Chapter 7: Life and Death

Second to last chapter, folks!

I woke up in rubble, concrete dust filled my lungs.

Sharp stabs of pain greeted me, blood welling up above my left eye dripped down my face.

I couldn't see any light, just darkness.

I coughed up blood and dust as I took in what had happened.

I'm not dead? B-but how? I thought, astonished.

I felt extremely weak. My arms and legs couldn't move more than a few centimeters without dropping back to the ground, limp.

I tried to speak, but it came out only a whisper.

"Kate! KATE! Where are you? Kate!" My heart leapt.

Keith! I thought, hope creeping back into my heart.

I felt the rubble shift around me, I winced in pain as a concrete slab fell across my legs.

I squinted my eyes as light greeted them.

"KATE!" Keith yelled happily, digging me out.

He picked me up out of the rubble. "Are you alright? I saw you on the Z.Z flyer but before I could get to you Red Eyes blew you up!"

I smiled weakly, my eyes slowly opening and closing as my vision slowly came back.

"D-did… did we win?" I croaked.

Keith nodded. "We won. You killed Red Eyes with the explosion. After the rest of the pinchers got a load of that they ran faster than a Pachirisu hyped up on sugar." He smiled, setting me down.

"Where's Latias?" He asked.

My eyes clouded, a frown formed on my face. "She's… she's… she's dead. She died right before I disappeared. Red Eyes killed her." I said weakly.

Keith gasped. "They killed Latias!?" Keith stuttered in disbelief.

I nodded, on the brink of tears. My eyes widened.

"My Pokémon!" I shouted, remembering my Bulbasaur and Pikachu.

"Um… Kate are you ok? You don't have any Pokémon, remember? Rangers don't have Pokémon." Keith said, concern growing in his eyes for my sanity.

"I left Almia. I abandoned Almia when Latias died. I felt like Wendy's Barlow's and Crawford's deaths were all my fault so I ran away to Kanto. Professor Oak gave me Bulbasaur and I caught Pikachu in the Viridian Forest!" I exclaimed, my voice hazy.

Keith's eyes clouded. "So you did leave." He said, disappointment forming in his gaze.

I nodded. "I have to get them… take them back to Kanto and let Professor Oak give them to a person who shares their dreams." I murmured sadly.

"If you want you can just use your partner farm and use them as partner Pokémon." Keith suggested.

I shook my head. "Bulbasaur's told me that it wants to become the champion of Kanto. I can't do that though, but someone else can. And I'm not sure what Pikachu wants." I explained.

"Where are they?" Keith asked. I shook my head.

"You wouldn't know. They're over by where I buried Latias." I said grimly.

"Well you're in no shape to get them. I would offer Staraptor's help but he's exhausted." Keith replied, trying to think of something.

I pulled out my styler. To my amazement, the styler was unscathed from the fall.

I drew Altaria's sign again. Altaria flew to my side, almost as if it was waiting.

I climbed onto her back. "Altaria, can you take me to the Vien Forest?" I asked hopefully.

Altaria nodded and flew to the Vien Forest, right next to Latias's resting place.

I painfully staggered off Altaria and made it to Pikachu and Bulbasaur.

I released both of them from their poke balls.

They looked shocked to see their trainer bloody and battered. I gave a faint smile.

"I saved Almia."