"So, what's the signal again?" I asked as I clasped the bridge of my nose, squeezing my eyes shut tightly. Arceus my head was pounding. Since I woke up my vision's been a blurry yellow colour and I couldn't even remotely remember what happened. I figured best not to tell Summer though, I didn't want to worry her.
"Ania and Murph are on Staraptor flying over Sootopolis City. As soon as they see the coast is clear they're going to circle around twice, three times if it's a false alarm and then we're going to infiltrate the hideout," Summer explained to me. I gave her a sceptical look.
"So, we're basically gonna go in guns at the ready and hope for the best?" I asked, Arceus this was the stupidest idea ever.
"Pretty much yeah, just minus the guns part," Summer answered as she looked at the bright clear skies.
My eyes widened slightly when I heard a roar erupt from a distance. Summer lifted her back from the tree she leaned on before looking around.
"I wondered why there was an unbearable heat around here," she whispered.
"Groudon's closing in. We need to stop them from awakening Kyogre and quickly otherwise we're done for," I stated as I looked at Summer in, what could be taken for, a fit of panic. Summer nodded her head, knowing that we didn't have much time left.
I turned my attention to the skies. Something in my gut told me we wouldn't have as much an easy mission as what we thought we would. Summer's eyes landed on the two flying figures circling the top of Sootopolis Mountain.
"You ready?" she asked me, and I couldn't help but smirk.
"I was born ready," I answered as we jumped from the shadows and walked towards the entrance to the mountain.
Ania and Murph landed next to us as we began walking towards the mountain. Town's people looked at us in confusion as terror. I smirked as I removed my scarf from my mouth, Summer and the others did the same before we flung them into the cool breeze that passed us by.
We stopped at the entrance to the mountain; Summer's scarred face glared up at the hideout while I studied the area. Two ways in and by the end of this, only one way out. But would it be us or Team Black that make it our alive.
"They're the Rangers?!"
"I thought they had died!"
"There's no way…."
"Let's go!" Summer called as we ran towards the mountain. The town's people watched us as we ran into the mountain.
As we entered, darkness began to consume our every vision.
"It's so dark," Ania stated as I looked around. I don't know how, but somehow, I could see in this darkness. And somehow I could feel something inside of me reacting to whatever lied deep within this hideout. The reaction seemed to set off some kind of light and soon enough the others were able to see again.
"So glum," Murph sweatdropped as he looked around the place.
"I have a feeling this place might have been abandoned," Ania sighed as she looked at destroyed machines that lay scattered around the place. We watched as Summer walked over, inspecting them.
"No, they were used for parts. Whatever machine they're building, it's big and we need to-," her words were cut off as an explosion shook the entire mountain. I turned around to see rubble falling in front of the exit. Damnit! We were trapped.
"Ania!" Murph yelled as he tackled her to the wall of the mountain, protecting her from rubble. I ran to Summer, grabbing her hand and dragging her to the wall as well as we stood next to each other, I didn't release her hand until the rocks had stopped falling.
"Is everyone okay?" Summer asked as she took a step from the wall. Something fell onto my shoulder and I noticed a boulder teetering above the two of us, ready to fall at any second.
My eyes widened when it did. I leap of the wall at the speed of light, gripped Summer around her waist and tackled her into a pile of rocks that lay on the ground. My hand went behind her head to stop her from hitting it, while my other arm held a firm grip on her waist.
Murph and Ania came running over, rushing to the pile of rocks as they looked at the two of us. Ania's eyes drifted from the boulder to the ledge it had fallen from, her eyes darkening as she did so.
"You okay?" I asked. Summer looked at me, a light pink tint on her cheeks as she did so. I gave her a confused look before standing to my feet.
"Yeah, thanks. What about you two?" Summer asked, directing it at Murph and Ania, who both nodded their heads.
"Did you hear that?"
"A pokemon must have tripped one of our traps?"
Footsteps were coming towards us at full speed. Summer turned her head slightly before we began climbing the pile of rocks over to the other side.
"Well, this is roomy," Ania muttered sarcastically as she was pressed up against Murph and the pile of rocks. I couldn't disagree with her though; I ended up pushed up against Summer and the mountain wall as well.
"What do we tell Boss?" a voice asked.
"That the only way out now is under water," a second replied.
"Man, that'll be hard once he's woken Kyogre up," the first replied. With a sigh I heard the footsteps retreating in the distance. We waited a few minutes before Summer looked up.
"They're gone," she noted as she lifted her hands, gripped onto a rock and pushing herself up. I gripped her foot and pushed her to the top of the rocks. Murph did the same with Ania and quickly the two girls pulled us up.
"Do we follow them?" Murph asked as he looked into the dark path the two grunts had retreated in.
"No, we go that way," Ania answered as she pointed to the ledge that the boulder that almost crushed Summer had fallen from.
"You okay at climbing?" I asked Murph, who nodded once.
"It looks too dark to see though. That's our only problem," Summer sighed as she looked around. "Everything we could have used for light was buried underneath the rock slide," she added on.
"Well, we can always hope," Ania spoke as she walked over to the wall. "Who's first?" she asked.
"I'll go," Murph offered as he quickly scaled the wall to the top. I stood in shock at how quickly he had managed to climb the wall. For someone so… dense, maybe, he was pretty quick.
Ania and Summer followed after him, both scaling as fast as he had. I quickly gripped the rocks on the wall and began pulling myself up as well. As quickly as I'd started I'd reached the top.
Ania hummed lowly as she looked down the passage.
"It looks darker than the other one," she whispered to us. Summer nodded her head as she took a step into the darkness. Slowly, we all followed her one after one.
The passage seemed long and never ending. I walked behind the group. I could see what was in front of us so I figured it would be best to stay behind. But I still couldn't remember or even understand why I could see in this kind of darkness and they couldn't. I sighed; maybe it was something to do with what happened when I passed out.
My eyes stung as light came from the end of the tunnel. We all ran to the end, Summer stopped as she saw the ledge. Looking around my eyes widened. Team Black had turned the entire mountain into a scientific, modern day hide out, kind of like Hastings' lab with the others only…. Better.
"Can you see Kate or Keith anywhere?" Ania asked as we hid in the shadows, avoiding the vision of all the Team Black members in the room.
"I can't see anything besides Team Black," Murph answered. "Summer, what about you?"
"Right now I'm more worried as to what's in the test tubes than what I am Kate and Keith," Summer answered as her eyes landed on a large tube filled with an orangey coloured liquid. I winced slightly, wondering what the heck it could be.
"What do you mean the exit was blocked?!" our attention was caught by a masculine voice.
"Now, now, calm down. I'm sure it was just an accident. Besides, whoever's entered our territory will be put to death. Just like those other Rangers," a voice laughed. Summer clenched her fists, ready to jump from the ledge, but Ania held her back.
"Priorities first, Kate and Keith need to be found," Ania reminded, Summer simply nodded her head.
"Who do you think infiltrated us?" a voice asked from below. I heard a snicker before someone looked up at the ledge, we quickly stepped back.
"Does it matter? Team Black will fall soon," the second voice stated as they walked away into a nearby room.
"Follow them," Summer ordered. She and Ania quickly looked around before jumping onto the ground. Murph and I hesitated slightly before following them.
We walked into the room the person had retreated from before the door slammed shut behind us. A locking sound was heard before a figure stepped out from the shadows.
"It's been a long time. General Oris, General Abila," Ania and Summer stood at attention when those names were mentioned. Summer took one look at the girl in front of us all and smiled slightly.
"Likewise Kaylee," she answered, the girl smirked as she looked at us all.
"I take it you've come to take down Team Black. About time, things were getting boring. But I warn you now, none of you will like what you face along the way," the girl, Kaylee, replied as she walked over to the four of us.
"We'll cross those bridges when they come," Ania responded with confidence in her voice.
"Take these. You'll need a disguise if you don't wanna be caught," Kaylee smiled as she threw all of us a uniform. We thanked her and quickly got changed.
"Do you know where our friends are?" Murph asked.
"They're in the experiment room. As of now, they haven't been touched, but you need to hurry. They're to be experimented on at three," Kaylee answered.
"It's two forty-five, we need to hurry!" I stated as I gripped Summer's arm. Everyone nodded their heads as we walked towards the door.
"Kaylee, I don't have to tell you to leave this place as soon as possible do I?" Summer asked. Kaylee simply laughed.
"I'm going, I don't wanna be around when things go tits up," she answered as she walked out the door with us. "The experiment room's down the hall, first right, second left, third right and then straight. As for which door, I wouldn't know. I'm afraid that's all I can tell you. Good bye, Summer, Ania. It's been an honour to meet you," Kaylee spoke before walking off. Summer watched her go with a thankful look in her eyes.
"As it has been you, Kaylee," Summer smiled sadly before we started walking towards the halls.
"We'll get Kate and Keith out first before we go anywhere," Ania stated as we took off running down the halls.
"First right. Second left. Third-," Summer's words were cut short as an arrow came straight for her eyes. Ducking the brunette only just seemed to miss it. My eyes widened as I looked in front of us.
"They were waiting," Murph hissed as he glared at all of them. We readied a position to fight before the grunts stopped.
"You four should be helping with the experiment. If Boss finds out you're slacking off you're gonna get your asses beat," I grunt stated as they walked passed.
"Don't go easy on the Rangers," another one laughed as they left the halls.
"They….. Don't want to fight?" Murph asked.
"They can't tell the difference, whether we're comrades or not. Be thankful we have these, now let's go," I ordered as we carried on running.
We swung the door open to the experiment room to see Kate and Keith lying motionless on the floor. Their hands were chained to the walls, while their faces were beaten and bruised.
Keith's eyes opened as he heard our footsteps. He got to his knees, a deathly look in his eyes.
"Come anywhere near us and I'll kill you! I sweat I will!" Keith's yelling woke Kate as she looked glared at us as well. She began to tug on their chains. Her hair wasn't in its usual pigtails, so it fell in front of her eyes, which were angered.
"I swear, we will end all of you for what you did to them!" she yelled as blood pooled out of the side of her mouth.
"Summer, Ben, Ania, Murph. None of them deserved it!" Keith yelled. Summer walked over and quickly slapped a hand over his mouth, while I did the same to Kate.
"Unless you want us to be found out, I suggest you shut your mouths!" Summer hissed as she pulled Keith's chains, ripping them out the wall. Keith gasped in shock as he fell to the floor. Ania pulled out a small pocket knife and quickly undid the handcuffs. The two then repeated the process with Kate.
The two then stood to their feet, an angered expression on their face. without thinking, Keith threw a punch at Summer, who expertly caught it.
"If you're after a fight, then I suggest you do it with the bad guys," she muttered as she pulled down the Team Black scarf and removed her hat. Kate and Keith looked at her in shock as tears welled up in Kate's eyes.
She quickly turned to me, and I gave her a sly smile as I pulled my scarf down. Kate's hand went to her mouth as she covered them before hugging me tightly.
"You…. You're okay?" Keith whispered as he took a step back. "But…. But how?!" he almost yelled.
"It's a long story. We have to save this Region before we explain any of it. Now, I think it's time that Team Black knew the Rangers were back in business," Ania smirked as she removed her scarf and walked over to a box of matches. She lit one and slowly set her scarf on fire.
The four of us then threw the Team Black clothes in the fire and watched them burn. A loud roar echoed through the air once more. I looked up, feeling Groudon coming closer.
"Groudon?" Kate asked in shock.
"It's awake?!" Keith yelled as he looked at us.
"We couldn't stop it," Murph sighed.
"Then we'll stop it now," Kate stated as she and Keith turned their stylers on.
"Are you sure? You're injured quite badly," I replied.
"We wouldn't be Rangers now if we didn't take a little beating along the way," Keith replied as the two looked at us.
"Alright, then it looks like we all go separate ways here," Summer started. "I'm heading for the Boss," her eyes held a deadly look in them as they seemed to pale over with almost no emotion at all.
"We'll work to stop Groudon!" Kate smirked as she hit her palm with her fists. Keith smirked as he draped his arm around her.
"Ania, Murph, can you guys handle the skies and evacuation of the town and nearby cities?" I asked. Ania simply nodded her head, while Murph smiled.
"If any trouble arises, don't hesitate to call," Summer ordered as she looked at her styler.
"As of now, the Ranger Union is back in business!" she yelled as we switched our stylers on and took off out of the room.
Back at the Ranger Union. Rythmi sat with her head in her hands, she sighed deeply before looking up at the screen. Her eyes widened when six red dots appeared on the screen.
"No way!" she yelled, Hastings, Erma and the rest of the Union quickly rushed over. Erma's face lit up with joy when she saw the dots. "They're alive," Rythmi whispered as tears fell freely down her face. Hastings frowned.
"They may be alive. But now their biggest challenge of all has come to face them," the entire Union turned to Hastings as he spoke. "Staying alive."
Yo minna! It's been so long, how are you all? I'm really sorry for no updates. I hope everyone's okay at least. Well I'm sorry to say that this story's gonna be ending soon
Ben: Thank Arceus for that
Shut up. But there should be some pretty epic battle scenes with Summer and Ben. I'm gonna focus more on them instead of Kate, Keith, Ania and Murph now until the end of the story
Ania: We are coming back though right?
At the end yes. So for now I bid you all farewell and see you again soon!
Cast: Don't forget to REVIEW!