"Kellyn, what's wrong?" Ash said, once he reached him and Dawn.
"Blue-Bird's missing," he answered, inhaling, "but don't worry—I'll find him. You guys head to the Visitor's Center." There he went again, trying to push Ash and his friends away.
Kellyn gestured at a building just off the pier. Unlike the buildings surrounding it, it sat on a platform and had a triangular-shaped roof, whereas the rest of Pueltown's buildings were flat-roofed. A sign before it read Almia Region Visitor's Center. A few people entered and exited it, using both the ramp and the stairs.
Signing up for the Almia League could wait; Blue-Bird was more important.
Ash and Dawn faced Kellyn, and Ash said, "We'll help you look for him."
"Yeah," Dawn encouraged. "I'm sure he hasn't gone far."
"No, you don't understand." Kellyn seemed to have forgotten that Brock and his family were standing right there. He backed up toward a pile of crates. "I have to do this mission myself. I have to. I need to prove myself to the Union."
"But why?" Ash challenged. Hadn't Kellyn already proven himself by becoming a Top Ranger (probably one of the youngest ones, too)? Did he think that Almia saw him as perfect? That's what it sounded like to Ash. He learned he wasn't perfect and needed his friends early in his journey.
Kellyn didn't yell, but he did snap. "I just need to!" He whirled around and crashed into the crates, toppling over. One broke and dropped berries onto his head.
Kellyn's family gasped, but Ash and Pikachu sighed. This was what happened when someone didn't sleep.
A few Rattata and Raticate scampered over and grabbed handfuls of berries, backing up.
One Rattata, a purple mouse/rat-like Pokémon, smiled and chittered at Kellyn.
"You're welcome," he said, wincing and rubbing berry juice from his cheek. He rose to his knees, and Rattata hopped onto his shoulder, biting into its berry.
The remaining Rattata and Raticate left, but Kellyn's Rattata stayed behind.
Kellyn's family, Ash, Brock, and Dawn helped him stand.
"Baby, are you okay?" his mother said, checking him. "Did you hurt yourself?"
"I'm fine, Mom," Kellyn said.
But Ash knew he wasn't. It looked like Kellyn had made a friend, though.
Wait, hold on.
The Rattata finished its berry and suddenly vanished from Kellyn's shoulder. When it reappeared on his other one, it was Blue-Bird.
"Blu play! Blu play!" Blu flapped his wings.
"Blu, there you are!" Kellyn loosened his shoulders and let out a slow exhale. He held Blu before him. "You know you're not supposed to do that."
"Blu excited for Almia!" the Pokémon chirped, releasing himself. He soared around Ash, Brock, Dawn, and Kellyn's family members.
Molli squealed. "So cute, Big Brother! Molli wants one!"
"That's what I said!" Dawn played along.
Blu returned to Kellyn's parents and hovered upside-down before his father.
He giggled and held his finger out to the Pokémon. "What is that, Kellyn?"
Blu moved to Kellyn's mother and turned right-side up, pulling on her hair.
"He's your Legendary Pokémon?" she inquired.
Kellyn nodded. "His name is Blue-Bird, and"—he looked at Molli—"he's your age, Molli."
"Blu six! Blu six!" Blu flew into Molli's arms, and she squeezed him.
"My age! Can I keep him, Big Brother?"
Kellyn chuckled and knelt to her. "How about this? You hold onto him with Mommy and Daddy, and I'll take Ash, Dawn, and Brock into the Visitor's Center?"
There he went, asking for help, but it was to his family, not his friends. Ash guessed that was a step in the right direction, but he wondered how long it would last.
At least Kellyn decided to keep his promise about taking Ash, Brock, and Dawn to the Visitor's Center because Ash was ready to sign up for the Almia League. In fact, he was so ready that he and Dawn sprinted up the staircase into the center, and they immediately headed for the Information Booth, not bothering to look at the mini museum about Almia's history or the gift shop.
Ash barely caught a "Tears of Princes" label in the museum, but brushed it away and leaned into the lady behind the desk, saying, "Hi, I'm Ash, and I wanna sign up for the Almia League!"
"Now, hold on, Ash!" Dawn pushed his face and cut before him. "Don't you remember our deal?" She met the lady's eyes. "I wanna sign up for the Pueltown Pokémon Contest—or whatever the closest contest is."
"Um, where are you kids from?" the lady asked.
"Sinnoh," Ash explained. "I have four badges already, but I can take a small break."
"And I'd love to showcase my Pokémon in a different setting," Dawn included.
"Yeah, um, sorry, but…" The lady dragged a pile of brochures over to her and handed one to Ash and one to Dawn. "There aren't any Gyms or Contests here."
Instantly, Dawn and Ash's smiles vanished. Their faces were white, and they yelled, "Whaa?"
A few people roaming the Visitor's Center glanced at them.
"No Pokémon Gyms?" Ash whined, shoulders slumping. "Aw, man."
"I can't show off my cute little Buneary and Pachirisu?" Dawn whimpered, shaking her head. "That's so not fair!"
Behind them, Brock and Kellyn exchanged looks that said, "Well, they found out."
Brock handed Kellyn his guidebook, and he approached Dawn and Ash, smiling gently.
When he spoke, his voice was calm, not anxious for once. "You see, Ash and Dawn, compared to Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh, Almia is a natural region. We don't have many Trainers here. Vien Forest takes up most of Almia's main areas, but we do have outliers with Boyleland and Harbua Desert; however, you must take a boat to them."
"Oh." Ash and Dawn blushed.
"Does this make us outsiders?" Dawn said.
"No! Of course not!" Kellyn quickly answered.
Dawn gave him a funny look.
"Well, a little," Kellyn added, "but that's not the point. The point is that Sinnoh or not, Almia is still a brand-new region for you guys to experience."
He was being friendly, but Ash still couldn't help but feel Kellyn was trying to get rid of him and his friends; have them explore Almia while he went alone with Blu to complete his mission. Did he see them as outsiders? What was happening to him? It was as if sudden darkness were attempting to overcome his light.
Before Ash reached too far into his thoughts, the voicemail button on Kellyn's Capture Styler flickered. He lifted the screen and pressed the button, saying, "Kellyn here."
"Kellyn!" a voice said on the other line (he sounded older). "It's been a while, kid!"
"Professor Hastings?" The nervous look returned to Kellyn's face. "Well, yeah, hi. We just got in."
"Sorry for not answering you sooner, son," Hastings apologized. "We were having trouble connecting with your Styler, so we'll do a quick diagnostics test when you arrive. Wendy's coming now with her Staraptor and two others to pick you and your family up."
Ash, Brock, and Dawn's jaws dropped. "Wendy?" they whispered.
Kellyn examined them for a minute before returning his attention to the Styler. "I brought some friends, so I'll capture a few more."
Oh, wow—Ash didn't expect that, but he mouthed, Thank you to Kellyn.
"Eee!" Brock squealed, reaching for his lips.
"Some friends?" Hastings questioned. "I'm intrigued. All right, then, we'll see you soon and will go over the next step of your mission."
"Understood," Kellyn said. "See you, then." With that, he ended the call and turned to the others. "Well, what are we waiting for? It's time to prepare for the Union."
***
Hunter J's ship, invisible in the clouds, soared across the open ocean toward Almia.
Team Rocket, sporting cleaning supplies with their disguises, mopped the ship's bridge. It was a large area with rows of chairs, tables, and computers, but J's throne was at the front, facing a TV and the windshield.
She sat in it, quiet but serious.
James groaned and said to Jessie, "Tell me, Jessie, how we wound up mopping floors when we're supposed to catch rare Pokémon with J?"
Holding a small mop, Meowth flipped his paw and answered, "Because she thought it would be oh-so-wise to fight the man who called her a nincompoop."
Jessie growled and smacked him on the head. "Shut up! We're here, aren't we?"
"But I miss the submarine," James complained. "It's too spacey here."
Meowth checked his claws. "And my claws can only do so much."
Jessie closed her eyes. "Look on the bright side. At least we don't have to peddle after the twerps and Ranger now. If it wasn't for my amazing observation, too, with the town and Blue-Bird, we wouldn't be here and on our way to Almia."
"I think we observed that together," James corrected.
Jessie glared.
"But you're always right!" James said, getting back to his mopping.
The trio stopped when the TV in front of J turned on, revealing one of her henchmen. They ducked behind a wall and poked their heads out.
"Sir," J's henchman explained, "we've looked into the Luminous Crystal in Almia and found that while Parity and Blue-Bird do guard it, they are not the main Guardians."
J narrowed her eyes. "Then what is? We'll capture them and Parity and Blue-Bird."
"That's just it, sir. We don't know yet," the henchman added.
"So you're telling me you failed?" J snapped.
Her henchman popped up. "Negative, sir! Apparently, the Luminous Crystal was the Shadow Crystal before, plunging the region into darkness before it was purified. We just need to figure out what purified it. Whatever did is the one connected to it."
J clenched her fist and gritted her teeth. "It's the Ranger. Why else would Blue-Bird leave to get him?"
"Hm?" Team Rocket wondered, exchanging glances.
"The Ranger?" the henchman questioned. "Are you sure?"
J punched her chair's arms and rose. "Are you questioning me?"
"No, sir! Of course not!" Her henchman moved a few inches away from the screen.
"We have a new assignment, and you three will help!" Hunter J whipped around to Team Rocket, and they quickly leaped out from their hiding place. "We will still capture the Rainbow Birds, but the Ranger is our top priority." She sneered. "After all, there's nothing more dangerous than someone who has something to prove. We could use him."