It Consumes

Chapter 5

It was a bright, sunny day in Almia, and the sun had just risen on this fine Saturday morning. Kate had survived her first week of school, frequently butting heads with Keith and chatting sometimes with Rhythmi about their shared favorite books. Still friendless, Kate took her book with her outside by herself, heading towards Ascension Square. She had every intention of climbing one of the trees and watching the sun rise higher into the sky as she read her book, enjoying the peace and quiet.

Ranger School was fun, but it was also loud, and Kate didn't really care for noise all that much. When she wanted to read, which was pretty much always, she needed peace and quiet to do it. So, she ventured out early this morning to enjoy the fresh air and read a few hundred pages of her book.

As she walked across the freshly damp grass covered in dewdrops, Kate spotted the perfect tree to climb, and she immediately began pulling herself up to the first branch.

Kate loved climbing trees. Back home, she had this one spot in the Olive Jungle where a tall tree grew atop of a large cliff that looked over the ocean. From that view, you couldn't even see where the ocean ended, and that's what Kate loved about it. She would climb up that tree and sit up on the highest branch, watching the sun rise and set while reading a good book. As soon as Adam got old enough, she took him out there with her and had him climb her special tree as well. They often enjoyed watching the view as they spent time together.

And now, sitting up on a tall tree in Almia watching the sun rise over yet another endless-looking ocean, Kate couldn't help but wonder if Adam was across the water, just gazing in her direction from the other side, sitting in their special tree.

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Rhythmi stormed out of the school building, very annoyed. A relentless boy named Thomas came out right behind her, following her all the way down to Ascension Square with the Charmander he had captured earlier and added to his friend Pokemon party.

"Rhythmi, wait!" Thomas called out, chasing after the blonde with his Charmander following behind him.

"I already told you, I'm not interested!" Rhythmi shouted back, completely aggravated. She always got frustrated when one of her admirers were persistent and didn't leave her alone.

"Come on, just give me a chance..." Thomas sighed, coming to a stop in front of the Pledge Stone. He was starting to get annoyed with her stubbornness. He wasn't exactly a patient or rational person.

Having heard voices from up in the tree she had been sitting in for the past two hours, Kate glanced down at the ground to see what the commotion was. She immediately spotted some random guy with a Charmander and Rhythmi talking about something down on the ground. Although, it didn't exactly look like a friendly conversation...

At the same time, Keith stepped out onto the grounds from inside the school, bored and looking for someone to mess with. Neither Kate or Rhythmi were in their room, so he was trying to find one or both of them to bother.

What? He was bored! He wasn't an angel for Arceus's sake.

The sound of an argument soon reached Keith's ears, and he walked to the edge of the cliff and looked down into Ascension Square. He spotted that Thomas guy who had been bothering Rhythmi as of late, and he was about to step in and tell the guy to mind his own business when he noticed Kate was sitting up in a tree, watching what was going on as well.

...what was she doing out here?

"No." Rhythmi firmly glared at him. "Thomas, I don't like you like that, and I never will." She crossed her arms, stiffening her posture.