AKCC: Finally! I have my life back!
Ashley: Aren't you planning to try out for something?
Ash: And working for another team?
AKCC: You know what? Shut up. I like to do different things.
Luana: With everything you're doing, you better get in a good college.
AKCC: Tell me about it. Anyways, there was a review on the last chapter, so I think I should reply to that.
Guest: Thank you for your kind words in your review. I do want reviews to improve my writing so your critism was very helpful. The third game has not happened yet as that will happen once everything from the second game has been wrapped up. As a note, I wrote these chapters about a year in advance, so it is not as good as my writing as of now. So there are some parts that I am not proud of and know that I need improvement on. These chapters were back when I was first starting out and haven't posted much on the site. I know that the humor isn't the best in my story and I can understand your concerns with that. To be honest, I am not the best when it comes to being funny or punny. I also understand your concerns with Ashley. She does seem perfect and I try to add some flaws to her, but I do have trouble sometiems. There is more story and background I would like to give each character, but that has not been brought up in the story yet. I try to use as much research as I can when it comes to aura and use the mechanics in the show in the story in my own ways. Ashley's name is just a nickname, so don't worry much about that. If you do have an account, PM me. I have a scene that will explain her name out clearly. Thank you again for your critism. I know that you only want me to get better and I appricate that. So thank you for your words of advice and I guarantee you, the story will get better. If you want to see my other works and how I improved over my time here, just go read my other stories. I swear, they're much better than this one as of this moment.
Ash: Long reply.
AKCC: Shut up. Ashley, do the disclaimer.
Ashley: Wh- oh doesn't own Pokemon or anything she refers to. She only owns her OCs.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Keith's POV
"Ahh! Damn it Hydro! What was that for?" I shot up in bed which was now wet along with the rest of me.
"You slept in. I tried to wake you, but you kept on snoring. I had to do something." Hydro said as he jumped off my bed.
"Wait a minute? I slept in?!" I looked at the clock. I was about to be late!
I threw off my covers and ran into the bathroom. I did my morning routine before running out of my room.
"Wait up!" I heard Hydro call behind me as he tried to catch up.
"Sorry that I'm late!" I skidded into the main room.
"Late? What do you mean?" Luana looked at me funny.
"It's only 8:45." Ash pointed out. I looked at the clock on the wall and he was right.
"I think Crawford played another prank on you." Audrey said.
"Or two." Rhythmi said as he pointed to my ranger uniform. I looked down and saw that it was pink!
"Morning everyone!" Crawford yawned as he stepped into the main area.
"Crawford!" I yelled.
"Hey there Keith. Did you wake up early this morning?" Crawford smirked. "And that is a good color on you, by the way."
I stomped my way back to my room to change into a red ranger uniform.
"Hurry up! Don't forget you have a mission today!" Crawford called out.
"What mission?" I stopped myself.
"Remember? Last night, Barlow sent a message for you to teach at the Ranger School for Outdoor Class today since he's busy in Boyleland." Rhythmi said.
"Doesn't ring a bell." I shook my head.
"As usual." Rhythmi sighed. "Hurry up and changed to get to the Ranger School, your new partner is going to meet you there."
"Oh yeah. I think I remember." I said.
"Hurry up. You're going to be late." Rhythmi said as she rubbed her temples.
I shrugged and went into my room to change. When I did, I ran out of the base and towards the school.
"I wonder who you're new partner is?" Hydro said as he sat on my shoulder.
"I don't know. But they're going to be a transfer so I have to do all the work for them." I said.
Normal POV
"Do you think we should've told him who his new partner is going to be?" Luana asked her brother.
"Let him figure it out for himself. I think Ashley would want to settle some things with him first." Ash replied.
"I can't wait for her to get here!" Rhythmi squealed.
"I can't believe you didn't explode while Keith was still in here." Audrey sweatdropped.
"I would've thought that you blurt it out." Elaine said as she waved a wench in her direction.
"I do not do that!" Rhythmi exclaimed.
"Tell that to my ear." Elaine said, remembering the time Rhythmi told everyone in the base about when she and Ollie got together.
"Crawford, where are you doing with all that stuff?" Luana asked as she spotted Crawford with several bags and pieces of wood.
"It's a surprise!" Crawford said he before he walked away.
"Why do I have a feeling that whatever he's planning is not going to end well?" Ash asked to no one in particular.
"Just another day at the ranger base." Ash's Pikachu sighed.
Keith's POV
I got to the bridge to the school when I heard some voices.
"Heh! Now, spin around in circles!"
"Make it clap while jumping backwards!"
I saw two more Dim Sun grunts there with one of those Miniremos and a Croagunk. They were making the poor thing do some weird things. Luckily, they had their back to me. I think I'll use this to my advantage and learn some more information.
"Pretend to do a sumo wrestler while doing yoga poses." one of them suggested.
"This thing is great!" the other one said while typing in some keys. "It's so much lighter than those Gigaremos and it has over 100 commands on here!"
"Have it jump around while laughing uncontrollably!" the first grunt said.
"That's funny!" the second one said as he typed in some keys. Where did these guys get their horrible sense of humor? Crawford?
The Croagunk began laughing and jumping around. It jumped right over the grunts and in front of me.
"Gah! A ranger!" the one without a Miniremo exclaimed.
"This will make sure he'll keep quiet!" the one, who I guess is in charge, said as he typed in some keys.
"Is that what you guys want it to do?" I pointed to Croagunk who just stood there, laughing.
"The Miniremo is busted! I guess we have to muscle our way out of this!" the head grunt said. He and the other one pushed the Croagunk at me.
I finished up the capture in less than a minutes and the Miniremo blew up.
"What do we do now? A real ranger in front of us and a school full of rangers-to-be in back of us! We're surrounded!" the lesser of the two grunts panicked.
"There is only one thing we can do." the grunt in charge said.
Oh no, they're not doing what I think they're doing, are they?
"DIVE, MAN! DIVE! SWIM FOR IT!" the two grunts jumped off the bridge and into the river below.
"Wow. Can they even swim?" Hydro said as we looked over the edge.
"Who cares? Let's just get to the school." I said.
We walked up the school gates which opened up for us.
"Keith Dazzle! What are you doing outside of the- Oh! I'm sorry!" Ms April walked up to us. "I was just so used to seeing you misbehave in school, I forgot you graduated!"
"Shut up!" I hissed to Hydro as he started to snicker.
"Look at how much you've grown! Who knew it's been six months ever since you graduated!" Ms April exclaimed. Has it only been that long? It felt longer somehow. "Come in! The students are looking forward to Outdoor Class today!"
"Thank you Ms April." I nodded as I walked with her towards Ascension Square. "Has the school changed much ever since I left?"
"Nothing much has changed. except Mr Kincaid left for some reason. But we have a new teacher in his place!" Ms April said. Kincaid is gone? The new kids here are so lucky! The ones before them had to suffer Hairspray Head's stink!
"I also heard that another ranger is going to be here. Do you know who they are?" I asked.
"You mean your new partner! I do know who they are, but I want it to be a surprise for both you and the students! All I can tell you is that they're coming from a base in Fiore." Ms April answered. From Fiore, huh? That leaves a lot of potential rangers to be my partner.
"Here we are!" Ms April announced as we walked down the stairs to Ascension Square. Students were already circled up, leaving a clear area in the middle of the circle. I noticed that Kincaid wasn't in sight. I guess Hairspray Head quit or something. Somehow, I felt pride swelling up in my chest.
"Students, this Keith Dazzle. He was a graduate for the school just six months ago." Mr Lamont introduced me. "He's going to be one of the rangers today."
"The other one should be here soon. She should be here any-" Ms April was cut off by a loud cry coming from the sky.
Ashley's POV
"I can see it! There's the Ranger School!" Pikachu pointed to the big building down below us.
"Then I think it's time for us to announce our arrival. Fearow, if you please." I looked at the pokemon.
"Anything for you, kid!" Fearow nodded.
"RRRRRROOOOOOWWWWW!"
"Time for me to get off. Bye Fearow." I petted Fearow as I edged myself on his side.
"See you later. I'm gonna miss you, kid." Fearow nodded.
I jumped off Fearow and towards the group of students down below.
I did several flips before landing on my feet. I popped up and did my Ranger Pose.
"Hey there kids! My name's Ashley Ketchum!" I winked to all of them.
"What an entrance!" I looked over to see Ms April clapping along with the students.
"Thank you, Ms April." I bowed down.
Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a head full of spiky red hair. He's my new partner?! If Ash or Luana or anybody else in Ringtown knew about this, I'm going to kill them! Of course I can't show this in front of the kids, so I kept a smile on my face.
"Since both of our rangers are here, let the Q&A Session of Terror begin!" Ms April exclaimed.
Hands shot up around the crowd. I pointed to a random one.
"What was that you just did?" a brunette girl asked.
"Oh that? It was my Ranger Pose! Every ranger has a unique pose they do at the start and end of every mission!" I answered.
"Next up, you." Keith pointed to a boy with orange hair.
"Have you captured more than 100 pokemon?" he asked.
"A hundred? I haven't kept count to be honest." Keith rubbed the back of his head.
"As for me," I thought about it. "I guess. I did complete the Fiore Browser already." I heard gasps coming from the students. I pointed to another boy with black hair.
"I heard that you were the one who saved Fiore and stopped the Go-Rock Squad, is that true?" he asked.
"You better believe it!" I winked. "I cannot tell you how many times I ran into those fashion freaks from the sixties!"
"What's your question?" Keith pointed to a girl with blonde hair.
"What was the hardest pokemon you ever captured?" she asked shyly.
"I guess the time when I captured a Rampardos. They were hard to capture." Keith scratched his head.
"Liar. I had to help you with that capture. Without me, you would be permanently imprinted in the cliff walls!" his partner pokemon, a Buizel said. Wasn't that the same Buizel from the beach?
"Hydro! Shh! No one needs to know that!" Keith whispered to Hydro. Wait a minute; he can talk to pokemon too?!
"That's a hard question for me to answer." I said. "I think it would be the time when I had to capture a Mega Rayquaza on top of Fiore Temple. I was already tired from my previous captures of the Three Beasts of Johto, so it was harder than usual for me."
"What about me?" Pikachu said.
"But I did have my Pikachu to help me tire Rayquaza down." I added.
"Wow. So cool!" the students gasped.
Keith pointed to a small girl with black hair. "M-May I touch your styler?"
Keith and I took off our stylers and passed them around for the students to see.
"Anyone else?" I looked around the crowd once I strapped my styler back on.
The only other hands up I see were from a girl whose long teal hair were pulled back into two long pigtails in the back of her head and a boy with messy black hair who had a white hair-like hat on with a blue headband on the bottom.
"Alright." I gave in. "What your question, Lucy and Brent?"
"Did you have a crush while in ranger school?" Lucy said sweetly.
"W-Why would you ask me that?!" I felt my face heating up.
"You're blushing, cousin." Brent pointed to my face. the corners of his lips turned up, giving him a smirk. Brendan has taught him too well.
"So you do have a crush on someone, cousin?" Lucy gave me a sickingly sweet smile. I swear, this is how her room ended up being full of stuffed animals. Lucas can never say 'no' to that teeth rotting sweet look.
"Okay! Of course I had a crush in school, doesn't anyone?" I replied quickly.
"Who is it?" Brent asked.
"Let's just say that I'm not interested in him anymore." I said darkly. I casted a quick glare to Keith before looking back at my cousins.
"Is that it? Does anyone else have a question?" Ms April asked.
"We do." the crowd of students parted to reveal two guys in black leotards. Why were they soaked with water?
"Dear ranger, why did you have to mess with us?" one of them asked.
"Get away! Don't you dare touch one of my students!" Ms April and the other teachers stood in front of the students.
"Like this?" one of the grunts grabbed Lucy's wrist.
Something inside me snapped.
Keith's POV
I was still in a bit of a shock to see Ashley when the two Dim Sun grunts came.
When one of them grabbed one of the students, Lucy I think. I saw Ashley glare at him.
In a flash, Ashley had her hand on the grunt's wrist, crushing it.
"Let go of my family." she growled. The grunt let go of Lucy's wrist and cried out in pain as Ashley pulled his arm behind his back. She kneed him in his back and he stumbled down to the ground.
"Don't think we're letting you off easy!" the other grunt whipped out a Miniremo and typed in some keys. Two Carnivine popped out from behind him and charged at the students.
Ashley whipped out her styler and captured the pokemon quickly.
"Thunderbolt Pikachu!" Ashley ordered.
"You bastards are going to pay!" Pikachu's cheek sparked and she let out a Thunderbolt that fried the Miniremo and the grunt with it.
"Ahh!" the other grunt got off the ground and charged at Ashley with a knife from behind.
Ashley sidestepped out of the way and kicked the grunt's legs from below him. She grabbed the knife and hit the grunt in the head with the hilt of it.
"Don't just stand there. Tie them up." Ashley glared at me as she threw the knife into the ocean. I snapped out of my daze and got out two zip ties. I put them on the grunts wrists.
What happened to Ashley?
Ashley's POV
"Ashley!" Lucy and Brent ran up and hugged my waist.
"Are you two okay? You didn't get hurt, did you?" I asked them as I placed a hand on both of their backs.
"We're fine." they nodded.
"Good." I sighed in relief. "And don't tell Lucas or Brendan about this. They would pull you guys out of school and you won't be rangers."
"We won't tell big brother Lucas! We want to be a ranger like you!" Lucy cheered.
"Yeah! Big brother Brendan and Cousin Lucas won't know a thing about this!" Brent exclaimed.
"Good." I hugged them. For twelve-year-olds, they still look up to me.
"Ashley, I must thank you for protecting the students!" Mr Lamont walked up to me.
"It's nothing. you don't need to thank me. I was just trying to protect my little cousins." I said.
"Since it was just an exciting Outdoor Class today, everyone has a free study day today!" Ms April announced.
Cheers from the students ringed throughout the school yard as student ran off.
"Go with your friends." I pried Lucy and Brent off of me. "I'll see you guys soon."
"Bye, Ashley!" they waved as they ran up to their friends.
"See you guys later!" I waved back at them.
"Um, Ashley?" Keith said behind me.
"Don't talk to me." I frowned at him. "Just help me take these guys back to the base for interrogation."
"No need! I can help with that!" a pink light appeared in front of me and Mew popped in.
"Mew! What are you doing here? People can see you!" I scolded her, pointing to Keith. Everyone else went up the stairs to the school.
"Don't worry about him. He has his own legendary connections." Mew explained. I raised an eyebrow. That was a new one to me.
"Whatever. Just teleport these guys back to the Vientown Base." I motioned to the unconscious grunts. "And feel free to drop them this time."
"You can count on me!" Mew cheered before teleporting away with the two grunts.
I called up Luana on my styler and told her about the incoming grunts.
"By the way, if I find out that you and Ash knew about my new partner, than you better watch your backs." I warned them.
"Eh, yeah. Well do!" Luana was sweating. "See ya back at the base!" she hung up.
"Come on Pikachu; let's get back to the base." I said. Pikachu walked behind me, talking to Hydro, while Keith was in the back.
"How was Keith after graduation?" Pikachu asked Hydro.
"A little bit depressed, but still stupid as always. What about Ashley?" Hydro replied.
"She's been a bit aggressive. She does her job well though. She never quits."
"I heard about her several times in the news, what was that like?"
"What do you mean?" Pikachu asked. "Her missions or her reminders?"
"Reminders?"
"Yeah, during a couple of our missions, Ashley got hurt a lot. The first time she got hurt, it wasn't bad. But the second time got a bit more serious. After that, the rest was just horrible. Especially the memories that came with them."
"What memories?"
"It's best if I don't say. Ashley will tell you guys when she wants to."
"Okay than." Hydro placed his paws behind his head. "Would you go out with me than?"
"What kind of pokemon are you?!" Pikachu said angrily.
"A Buizel." Hydro answered bluntly. I had to resist falling anime-style at that. Like ranger like pokemon.
"You're just as stupid as your ranger! I'm not going out with you!" Pikachu hit him with her tail before climbing on my shoulder.
"Thanks for leaving that matter to me." I whispered to her as I scratched her ear.
"It's the least I can do for all you've been through." Pikachu said.
We walked back to base in silence. When we walked through the doors, buckets filled with glitter were dumped on us and the rest of the base.
"Surprise!" Crawford jumped up from behind the couch. His afro was sprinkled with glitter while the rest of him was covered in rhinestones.
"I had nothing to do with this." Luana and Ash put their hands up.
"Since Crawford is already shiny." I took out my baseball bat. "I think it's time to make him a broken mirror ball!"
"Uh-oh." Crawford's smile fell.
"I already had enough crap to deal with and I do not need anymore!" I chased him around the base.
"Wah!" Suddenly, the two grunts from before fell on top of Crawford.
"Great timing." Audrey said.
"I'm going out for a walk." I said as I stormed out the base. I need some way to release all this anger I have.
Keith's POV
I watched as Ashley stomped out of the base.
"Just let her go. She'll be fine after a couple of hours." Luana said.
"Are you sure? She still seemed mad when I tried to talk to her today." I said as I sat down on the couch.
"Some feelings are hard to forget." Ash shrugged.
"If you guys can excuse me, I'm going to help Crawford with those grunts. And then kill him for this prank." Luana got up and walked to the back room where Crawford and the grunts were dragged to by Elaine.
"But I'm still wondering, why did she act so aggressive today?" I asked myself.
"I heard that she faced a lot of things in Fiore. She got a punching bag to practice with and she beat up a lot of those Go-Rock grunts." Rhythmi said.
"I think there's a video of her somewhere. Ah! Here it is!" Audrey brought up a video on the monitor.
It was a video of Ashley beating up two grunts in a forest setting. It was posted by a guy named 'Murph' and he was apparently there when an injured Celebi was being chased by two of the grunts. Was it the same Murph I met? It looked like him. Ashley was there with him. She helped Celebi get healed and then arrest those grunts.
"That does sound a bit like her." Rhythmi commented.
"You're right. She does anything to protect pokemon. But when she can't-" Ash stopped.
"What?" What is it?" Elaine asked.
"It's not really my place to tell you guys. It's better if Ashley does it." Ash said before walking back to the couch.
First her Pikachu, and now Ash? What exactly happened Fiore?
Ashley's POV
I sighed as I walked through Vientown. Pikachu was back at the base. The mission took a bit longer than expected so it was early afternoon here.
I found myself walking into the Vien Forest. Some of the trees were burned here, like a fire happened, but they looked like it happened a couple of months ago.
I walked deeper into the forest until all sunlight was cancelled out by the trees overhead.
"You can't escape me." it was the voice from the factory.
"What do you want?" I looked around.
"You have something that can help me. Something that can be turned to darkness." the voice said.
"As if I'm ever going to help you. If it's to take over the world or something cliché like that, forget about it." I snarled.
"You underestimated me, child. I have more power than you think." the voice said. I watched as my shadow morphed into the figure it was in the factory, but it had red eyes this time. Just like in my nightmare.
"Y-You don't scare me! Whatever you are, I'll put a stop to you!" I exclaimed.
"I like to see you try." the shadow chuckled. Suddenly, the shadow lunged at me, but it never touched me. It sank back into my shadow, but I felt a sharp pain in my head again.
"Ahhh!" I screamed, clutching my head in pain. More images filled my vision. Images of death and blood. I gasped when the images and pain were gone.
I found myself backed up against the trunk of a tree. Deciding I need to stay away from dark places, I stood up and ran from that clearing. I ended up in a sunlit forest path with several tall trees lining the path.
I picked one that wasn't all that tall and covered in burn marks and climbed it. I sat on one of the lowest branches, about 10 feet off the ground, and lay back against the bark. A leaf landed on my nose and I picked it up. I placed it to my lips and played Oracion. I needed a distraction from that experience earlier.
When I was done, I let the leaf drift along with the wind and carried it away. I sighed, breathing in the scents of the forest.
"Blade." I looked over a branch to see two swords in a connecting sheath. Its pink ribbons fluttered in the wind. An eye on each of the sword opened up at the base of the hilt and blinked.
"Doublade." it said.
"EEEEKKK!"I screamed so hard, I fell off the branch.
"Ow!" I rubbed my butt which I fell on.
"Doublade." the pokemon floated down so it was eye level to me.
"Aaahhh!" I backed against the trunk of the tree.
"Great job! You found her!" I looked away from the pokemon to see Ash and Keith running up to me.
"You can rest now, Doublade." Ash pulled out a pokéball and recalled the Doublade into it.
"How dare you?!" I lunged at Ash's throat. "You know that I have a fear of them and their evolutions!" I began choking him.
"Ack! Ashley!" Ash gagged.
"You know I'm afraid of them and yet you still sent it after me! What kind of brother are you?!" I shook his throat.
My Pikachu and his Pikachu was able to shock me slightly to get me off of him before he died from the lack of oxygen to his brain. If he even has one.
"I was just trying to be a good big brother." Ash gasped as he massaged his throat.
"You are not that older twin!" I began choking him again. "And this is not what a brother do to their sister!"
After our Pikachu got me off of him again, all of us walked back to the base.
"Are you guys always like this?" I heard Keith ask my brother.
"Basically. With our entire family too." Ash answered.
"Ashley!" Rhythmi crushed me into a hug the moment I walked through the doors.
"Hey Rhyth! Good to see you too! But can you get off?" I said as my face was turning blue.
"Oh sorry! But we have a lot to catch up on! Let's go to my room!" Rhythmi dragged me into her room and, once again, she dislocated my arm. Some things will never change.
For the next few hours, Rhythmi and I sat in her room chatting about our lives. It was refreshing to just talk with one of my friends again.
Not long after the sunset, I went back to my room, which I had to share with Keith. My stuff was already there (no surprise), so I went to the bathroom and got ready to go to sleep. Even though it was only nine at night, there's a five hour time difference between Fiore and Almia so it feels like two in the morning to me. I got into bed and closed my eyes for the night.
Ash: You seriously need to work on your writing.
AKCC: I know my writing sucks. I cringe sometimes when I'm reading it. Anyways, that should be all for today! And don't forget!
Cast: Review!