Chapter 21 - Mishaps and Reunions

Reviews(...I seriously can't remember the last time I replied to reviews, maybe all the way back to chapter 18?)

The Lady of Dragons - Thank you for the support! And I'll try to bring my focus back to Pokemon Ranger since I'm done with Black 2 & White 2! But motivation is my only push right now...I need to find another one.

122 Generation - I'm flattered that you took time to read this fan fic ^^' University came be a bit rough can't it? I'll be in the spot in the following year XD

caird56 - Sorry for the late delay~! Enjoy the chapter 'kay?

pokegirl2 - Thanks! I'll try my best to write the chapters as best as I can! And don't worry, Kate and Kellyn are alright as this chapter will say. And for the dream, you just have to wait and find out~ ;)

Killfith - Thanks! I couldn't really find a cover that I liked and it took until now to find it XD And I'll work on them being a tag team later on.

ChelseaJackson - Google translate: Estoy feliz de ver que revisar mis capítulos ! Así que voy a tratar de entrada tanto Almiashipping como pueda pero apesto en el romance así que no esperes mucho ;-;

Eeveeleah - your favorite character is Kinclaid? XD Or is that sarcasm? Sorry, I have hard time telling if people are joking or not.

Dhiren Pooran - Happy to hear that you loved the story!

Cynderheart456 - I'm sorry ;-; but I have mix opinions about cliffies, since they can be enjoyable when you're the one writing about it but not fun when you're the reader waiting to find out what happens.

Shadow390 - Thanks for the compliment!

I'm sorry that I haven't been updating this story as recently as I liked or reply to the reviews. I was focused on finishing another fanfic and preparing for college. And now since I'm done, I'll refocus on Pokemon Ranger! Not sure if you would be happy about that but yay anyways!

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.

I'm standing in the middle of a forest, though I don't know how I got here in the first place. I cup my hands around my mouth and shout - "Hello?! Is anyone there?!"

"Bi bi!" comes a high-pitched voice that echoes through the entire area. I try to follow it to the source, but I end up getting lost instead - as if I wasn't lost already. I look around again, but it's no use. Even though the forest is still, I can't hear the voice again.

I see that my surroundings are slowly being engulfed by shadows. I back away from them, feeling a little scared of what is happening. The trees and bushes turn into shadow and slowly travel upward before crashing down on me.

...

My eyes flutter open and I gasp for air. Looking around, I realize that I'm not in a forest anymore, I'm in a room. White walls and ceiling, plus the blanket that covers me is of the color white as well.

... Am I in a hospital?

I let my eyes trail along the room, finding Pachi sleeping, all curled up, but my eyes don't stop traveling until they fall onto a sleeping figure right at the side of the bed I'm resting on, which is also white, if I might add. A boy, donning a Ranger uniform with chestnut brown hair and a haircut that resem- wait... isn't that Kellyn?

I push myself up silently to take a closer look and confirm that it is him. He looks to be sleeping soundly right now, with his head resting sideways on his folded arms.

I get bored, so I decide to prod his cheek.

"Cute," I say absentmindedly.

"Mm...?"

"Oh crap!" I exclaim, thrusting my hands up to the side in start, which accidentally wakes Pachi up. She perks up upon seeing me and climbs up my shoulder to nuzzle my cheek affectionately.

Kellyn starts waking up right at that moment as well, yawning and stretching in his seat.

"'Morning Kate," he greets, sounding still half-asleep. The way he is right now - he's rubbing his eye - it's as if he's still a cute little kid waking up from a serene sleep.

"M-Morning!" I say quickly, feeling my cheeks heat up from my thoughts and what I said earlier. I hope he didn't hear what I said...

I then notice that he's patched up with bandages. "What happened to you? You look like you just came back from a fight."

Kellyn raises a brow and says, "Speak for yourself." He makes a head motion at me and I look at my hands to see them wrapped in bandages as well.

"Uh... Why am I-" I blink, suddenly remembering what happened. "Oh."

"How are you feeling?" Kellyn queries.

"What do you mean?" I ask. "I'm feeling just fine."

"You were out for three days," he deadpans.

"Really - wait WHAT?!" I snap my attention to him in disbelief. I try straightening up, but a sharp pain shoots up my back, causing me to grimace. It must have been the Corsola knocking me against... something, but seriously? Three days?

"I've been asleep in the hospital for three days?!" I voice out my disbelief.

"Actually," Kellyn says, "this is the Ranger Union's medical wing."

"...Oh. Wait, that doesn't change anything!"

"I'm just correcting you."

"Kate!" comes Luana's voice, accompanied by the slamming of the door. "You're finally awake!"

And then in come Luana, Barlow, Elaine, and Crawford, all with looks of relief. "It took you long enough to wake up from your beauty sleep!" Crawford jokes. He then notices Kellyn in the room as well.

"Still here, ey?" Crawford smirks.

"Huh?" I say, dropping my head to my shoulder as to show my puzzlement. Kellyn coughs, but I can't tell if it's a real one or a fake one because he changes the subject right after.

"When you're feeling better," he says as he stands up, "Professor Hastings wants to speak with you."

"Okay," I reply, getting up already.

"I said when you're feeling better," Kellyn states sternly, putting emphasis on the word.

I stare at him cluelessly, "...But I'm fine right now."

"I sincerely doubt that."

"Please, you say it as if I've forgotten how to walk." I roll my eyes and continue trying to stand up, only to fall back down on the bed with a soft "Oof." My legs are still asleep, I see.

I look up at Kellyn to see him wearing a smoldering look of smugness. My eye twitches, "Always have to be right..." I mutter beneath my breath.

"I'll leave you guys to talk," Kellyn says, strolling away, but he stops briefly by Crawford to give him what I guess is a threatening, dark look. Crawford chuckles nervously and rubs the back of his neck.

Okay... That was weird.

"Phew," Crawford lets out a breath that he was holding after Kellyn leaves. "That kid didn't need to take everything so seriously."

Barlow chuckles, "That's Kellyn for you!"

"It's kind of cute though, don't you think?" Luana muses, gaining questioning looks from some of us. "The way he hides it."

"Hides what?" I pipe.

"You know, he waited in this room until you woke up," Crawford smirks.

"..." I blink several times as my brain tries to comprehend that information. It's still a bit slow, though, and all I have for a reply is- "Eh?"

"The fact that he- Mmphg!"

Luana wraps a hand around Crawford's mouth so that he can't finish his sentence. "Let her find out herself," I hear Luana mutter through her barely sealed lips.

"Crawford," Elaine sighs while shaking her head. "You're such a big mouth." She then turns to me with a smile. "Don't mind them, okay?"

"Sure...?" I reply uncertainly. "By the way, what are you guys doing here?"

"Just seeing if you're awake," Barlow replies. "You really took a number back there. But despite almost drowning, you saved the ship from sinking, as well as the Pokémon on board! That's the best I've ever seen any one of us perform!"

Crawford and Luana give Barlow an accusing look. "Are you saying that our performances are lousy?" Luana inquires.

"Uh..." Barlow reels back in uneasiness as the two tower over him for an answer. "N-no, I mean... it's just that Kate risked her own life for the safety of others, including mine!"

Luana giggles with a hand in front of her mouth and leans back. "Oh, Barlow, we're just missing with you!"

"Yeah, Kate deserves all the praise she can get!" Crawford grins.

"Oh, we also brought some other people that wanted to see you," Elaine speaks up, letting said people in. My sister practically pounces on me when she come in, creating a slight pain – but it's bearable.

"You're okay! You're okay!" Lila wails with tears seeping from the corner of her eyes. I pat her head to comfort her.

"Of course I am."

"We're so relieved to see you're awake, Kate!" my mom says in an anxious tone.

"How are you feeling?" my dad asks. "You're not hurt, are you?"

I shake my head. "I'm fine! I'm tougher than you guys think, y'know!"

"Still the same spirited Kate," comes a chuckle that I immediately recognize. I jerk my head up in astonishment to I see Ms. April standing behind everyone, her eyes dancing with joy and relief.

Reading how confounded I am, she continues to speak. "I'm here to see how one of my former students are doing. Even though I'm not your teacher anymore, I still feel concern about your well-being. But let me say this, I am very proud of you."

Those are the words that every student would like to hear from their teacher or parents. It gives them a sense of accomplishment and happiness to be praised. Even if I'm not a student anymore, I feel happy to hear it.

"Thanks, Ms. April!" I pipe.

After all of them leave to give me some peace of mind, I find it too quiet, even with Pachi with me. So, to cure that, I stalk out of bed, but my legs lock up. I exercise them for a good ten minutes before I can walk - almost - normally again.

Remembering what Kellyn said about Professor Hastings wanting to talk to me, Pachi and I leave in search of where the Professor is right now. We stop in front of a room that I remember as the Conference Room, which has a computer screen for the floor.

"Maybe he's in there," I mutter to myself before knocking, which is kind of useless since it's an automatic sliding door. The door hisses lowly and makes an opening for me to enter.

I peep in like I did the first time I entered this room to see Professor Hastings, Murph, Wendy, and Chairperson Erma discussing something.

"Um... hello?" I say, getting their attention. I hold onto the door frame and lean in, keeping the lower half of my body outside.

Murph is the first to speak. "Kate? Aren't you supposed to be resting in the medical wing?"

"Well, I-" Someone interrupts me before I can finish my answer, and it isn't someone within the room.

"HEY! LOOK OUT!"

"Huh-?!" I barely have time to register that the voice is behind me before something slams against my back, causing me fall forward and sprawl on the screen floor with a yelp.

"What's... the big idea?" I grunt, feeling an immense lump of weight on my back, sharpening the pain that I feel in my head. The thing on my back groans in discomfort, giving me the hint that it's a human that was stacked on me; the voice sounds familiar...

"Bui bui!" A Buizel is standing in front of me, looking concerned along with Pachi. Whose Pokémon is this?

"Sorry..." the male voice apologizes and I immediately feel the dead weight lifting from my back, much to my relief. "I was in a hurry since I was... kinda late."

I detect a hand placed in front of me, and I gladly take it. The person helps me up, only for both of us to reel back in shock.

"KATE?!"

"KEITH?!"

We point at each other as we yell each other's names in unison.

"What are you doing here?!" Again, we're synchronized.

"Familiar with each other already?" Chairperson Erma interjects with amusement. Both of us nod in reply, but I have a feeling that she already knew that answer.

Professor Hastings chuckles lightly. "At least there is no need for introductions."

"Bui bui!" The Buizel waves his arms about to get attention.

"Oh," Keith says, picking the Pokémon up. "This is my Pokémon partner, Buizel! We met while I was in the Fiore Region!"

"Nice to meet you." I pat his head and then introduce my Pachirisu to them. "This is Pachi." Both of us put our partners down.

"So, why are we here?" I ask, gaining an incredulous look from Keith.

"What? You mean you don't even know what you were called here for?" he asks. "Weren't you already told?"

"Well, sorry for being unconscious for three days straight," I deadpan with folded arms. "And I was only told that Professor Hastings wanted to talk to me."

Keith stares at me like I'm something on display. "You were what?"

"...At least that's what I'm told," I mutter. Both of us hear Wendy giggle and turn our attention to her.

"I guess Keith hasn't read the Almia Times."

He scoffs. "Newspapers are for old geezers."

"Uh... I would be careful with what you say if I were you," I warn, motioning towards the dark auras emitting from practically everyone except for Murph, who is shifting uncomfortably in the now tense atmosphere.

"Old geezers, huh?" Wendy says with a sweet, yet menacing tone while cracking her knuckles.

"Uh..." Keith panics, beads of sweat dripping down his face. "I - I meant to say... they're um... for people who are full of wisdom?"

I cough, hiding a snicker as Keith buries himself deeper.

"Anyways," Professor Hastings cuts the tension short. "The reason we called you here is because of the rising activity of this new organization calling themselves Team Dim Sun. We have been overlooking your performances, and we decided to promote you two to the rank of Top Ranger to help keep the peace in Almia."

I blink once, twice, three times before what the Professor said soaks in. "WHAAATTT?!" I exclaim incredulously, though I'm squealing with euphoria on the inside.

"We need more Top Rangers in the field now more than ever," Chairperson Erma continues for Professor Hastings. "And we think you two are the best choices for the job, so how about it you two?"

"Hell yeah!" Keith exclaims with a fistpump while I can barely contain myself from jumping about. About time I got there! In your face Kellyn!

"As the twelfth and thirteenth Top Rangers," Professor Hastings says formally, handing each of us a rectangular device that can be strapped to our arms. "I present you two with the Fine Styler."

We return our regular Stylers and marvel at the new ones in our hands – until I realize something. "Wait, twelfth and thirteenth? I thought there were only ten Top Rangers before us."

Keith gains a look of realization as well, and both of us look to the heads of the Ranger Union for an explanation. They only smile and chuckle, as do Murph and Wendy.

...What's so funny?

"It's intriguing that you guys are from the same school – and class if I might add – yet you don't even keep track of each other's progress." Chairperson Erma muses.

"Honestly," Wendy says, "he's the only one that keeps track out of the three of you, isn't he? And he was pretty excited when he found out about your promotions."

"Eh?" Keith and I chime in unison for the third time today, with no comprehension of what's going on.

"As we were saying," Professor Hastings clears his throat, "there was another addition to the Top Rangers earlier in the year and because of his exceptional performance – praised by another Top Ranger, even – he was picked for the eleventh spot, though he was based in Fiore, before transferring here recently."

"What? He was in the Fiore Region? How come I never heard of him when I was based there?" Keith queries. "Who is he?"

I hear a ring and from the corner of my eye, I see Murph looking at his phone and then back up at us. "I just got a message. He should be coming right... about..."

"I GOT HIM!"

"...Now."

Keith and I's curiosity peaks as we turn around... only for Lunick to leap in with a Minun and Pachirisu holding for dear life. Isn't he already a Top Ranger?

"Honestly, Lun!" comes Solana's chastise. "Don't break the screen floor!"

"What's... going on?" I say slowly. Out from behind him, Lunick pulls out a Kellyn - wait. Hold up, rewind.

...What?

"Why did you rush?" Kellyn looks calm, yet perturbed at the same time as his Pachirisu climb onto his shoulder. "It's not like they're going anywhere."

"Kellyn?!" Keith points an index finger at him. "What are you doing here? And with the Lunick and Solana?!"

"I like this guy already!" Lunick jabs a thumb at Keith.

"Don't tell me…" I say as it dawns on me. "Kellyn is the eleventh Top Ranger?!"

Kellyn didn't even need to say a word – he simply lifts up his arm, which has a Fine Styler strapped to it.

…What. The. Hell. He wasn't even wearing it when we were in the volcano and the ship!…And there goes the feeling that I finally bested Kellyn at something, washed down the drain just like that.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?!"

Kellyn gazes at me, and I can see an ever-so-small lopsided smile on his face. "Isn't rescuing Barlow and defeating Team Dim Sun of more priority than that?"

I start to fume. "It only takes like, what, a ten-second sentence for something like that?!"

"Those ten seconds could have been when the cargo ship left. Then we wouldn't have even been able to complete our mission," he asserts with folded arms. "We barely infiltrated the cargo ship before it set sail as-is."

My eye twitches. He did not just counter that with another perfectly logical statement.

"Aw," Lunick cuts in, swinging an arm over my shoulder. I instantly know that he's going to tease me about something. "Is Katie upset that her boyfriend kept a secret from her?"

"What?!" both Kellyn and I exclaim at Lunick's bombshell claim. Both of our expressions go crooked, with me burning up and Kellyn losing his composure, which is quite rare if you ask me.

We're not even that close! At least I don't think so… I mean... err… forget I said anything.

"Nice!" Keith pipes with a goofy grin. "Glad to hear that it's still up there! And they even have the same Pokémon partners!"

He and Lunick fist-bump each other, and I can tell they're good friends already. I hear Solana sigh in exasperation.

"Great… Another Lunick."

I would have to agree with that remark. Professor Hastings coughs. "Though I know you all know each other already, why don't you all talk for a while? Oh, and you should also visit the Control Room to meet the Top Operators as well."

With that, the Professor and Chairperson Erma amble out of the Conference Room, leaving us Rangers to our devices. They're such trusting people, leaving us alone in a room with a perfectly good, expensive-looking screen floor. I wonder how much the bill will be to repair it.

"… Let's get out of here before anything happens," Solana advises. She is already taking Lunick by the scuff of his collar and dragging him out. All of us follow right after her.

As we stroll about the Ranger Union, Solana chats with Wendy while Lunick, Keith, and Murph talk about something that's probably nothing good. This left me and Kellyn with an awkward silence between us, mostly because of what Lunick had said earlier.

"So…" I say, trying to break the ice. Kellyn takes a glance at me, showing me that I got his attention. "When did you become a Top Ranger?"

He mulls over my question for a moment before answering. "Not that long after I was sent to Fiore. And since I got Lunick and Solana, it was quicker than I anticipated, though I was a bit surprised at first when I found out that they knew you."

"Huh?" I ask blankly. "How did you find out? Were they talking about me?"

"Talking about you?" Lunick butts in. "Us? Na–" He's stopped by Kellyn elbowing him in the guts. Ouch, that's gotta hurt. I wonder if Lunick was trying to say...

"What he's trying to say is that we were talking about just how much of a klutz you are," Kellyn says calmly.

"…What?!" Soon after that statement, I trip because our Pokémon partners are chasing each other around for fun.

Kellyn reels me back up and sets me back on my feet. "And I rest my case."

"Shut up," I growl back, a vein already popping on my head.

We head up the escalator and into the Control Room. Ah, I remember the last time I was here. What fun that was.

"I see you have come to meet our Top Operators," Chairperson Erma says with a warm smile. "Just like Top Rangers, they're a few of the best Operators there are, though they tend to chat more than they work."

"Chairperson Erma!" protests a blunette that steps out of her seat at the control panel. She stands on the second level of the Control Room, with her hand on her hip. She's wearing a white blouse with a turquoise-colored blazer over it, a skirt, and short brown heels. I somewhat recognize her… because I accidentally knocked her off of her seat last time I was here. "You're making us sound bad! We put 100% effort in our job!"

She then looks at us. "Hello new Top Rangers! My name's Linda and unlike what Chairperson Erma just said, I'm not the chatty type, but I'm not the silent type either. So I guess I'm a combination of both!"

"Yo," greets a boy as he leans off to the right side of his seat. "Name's Marcus, but you don't have to memorize my name if you've already got too many, seeing where you're at."

We hear the squeak of the seat to the left of the control panels and see someone approaching us and standing next to Linda. Keith's and my eyes bulge out of their sockets when we see who it is. Kellyn looks as though he knew about this all along – and he probably did.

"Hi, I'm Rhythmi, the new– Oh my Arceus!" she gasps when she sees us and points to the three of us. "Kate, Kellyn, and Keith?! What are you three doing here?!"

"This is getting repetitive…" I mutter, but I'm still happy and surprised to see my closest friends all in one place.

Chairperson Erma chuckles lightly, "This is far from a coincidence! Ms. April informed us of you four and the pledge that you took at the Pledge Stone. It's those dreams of yours that brought you all together again."

"Oh, and one last thing that I want to inform you of: Top Rangers are responsible for their own actions." I swear I see her cast an accusing glance at Lunick. "They are able to assign missions to themselves and are expected to use their past experiences to make their judgments, however, do not hesitate to ask the senior Top Rangers for help."

Chairperson Erma calls Lunick and Solana over to have a discussion while the others go back to work, leaving the rest of us to converse.

"I'm so happy to see you guys!" Rhythmi chirps, gathering all of us for a group hug. "How have you three been?"

"Just beat the crap of a few Team Dim Sun bad guys before I got here!" Keith says with a grin.

"Nothing much," Kellyn replies nonchalantly.

I shrug. "Just woke up from a near-death experience."

Both Kellyn and I watched in amusement as they were left astounded by what I just said. With these guys around, it'll be just like we're back in school again.

Review/feedback/cristicisms/complaining how slow I am at updating, whatever comes first to your mind. :p

Until next time,

~Lily