Chapter 13 - Peril in Peril Cliffs

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon

I head outside to release Bibarel, then go around the HQ observing what the workers are doing. The HQ has four floors, with the top floor having tree on it. I can't really tell if it's real or not. The leaves and outstretched branches function as the roof for the HQ. It looks like there is a pond behind the huge tree, and there's even grass and a few flowers! I head down to the operation floor where the operators work. There's so many buttons tempting me to push them, but I restrain myself from touching them. The huge screen panels show various data on subjects ranging from the status of the HQ to critical missions that Rangers are currently carrying out. While watching the screens and the Operators giving instructions through their headsets, I catch a bit of what one is saying.

"Did you reach Sinnoh?"

"It is confirmed that the kidnapped Riolu is located at a security-tight building. I'll send the data to you."

The operator types in some commands on the computer.

"Be sure to look out for Hunter J as well."

A kidnapped Riolu, huh? I hope that whoever it is saves the Pokémon. And Hunter J... isn't she a infamous Pokémon poacher in Sinnoh?

While deep in thought, I accidentally lean on some random buttons. I jump in alarm as the room flashes red and sirens start to go off.

"YIKES!" I yelp, stepping back and knocking the Operator that was talking earlier out of their chair.

"OW!" The line she was talking through was suddenly put on speakers.

"Is everything okay over there?" The Ranger on the other end asks. Strange... his voice sounds so familiar - but I don't have time to think about that!

"I'M SO SORRY!" I apologize hastily to the Operator I knocked down. While the room becomes alert and everyone rushes around to stop whatever trouble I unknowingly caused, I dash out on instinct to prevent myself from making even more mistakes.

Okaaayy... time to find Barlow. I hope he's still in the Research Room with Prof. Hastings, unknowing of the trouble I caused.

"BARLOW!" I exclaim once I step through the Research Room door. The people in there give me weird looks.

"Oops!" I cover my mouth once I realize how loud I was.

"Yes Kate?" comes Barlow's voice. I look ahead to meet the blank looks of Barlow and Prof. Hastings.

"I uh... I'm finished touring the Union HQ," I say as calm as I can manage, inwardly hoping they haven't noticed the chaos on the floor above them.

"That's great and just on time too, I was going to look for you to tell you that we'll be spending the night at the Union."

Say wha...? I turn pale instantly. I have the whole night to possibly cause more problems?!

Barlow notices my reaction and furrows his brows. "Why are you so pale? Did something happen?"

I stiffen up and chuckle nervously. "N-No... e-everything is absolutely normal!"

...Except for the third floor.

At that moment, Prof. Hastings receives a call.

"The operation floor is WHAT?!"

Uh oh. "Um... see ya tomorrow chief!" I zoom out of the room before they can do anything.

"KATE!" Barlow's voice roars throughout the building. This is gonna be some night...

The Ranger's POV

Somewhere in Sinnoh...

"Thanks, I got the-" Before I can finish, I hear sirens through my Fine Styler.

"OW!" Linda shouts through the communicator.

"Is everything okay over there?" I ask.

"I'M SO SORRY!" The voice is so loud that I have to move my Styler away from myself.

That voice... is that...?

"Yeah, everything is getting back under control," Linda replies a few moments later with a bit of strain in her voice. "Some rookie ranger messed with the operation room and knocked me over."

I can still hear the sirens.

"Rookie ranger?"

"Twin tails, spiky brown hair," she describes with fuming anger in her voice. "Couldn't quite catch her face since she zoomed out of the room right after. Ugh, gotta set everything back to normal. You got the data though, right? I gotta fix this. CALM DOWN EVERYONE!"

She hangs up right after that. I sweatdrop.

Spiky brown hair? Twin tails? Causing trouble?

I slap a hand to my face. I knew it...

"Kate..."

I fear for the state of the HQ if she becomes a Top Ranger if she's already caused this much trouble when she is still a 'rookie' according to Linda.

Wait... why is she at the Union HQ?

Pachi and I ended up spending the night in a tree outside of the Union, knowing that it would be troublesome spending the night inside.

"Kate! Wake up!" Barlow's voice bellows.

"Wha... WAH!" I lose my balance when I open my eyes. In less than a second, Pachi and I are face to face with the ground.

"You could've still slept in the Union even though you caused all that chaos," Barlow says, folding his arms. "We all forgave you."

"Well... I didn't want to risk causing any more problems," I reply stiffly, rubbing my sore back. Pachi yawns and climbs onto my shoulder to nuzzle me.

"Good morning to you too," I say, smiling and patting Pachi on the head.

"Let's get back to the Vientown base!" Barlow says, and I get up and follow him down the steps that lead up to the Union HQ.

On the way back, the ground starts to tremble.

"Yikes!" I yelp, falling to the ground for the second time today.

"What is that?" Barlow asks no one in particular.

"An earthquake maybe?" I say aloud.

"Chupa chupa!" Pachi tries to get our attention, and then leads us to Peril Cliff where the quake is much stronger.

"Looks like the earthquake isn't natural," observes Barlow. Well thanks, Captain Obvious.

"Time to take a look." I sigh heavily, looking at how much we have to climb. After some extreme rock climbing, dodging tackling Gligar and calming down some Pokémon that havd been disturbed by the unnatural tremors, we get to- "What is this giant leaf thingy?" I ask.

I poke at it and then stand on top of it to get a better look.

"Careful! That's a springy leaf pa-"

"AHHH!"

"...that launches you into the air..."

"SAY IT BEFORE I ACTUALLY STEP ON IT!" I retort in midair. After a moment, I land on my behind on another leaf and the same thing happens. The next one causes me to hit a passing Staravia.

"Yikes!" I look down with fear and see a really long drop. Then I look to my right. There's a spot where I might be able to land – but it's on the other side of a cliff, too far for me to get to. Unless... I look up at the Staravia, which I had grabbed onto out of instinct. It's eyes are closed, so I yell at it, but it doesn't respond. Starvaia must have been knocked out when I hit it.

"This is not good!" I mutter and look around in desperation as I began to fall.

"Staravia! Wake up!" I shake the Pokémon vigorously. I can feel myself starting to panic – never a good thing.

"C'mon, c'mon, c'mon!" I yell frantically. "Please wake up!"

The Staravia flinches a bit and slowly starts to regain consciousness.

"YES!" I exclaim. "Capture on!"

With Staravia not knowing what is going on, it is really easy to capture - no resistance.

Then I look down to see the head of a man wearing a black beanie. It looks like I'll be landing on him if I don't do something. "CRAP!"

I ask Staravia to help me out of the situation.

"Star!" Staravia places its talons into the back of my uniform and tries its best. I do slow down a bit, but I'm still falling. I clench my teeth and mentally curse gravity.

Suddenly, Staravia's grip slips and I start falling down at full speed. Oh well, better warn the man that I'm coming down.

"LOOK OUT BE-"

THUD!

Oops, hehe... too late. I headbutt into him and we both crash onto the ground, eyes swirling around and Staravia flying around our heads. Only the sound of something crumbling and the still-constant tremors wake me up.

"Whuh...?" I temporarily forget where I am as I look at two Rampardos crashing into the side of the mountain. Is that normal...?

Then I notice that their eyes are lifeless and hear that weird noise again. It sounds like it came from the machine that is placed in front of me, which, in my defense, I just noticed.

"What's happen-WAH!"

"GET OFF ME!" The man pushes me to the ground face first. That's when I realize that the man I fell on top of is none other than a Team Dim Sun grunt. I glare at the man.

"What do you think you're doing?" I ask him.

"I err... I'm a scientist studying on dirt." He staggers a little. Dirt? Seriously? That's the best excuse he has?

"Then tell me what the dirt of Peril Cliff is composed of," I demand leisurely, knowing that he won't be able to answer my question.

"Well um... it's dirt and... minerals... and dirt..." I snicker as he tries to come up with a response.

"ARGH! Forget it!" He types in some command on a case-like machine standing on four legs. "Get her!"

The two Rampardos suddenly stop charging at the wall and run after me. I can't really capture both of them at the same time. I ask Staravia to slow them down, but the attacks aren't working.

Not good, I think as Staravia and I start to flee. So those case things act like Gigaremos. Speaking of which, I see a barricade of Pokémon and two yellow ones up ahead. I jump over the Pokémon and Gigaremos. The Pokémon start chasing after me, but then get ran over by the two large fossil Pokémon. I lead Rampardos charging at the Gigaremos in their attempt to chase after me.

"That's one way to destroy them..." I mutter in amusement, but I feel my legs giving out.

"Kate!" I look up to a cliff above me and see Barlow and Pachi.

"A little help would be nice!" I call to them, but then I think of something. "Actually, I want to try something first!"

I begin running back to where the Team Dim Sun grunt was to see him laughing on the ground. I glare daggers at him and then flip over him.

"What are you-" I stop him, turn around, and point toward the Rampardos and grin. The grunt widens his eyes in shock as the two Rampardos trample over him and the machine. They stop a few inches in front of me, finally out of the control of that Gigaremo thingy. They look around, confused, then leave.

I sigh in relief and collapse to the ground in exhaustion. "Too close..."

The grunt stood up limply and made his escape.

"H-Hey!" I call to him but he is already a speck of dot.

"That was amazing!" Barlow exclaims in awe as he and Pachi approach me.

"Where have you two been?!"

"Well we had to take the long way down since that was such a long drop." Barlow explains. "And there were two other yellow Gigaremo on our way here, which we managed to destroy."

Pachi approaches me with a worried expression.

"I'm okay, just tired."

...

Barlow and I capture a Doduo each and ride them back to Vientown, though Barlow got ahead of me. I didn't mind, though, as I fell behind because I helped some people out on my way back.

"What took you so long Kate?" Barlow asks once I got back. He flashes a grin of victory at me. I roll my eyes.

"It wasn't a race."

"Kate, I'm so jealous that you got to spend a night at the Union!" Luana shouts. Then she starts launching millions of questions at me. "How was it? What is it like? What happened? What did you do there?"

Hearing all those questions makes my head spin. Barlow laughs.

"You look tired Kate, you take a good rest for today. You deserve it after doing an amazing job today!"

"Thanks," I say with no energy in my voice as I drag away from the questioning Luana. "Ask Barlow, he knows."

Before I drift off to sleep with Pachi beside me, I hear everyone outside shouting, "WHAT?!"

Looks like Barlow told them about the 'little mishap'.