"Professor! Professor Hastings!"
Kate, Keith, Rhythmi, Barlow and the Professor had just crossed the now-open drawbridge to see a rather heavyset man with red hair running to meet them. "Ah, Murph." Hastings recognized unceremoniously. "How are you?"
"How—am—I—?" Murph puffed as he tried to catch his breath. "You're late! The meeting starts in—" He looked at his watch— "Ten minutes!"
"Oh, it's that time already? Come to think of it, I don't remember ever being told there was a meeting!" Hastings protested lightly. Murph looked up desperately. "Professor, you were the one to call the meeting to order…!" He whimpered. "Now please, hurry, Chairperson Erma is getting impatient!"
That seemed to get Hastings going. "Oh. Oh, no. Barlow, let us not tarry! CHARGE!" He yelled, running forward. Barlow ran off after him. "Who's Erma?" Keith muttered to Kate. The brunette shrugged in response.
Meanwhile, Murph looked back at Kate and the other two. "Ah, right! Your names are… uh…"
"I'm Kate," Kate supplied. "And this is Keith and Rhythmi. Oh, and this is Metro!" She added happily, smiling down at the little Kricketot in her arms. Metro chimed contentedly. "Don't forget Tempo!" Keith protested hotly, Tempo standing on his hind legs proudly.
Murph sweatdropped. "Yes, yes! I totally knew that!" He said hastily. "I just wanted to make sure you knew! Y'know, in case you had amnesia or something!" Keith rolled his eyes at Murph's goofiness.
"Well, since you guys are here, you should walk around for a bit. See the sights! Here, the main square is that-a-way, so let's go!" Murph grinned, walking forward.
A few moments later, the trio was looking around themselves in wonderment. "Wow, all the flowers here are so pretty," Kate breathed. "Gracidea would love them."
Rhythmi smiled. "There's a flower shop a few blocks away," She suggested. "We could—"
She stopped short, looking off in another direction. Keith blinked. "Rhyth? Something wrong?" He inquired, but then suddenly Rhythmi shot forward, running off. "Rhythmi!" Kate called, but the blonde didn't stop until she caught up to what she had seen.
Rhythmi grabbed the back of a white lab coat, panting heavily from her run. She finally managed to say, "I… Isaac?"
The mushroom headed boy turned to see who had stopped him, and his eyes widened as he gasped, "Rhythmi? Is that you?"
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"I still can't believe you guys are in this side of Puel!" Isaac laughed as he, Kate, Keith, Murph and a rather flustered Rhythmi walked around the square.
"Same here!" Keith grinned. "So how's the job going?"
Isaac shrugged. "It's pretty good, but it gets annoying since the other scientists look down on me for my age."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold up. Scientist?" Kate said in amazement. "Isaac, you really are something!"
Isaac blushed lightly and laughed. "Well, yeah. Hey, you wanna see where I work? Altru Incorporated is just a little farther down."
Now it was Rhythmi's turn to speak up. "You work at ALTRU INCORPORATED?" She screamed. Isaac blushed more and said, "Err, yeah. It's pretty cool. Oh, right here!"
The group was now standing in front of a huge black building that even now seemed to be going under construction to become taller. "My boss' dream is that we'll be able to be seen from space," Isaac joked. "Just kidding, but seriously, we don't really know why the boss has wanted to keep expanding. We have enough room as it is."
"Well, it's still pretty cool." Keith admired. "Let's go in, let's go in!" Kate pressured, running into the doors.
Inside it was very elegant. The rooms were decorated with dark purple carpeting and light purple walls, and pitch black furniture was sitting around along with displays and portraits. Music that sounded suspiciously like elevator tunes played in the background.
A tall girl with short brown hair and purple eyes walked up to the group. A name tag on her black uniform said, 'Momoko Harukaze'.
"Oh, you're back, Isaac." The girl smiled.
"Yes, Momo. Could you give me and my friends a quick tour of the lobby?" Isaac requested.
"Sure! Anything for Kate, Keith and Rhythmi!" The girl giggled. Kate smiled, but then her expression flickered a bit as she asked, "…How do you know our names?"
Momo blinked. Then she jumped and screamed, "DATABASES! Lots and lots of databases! After all, it's not as if I'm some crazed fanfiction authoress who knows all about your secrets such as Kate's scar!"
Kate's eyes widened and she opened her mouth to say something more, but Momo just said, "Our databases are very thorough. Anyways, this way, this way!"
The flustered girl walked ahead. Kate seemed to be pondering something. "I know her from somewhere… I just can't remember where." She muttered. Keith facepalmed.
Momo led them to a wall where three portraits stood. "These are our company presidents over the years." She said. "The first was Doyle M. Hall." Momo then gestured towards the leftmost painting, which showed a smiling old man with a white beard and a straw hat. "In the middle is his son, Brighton Hall." Momo went on, pointing towards the middle portrait, which showed a sullen looking man with brown hair and a brown mustache.
"And last is our current president, Blake—"
Momo was cut off by the automatic doors sliding open as two men walked in. One was a tiny, hunchbacked man with oily green hair and a suit that clashed so bad Kate and Keith had to stop Rhythmi from howling "FASHION DISASTER", but the other one was a lean man with black hair that was slicked down, black sunglasses, a black mustache, a black business suit and an unnatural blazing white smile that almost compared to Luana's.
Immediately, Isaac and Momo jumped and ran to the side of the carpet, along with all the other employees. They all bowed and chorused, "Welcome back, President Hall!"
The man smiled more and raised a hand. "Thank you, everyone. Take care not to overwork yourselves, remember, and let us work towards a bright future for Almia. As you were!" He said, and Isaac and Momo sighed in relief as they returned to the others.
"Sorry," Isaac grinned. "That was the man himself, Blake Hall, our current president."
Just then, Blake saw the group near him and he approached. "Isaac, my boy!" He laughed. "Who are your friends?"
"Ah, President! These are my friends from school, Kate, Keith and Rhythmi. And that's Murph, he works at the Union." Isaac introduced. Kate waved happily as Metro chimed, Keith nodded politely, and Rhythmi said, "So you're really Blake Hall?" She asked.
"Oh, please, please," Blake cried. "Mr. Blake Hall!" Rhythmi grimaced slightly, but kept her smile on.
"Well, Isaac, shouldn't you get back to work? I think it's time you said good bye to your… playmates." Blake suggested. Isaac nodded. "Ah, yes, sir. Let me just show them out." He said. Blake nodded, then walked into the elevator with his ratty companion and disappeared.
Momo sighed in relief. "Jeez, he scares me sometimes." She muttered. She turned to Kate, Keith and Rhythmi and said, "Well, it was nice meeting you for the first time ever today because I've obviously never seen you in person before! Bye!" The girl then sat back down in front of a black laptop and started typing something.
Isaac led the Rangers and Murph to the front door. "Well, it was nice seeing you guys again. Come by tomorrow and we can all hang out, it's my day off!" He said.
Keith nodded. "Yeah, sure. Hey, aren't you turning fourteen soon?" He asked. Isaac nodded. "Yeah, in two days. But it's no big deal."
The mushroom head then turned to face Rhythmi. "Um… hey, Rhythmi." He prodded. Rhythmi looked up at him. "Yes?" She asked.
Isaac smiled. "You look good, Rhyth. Really good." He said.
Rhythmi's large azure eyes blinked up at him as her face turned a fine shade of scarlet. "Um—um, thanks." She muttered, turning on her heel and walking away swiftly.
Meanwhile, Kate and Keith had been watching this scene in delight. They caught up with Rhythmi.
"So," Keith said casually. "He seems to be into you." Rhythmi blushed more. "S-shut up! He meant nothing by it!"
"Rhythmi likes Isaac, Isaac likes Rhythmi," Kate sang happily, Metro ticking to the beat. Rhythmi made a sound of indignation. "Wha—ok, since when did you become all devious?" She demanded.
"Oh, I may have given her one or two lessons in deviousness." Keith snickered. Rhythmi glared daggers at him.
"He said you 'look good'!" Kate pressured more. "That's serious business, Rhyth!"
"I'm always looking good." Rhythmi retorted vainly. "Now shut up, both of you."
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An hour later, the group was standing in front of the Union. It was a large and stately building, and Rangers by the dozen were standing around talking or looking at their Stylers.
"Isn't it great?" Rhythmi squealed ecstatically. "It is great, right?" The group entered the building and was then led by Murph up an escalator where they met up with a man who had dark brown eyes and hair and who also wore glasses. "You're Kate, Keith and Rhythmi, right?" He inquired. "My name's Nage. We've been expecting you. This way, please."
Nage led them into a room where all the walls were filled with computer screens. Even the floor was a computer screen. In the middle of the floor stood Barlow, Hastings, and an elderly woman who looked to be about ten to twenty years older than Hastings. She had silvery-brown hair which was pulled back in two spiky pigtails not unlike Kate's, and she held a cane in her right hand. She was also wrapped in a dark red cloak. To the side stood a few Rangers, Union ones most likely, but one that stood out from the rest was a girl who looked about seventeen or eighteen years old. She had aquamarine colored hair and goggles perched on her head, and she had a different sort of Styler from the other Rangers.
Keith nudged Kate. "What?" Kate whispered. "Look over there!" Keith muttered frantically. "That's a Fine Styler! She must be a Top Ranger!"
Kate remembered the newspaper article she and Keith had been admiring a couple of days ago in their room when Rhythmi was away shopping. It had held information about Top Rangers and how there were only ten in the world, each issued a Fine Styler. "Wow," Kate breathed. Keith nodded furiously in agreement.
The old woman spoke. "The reason this meeting has been called to order is to discuss the matter of the Gigaremo." She said in a clear, strong voice that didn't seem to fit her frail body. "Professor Hastings has kindly reconstructed a model of these machines for us, and we also have a Water Pokémon on standby to destroy it in the situation anything goes amiss in this meeting. She gestured towards Keith, who blinked and then jumped, saying, "Oh, me? Err, sure, I guess." Tempo sweatdropped.
The woman, who was apparently Chairperson Erma, nodded and continued. "These machines are a huge threat, as they hold the ability to control Pokémon. In the event you should encounter one, you are to destroy it immediately and then search the area for any others. This red Gigaremo can be destroyed via water move, but different colors will react to different moves, so we urge you to scan the machine with your Styler before taking action."
Erma then took a long look at the machine. "…Hm. The model reminds me of a mailbox." She remarked.
"IT'S NOT—" Keith started, but Kate covered his mouth before he could continue. Erma's eyes narrowed a bit before she sighed and went on to say, "In any case, stay on your guard. Team Dim Sun had been classified as a Grade A threat."
Hastings then stepped forward. "Everyone, please look down onto the Underfoot Monitor."
Everyone in the room looked to their feet to see a diagram of the Gigaremo machine appearing on the floor. In the middle was a model of the dark stone Hastings and Elaine had discovered.
"The reason the Gigaremo model has failed to hypnotize any Pokémon in this building is due to the fact that I have removed its source of power, which is this small, dark stone. The stone obviously holds some mysterious power inside." Hastings informed.
Then Barlow spoke up. "We'll have to destroy these machines one by one. There's no other way of dealing with the problem at the moment."
At that moment, the aqua-haired Top Ranger stepped forward. "The Union is working at its hardest to analyze the stone and discover its powers and original location." She said. "We have also proceeded in initiating an investigation into Dim Sun."
The girl then turned to Kate and Keith. "Hey. Rookies." She called. Kate and Keith jumped. "Yes?" They asked. "I'd like to ask you a couple of questions." The girl said. Kate and Keith nodded.
"First. Dim Sun said they were conducting an experiment?" She asked. Kate and Keith nodded.
"Second. They fled the crime scene by boat?" She inquired. Kate and Keith nodded again.
"Third. It was a yellow Gigaremo they took with them?" At this Kate and Keith looked unsure. "Y-yellow…?" Kate murmured. "I think it was." Keith nodded. They then answered yes.
"Fourth and last. Pokémon affected by Gigaremo cannot be captured and befriended. True?" She asked. At this Kate and Keith said together, "Yes!"
The Top Ranger nodded, then stepped back. "That's all the questions I've got. Thanks." She said briskly.
Barlow then cleared his throat. "My team is tired, but I have to make a few more rounds to other towns to pass on the message. Would it be alright if these three spent the night here?"
Kate blinked at the 'tired' comment, but then she realized that her legs were weak and her eyes were drooping. She hadn't gotten any sleep since last night, and it was already very late now.
Erma turned to the aqua-haired Top Ranger. "Wendy," She said, "Would you be a dear and show these three to the spare room we have in the left wing?"
The girl, Wendy, nodded briskly. She turned to the trio and said, "This way."
The three followed Wendy outside. As soon as they were outside, Wendy sighed in relief. "Thank Arceus!" She exclaimed. The other three jumped in surprise. Wendy turned to the other three. "Did I scare you with the professional and cold act?" She giggled. "Sorry. I have to be that way when I'm around my grandma. With her it's all, 'Sit up straight!' 'Don't be rude!' 'Why on earth did you dye your hair that horrendous color?' Jeez!"
"Wait," Rhythmi interrupted. "Chairperson Erma is your grandmother?" Wendy nodded happily. "Anyways, this way!"
A few minutes later, the group was settled in their guest room. Keith flopped onto his bed. "What a day!" He sighed. "Really," Kate agreed, undoing her pigtails and taking off her red jacket. They hadn't brought any pajamas, so they had to sleep fully clothed. Rhythmi smiled. "We have to be up early tomorrow to leave, so let's get to sleep." She reminded.
Kate and Keith nodded, and with that the three settled down to sleep.
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The next morning, Keith and Rhythmi were already set to go, and Rhythmi was doing her hair (again) while Keith tried to arouse Kate.
"Kate," He sighed, nudging her. "You need to wake up. We have to leave for Vientown."
"Mmm." Kate mumbled, opening her pale blue eyes blearily. "Five more minutes…"
"NO. We're leaving NOW." Keith stated decidedly, and with that he suddenly lifted Kate clear off her bed.
"Keith!" Kate screamed, surprised. Keith grinned as he strode out the door with Kate, calling behind him, "Rhyth, don't forget to get her jacket and Metro."
The trio earned many stares from Rangers and Operators as they walked down the hall, Kate screaming in indignation, Keith grinning and ignoring her, and Rhythmi sweatdropping and smiling at the whole mess.
When they had exited the Union and gotten down the huge stairs, Keith finally let Kate down. The brunette's face was red. "Keith, you could've just waited until I got up!" She yelled embarrassedly.
"Yes, but that wouldn't have been nearly as fun." Keith laughed. The group went on down the path to Pueltown, but was stopped by a middle aged woman outside a log cabin. "Oh, Rangers! Could you please hear me out?" She asked.
"Yes, of course." Kate said, immediately reverting to her usual caring and worrying self. Keith's mouth turned up a little at the change.
"A little while earlier, I saw a man with some big Pokémon going up to the Peril Cliffs." The woman said. "He said it was for mountain training, but ever since he went up I've been hearing all these horrible tre—"
BOOM!
At that moment, the ground started shaking furiously. Rhythmi grabbed the log cabin for support, and Kate fell over into Keith, who quickly grabbed her to make sure she didn't topple to the ground.
Eventually, the mini-earthquake stopped. The woman panted. "T-that was it." She said. "I've been hearing all these horrible tremors. I hate to ask this, but could you please go and investigate?"
The three nodded. "Sure!" They said. The woman nodded and uttered her thanks before retreating into her house.
Rhythmi pulled a laptop out of the light blue messenger bag she carried everywhere with her. She turned it on and pulled up a map. "Peril Cliffs is… that-a-way," She stated, and the group followed her directions until they were in front of a series of jagged cliffs and walls that were ideal for climbing. Vines sprouted up everywhere up the rocks.
"Ok, it looks like we're going to have to climb around to find the origin of these quakes." Keith said. "C'mon, Kate. Rhyth, you stay here."
"Hey!" Rhythmi protested. "Why do I have to stay?"
Keith looked at Rhythmi in mock worrying. "Well, all that climbing will definitely mess up your nails. And your hair! Lemme tell you, it is pretty windy up there."
"…I'll stay on my laptop and give you directions." Rhythmi muttered, finding a spot in the grass in the shade and sitting down. "Thank you, Rhythmi." Kate smiled. Rhythmi smiled back happily.
"Ok, we've got a long climb ahead of us." Keith sighed, looking up at the tall cliffs above. He glanced sideways at Kate. "Ready?"
Kate picked up Metro and set him on her head. She grinned at Keith. "Ready!"
