Okay, so, we left off as Aria calls Spenser and Co. back to the base after Melody gets knocked out by a mysterious someone. Now we're heading toward Kate and Keith for a while, who end up having some issues with the Go-Rock Squad. I like this chapter. It started off iffy, but I got in the writing zone and knocked it out. I'm in the middle of finals, so I had to procrastinate a little. :) Sorry for the wait, hopefully when summer comes I can update WAY quicker. Enjoy!

Keith

Camped on top of Overlook Ridge along with the whole gang of the Go-Rock Squad, there was much time for reflection. We were heading for Hippowdon Temple, where the Go-Rock Squad claimed Cresselia was. Cresselia and I had a score to settle. Not to be dramatic or anything, but I was looking for some capturing revenge. However, we had traveled a pretty darn long way from the frigidness of Almia Castle and I was quite happy with that. Buizel didn't hate me so much either. But, we still had an small issue, due to the time for reflection that I mentioned earlier.

Kate couldn't sleep.

I could hear her, tossing and turning in her sleeping bag next to me. Heck, I could even feel her, seeing as she kicked me several times, each time muttering a quiet "Sorry" and going back to her sleepless struggle.

After the seventh kick, I broke the silence. "Uh, Kate," I grinned, "Could you maybe stop kicking me?"

"Oh," I could hear the embarrassment in her voice, "Right. Sorry."

"Is there an issue here?" I asked, a tiny bit amused, yet also concerned. I felt Kate's glare, even in the darkness. "I mean, besides the fact that your little sister is kidnapped and we don't know where she is or what's going to happen to her."

If anything, Kate's glare intensified. "Not funny, Keith. This is not a time to be joking around."

"Ahh, you're right," I hastily agreed. Sometimes I didn't know how to act around Kate, especially during these kinds of serious moments. I wanted to be there for her, but sometimes I just said the wrong things. I liked being a jokester. I liked laughing and teasing her. Yet, I cared about her enough to want to make her feel better. I just didn't know how to do it all the time. It was a difficult balance.

"You just say the wrong things sometimes, you know," Kate retorted, clearly feeling a little stressed out.

I flinched. "I know, Kate. I'm sorry."

Kate sighed. "Now you're making me feel bad for snapping at you."

"Well, gee, is there anything I can do right?" I answered sarcastically, getting kind of ticked off as well. I knew her sister was in danger and she was frustrated because she couldn't do anything about it. But it felt like I couldn't do anything right now without her yelling at me.

"You could try a little bit harder," she snapped, finally sitting up to glare at me full-on.

"You keep shooting me down every chance I get," I said incredulously. "How about giving me a chance?"

Kate was about to open her mouth again when an annoyed sounding Go-Rock Quad opened his own. "Okay, so either shut up and go to sleep or go have this argument somewhere else. Please?" I could recognize the voice as Billy, the one I hated the most out of all of them. I thought about saying something rude in reply, but decided against it seeing as Kate already apparently thought I was an insensitive jerk. But we'd had fights before. We would get over it.

Kate sighed. "Let's just make it through the night, okay?"

The next morning was pure chaos.

Kate

I grumbled uncomfortably, still half-asleep. It had gotten really hot all of a sudden. And there was a crackling noise in the background that I hadn't noticed before. My nose twitched. Was that… smoke?

I half-opened my eyes, astounded to see the whole forest around us on fire. Let's just say that I woke up pretty fast. But, I stayed calm, knowing that my first priority would be to wake up my certain slumbering boyfriend. I jumped up, shaking Keith awake. "Up and at 'em, ginger," I called grimly. "We got work to do."

Keith groaned. "Five more minutes, Mom."

I looked around in exasperation. That's when I saw the empty spot where the Go-Rock Quad had previously been. I knew there was more to this fire than coincidence. They were a slippery bunch, but they weren't getting away from me now. "Keith, you'd better hurry up. Erma made her famous from-scratch pancakes and Sven and Jackie are eating them all."

This had an immediate effect. "Alright, I'm up," he sat up, looking around bewilderedly.

"Listen, I need you to work on handling this fire," I said hurriedly. "Go-Rock Squad got away and I'm going after them. They couldn't have gotten too far." I had gathered this because rangers haven't even arrived on the scene to put the fire out yet. It couldn't have been that long since the Go-Rock Squad started the fire and ran. We were on top of Lookout Ridge, so someone must have seen it.

Keith was still kind of looking at me blankly, so I waved a hand in front of his face. "Hey, Keith, you got it?"

Keith

I shook my head to clear the sleep out of my mind. The girl had awoken me under the false pretense that there were pancakes available. She couldn't blame me for having difficulty adjusting to the hard and cruel truth. I wasn't even going to get breakfast.

"Yeah, Kate," I nodded, realizing that it was game-face time. "Just don't get yourself killed at any point without me being there. It would be preferable, seeing as I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have you to berate me every free chance you get."

Kate rolled her eyes, turning to leave. "Sorry about last night. I was cranky. And I love you too." She took off running, obviously heading for Pueltown. It was the best bet.

I quickly got up, Buizel looking attentive beside me. I was going to need his Water Gun before the day was out. I shot one last look at Kate as she disappeared out of view. That's when I realized.

Her styler was gone from the back of her belt. Not just her styler. Her Vatonnage styler. She was running into trouble with no viable way of defending herself. "Kate!" I yelled, trying to warn her, but she was out of ear range. I looked around. The fire was getting more and more out of control. I had to stop it. I had to stop Kate. I froze. What could I do?

Kate

My best bet was that they had headed toward Pueltown. There was a port there, where they could make their escape. I just didn't understand why they chose to get away now. Why wait until now? Plus, they had made a deal with us that was benefitted them when all they were doing was selling out Team Dim Sun. What was going on here?

But I knew I wasn't far behind them. The fire must have been just started because there were no other Rangers on the scene yet. It would have been easily visible from Pueltown and someone must be on their way. If I could just make sure-

Only my quick reflexes saved me as I narrowly dodged a charging Camerupt as it spouted fire and ash. However, I wasn't quick enough to get out of the way as the slightly faster Scizor slammed into me, sending me flying across the path.

I coughed, dust kicked up from my violent trajectory flying everywhere. I was motionless, on the ground, fighting to stay conscious. My head was pounding and I felt like I had just been run over by a Tyranitar. My eyes slitted, I noticed that if I didn't move, that actually was going to happen. My Cranidos stood in front of me, it's stumpy legs set, but I knew it couldn't possibly stop the Tyranitar coming at me. My adrenaline pounding, I gritted my teeth, got up, and threw myself to the side as the giant Ground-type came through, missing me and almost crashing into a tree. My Cranidos saw I had dodged and jumped away as well. It set itself in front of me again and I managed a weary smile and a thumbs up at it. What a good partner Pokemon would do is incredible.

I looked up, noticing the exact four crooks I was looking for about a fifty meters down to path, just watching as their Pokemon did the job for them. I reached behind my back for my styler, determined not to let them succeed in their ambush. It sucks that villians can't engage in a fair fight.

But my fingers grasped at the air as I realized my styler wasn't where it was supposed to be. I twisted around, ignoring the screaming pain of my body as I did so. It wasn't there. It was freakin' gone. I patted down my whole body and looked around anxiously. Had I lost it?

I looked up, bewildered, seeing the four Go-Rock Squad in the distance. I had just enough time to see the smirk on Billy's face as they turned away, and at that instance, I knew. They had only done this to get my Vatonnage styler. That's all they wanted. They played their hand close, let me be distracted by my sister's kidnapping, and took the opportunity when it had come. I was so mad. I couldn't decide whether I was angrier at them or myself.

This whole conflict that had come up had turned me into someone I didn't want to be. I was sending accusations at Sven, snapping at Keith, and allowing myself to be distracted from my mission by my sister. I wasn't doing my job. And now I had paid the price for it. I had always held myself to high expectations and this wasn't good enough.

However, the problem still at hand was figuring out how to avoid these Pokemon without getting killed. They had no grouped together now and were ready to make their next move, with only a Cranidos between me and them. The whole situation was not looking good.

That was when, and when I look back on this I will swear that the timing couldn't have been better, a Hariyama came crashing through the group, putting its muscle to good use. The four Pokemon scattered like bowling pins, well, except for the Tyranitar, who just kind of took a few big steps back to steady itself. Next thing I knew, I was feeling a hearty (quite enthusiastic) pat on the back that I knew had to be from one of my favorite people in the world.

"We saved your ass, didn't we, Kate?" I turned to see Barlow of Vientown's grinning face.

I grinned in reply. "You have no idea." I looked behind Barlow to see both Luana and Crawford, who waved at me before taking out their stylers and focusing on the four Pokemon in front of them. Crawford, as usual, had the goofiest expression ever on his face and Luana, as usual, was rolling her eyes, but trying not to laugh at the same time. Those two made the cutest couple.

"How did you know-"

"Crawford and I set up a joint taskforce thing to put out this fire. Keith was already taking care of it and sent us out to help you. He's worried." Barlow looked at me seriously, and I could tell he had been worried too.

"Can I-"

"Here," Barlow handed me his styler, which was exactly what I was about to ask for. Talk about being on the same wavelength. But he just knew me so well, he knew I was gonna want to go after them.

"Thanks, Leader," I answered, unable to rid myself of the habit of calling Barlow that. "I have to do this on my own."

"I know, Kate," Barlow replied, nodding. "Just be careful. I'd hate to have all that training I put into you go to waste." He cracked that familiar Barlow smile and I almost felt like I was back under his wing at the Vientown base, where I had always felt the safest.

"Just tell Keith that I'm okay and that I'm sorry I had to go without him. There's not enough time."

"I'll let him know. Just take care of what you need to do."

I nodded, feeling relieved. Now I had to fix my mistakes. It was up to me to get that Cresselia and save my sister. First step, get that styler back. And so, ignoring my ever-protesting, sore body, I took off running toward Pueltown. Those crooks better watch out.