To Steal the Heart of a Thief {Pokemon Ranger Fanfiction} (Pokemon Watty Awards 2015)

Chapter 40: Begin Again

Rena smiled at her as she began to walk away. "We've been over this, it's okay." She smirked devilishly at the ginger for what neither of them knew would be the last time. "I know being a bitch is just something that you just can't help."

Kim couldn't really argue that Rena was wrong about that, and she held up two fingers to her. "Retweet."

Rena chuckled under her breath as she was lead down a long, narrow, grey hallways that was stained with dirt, possibly blood, and grime from who knows what. Minimal light was inside the prison to guide the way as if lighting one's way in a horror film, so Rena relied on the guard to guide her to the visitation room.

As they stopped, Rena's eyes slowly scanned the door up and down. Despite the rest of the world around her, this one object was clean. Polished. Bright.

A false hope to many.

The renowned grifter let her mind wander as she sighed with the bitterest hint of remorse.

Honestly, who would come to visit her? And now of all times...

The guard opened up a steel-plated door and practically shoved Rena through it, locking the door behind her with a swift clinking of the metal keys.

The brunette was about to turn and look at who was in here when she was suddenly embraced tightly around the neck, and a blob of puffy blonde hair was suddenly smothering her face like the wool of a Flaaffy.

"Rena!" Rhythimi squeezed her tightly and held onto the grifter for dear life, squinting her eyes tightly from just how much she missed her.

"Guys...?" Rena pried Rhythimi off of her and looked across the room, blinking at the three others quizzically.

Rhythimi wasn't the only one who came to visit; Isaac, Chairperson Erma, and Professor Hastings were there too. And not just them: Looker was leaning up against the wall right next to them, his ten o'clock after-shadow scruff coating his chin as he couldn't help but hide a low smile.

"What are you doing here?" She blinked at them owlishly, then looked over at Rhythimi for the possible answers.

Rhythimi grinned excitedly at Rena. "We're busting you out, you dummy!"

"Well don't say that in front of the cops, you dope." Rena thwacked the blonde in the back of the head, just like old times. "...can they really do that?" She craned her neck to glance over at Looker, having tons of questions without answers racing through her mind.

Looker pushed himself off the concrete wall and joined the conversation, his thick leather trench coat shivering with the change of movement. "Well, that's why we're all here today: to negotiate."

Chairperson Erma hobbled across the room and stopped in front of Rena, leveling her honest gaze with the nineteen-year-old. "Rena, I have something to ask you."

The brunette's posture instinctively straightened as she respected Erma's presence. "Yes...?"

Erma's lips slowly curled up into a tiny smile. "How would you like to become Keith's partner: Top Ranger twelve?"

Rena was so shocked by this question that she couldn't even possibly fathom what her response would be. She just held up her index finger as her mouth opened and closed like a Magikarp out of water, completely stunned.