Lost in Reality [pokémon Ranger Fanfiction]

Chapter 8

Kate shrunk back, back getting closer to the exit, however, Starly swept in on her shoulder and started to blow up a small wind storm. The Golem tried its best to hold solid as the grains of sand whipped the air around, eventually pushing the creature over.

Taking a deep breath, Kate carefully traced over her own styler. Vatonage. Bringer of light. To break through the darkness.

Muscle memory kicked in as her muscles turned to water. Each movement fluid as she drew circles about the creature. It charged towards her. Wind gathered at the point of its skull.

Kate leapt out of the way, her arm pulling her capture line just in the way. The glorious blue light shattered and she watched as her styler drop in health. Hissing, Kate recuperates and continues to loop around.

An eternity passed before the words "capture success" appeared on her screen. She stumbled back to a near wall to slide down. She panted with sweat soaking her brow. Kate stole a glance up to Keith who barely broke a sweat, "How long was that?"

"About a minute. You're getting rusty on me, Hitomi," He laughed with an extended hand.

Gladly accepting it, Kate smirked back, "That's Hitomi-Dazzle, thank you, good sir."

Their adventure went on. The dry ruins cracking at Kate's throat with each breath she took. pokémon attacked them left and right, and as Keith took on the bulk of them, Kate still found herself fighting stragglers. She quickly drained her water and regretted it as they stood in Cresselia's underground oasis.

Or, what once was an oasis.

All the glittering fresh water that once was painting Kate's memory was gone. The emerald grass shriveled up and died. Small Bellosom huddled in the corner of the temple. As Kate passed where the pool of water once flooded, she saw deep down into a dark cavern. The pokémon here had become desperate. Digging deeper and deeper, hoping to unearth even the smallest drop of water.

A rancid smell rose from the pit. Keith stood on the bridge branching its way to the heart of Hippowdon temple. "Death. That's the smell. pokémon must've died digging deeper to find any bit of water," He said as he stared at a boxed room across from him. One that once held the yellow gem. The one mission he failed, "I wonder if Cresselia is even here..."

"And what if she isn't?" Kate asked, stepping beside Keith to look into the room.

"Up for a trip to Sinnoh? Heard about Cresselia sightings there every few years," Keith jested as he started forward.

"Hey, I'm only here for this mission, and so are you! If Cresselia isn't here, I'll tell you what we do," Kate quickly paced after him as the walked through the heart's opening, "We are going to sleep in our real bed for a solid day."

"Arceus, Kate--"

The ranger turned to face her husband, oblivious to the scene around, "I don't think I said anything too bad."

Keith just shook his head, amber eyes locked with the image in front of him, "No... Kate, look."

She craned her head and immediately her jaw was falling. Cresselia floated before them, small pokémon in a sound sleep huddled around her. The color was drained from the legendary as her crescent head rose. A lavender light veiled over the pokémon glistened as some sort of shield.

"What more do you humans want?" A womanly voice echoed into their heads.

Before Keith could jump, Kate answered a question pressing onto his mind, "She's a psychic type. Thus Telepathy," looking back Kate said, "What happened here?"

The pokémon's violet eyes narrowed, "When we lost the Yellow Gem, we lost what power was given to this harsh land to thrive. It only took weeks for the water to evaporate. And after that, the grass and vibrant plant life ran dry." Cresselia glanced down to the small Skorupi and Bronzor cuddled beneath her, "These little ones were just hatchings when they lost their parents to this drought. Thus I bring it upon myself to protect them."

Keith's breath hovered just above his heart, "Is-- Is there anything we can do?" The original intent of this mission was lost as they were left with this world before them.

Cresselia shook her head tiredly, "No. The Gem's power I know is needed elsewhere. Not just for the lives of the pokémon here, but all of the ones across Almia. If you have no purpose here, please leave us in peace."

"Are you sure?" Kate took a step forward, and immediately Cresselia went into a rigid state. As if raising her hackles. "We could evacuate the pokémon who are unable to sustain themselves in this environment to a better one. We'd have to call the other rangers to help, but it's possible. Like, get the grass types to a forest at least."

Cresselia relaxed, but the drawn sadness in her eyes still didn't waver, "This is all they know. A forest would shock them too much. No, it is better this way. Those who adapt will survive. Those who do not, well it would at least end their suffering soon."

"I understand, but if I can request a boon from you Cresselia," Keith walked in front of Kate, lacing hands with hers. "Kate, here. Since she has fought Darkrai has suffered terrible nightmares. And-- I ask for one of your Lunar feathers. To ward away the darkness wrapped around her."

The legend peered closer to Kate. She slipped from her nest and circled the two rangers, "You have a darkness about you, young child. But I hold no promise that one of my lunar wings can help in keeping it at bay."

"Please," Keith cracked.

"As I do for all boons and wishes made of me," Cresselia led the two out into the dead courtyard. On the bridge platform, she spun around, "You must defeat me in a battle. Or, in this case, capture me. Once you do, I will give you whatever you ask for if it is within my power."

The two rangers nodded and took a side around the legend. They had each danced with this Cresselia before, but only Kate had won. And now, she's barely as good as a ranger out of the Academy.

Cresselia fluttered her hovering disks before nodding at the two rangers, "let us begin."

"Capture on!" The Rangers' harmonized. Both slammed on their stylers and the capture disks shot out with a brilliant tail.

They traced circle after circle and Cresselia let loose waves of ultraviolet balls of raw energy. Kate winced at each time her line shattered. Keith was dancing on the edges of the bridge when she sent out stationary pools of psychic shock in his direction.

Sand was thrown up and into Kate's eyes, "Starly! Use whirlwind!"

The dark-feathered companion chirped as she beat her wings relentlessly. The dust was thrown behind and Kate lunged with her next circle but Cresselia was two steps ahead of her as she released a psychic force field. Kate's capture disk just bounced off and broke Kate's heart.

Cresselia dropped the field as she inched closer to Kate. "Don't worry, hun! I got you're back!"

Keith flew in from above and was madly looping around the legendary who, for a psychic type, didn't see the flanking coming.

Time passed like sand through an hourglass. Grain by grain drained all of them. Kate's breath shuttered in her ribs with her trembling arms. Her hair was free, the ponytail having fallen out moments ago. Keith was coated with sweat seeping through his red jacket, but his cocky smirk was impossible to chip away.

Even Cresselia was desperately on her last leg. With a large breath, the pokémon's entire body shook. It flickered with black and white light blinding all those who were present. Memories flooded back to Kate, "Everyone, hit the floor!"

Her voice echoed across the room as even Starly flattened herself against the grey-stoned bridge. Kate herself was dropping down, but the years of training had grown stale.

Cresselia released a beam of white and violet, breaking into the walls around them. The legendary circled her area and just snagged Kate.

The weight of the attack threw Kate over just as the light had died out. And she felt herself falling. The bridge just a centimeter less than what could stop her as her body tugged her down. Down into the pit where a stench of death enraptured her.

The world slowed, and Kate caught a glimpse of her loose hair fraying around her vision. A final thought raced through her mind as Keith screaming her name filled the ruin. Her beaten down Starly desperately soared with talons just out of reach from Kate. The world grew farther away.

This can't be real.