Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or the Ranger series.
Chapter 21: The three Rangers' capture
"Kellyn? Are you okay? You look really scared, especially when you and Luana came in just now!" Sven said.
"Luana and I were about to walk down Union Road…when all of a sudden, I felt a strange sense of terror and was unable to walk, Luana had to help me all the way here." I said as Luana nodded.
"It's because that's where we got nearly got attacked by that Ranger. As we ran away, I didn't see what he was holding, but Kellyn saw that he had poison and rope in his hands. I helped Kellyn out and he's fine now, but I understand why he's so worried. Where's Mrs. Hajime?" Luana said as she held my hand.
"Mrs. Hajime had to step out for a bit, she said she had to tend to the wounds of the other three Rangers that were attacked, she'll be back soon." Wendy said.
"Kellyn, Luana, you guys are working yourselves too hard, Marcus told me that you two did three quests and solved the problem that was occurring in the Chroma Highlands! You both have to get some rest!" Sven said.
"I'm concerned about Kellyn, you and Wendy. The three of you need your rest more than I do, I'll go ahead and bring you guys something to eat!" Luana said as she and I both got up.
Luana was able to walk a few steps before she ended up nearly collapsing, I quickly ran over to Luana before she made contact with the ground and helped her back to her chair.
"Luana, sit here and rest, you need a break too. You're not going to collapse as long as I'm around!" I said as I gave Luana a firm hug.
"Okay Dr. Kellyn, if you insist, I'll rest for a little while." Luana said with a giggle.
"Good, when you've actually recovered for a little bit, would you still want to head out tonight and look for those Rangers? If not, you and I can always do that whenever you're feeling better, your health is the most important." I said as I held Luana's hand.
"I'll be able to head out tonight once it's nighttime, don't worry. We will get those Rangers!" Luana said with a grin right as mom entered the room with some trays.
"Kellyn, Luana, welcome back! I figured that you two would come back, so I made all of you some food. Eat up!" Mom said as she handed us our food and some water, just as expected, the food smelled great.
"Thank you for the food!" We all said.
"You're welcome, you should all eat before the food gets cold!" Mom said.
The food consisted of diced grilled onions and carrots with a side of rice topped with some potatoes. Luana and I finished our food and water in a matter of minutes while Wendy and Sven were about halfway done, their eyes were once again, wide with surprise.
"It's like every time you guys eat, you both just eat faster!" Sven said.
"I know, those two are faster than a Yanmega!" Wendy said.
"Hahah! When Luana came over for dinner, she and Kellyn ate at the same pace, just like now, they ate quickly but delicately. I didn't think anyone could eat as fast as my son but Luana certainly can!" Mom said with a chuckle.
"I don't eat as fast as Kellyn, I just really enjoy food, that's all!" Luana said, blushing slightly.
"You definitely do eat as quick as I do! Sven and Wendy's eyes widen more every time they see us eat!" I said as everyone chuckled.
After a few more minutes, Sven and Wendy finished up their food as mom took the plates and put them back to the cafeteria. She came back after a few minutes with Chairperson Erma.
"H-hello Chairperson Erma, we're sorry, Luana and I weren't slacking off, we just finished eating and we were just about to continue walking around helping any citizens in need!" I said as I started to panic and wring my hands.
"Hello dearies! Kellyn, there's no need to worry, you and Luana did a lot of great work today! I was informed by two security guards that they can now walk around Chroma Highlands again all thanks to you and Luana. The both of you also did three quests and assisted some citizens as well as capturing some Team Dim Sun grunts and some goons, very marvelous work as always. Besides, people who work for the Ranger Union can't be fired, the only exception is the three Rangers we're on the lookout for. Even if any of the four of you could be fired, I certainly would never do so, you're all wonderful help to the Ranger Union." Chairperson Erma said with a smile.
"Thank you Chairperson Erma, I appreciate that. Speaking of the Chroma Highlands, Luana and I were able to open the path for the Ruins and when we continued walking, both of the pathways were inaccessible because of some giant boulders. We were hoping to go with Sven and Wendy once they recovered or the three Rangers are caught. I have a feeling that Team Dim Sun is behind the cave in, especially because we encountered a Team Dim Sun grunt there and the fact that the guards said there's never even been a cave in before." I said.
"Kellyn's right, something is suspicious about that cave in. Chairperson Erma, if it's okay with you, Kellyn and I would like to make catching those Rangers a top priority and once Sven and Wendy make a recovery, we'll head to the Chroma Ruins and investigate the boulders that are in the way." Luana said.
"Well dearies, that's a wonderful idea, catching those Rangers will be important so that the Ranger Union employees no longer have to be fearful. Wendy, Sven, once the both of you have gotten some rest and have made a full recovery, the both of you can assist Kellyn and Luana at the Chroma Ruins if you would like to do so." Chairperson Erma said with a smile.
"Sounds like a plan, we'll be more than happy to help our friends!" Sven said.
"That's right, they can't have all the fun exploring! We'd like to see the Ruins too!" Wendy said.
"Just make sure that when you guys do go to the Ruins, that you'll all be careful. If there are Team Dim Sun operatives in the Ruins, make sure you four have all the Friend Pokémon allowed, there's no telling how many of them could be there and they can outnumber you guys easily. I know all of you can handle them but stay safe!" Mom said.
"We'll be as cautious as we can be mom, thanks! Speaking of the Ruins, didn't you find a small black stone there Sven? Maybe more of those Shadow Crystals can be found there? Hopefully Vatona is finished determining what the rock is." I said.
"I did find a small crystal by the Ruins when I was walking with Wendy, maybe a grunt dropped it." Sven said.
"Vatona finished his research about an hour ago, he'll be waiting for you and Luana on the first floor, by the receptionist counter. That's all for now dearies, after Vatona gives you information on what the rock is, the both of you can let Sven and Wendy know and then you and Luana can look for those three Rangers once you're ready. Right now is 5:43 P.M. and it looks like it's getting ready to rain heavily, be careful, those three Rangers only come out at night. I'll be going to help Linda with some new equipment, if any of you need anything, just let me know!" Chairperson Erma said as she left the room.
"Mom, Sven and Wendy, don't you three worry, we're going to get those Rangers!" I said.
"The terrorizing that they've caused to the both of you, as well as all the Rangers in Almia is horrible and they'll be caught. I'm ready to go when you are, Kellyn!" Luana said.
"Good luck you two, make sure you guys don't beat those Rangers up too badly!" Wendy said as Sven chuckled.
"That's right, that's what I'll be doing since they decided to beat up on Kellyn and Luana!" Sven said.
"You should wait in line then, I'm going to beat them up first, they attacked seven people, including my beloved Kellyn and Luana! Show those three whose boss, you two!" Mom said.
"Don't worry you guys, we'll make sure to rough them up a bit!" Luana said as we waved.
Luana and I jogged from Sven and Wendy's room to the second floor, we both stopped in the middle of the second floor as we both started thinking of the best way to get these three Rangers, considering that they're together, a simple Thunder Wave could work, but knowing them, they're probably crafty enough to wear clothing that makes them not impacted by Electric attacks.
"Luana, considering that it's going to rain, Raichu, Pachirisu and Buneary are going to be critical in catching these three. I don't want Vulpix getting hurt by the rain, especially because it'll be weakened, meaning it would be dangerous for it to go. At the same time, I'm wondering, what if these three have clothing that makes them unable to feel the effects of Pokémon moves, such as Thunder Wave? I would be worried if we had to go near them, they could all have some sort of weapon." I said.
"Hmmm, that's a good point. What if we have our Pokémon as distractions and we get the Rangers away from each other and ambush them one by one? Our Pokémon are quicker than those three and this would make it easier on us especially because our Pokémon can distract them by using moves or other tactics. What do you think?" Luana said as we made our way down the staircase.
"That's a great idea, there has to be something our Pokémon can do to get their attention. Let's talk to Vatona before we forget!" I said.
Vatona was talking with the receptionist by the front and gave a big smile and shook our hands once he saw us. All three of us walked over to one of the receptionist desks where no one was at.
"Hello Kellyn and Luana, nice to meet you two! I was able to do some analysis on that black stone Sven found and confirmed that it was in fact, a Shadow Crystal. Some more analysis found that it did come from the Chroma Ruins, and…it appears to have come from a much larger crystal given the way it was broken off. I heard from Marcus that the both of you plan to explore there when once Sven and Wendy recover. The four of you are remarkable Rangers and amazing people, but I suggest you all to be careful, there's a Pokémon that's said to be living deep in the Ruins, from what I've heard, it's very dangerous. You guys have faced many Pokémon before, but I have no idea what sort of Pokémon this one could be, or what type or attacks it may have. I was also informed that the two of you intend on capturing those three Rangers, be cautious around them, Union Road doesn't feel safe anymore. I would even go as far as to say most of Almia doesn't feel safe with those three still out there, please be careful." Vatona said.
"Thank you for the information Vatona, we'll make sure to let Sven and Wendy know about the Shadow Crystal and where it came from. We're going to get our Pokémon to help us bring those three Rangers in. Thanks for the advice!" Luana said.
"It's not a problem, I'm actually about to head to Wendy and Sven's room to let them know, that way you guys can focus on bringing in those three scoundrels. Good luck you two!" Vatona said.
"Thank you Vatona, we appreciate the help, bye!" I said as we both shook Vatona's hand and headed inside the Pokémon training room.
When we entered, we noticed that the lights were on and our Pokémon were sound asleep, so we made sure to enter without making any noise.
"Ben, Betty, are you guys here? We came by to say hello and pick up some of our Pokémon." Luana said in a hushed voice as Ben came out from the back room as the rain started to pour.
"Hello guys, good to see you two. We heard about you two and your friends getting attacked, is everyone okay? Betty stepped out to pick up some lunch, what Pokémon were you guys going to take with you?" Ben said as our Pokémon woke up, happily running over to us as we both hugged them.
"Hi guys, it's so nice to see you! We're going to be going on a very dangerous mission. Vulpix, we're so sorry but you can't come along, as you can hear, it's raining very heavily and while we would like you to join us, your safety is important. Please stay here with Ben, okay?" Luana said as Vulpix happily nodded.
"Everyone is doing okay, they're doing their best to recover. We going to take Pachirisu, Buneary and Raichu with us for a short while, we need to capture three Rangers who have been terrorizing the Ranger Union." I said.
"I'm glad to hear no one got hurt too badly! I heard about that, please be careful, they sound scary. Your Pokémon are free to take, they've already been trained, fed and they slept for a while. They're more than ready to help you guys out! If you two need anything else, just let me know, bye guys!" Ben said.
"Thanks Ben, tell Betty we said hello. Thanks for taking great care of our Pokémon, bye!" Luana said as we walked out of the Pokémon training room, Raichu, Pachirisu and Buneary happily following us.
"Great, now that we got our Pokémon, we need to devise a plan. How about we have Buneary use Charm or Attract on them? Once they start following Buneary, we can tell Pachirisu and Raichu to use Thunder Wave on them, though I'm still concerned they're unsusceptible to Electric moves, Buneary would still be able to work on them. How does that sound?" I said.
"That's an awesome idea. Buneary, when we give you a thumbs up, make sure to use either Charm or Attract to have those Rangers follow you. Pachirisu and Raichu, once you guys are able to see Buneary, shock those three Rangers! We can go ask the receptionist where to get some rope, it's too risky to buy some since it's dark. There has to be some in the Ranger Union!" Luana said as we went over to the receptionist's desk.
"Hi, Luana and I are heading out to capture those three Rangers, unfortunately, we don't have anything to actually restrain them with. Do you know where we can get something to hold them down with?" I said.
"Hello, Chairperson Erma actually just dropped off three bundles of rope, a couple of masks and two jackets, she said it's for the both of you. Good luck!" The receptionist said as she handed us three large ropes, masks and jackets.
"Thank you, we'll be back soon, bye!" Luana said as we headed out of the Ranger Union.
Luana and I put on the jackets which were big enough to conceal our uniforms and we both started to walk from the Ranger Union and went about thirty feet, this was close to where we last saw the Ranger and we both headed into the trees, making sure not to be spotted as Raichu and Pachirisu followed us, while Buneary was out in the open. When Luana and I observed our surroundings in the small clearing, we became worried because of how heavy the rain was pouring, while it didn't make the ground hard to walk in, we knew that we had to be quick, otherwise, any steps we made would make them notice us.
Luana and I did a stakeout as we both put the masks on and intently waited, rope in hand as minutes went by, and soon, what felt like hours. We were listening out for any noises walking as rain continued to pour all around us. Since it was raining, most of the Pokémon were seeking shelter in other parts of the Union Road, which meant that the only Pokémon that could be seen from Union Road was Buneary. Since Buneary was four feet away from us, Luana and I gave Buneary the thumbs up so that it can start hopping around before the Rangers actually arrived. Huddling close to Luana for warmth was something that we both needed, especially since there's no way to know if those Rangers will be coming by anytime soon. I don't know what I would do without Luana, I think I'll give her a present once we capture these three Rangers and I decide what to get her. She's such an amazing and dependable person.
Eventually, Luana and I heard some footsteps approaching as Buneary continued to hop around, pretending to be disoriented. We both crept down lower than before just in case whoever was approaching ended up seeing us. As the footsteps got closer, we saw silhouetted figures come into view and even though their entire bodies were covered with dark gray jackets, we could tell that these three were the crooked Rangers everyone was looking for.
"What an adorable little Buneary! Hello there, where did you come from? I've only seen a few Buneary by the Ranger School!" A cloaked female said as Buneary winked at them, indicating to us that Charm worked successfully.
"It's so fluffy! Would you like to come with us? The boss can always use more Pokémon!" The second female said as she held Buneary.
"It is rather soft looking, let's take this Buneary to the boss right away, it's so adorable!" The male said as Buneary jumped out of the second female's arms and started to hop in our direction.
"Hey, come back Buneary!" One of the females said as they started to approach us.
Luana and I both patted Raichu and Pachirisu on the heads, indicating for them to release a strong Thunder Wave. The move was successful which made me relieved that their clothes weren't Electric proof. Luana and I quickly pounced on two of cloaked figures, tackling them to the ground as we tied them up, making sure their hands and feet couldn't move while we called Marcus.
"Hi, we can't talk for long, we need two Staraptors to where we're located ASAP. Bye, thank you!" I said, quickly hanging up. We wouldn't want Marcus to get hurt or killed in the event that these three have more friends working in the Ranger Union or other areas.
"How did you two manage to tie us up?! We're here to hurt Rangers, we have no quarrel with citizens or Pokémon!" One of the females said while the other didn't say anything.
"W-who are you two!? I thought we were the only dangerous people around here!" The male said.
Luana and I only smirked in response, making the two females cower while the male grimaced. Within no time, the Staraptors landed and Luana and I got one of them up on the Staraptor's backs together, though the other one to struggle, so I helped Luana with one of them. After they were properly secured to the harnesses, they started to scream as the Staraptors flew off. As Luana and I both went to tie up the male Ranger, he was able to break free from paralysis as he started running away from us, we both pursued him until we were able to catch up with him. The Ranger tried throwing the bottle of poison from last time and I was narrowly able to dodge it as the poison damaged the grass where I was initially standing. I used this to my advantage as I tackled him to the ground and even as I was able to do so, he attempted to wrestle away from me. After a brief struggle, I was able to get the Ranger to his feet, since he continued to struggle the entire time, Luana got the rope as she lifted the Ranger up in the air with one arm, as his legs flailed wildly, Luana became irritated as she effortlessly held his legs in place while I tied him up.
"P-put me down right now! Let me go this instant!" The male Ranger said as Luana unceremoniously dropped him on the ground.
Luana and I picked the Ranger up and started to walk with him, we both went over to where Buneary, Raichu and Pachirisu were and motioned for them to go back to the Ranger Union's Pokémon training room, which they did as they sprinted back. Luana and I brought the Ranger into the Ranger Union ourselves, reaching there in ten minutes. When we entered, no one was in the lobby, though when Luana and I were heading up to the staircase, we barely saw the receptionist hiding behind the counter, giving us two thumbs ups which made us grin. Within no time, Luana and I walked to the third floor and saw Chairperson Erma pacing back and forth nervously as Marcus and Linda attempted to calm her down. We made sure to close the Ranger's ears so he wouldn't hear anything.
"Chairperson Erma, please relax, they're both strong and amazing individuals. They'll have all three of them captured!" Linda said.
"Linda's right, Luana and Kellyn are good at fighting, that last Ranger is no match for them, they already got two of the Rangers!" Marcus said.
"I know dearies, I'm still worried for their safety because of how brutal those horrible Rangers have been." Chairperson Erma said as she sat down in the middle chair and drank some coffee.
"Hello, we're back, can we please have some coffee too?" I said as Marcus, Linda and Chairperson Erma looked at us, their expressions a mixture of surprise and happiness as we took off the masks and jackets.
"Welcome back guys! You did it, the both of you captured all three Rangers!" Marcus said as all three of them gave us a hug.
"Now that all three of them are here, please take this Ranger to the second floor in the first door, that's our interrogation and examination room. We'll grill them on any information they know and since you two captured them, you two will question this one. Sven and Wendy are already questioning the other two. It's 9:20 P.M. so you two can question him for quite a while. Great work you two!" Chairperson Erma said.
"Sven and Wendy are better?! Great, we were very worried about their condition. We'll make sure to question this guy, don't worry Chairperson Erma, thank you!" Luana said.
"I'm glad that they recovered, I hope they don't work too hard!" I said.
"I know, they simply needed to rest a bit from their injuries. Wendy's leg has actually improved immensely compared to earlier, but she still shouldn't put much strain on her leg until she makes a full recovery." Chairperson Erma said.
"We understand, thank you for letting us know, Chairperson Erma!" We said as we took the Ranger down to the second floor, placing him inside the first room.
Once inside, there was a sturdy wooden table with a notepad on top along with three chairs, two of them being closest to the door we entered from while there was a large glass window in the back, with a door next to it. I assumed the glass was so that Chairperson Erma or any other interviewers could check up and see how we were doing. We put the Ranger down in the chair and closed the door, making sure it was locked. He started to grumble since he was still tied up, Luana and I sat across from him.
"Would you like to ask him questions, or should I?" I said.
"Hmm, we could both ask him questions, this will be fun." Luana said as she ripped off the Ranger's mask.
Luana and I were a bit surprised when we saw that the Ranger looked very similar to me, while he didn't look identical, people could certainly confuse us at first glance if we were side by side. The Ranger's hair was brushed forward whereas mine is always combed upwards and his jaw line was a slightly broader compared to mine, however, his eyes certainly didn't resemble mine, they were filled with hate.
"Questions huh? You two dolts want to ask me questions? Go ahead." The Ranger said, his voice raspy as if he hadn't slept in days.
"Why don't we start with your name, do you mind sharing it?" I said.
"My name…is Elliott Stevens. Can I go now?" Elliott said.
"No, you can't. You're staying here for now." I said, keeping a close eye on him as he continued to mumble.
"Elliott, what made you want to start attacking other Rangers? Do you have something against the Ranger Union?" Luana said as Elliott scoffed.
"You and that idiotic Ranger next to you…what was his name? Oh yes, Kellyn and you, Luana. I despise the both of you immensely. If Kellyn didn't come to your aid, me and my two partners would have been more than happy to get a Pokémon to attack you. Since he was there, we couldn't attack you ourselves as the two of them were waiting in the cave even though I told those fools to stay with me so we could overpower you. Those two friends of yours and those other three Rangers we attacked were just for fun. If Kellyn was alone, we would have killed him so the fact that you were there meant we weren't able to." Elliott said with a smirk as Luana started to get angry, though I put my hand on her shoulder to calm her down.
"I understand, tell us, Elliott, did you or your cohorts have any outside help from anyone, such as friends or family? You guys evaded the Ranger Union for quite a while, tell us about that." I said as I continued writing in the notepad.
"Hmph, no thanks." Elliott said as he turned his head, though Luana grabbed his face and forced him to turn to us.
"Listen Elliott. We need to know any information you can tell us, if you don't, I'll get very angry." Luana said.
"Okay, okay, we didn't get any assistance from anyone, we survived in the Vien forest and other areas for a while, eating some food we stole from the Ranger Union before we ran off. Make sure you understand what I'm saying, Kellyn, you dimwitted Ranger." Elliott said as he started to laugh which only made Luana scowl, which made Elliott tremble in fear.
"Elliott, you're lying. Unless you guys eat like Taillows, there's no way three of you could survive for that long with only a little bit of food. Did the three of you have any outside assistance?" Luana said as Elliott started to laugh.
"Hahah, you're just as worthless as ever! You and Kellyn are Top Rangers and I find that hilarious, you two are so idiotic and lazy. I've said it before, Luana, you're a sorry excuse for a Ranger, I'm surprised they even made you one!" Elliott said as I slammed my fist on the table, splintering the wood.
I was enraged that this fool thought he could insult Luana as I grabbed his restraints and hoisted him in the air. Elliott was only able to respond by trembling in fear, though I was able to calm down once Luana put her hand on my shoulder as I put Elliott back on his chair.
"O-okay, s-so we got help from T-team Dim Sun, t-they gave us f-food and s-shelter the entire time. We got help f-from the admin…Ice." Elliott said fearfully as I glared at him.
"Thank you, we don't have any more questions." Luana said as were both about to exit the room, until the door on the opposite side of the room opened as we saw Chairperson Erma, Wendy and Sven.
Wendy had a small cast around her leg as Sven and Chairperson Erma helped her across the room, even then, they had grins on their faces as they walked over to where we were as we all exited the room together, we then went to the third floor and saw Marcus and Linda answering some questions that were being asked by a pair of Top Mechanics. Sven and Wendy gave us both hugs while Chairperson Erma smiled.
"Hi guys, you both did great asking Elliott all of those questions. You're pretty terrifying when you're mad Kellyn, remind me to never get you angry!" Wendy said.
"Thanks, we tried our best to get some information out of him. Also, Wendy, make sure not to get me angry, there, I reminded you!" I said as we all laughed.