IMN: BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH! I HATE SCHOOL! I've been getting nothing but a mountain of homework and no free time! WHY IS SCHOOL SO EVIL?!
Rhythmi: Are you done with your little temper tantrum?
IMN: Almost... RRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH! ...Now I'm done. *Turns to the audience* Hello, bello, cello! Sorry about the late update everyone. School is a pain right now and I barely have any time to write. Luckily I squeezed this chapter out from the little time I have left to spare.
Kate: Well that's a good thing.
Keith: Not for me! I don't like anything this crazy author has planned! Especially for me!
IMN: *Acts innocent with an angel halo over her head* What? Am I really that crazy?
Fro: Yes, yes you are.
IMN: *Glares at Fro before smiling at the audience* Okay people! I don't own Pokémon or it's characters. If I did then Keith would have confessed his love to Ka-
Keith: *Blushing a million shades of red* ON WITH THE STORY!
Chapter 23: A weird long day
Keith's Pov
"Hurry up, Brook! We have a meeting this morning! We can't be late!" yelled Grandpa while he paced impatiently in front of the bridge. That's my Grandpa for you, always in a rush...
"Sorry Prof. Hastings, the bridge is acting up on me a bit. Hold on!" yelled Brook from the bridge operating station. Now that Kate and I got the key back we can finally cross the bridge to get to the Ranger Union but the bridge is acting up so my Grandpa is in a bit of a fit.
*BANG!* "Okay, got it!" called out Brook as the bridge lowers down. When it was finally fully down we began to cross it. We were halfway over the bridge when a guy ran over to us. The guy had short shaggy brown hair and brown eyes, he was wearing the Operator uniform that Rhythmi was wearing but it was the male outfit and he was a bit on the chubby side.
"Professor Hastings! Boy, I'm glad to see you safe and sound. It's so unlike your impatient self to sleep over somewhere else. You sure had me worried," said the guy with a smile on his face.
"Ah Murph! Who are you calling impatient? We must return to the Union and conduct a meeting to counter the Gigaremo! Barlow, we must hurry!" Prof. Hastings said as he and Barlow ran off towards the Union. "That's my Grandpa for you, impatient as always."
"...Uh... Oh! You guys must be the Ranger School graduates that are based in Vientown. I'm Murph and I'm in charge of PR for the Ranger Union. It's nice to meet you three," Murph said as he shook each of our hands.
"It's nice to meet you. I'm Keith Adams and this is my Pokémon Partner Jet," I said, introducing myself and the Buizel. Jet just hid behind me and nodded towards Murph. Who knew he was shy?
"Hi, I'm Rhythmi Heart," Rhythmi introduced herself.
"My name is Kate Icecia and this is my Pokémon Partner Fro," Kate said as she smiled at Murph.
"Icecia? ... AH! YOU'RE THAT ICE MEWMA-!" Murph exclaimed before we all covered his mouth in a panic. People who were starting to cross the bridge stared at us as if we were crazy so Kate, Rhythmi and I smiled at the crowd like it was a normal everyday thing.
"Y-Yeah. Kate is the NICE NEW girl we were talking about. It's sweet of you to remember that. Ha ha ha!" Rhythmi said loud enough for the crowd to hear. Luckily for us they believed us and walked on. Once we were sure that no one was suspicious of us we crossed the bridge to the other side and glared at Murph.
"Okay Murph, first thing you need to know is when you meet a Mewman, do NOT shout it out to the world that they are a Mewman! Secondly: how did you know that Kate is an Ice Mewman anyway?" I whispered to Murph so people wouldn't hear us.
"Oh, sorry about that. I was so excited to meet a Mewman that I forgot that people were listening in. Prof. Hastings couldn't stop talking about how it was a huge scientific discovery that Mewmans still exist to this day and age. I forgot that is was a secret to the public," Murph explained once we removed our hands from Murph's mouth. Gah! I should have known my Grandpa would do that. Once he makes a discovery or figures out an answer to a huge question he won't shut up about it for at least a month!
"Rhythmi? Kate? Keith? Is that really you?" questioned a familiar voice that I couldn't put my finger on. We turned towards the voice and what we saw surprised all of us. Standing there in the middle of a park was our old friend Isaac. He was wearing a lab coat, blue trousers and black shoes but I would recognise that blonde mushroom haircut anywhere!
"Oh my Arceus! It's been so long. I haven't seen you guys since Ranger School!" Isaac exclaimed as he jogged up to us.
"Isaac, it's been so long," Kate said as she hugged Isaac. For some reason I wanted to pull Isaac away from Kate right that second. That was when Isaac saw Rhythmi and both of them turned scarlet red. Looks like the lovebirds are back together.
"R-R-Rhythmi, how are you? I-I haven't seen you since graduation. Are you happy being an Operator?" Isaac nervously asked as walked towards the blushing Operator.
"I-It's great. Never a dull moment. How's it going being a scientist at Altru Inc.? It must b-be amazing working there," Rhythmi replied nervously. I swear those two are so DENSE! JUST DATE EACH OTHER ALREADY!
"It's great. I've only been here for two weeks and I'm already the leading head researcher. If you want I could give you guys a tour of the building. It's just on the other side of the park and I'm on my break," Isaac said turning his attention to us. We all agreed and headed towards building. It was huge building that looked like it cost a fortune with a giant purple tower over it that was in construction.
"That's the Altru Tower. It's going to be complete on the anniversary date that the company was founded and there's a huge competition across the region to name the tower. It's going to be the representation of peace for Almia," Isaac said as we looked at the building. Just then I heard a voice echoing around my head saying "The tower of nightmares disguised as peace, upon the day of birth the light shall-"
"Keith, are you okay pal? You look pale," Murphy asked snapping me out of my thoughts. What the heck was that? I never heard that voice before but it seems familiar to me.
"I-It's nothing, Murphy. We better head inside," I said trying to change the subject. When we went inside I was awed. The ground floor was so big that it would make the Ranger Base back in Vientown look small. It was decorated in purple and black with a lounge on the left side and an exhibit section on the right. I saw Kate, Rhythmi and Isaac standing at the far right of the room, standing in front of three portraits. Murphy and I walked up to them just when Isaac was about to talk about the portraits.
"On this wall are the portraits of Altru's presidents over the years. They're all amazing people. At the left is our founder and first president, Doyle M. Hall. In the middle is our second president, Brighton Hall. And, at the right is our current president, Blake..." Isaac said just before the door opened and there were hushed whispers.
Walking through the door were two people. One of them was a short guy wearing an ugly purple and white suit with green hair and a moustache. He looked more like a clown than a business man to me. The second one was a tall man with black long hair tied in a low pony tail, a moustache and black shades. He wore a black suit that looked really expensive.
"Welcome back, President Hall!" All the employees greeted the man in the black suit. The man seems to be nice the way he talks to his employees and has a smile on his face but there was something I don't like about him. I just can't put my finger on it...
"Ah, Isaac. How are you? I heard from your colleagues that the research is going well," President Hall said as he walked towards us. From the corner of my eye I saw Murph having a fan-boy moment and Rhythmi acting mature. Well it's not every day you meet the president of a billion pokédollar company.
"It's going great, President Hall. I was just giving my old Ranger School friends a tour of the company. I bumped into them and wanted to catch up with them on my break," Isaac replied. Blake glanced at us and smiled but froze momentarily when he saw Kate and me. For a second there I thought I saw him clench his fist before he relaxed and smiled.
"Oh, forgive my poor manners. I didn't know we have representatives from the Ranger Union. It's an honour to meet you. I'm Blake Hall, president of Altru Inc and this is my assistant Wheeler. You two must be Kate Icecia and Keith Adams. I heard great things about you two. Welcome to my company," Blake greeted us and stretched out his hand to shake. I was about to shake it until Jet growled at the president and tried to tackle him but I caught the Buizel just in time.
"Jet calm down! What's wrong with you?!" I questioned as I held the struggling Buizel but Jet kept growling at the president.
"Get that monster out of here! It'll harm President Hall!" ordered the clown, Wheeler. I glared at Wheeler, for calling my Partner Pokémon a 'monster' as I soothed Jet. When Jet finally calmed down Fro took the Buizel's paw and guided him out of the building (while tripping over nothing).
"President Hall, we are so sorry about Jet! He never acted this way before. We really regret letting this happen," Rhythmi apologises to the president. "That guy deserves worse than that for what he has done," I thought. Wait, where did that thought come from anyway? Sure he ticks me off but when had he done something bad?
"It's fine. I was never popular with pokémon anyway. No one was hurt," Blake reassured us as he smiled at Rhythmi but something tells me that his smile was false.
"Sorry for the trouble but we should go. Prof. Hastings will need us for the meeting at the Union and we have to keep an eye on Jet. See ya Isaac," Kate said as she pushes my back while Rhythmi and Murphy follow us towards the exit.
"By the way Kate, I heard that you have a lovely family heirloom pendant. I'm pretty sure it's worth a lot of money, but something tells me there's more to it than meets the eye, such as you. It would be a shame for something so precious to be destroyed while doing your duties as a ranger. I would gladly buy it off you since I am a fan of ancient artefacts," Blake offered kindly.
I clenched my fist and glared at the man. I don't know why but he really pisses me off and I don't trust him as far as I can throw him. I glanced at Kate and she would have frozen the whole floor by the cold glare she gave the president. For a moment her eyes turned pure black but when I blinked her eyes were the usual crystal blue.
"Thank you for the offer Mr Hall but the pendant is not for sale. This pendant means so much to the Icecia family, especially me. My answer is 'no' and if you ask my parents, they'll also say no. Sorry for not adding another item to your collection," Kate replied with an icy tone to her voice. The green haired clown was about to say something but Blake held up his hand to silence him.
"That's too bad. Well then it was an honour meeting you all. I give my support to you all and the Ranger community. Prof Isaac, shall we get to work?" Blake said in a calm manner.
"Of course, President Hall. It was nice see you guys again. I hope we could meet up sometime. Here's my number if you want to talk to me. Bye guys," Isaac told us as he gave Rhythmi his number on a sheet. Their eyes met for a moment before both of them blushed and Isaac walked towards Blake.
"I hope to see you all again soon. You're all welcome here anytime. I especially expect big things from Keith, Kate. I have a feeling that you two will make things interesting. Good day everyone. Let's go Wheeler," Blake says as he and Isaac headed towards the elevator.
"Y-Yes, President Hall!" said Wheeler as he ran for the elevator. When the doors shut, I swear that Murph's eyes had stars in them.
"Awesome! We got to meet THE President Blake Hall! This is great. Oooooooohhhhhh, I can't wait to tell everybody. They're going to be so jealous! Well except for the part about Jet almost attacking the president but we'll leave that out!" exclaimed Murph as we headed for the exit.
"I agree. It's not every day you meet a billionaire and owner of the largest energy company in the world. It's really great seeing Isaac again," Rhythmi commented and smiled at the mushroom haired boy.
"Aaaaaawwwwwwwww! Wittle Rhythmi has a cwrush on Isaac. *WHACK!* Okay, OUCH!" I teased her before Rhythmi punched my arm.
"Shut up, Keith!" yelled Rhythmi as she glared at me but it wasn't every effective with the bright red blush on her face. She was about to go into a big lecture when we heard a loud ringing sound from Kate's styler. She pushed a button on the styler and the ringing stopped.
"Voicemail, voicemail, Barlow here. We need all of you guys at the Union for the counter-Gigaremo meeting. Also bring Jet for the demonstration," Barlow said through the voicemail before he hung up.
"AAAAHHH! THE MEETING! I totally forgot that I was supposed to bring you guys to the Union! Oh man, I'll get in so much trouble if we're late! COME ON!" screamed Murph as he grabbed us and ran to the west side of the park.
"SLOW DOWN, MURPH!" Rhythmi, Kate and I shouted at the guy. For a chubby guy he sure knows how to run very fast. Suddenly we crashed into Murph's back and fell backwards, landing on our butts.
"WE'RE HERE! Welcome to the Ranger Union!" Murph announced and smiled at us. I looked up to see a tall white building with a huge tree at the top. This is the Ranger Union, just as I remembered. I'd always stay here every summer so that I could hang out with Grandpa and my family. I glanced at Kate and she was in awe of the building. She was smiling like a kid on Christmas which makes her look really cute.
"What's wrong Keith? Do I have something on my face?" Kate asked, snapping me out of my daze.
"What?! No! I-I mean you look okay. I-I-I mean cute! I-I-I mean... Never mind! We have to get to the meeting," I rambled as I quickly jogged to the entrance. Rhythmi was giving me a sly look as we entered the building, Fro was laughing and Jet just face-palmed.
"That was a nice try. Don't worry Keith; I'm supporting you on this. You'll get your girl soon," Murph said as he patted my shoulder as we headed for the escalator. WHAT THE HELL IS THAT SUPPOSE TO MEAN?!
"Hey! Long-time no see, Flame-Head!" shouted a familiar voice. I turned towards the source of the voice. It was a pretty woman in her early twenties with green hair and sea-green eyes wearing a different Ranger uniform compared to Kate and my uniform.
"Wendy. It's been a while," I said with a smile on my face. Wendy walked over to me and messed up my hair.
"I see my little cousin is finally having a growth spurt! Took you long enough, Flame-Head!" Wendy teased as she tussled my hair. She paused and looked at Kate. She let out a big smile and walked over to my Ranger Partner.
"You must be the Ice Mewman that Prof. Hastings was talking about. Kate Icecia, right? I hope my idiot cousin isn't troubling you, especially since you guys are dating," Wendy said with a smile on her face. Dating? ... WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTT?! WHERE DID SHE GET THAT FROM?!
"Y-You got it all wrong. Keith and I a-are just p-p-p-partners. We're not d-d-d-dating," Kate stuttered while her cheeks glowed red. She was so embarrassed that her Mewman ears and tail popped out. I felt a little sting in my chest when Kate mentioned that we weren't dating. No, snap out of it Keith! Kate is just your friend!
"Oh, sorry about that. Prof. Hastings went on and on and on about how Keith finally got a girlfriend and-"
"Can we just get this stupid meeting over with already?!" I shouted, interrupting my cousin.
"Fine. They should have started by now. Come on," Sighed Wendy as we walked into the Conference Room. It was a large room with metal panel walls and a huge floor monitor showing a map of the Almia region (I wonder if it still has the doodles I did with a permanent marker when I was five?). Any way there was my Grandpa with Barlow, some rangers, a scientist (I think his name was Sage? Page? Nage? Something like that) and an elderly woman with pigtails.
"There you guys are! Everyone these are our two prized rookies, Kate and Keith, that I was telling you about. These up-and-coming Rangers figured out how Gigaremo units can be stopped. Guys, give us a demonstration," Barlow announced before stepping out of our way to see a red Gigaremo unit. I looked at Jet and we both nodded our heads and smirked.
"Jet, use your 'Water Gun' attack!" I ordered and Jet unleashed a powerful 'Water Gun' attack, destroying the Gigaremo.
"Gigaremo units can be ruined using the method you've just witnessed. But also keep in mind that there are other types that run on different power. The various types are distinguished by their colouring. Even so, with the help of Pokémon, all Gigaremo units can be destroyed. Get word out to all Rangers on how Gigaremo can be stopped," Prof. Hastings explained while some of the Rangers pushed the heavy machine out of the way.
"Prof. Hastings, there's something that's bothering me. The Gigaremo didn't hypnotise the Pokémon in the building or affect our Partner Pokémon and myself," Kate spoke up.
"I knew you would say that, Kate. Everyone, please direct your attention to the monitor below," Prof. Hastings replied. We all looked at the screen and the map of Almia was replaced by diagrams and notes about the Gigaremo. I noticed a diamond shape in the middle and I knew it was the dark stone. Just thinking about what happened when I touched it made my skin crawl.
"You all see this diamond-shaped section in the middle? That was a small black stone I found in the Gigaremo. I removed the stone when I rebuilt the Gigaremo. Without the stone in the machine, it fails to hypnotise the Pokémon or affect Kate. It seems clear to me that the stone embodies some mysterious power," Prof. Hastings explained as the diagram disappeared from the monitor.
"Don't worry everyone. The Area Rangers are on the case! We'll destroy those Gigaremo units and protect Almia!" Barlow proudly states.
"It seems that Almia's peace is threatened by a group calling themselves Team Dim Sun. But they don't frighten me. You are here to serve and protect Almia. I only ask that you work as one towards our common goal. Safeguard the people, the environment, and the beloved Pokémon of Almia," Erma spoke up before walking out of the room along with Prof. Hastings and everyone else apart from Wendy, Rhythmi, Kate, the Pokémon and I.
"So guys, do you want me to show you all around the Union and introduce you guys to some of the staff? I also want to ask some questions involving the incident in Pueltown, is that ok?" Wendy asked us. We all nodded our heads and walked out of the room. The questions were pretty easy to answer. She just asked if Team Dim Sun were conducting an experiment, did they escape by boat, what colour was the Gigaremo they fled with and what we know about capturing the Pokémon under the hypnotism. Then we set off to explore the Union.
Later that night - Keith's Pov
"Okay, how long are you going to mope around like that?" questioned Wendy while I sitting on the kitchen counter, grumbling to myself. It was near midnight and we were both wearing our pyjamas that we kept at the Union when our families visited.
"I wouldn't be moping if a certain Ranger didn't put me in an awkward position several times today!" I retorted and glared at my cousin. During the whole tour of the Ranger Union, Wendy and Rhythmi were 'accidentally' bumping Kate and I together, making me trip that made me land on Kate and kept saying how 'cute a couple we make'. Thanks to them I couldn't even look Kate in the eye for the rest of the day!
"Okay, okay. I get your point Mr Grouchy-Pants. Apology hot chocolate?" Wendy offered as she held two cups of hot chocolate she made. Damn, she knows I can't refuse hot chocolate... I grumbled a 'thanks' and took a sip of the hot chocolate she offered me.
"You know Keith, Kate seems to be a really nice girl and a very warm person even though she is an Ice Mewman. No wonder you have a crush on her," Wendy commented. That last sentenced made me do a spit-take in shock.
"W-W-W-W-W-W-WHAT?! I-I-I don't like Kate that way!" I denied. Shoot, I stuttered!
"Don't deny it, Flame-head. I'm your cousin, I know you better than you know yourself. You seem happier around her. Hell, the only time I ever seen you smile is when your parents come back from a mission. Kate seems to bring out the best in you, so don't screw it up. I want her to be my cousin in law," Wendy stated.
"Good night, Wendy!" I groaned as I quickly walked out of the kitchen with my hot chocolate. "Ugggghhhhhhhh! Why does everyone think I like Kate that way?! Even though Kate is amazing and is really beauti- STOP IT KEITH! YOU DON'T LIKE HER THAT WAY! She's just your friend. She's just your friend. She's just your friend. She's just your-" I chanted in my head before I heard the sound of someone singing. Before I knew it I was following the sound in search of the person who's singing. I reached the roof where the tree was. Sitting on one of the branches was Kate wearing one of Wendy's pyjamas.
As I was watching Kate, I noticed that it was a full moon tonight and the glow made her look beautiful. Wait that's wrong, Kate always looked beautiful...Okay, WHERE DID THAT COME FROM?!
"Keith? What are you doing here? I thought you were in bed," Kate questioned as she stared at me. I froze for a second for getting caught googling at my best friend. While I was trying to come up with a reply so I didn't sound like a weirdo, Kate turned into her Mewman form, floated towards me, lifted me up and carried me back to the branch she was sitting on.
"Waaah! Kate, I thought we agreed that you never do that without warning me first!" I stated while trying to make sure that the hot chocolate doesn't spill on the tree. Kate let out a cute little giggle before turning my head to what's in front of me with her hands. I froze with awe at the sight in front of me. From where I sat I could see all of Almia from here. The moonlight on the land made it look like the whole region was glowing. There was something so peaceful about it and I couldn't help but smile at the scene.
"This is why I love high places; you notice something you see all the time from a different angle and it seems magical," Kate whispered while smiling at the sight and leaning her head against my left shoulder. I couldn't help but blush at the sudden contact. I was about to tell Kate we should get to bed when I noticed that Kate was already asleep.
She looked so peaceful and cute as she slept. From the corner of my eye I saw that a bit of her top was lifted up a bit, showing me the place where her Birthmark was. Just looking at it reminded me of the first day that Kate and I met and how I found out she was a Mewman. Then I realised that the part of the Birthmark I saw was black. Wasn't it a white snowflake? Why is it black?
There was a sinking feeling in my gut and then the strange images flashed through my head again. I squeezed my eyes shut and shook my head until the images stopped appearing. By then Kate snuggled closer to me and the shirt shimmed down to cover the Birthmark. What's happening to me? First the stone at the Vientown Base, then the voice in my head and the meeting with Blake Hall and now this. Something tells me that trouble is coming and it's going to be big.
IMN: HURRAY! This chapter is finally done! Sorry to all the readers about the delay. This school year is really tough and I'll try my best to update as soon as I can.
Keith: DAMN! I really liked the brake from Snuggle-Buns!
IMN: Relax lover-boy, Snuggle-Buns is on a date with his girlfriend and I know you like your little moments with Kate in this chapter. *Wiggles eyebrows*
Keith: *Blushing a million shades of red* WILL YOU SHUT UP?!
IMN: *Turns to the audience* Hope you enjoyed the long chapter everyone! Stay tuned for the exciting adventures of 'Mewmans: Story of the Dark Ice Maiden'! BYE!