Author's note: Hi! Hope everyone's having a great day! We are around halfway through this! I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who reviewed. Or anyone who is reading this! On a side note, I try to make the characters emotions as realistic as possible. I don't think I'm doing that well though… Anyways, I'm doing most of the story from memory of the game, so it may not be as close as some would like. Sorry ':(
And also, I'm sorry for taking so long to update. I've just been focused on other things. I promise though, unless something drastic happens, this story will get finished.

Disclaimer: Honestly, I don't own Pokémon. If I did, nothing would ever get done. I can't focus on anything for more than a few minutes, so it would be quite funny to see me in the middle of a meeting, suddenly shouting "That's it!" and running off after my next greatest idea.

Chapter 16: Not water! And Sharpedo! The Worst Day Ever.

(Keith's P.O.V., present)

As I walked away from Kate, my heart ached. What if I never got the chance to tell her how I feel? Or what if something happens? I shook my head so furiously I got a headache. I couldn't think negatively. As bad as I felt, I had to keep going. Even though I'll always be there for Kate, I know I needed to give her a little distance. If I didn't, well… I guess my past might come back again. You know, everyone has something that haunts them.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out a small gem. As I brushed away a tear, I wondered something. Why is it that the things that bother me the most always get worse over time, not better? Is it because I'm healing and working through it? Or is it that the burden of so much gets worse with time? All knowledge comes with a price. Sometimes, ignorance really is bliss…

(Kate's P.O.V., present)

Maybe I can't change the past, but I will change the future, that's for sure. I had to. There was no way I would ever let the future be the way it was foretold.

Hey! Where'd you think you were going, Starly said. I just laughed, smiled, and gave her a hug. There was no way I would ever leave Starly behind! Though to be perfectly honest, I didn't even realize Starly was following me, that's how quiet she is.

"Hey Kate," A voice broke through the shadows. I jumped straight up, probably six or seven feet in the air.

"Sorry if I scared you," Luana said with a laugh. "I just wanted to tell ya' that Barlow left after Professor Hastings. Apparently there's some kinda' meeting going on at the Union."

"Thanks Luana," I signed. "I was just about to go ask Barlow something, so I guess I should get going to catch up to him."

"Yup. 'Course you'd better head out quickly. You don't want to fall too far behind." She smiled and handed me something. I thanked her for whatever it was, and left to go find Barlow and the professor.

A ways up the path, a lady stopped me.

"Oh, hi ranger. Look over there." The lady pointed towards a place off in the distance. Over there, there was a quarter-finished tower.

"See that tower," She said.

I nodded.

"That tower is Altru Tower. Or what's been built of it, anyways. Supposedly Altru Inc. is having a big contest to name it," The lady said.

I waved a quick thank you to her, and continued on my way. The smell of the forest, with maple, oak, and pine, was a delight I would miss when it was gone. Walking forward, I stopped to look back a final time. The wind blew around my hair, and jolted me out of some sort of trance.

About an hour later, I finally arrived at Pueltown. A wave of dizziness washed over me, but I shook it off. I passed several buildings, including a tall apartment-type structure.

Stopping for a minute, I decided to open Luana's parcel. Tentatively, I ripped open the beige paper, and found a folded up piece of paper. Rolling my eyes, I unfolded the paper. Inside of that, I saw something shiny, and another folded up paper.

(You can tell which one I opened first, right?)

I opened the folded up paper. Inside, I saw a small note. It read:

Dear Katie,

How are you? I hope well. It's been many years. I'm sorry I couldn't give this to you in person, but I couldn't bear to look you in the eye after all these years. Maybe, if you still want to see me, you can visit me in Unova? Nah, never mind that. It's too much to ask. I just wanted you to have this. It was our mothers'. I'm truly sorry, and I really miss you.

Your brother,

N.

I couldn't understand my feelings right now. I felt this strange combination of fear, sadness, disgust, and anger. Half of me wanted to cry for my family, and how I missed them, but the other half wanted to punch my brother in the face. After almost nine years, he expected he could just waltz right back into my life!

I decided I might as well look at the shiny object. I gasped as I saw it. It was the crescent moon necklace my mother had always worn, the one she said was so much alike me. Tears wound up in my eyes, and fell to the floor like flower petals falling from a grand old cherry blossom tree, one scarred by the many events of its lifetime, and wistful of it's past.

Slowly, my hands shaking, I fastened the necklace around my neck. I wiped away my tears, and continued onwards before I caused a spectacle. I passed a lady and two murkrow, and a boy watching as a voltorb exploded. I debated warning the boy, but quickly realized he already knew the danger, as he lectured by far every passer-by on it.

Finally, I came upon a small bridge. Lost deep in thought, I nearly walked across it. Before I could, I was yanked back by a strong hand.

"A little hasty there, are we Kate?" I whirled around at the voice. I readied my fists, and I struck out at the person.

"Ouch! Kate, it's Barlow, for goodness sakes. I could understand if it was Crawford, but it's me, so." Barlow took a step back probably not wanting to get punched again.

"I'm so sorry Barlow! I, I guess I thought you were a stalker," I signed. I only realized after signing it how horrible it must've sounded. I often say things without thinking, and upon explain, it only gets worse. I need to learn to quit while I'm ahead.

Barlow hung his head.

After a few minutes of awkward silence between us two, Professor Hastings came over to us.

"Now," he said, "the bridge is up, and it looks as if Brook doesn't have the key. And I'm not going to fly to the Union."

Brook quickly came rushing over to them. He was panting heavily, and his eyes were filled with exhaustion. His clothes were even a sopping wet mess, dripping all over the stone street.

"What happened to you," exclaimed Barlow, "your clothes are a sopping mess!"

"Trying… to… find the… key," he panted.

"Where is it? Kate can go get it." I looked at Barlow. He was my leader, but seriously? Volunteering someone without their permission is kinda' bad manners. Not that I have the greatest either.

"You'd do that! That's great! It's in the eastern sea." Brook smiled at us. Never one to like the sea, I was already dreading it…

(Approximately fifteen minutes later)

So Barlow was afraid of water. Well he's not the only one. Being someone who likes to breathe air, made the salty ocean unbearable. Even with the Aqua lung I'd been given, the water seemed like a huge black hole, about to swallow me and slowly tear me to…

"Kate! Are you there? Kate," Barlow asked. I nodded into the camera, and awkwardly signed that I was fine.

"Okay good. As long as YOU can breathe down there, it's fine. And no sharpedo's tried to eat you yet?"

I merely glared. Could he not already tell I was terrified of the ocean? Not to mention sharpedo are dark type, which makes it all the worse.

Swimming down further, I saw the key resting on a coral barrier. Just as I swam up to get it, what happened to come across it but a sharpedo. Why was life always like this?

The sharpedo grabbed the key, and swallowed it by accident. Struggling violently, he began to swim towards the ocean floor…

"Kate, update. Status update, Kate," Barlow said through the voicemail. I jumped as it came in.

"Barlow, a sharpedo came and swallowed the key. I am going after him."

"Kate, don't do anything too reckl…s…" I shut off the voicemail. I needed to focus for this one.

Diving deep into the ocean wasn't too difficult, if you knew how to make falling objects and pokemon attacks miss with psychic powers. I forgot about one of them, and it hit me on my shoulder. It hurt a lot, but I knew I needed to press on. Wincing, I plunged deeper into the abyss…

(Barlow's P.O.V, present)

I paced back and forth. Why had Kate shut off the voicemail? Why did that sharpedo swallow the key? How deep was the ocean? How long until Kate ran out of air?

I paused and checked my styler. At least I could find the answer to the last question. My face must've turned a ghostly white as I saw how long she would have air for. Only thirty minutes…

(Kate's P.O.V., after catching up to sharpedo (twenty minutes later)

"There we go," I thought as I helped sharpedo get the key out of his throat. I guess not all dark type pokemon are bad.

Thank you so much, Miss Kate.

Anytime, my friend.

I began to feel my chest get heavy as I swam back up. My breath seemed more laborious with ever one, and my shoulder ached like a wildfire was ablaze on it. I struggled to move even slightly. The last thing I saw was a group of sharpedo below me, looking about to pounce…

How'd you like it! I'm sorry, I really shouldn't have put a cliffhanger here, but I couldn't resist. I feel so gleeful putting cliffhangers! I'm sorry, and yet I'm too happy to be sorry!
Ahem, anyways, I hope you liked this. And I'm sorry if you hate cliffhangers. I'm also sorry about taking so, so long to update. Science fair was the past two months, and I was really in the middle of that. I Love science!
And in that note, sorry again.