jungle, and the Cherubi cried. Ben's eyes didn't tear away from the sight, as he kept his hands on Ralph. He didn't like looking at it either, but he had to observe them for his report. Since this kind of thing has happened to him before, he showed little fear or disgust, but rather, indifference.

"Hey, you," one of the Pinchers sneered. "Don't stand in my way! This is what you'll get!"

The said Pincher raised an arm at it, a gauntlet attached to its wrist. The gauntlet began to glow green, and soon, the little Cherubi, bruised black and blue was turned into little pixels that were absorbed by the gauntlet. The Pinchers exchanged glances, immensely pleased.

"These new Control Gauntlet things they gave us are really great!" One of the grinned. "I have no idea how they work, but it's so easy to catch Pokemon with them. It's much better than the traps you buy in Mafia Row. The Pokemon just make annoying noises and they squirm when you try to capture them."

The other grinned back. "So true. But we shouldn't be slacking off around here. We've got to be back on sentry duty."

"Right," The other nodded. "I still don't think we really need to have someone on watch... I-I'm going, though."

Ben watched as the two Pinchers trotted away, chuckling to themselves, and when they were out of sight, he let Ralph go. The boy gasped for air, and he looked solely on Ben, asking for instructions. The two of them had realized that the jungle was probably crawling with people like these Pinchers, and running into them would mean bad news.

"Seems like the main base of operations must be this way," Ben pointed to the direction the Pinchers came from. "Those poachers were sentries probably just sent out from their base. We'll have to go to the heart of this in order to beat them."

"That leads to Rasp Cavern," Ralph said shakily. "There's nothing important there, though…"

"Or is there?" Ben asked quietly. "Let's get going then, but be aware that we're going to have to go off the trail if we have to."

"Yessir," Ralph nodded slowly, and the two boys went off.


The only thing that existed on the Pichu's mind was revenge. It was all those strange men in green who took away all of its friends. The Pichu was lucky, just lucky enough to escape. So the news from the other islands were as true as it sounded: invaders had arrived in the island and were eliminating Pokemon who stood in their way. The Pichu didn't believe the others warnings at first, but soon the reality came near when it nearly escaped captivity.

Dolce Island was supposed to be the most quiet of the islands, since no humans lived there. Most of the Pokemon in Oblivia were welcome to human interaction, but the humans they were friends with respected the Pokemon well enough to leave an island alone, just for Pokemon only. The strong bonds and balance had lasted in the many generations of Pokemon and humans who lived on these islands, and this Pichu came from a long line of native Pokemon of Oblivia who have lived alongside humans for centuries, even to the times of temples and oracles. The Pichu was raised by the other Pokemon of the island to know the history of its home, and to understand the importance of many things that both Pokemon and humans built together.

Pichu was devastated when the green men came to the island to take away its friends. The Pokemon worried very much for the Pichu's safety and hid it within the thick forest before bounding off to go off against the invaders, to protect the young. However, that ultimately failed, and Pichu and several others realized that the jungle was almost empty. Yes, it was sad, but even more, it was enraged. That was why it decided to leave the island, to find those green men, and bring justice.

It had gotten out of the kind man's home rather easily. The Pichu was aware that everyone would worry, but it was a voluntary decision to leave. The little mouse had to find those green men, and avenge those friends who couldn't.

It didn't take long to find those men, now that they were situated right before the entrance to a large cave. There were two of them, though the Pichu was sure that there were more of them. They seemed to be standing idly before the entrance. The Pichu preferred it just be one of those green men, but the Pichu was sure it could handle two of them. Thus, the little yellow mouse marked its move.

"I wonder how things are going with the secret team in the cave..." one of the green men muttered. Pichu could see that the opponent wasn't very focused on his job at all. This served good chance to take him out.

"Who knows?" The second shrugged. "Our job is just to guard the entrance. You shouldn't be thinking about anything else."

Pichu wanted to wait a bit longer, since it heard voices coming from the direction of the forest. It could be more of these men, and dealing with multiple enemies would only result in the same demise as its friends. However, the thirst for revenge made the little mouse jump forward, out into the open in the most foolish manner, just enough to get the attention of those green men. [3]


Ben and Ralph hid closely behind the trees again, and they peered behind the trunks to see a duo of Pinchers standing guard at the entrance of Rasp Cavern. Ben could see that the man was very well built, perhaps a very heavyweight type of poacher, one whose punches packed a ton. The other was a woman, very lithe, and perhaps more crafty about where she placed her hits. Either way, both of them were rather intimidating people. Making a plan would be best.

However, their attention was directed upon a Pichu that stumbled into the clearing before the cavern, one with a recognizable little ukulele on its back. Both the boys gasped in alarm. The Pinchers, however, were skeptical.

"What's with this thing?" The male Pincher pointed at it. "Got a ukulele on its back. Like it could actually play..."

The woman, however, snarled at the little mouse, "I've seen it before! It got away from me recently!"

"Could it be...?" The large men wondered. "Did it chase us here because we caught its friends?"

"Do Pokemon even feel friendship?" The woman scoffed. "It's a little unbelievable, but whatever."

The two Pinchers stepped away from the entrance and began closing in on the Pichu, who remained in a aggressive posture. Ben noted that for a cute Pokemon, it could hold pretty bad grudges and wear nasty glares.

"I'll let you see your friends," The woman taunted the Pokemon. "So just stand still and let me pinch you."

Defiantly, the Pichu created a shower of electric sparks, protecting it from the waves that the Gauntlet sent out to capture it. The two Pinchers stepped back, their faces stern.

"Come on, watch out!" The man murmured to his comrade. "This guy's serious. It looks like it's about to come charging at us."

"Don't sweat it, big boy," the woman giggled. "It's a getting a little fun, with some feisty Pokemon like this one. Why don't we go all out?"

"Sure thing."

The same thing was about to repeat again. The Pichu was sent flying across the ground, and its fragile little body skidded across the dirt. Ben could see that it was twisting in the air so it would hit the ground on its stomach first, so the ukulele on its back could be safe. However, the Pichu was very resilient, getting up after taking such a bad hit, and the little Pokemon stubbornly charged forth, only to be blown back again. The Pinchers were laughing madly about how the little thing couldn't match up to professional poachers like them, and Ben was instinctively assembling his tonfas while they laughed.

"STOP IT!"

Ben nearly dropped his weapons in surprise, and he turned around the trunk to see that Ralph had stepped out, right between the Pichu and the Pinchers. The Ranger dropped his jaw, realizing that he had made the mistake to not watch the younger boy. Both sides of the battle were thoroughly surprised by the entrance of a child. However, the Pinchers regained composure, and began cracking knuckles.

"Now, kid, would you just leave alone here..." The woman said in a sickeningly sweet voice. "Go home to your mommy, before you get hurt."

"I won't leave," Ralph hollered at them. "I'm not going to let you hurt this Pichu!"

"And how are you going to do that, kid?" the man snorted. "I hope you better drink your milk right, kid, cuz you're about get some broken bones."

Ralph tremble furiously, but he remained standing here. He didn't care that he'd get hurt at this point. The Pichu needed help, and this particular Pichu was one of his very close friends! He couldn't let a watch a friend get hurt.

"Come on, boy…" The man approached him. "Move aside-"

The Pincher was cut off when he was tumbling away from the group, his large body rolling into a very tall and thick palm tree, and he groaned, shocked from the sudden attack. The woman was alarmed at her comrade's sudden defeat, but she felt something fast come her way. The poacher jumped backwards, and got up to observe. Ben had finally stepped in, his back to little Ralph and the Pichu, and his tonfas drawn. His blue eyes burned with the intensity of a volcano, and his eyebrows were creased together.

"A Pokemon Ranger?" The woman squawked. The male Pincher got up, and made his way towards the group.

"I heard there were just one old Ranger in Oblivia," He noted. "Seems like they got wind of us. We'll just have to get rid of the extra one!"

"Still," the woman noted. "I don't see how they'd have kids in the Rangers. They can't handle shit."

"Ranger…." Ralph was in awe, but Ben replied to no one. He took a step forward, and in a flash, he was gone. The puzzled Pinchers spun around to look for him, but he appeared right between them, steel tonfas connecting with their checks. They only had time to gasp in surprise before Ben gave a full spin on his feet to deliver a harsh roundhouse kick to their guts. Both of them were flung back to the walls of the cave with tremendous force right before they slid down to the dirt, completely knocked out.

Ben turned around to Ralph and Pichu, his expression softening.

"You okay?" He looked at Ralph. The dumbstruck boy nodded slowly, before pointing at Pichu, who was still on the ground. Ben bent down to look at the Pichu's wounds. It didn't seem to be terribly serious, and a quickly spray of a potion would be more than enough to heal the little Pokemon. He reached into his deep pockets and handed a potion to Ralph. The boy was very slow, but he managed to grab hold of the potion, and hopefully, Ralph could still hear.

"Ralph," the Ranger instructed the little boy. "Spray this on Pichu's wounds. It should take ten minutes for the wounds to fully disappear. But listen closely. You've got to go back to the village, and go home. Don't go after me. It's going to be dangerous from here, and I can't risk you two getting hurt."

"But what about Ar-"

"Arley will be all right," Ben spoke quietly. "If I find him, I'll tell him to go back, too. But please, for your own safety."

Ralph wanted to resist, but he gave a quick nod and turned round to pick Pichu up before running off in the other direction. Satisfied, Ben turned around to enter the cavern. His lips curved into a small smile, from partly excitement and uneasiness of what lay before him.


Ralph continued to run his course through Teakwood Forest, Pichu in his arms. He wasn't even aware how scared he was that he found himself right at the main gate to the village before he knew it. Ralph then wondered why he couldn't use this speed whenever he had racing games with his friends.

"Here, Pichu," he said quickly and laid the yellow Pokemon down on the ground. He uncapped the potion that Ben had given him so generously, and began spraying the healing liquid on Pichu's wounds. Slowly, the black and blue bruises began to return to its original pale yellow color, and Pichu was stirring awake. It opened its large black eyes, surveying its surroundings. Ralph tried to pet it, but somehow, he could feel electricity running through his fingers whenever he did.

"You okay, Pichu?" Ralph asked. He was sure this was a Pichu from Dolce Island, specifically this one. He has seen the Ukulele Pichu for himself the many times he and his father came to visit the island. Now that the news that those UFO men had gone to Dolce Island and taken all the Pokemon was spreading like wildfire, he had begun to worry about the Pokemon, and this survivor here.

"Pichu..." Ralph wanted to speak, but the little yellow mouse bolted away from him, and began running in the direction of Teakwood Forest again. Ralph, just as alarmed, got up onto his feet and began chasing after the yellow Pokemon, not realizing that he was not following Ben's orders and he was heading back for Rasp Cavern again.


NOTES:

[1] Well, considering the real fact, no normal person would really survive that fall.

[2] Yay! Trauma for Pokemon, too! My version of Pinchers probably will make the ones in the game look tame.

[3] Supposedly a POV for Ukulele Pichu. I really made the Pichu sound like it is a really special Pichu (so much it has royal status among the Pokemon... dunno), and I kept it this way to leave something to work if I need to. Otherwise it's just an angsty Pichu whose family lived on the island for generations.


A/N: Finally getting to the story as it should be. Yes, it is based on the third game of Pokemon Rangers, but, of course with some twist (because it wouldn't be interesting if I stuck to the storyline). Still writing this entire chapter in a beach house, of all places.