What had happened to the Pokémon? Ash and the others had chased after Molli into the forest, only to find them running in circles and Kellyn suffering from another panic attack. How and why? Ash felt something was amiss in Almia, so hopefully Kellyn would allow him and his friends to intervene. He needed all the help he could muster.
Before returning to Pueltown, Wendy scouted the area, and Kellyn, still holding Molli, checked the wildlife.
Everything was fine now. The three Staraptor followed Kellyn, and the other Pokémon went about their business.
The two Rangers soon approached one another, and Wendy said, "I don't see any Gigaremos."
Giga—what? That was a new one for Ash and his friends.
Ash tilted his head and asked, "Giga—what?"
Wendy faced him. "Machines used last year by an evil team that corrupted Pokémon."
Corrupted Pokémon? That was awful—as terrible as Hunter J.
"We'll explain at the Union," Wendy included, "but we must get there ASAP. The Staraptor are ready to go."
What did she mean by that? Ash hoped it wasn't what he thought it was. He embarrassed himself the last time he tried riding a Pokémon.
Nope, it was precisely what Ash thought.
Back in Pueltown, Kellyn and his father climbed onto the back of one of Wendy's Staraptor, and his mother and sister mounted the other.
Ash, Brock, and Dawn stood beside their mounts with Blu, who communicated with Ash's bird. Oh, gosh, they already knew he would fail.
"Now," Wendy elucidated, patting her Staraptor, "patience is the key to riding any Pokémon. You get excited—you excite them, too."
Piplup on her shoulder, Dawn backed away from her mount. "You know, why don't we walk, Piplup?"
That's how I feel, too, Dawn, Ash thought. He didn't mind remaining an outsider a little longer, but then he saw Kellyn's face.
It read both That's a great idea and No, I need my friends.
"On second thought," Ash said aloud. He mounted his Staraptor and landed in a body of soft, black feathers. "Okay, no-not too bad," Ash added, but then he accidentally kicked Staraptor's flanks.
"Raptor!" the Pokémon announced. It opened its wings and shot into the clear, blue sky.
"Ash!" the others yelled.
"Ahh!" Ash screamed, wrapping his arms around Staraptor's neck.
"Pika!" Pikachu's paws slipped from his shoulder, and he plummeted for Pueltown.
"Pikachu!" Instantly, Ash leaped off Staraptor and dove after his Partner. He grabbed him and hugged him close.
Ash's Staraptor stopped for a second and searched for its rider, seeming to gasp at the sight of Ash and Pikachu. It folded its wings and nose-dived, catching Ash by his backpack with its claws.
He jolted and asked, "Huh?" looking up at his mount. "Gee, thanks, Staraptor."
Staraptor nodded and tightened its grip.
Below, Kellyn whistled, and Staraptor flew toward him, holding Ash out to show he was okay.
Kellyn and Wendy giggled, and Wendy questioned, "Why don't we try that again?"
Ash and Dawn held on for dear life the entire way to the Union, but Brock rode his Staraptor like a pro (kudos to him for being a Pokémon Breeder) and remained near Wendy.
Croagunk popped out of its pokéball at one point, but when it saw how high up it was, it hugged Brock's torso and shut its eyes.
Wendy shooed Brock away and said, "I think your Pokémon needs you more than me, Brock. It may actually be interested in younger men."
Ooh! Shot through the heart! Brock spent the rest of the journey cuddling Croagunk after that.
The Staraptor followed the river in Vien Forest, but Ash barely saw a large, shadowy building on the horizon.
He removed one hand from Staraptor's neck and gestured at it, asking Kellyn, "Kellyn, what's that big tower?"
"Altru Tower," Kellyn explained, a slight quiver in his voice. "That's where the Luminous Crystal is."
The Luminous Crystal—right! Kellyn said it was an energy source for Almia and that he purified it at one point. Wait, did that mean...? Nah, that was ridiculous.
Ash focused on his Staraptor and said, "May we go there at some point, Kellyn?"
Kellyn shut down, but still refused to speak when his father nudged him.
He remained quiet, even when the river narrowed, and a building appeared in an open, circular forest area on the right—the Ranger Union. A staircase led to it, and there was a dock at the foot of it.
The building looked around three or four stories tall—Ash couldn't tell with the enormous tree at the top of it. It reminded him of the Tree of Life in Hoenn, where he helped a conflicted Lucario and a mischievous Mew.
The Staraptor landed on and around the dock, but Ash and Dawn's mounts tripped and accidentally tossed them into the river.
This was why Ash preferred walking over riding.
He and Dawn coughed and dragged themselves onto the sandy riverbed.
Pikachu shivered on Ash's head, and Piplup shook like a Growlithe.
"Are you two okay?" Brock said, helping them stand. "Maybe bird riding just isn't your guys' thing."
It looked like his Croagunk didn't enjoy it, either, because it cuddled up to Brock's leg.
"Blu had fun! Blu had fun!" Blu cheered, circling Ash, Brock, and Dawn before glancing at Kellyn and the Union. "Help! Help!"
Dawn rose to her knees and squeezed water out of her hair, patting her ear. "I'm walking next time, Brock."
Ash was, too, but at least they had made it this far with Kellyn, even with his pride.
He and Wendy released the Staraptor, but one stayed behind. That was why Wendy was called the "Flying Ranger". Staraptor was her Partner Pokémon.
Wendy led the way to the staircase, but Kellyn stopped at the bottom and studied the Ranger Union.
A minute passed, and he broke out in sweat and backed away from the staircase.
His family surrounded him, and his mother and father clasped his shoulders.
Molli grasped Kellyn's hand and gently jiggled it.
He patted it in return and left his family, stiffly climbing the stairs.
The others followed.
Ash and his friends scrutinized their surroundings and said, "Wow," at the sight of the Union.
Everyone soon reached the front doors, and they opened, revealing a large lobby with a desk and the Ranger Union symbol on the floor.
An applause broke out without warning, and Ash and his friends looked forward.
A group of people, Rangers and not, yelled, "Welcome home, Kellyn!"
Kellyn jumped, and his green eyes widened.
That was when Ash and his friends saw refreshment tables, a play area for children, and one for Pokémon in one corner of the circular lobby. A surprise party—now Ash saw that Kellyn was a celebrity.
Everyone grinned, and two older people emerged from the group, using canes to support themselves. The professor-looking man wore a lab coat and a pink uniform with a vest, and the woman, who sported pigtails, wore a long-sleeved red dress with a white vest.
The two approached Kellyn, and he said, "Professor Hastings! Chairperson Erma!" He motioned at the party. "What is this?"
"Oh, dear, welcome back!" Erma hugged him.
While Kellyn initially hesitated, he returned her hug.
Erma released him, saying, "Your parents and the Union wanted to throw something to welcome you home. You've been gone a year, dear."
The guilty look returned to Kellyn's face, and it only worsened when the group of people lifted their fists and cheered, "Top Ranger Kellyn! Top Ranger Kellyn, the best Ranger in Almia!"
Ash heard a "Humph," and noticed another Top Ranger standing at the end of the crowd, arms crossed. He looked around Wendy's age and wore a red hat, a white-and-red uniform with long pants, and a white-and-black vest that matched his tufty, black hair and brown eyes.
Kellyn was definitely the youngest Top Ranger there and did not look pleased about the title.
He gripped his jacket and told Hastings and Erma, "No, I don't deserve this," in a shaky voice.
Beside him, his mother gripped his shoulders. "Oh, come on, baby—you saved Almia from the Shadow Crystal."
Kellyn ripped away from her and headed for the front doors. "No, I don't deserve this." He turned on his heel and sprinted out the door.
"Wait, Kellyn!" Ash bellowed. He, Brock, and Dawn chased him outside, followed by Hastings, Erma, his family, Wendy, and the other Top Ranger.
They found Kellyn, whose mask had crumbled. He looked aggressive and caught Pokémon one after the other, scaring a few away.
No! That was not the Kellyn Ash and his friends knew. Where was his kindness, the most significant skill of any Ranger?
A sudden spark came from Kellyn's Vatonage Styler, and Ash gasped, begging, "Kellyn, stop!"
But Kellyn didn't, not until he flinched and closed his eyes. His legs gave out under him, and he collapsed onto his front. His Styler sparked one more time before stopping, but Kellyn didn't move from where he rested.
"Kellyn!" Ash, his friends, and Kellyn's family shouted, and they hurried toward him.
Blu appeared over him and cried, "Help! Help!"
In that moment, Ash looked up and squinted. Was it just him, or was the Almia sky a little dimmer, even though it was midday? And why on Earth did Kellyn believe he could get through the day without sleep?
Whatever was happening to Almia, Ash couldn't help but feel like it had something to do with Kellyn, the Rainbow Birds, and the Luminous Crystal.
But what?