It was a rare time, but the Forte and Fudo family were about to meet together, along with another family.
Mo was on the phone right now and agreeing to something while she had her kids read books she had given them as an assignment. "That sounds good, we'll see you all then..." she said before hanging up and then smiled. She then walked into the living room to join her children again as they continued to read their books until their lunch would be ready.
"What do you think will be for lunch?" Estelle asked.
"Maybe steak." Vincent and Akito said in unison.
"Yeah... Steak sounds good..." Estelle agreed with them.
Mo overheard that and decided to whip up steaks for their lunch.
The kids finished their books, but Mo was still cooking, she put the steak in the oven and decided to talk with them until it would be ready to serve for them. Vulpix, Larvitar, and Teddyursa then came out of their pokeballs, which were next to their other pokeballs which were empty, along with their Pokedex's next to them. Mo gently pet the Pokemon.
"Who was on the phone, Mom?" Akito asked, hoping that wouldn't seem rude to ask. "Was it... Important?"
"Don't worry, not a business call," Mo promised with a small smile. "It was just some old friends of mine... They wanted us to come and see them."
"Who were they, Mom?" Vincent asked.
"The Thornberry family." Mo revealed with a smile.
"You mean the same Thornberry family that explore around the world documenting every animal that they can find?" Akito asked.
"Yep, the very same." Mo told him.
"That's amazing! Where will we be meeting them?" Estelle asked.
"They're visiting East Africa," Mo replied, but then frowned. "I just hope those poachers your father is trying to track down won't be there."
"Don't worry, Mom, if anyone can track down ones like those poachers it's Dad." Vincent smiled.
"He's a very brilliant man," Mo smiled proudly of her loved one. "Also, your Aunt Cherry and Uncle Forte will be in Africa as well."
"Aunt Cherry?" Estelle asked in disbelief. "In Africa?"
"Why would Aunt Cherry be in Africa?" Akito asked. "I mean, isn't Africa one of the most hottest places on Earth?"
Mo shrugged. "Maybe your uncle talked her into it."
"Eloise wants to go to Africa someday, maybe we could all go with her after we experience it ourselves." Vincent suggested.
"Maybe, I'm sure that would be a nice trip." Mo smiled back, then heard the oven go off and she quickly went to check on it.
"I wanna race a cheetah," Akito said in determination. "I bet Rev's training could give me a little advantage."
"Well, with your super speed, you'll definitely be able to keep up with it." Vincent told him.
"What's a cheetah?" The three Pokemon asked.
"A cheetah is a super fast animal," Akito explained to them. "This can really help them hunt."
"Oh..." the three Pokemon then said.
"Um, aren't those the singers Estelle listens to sometimes?" Teddyursa asked.
"No, those are the Cheetah Girls," Estelle corrected. "They aren't animals, they're just pop stars."
"Ohh." Teddyursa said.
"I can't wait to see an actual cheetah." Larvitar said.
"Yeah, me neither..." Akito chuckled in excitement.
"How soon are we going to Africa then?" Vincent asked their mother.
"We're gonna have to get all packed up and be ready to go tomorrow," Mo said to them. "It's a lot of hard work traveling to other countries. Remember Paris?"
"Yes, we sure do." Estelle nodded.
"I hope Aunt Darla and Eloise have more fun in Paris than we did with that Coco LaBouche lady." Akito commented.
"I wonder what happened to her after the wedding?" Estelle thought out loud.
"Well, whatever happened, I hope she gets what she deserves." Vincent folded his arms.
"You and me both." Vulpix said, nuzzling against his legs.
"Who's Coco LaBouche?" Larvitar and Teddyursa asked.
"A mean French lady." Estelle and Akito folded their arms firmly.
"It's a long story, guys, we'll tell you before bed." Vincent offered.
"Trust me, you're lucky you never got to meet her." Vulpix told his fellow Pokemon.
"Wow, was she really that mean?" Teddyursa asked.
"The worst!" Akito nearly exclaimed. "She hated kids and only married Chuckie's dad just so she could become President of EuroReptar!"
The Pokemon did not know what exactly that meant, but from the way Akito said them, they could tell that they were not very good.
After lunch, the kids had free time, so they decided to tell the story of their adventure in Paris while deciding what to bring with them on this trip to East Africa with the Thornberry family.
"Wow, so she was humiliated?" Larvitar asked with a smile.
"Yeah," Estelle giggled. "Before she left, we stepped on her gown and then it ripped off, showing her underwear and she ran away with that guy Jean-Claude after Tommy and Dil's dog got him."
"Wow, they must be far away by now." Teddyursa said.
"Eloise can tell us the next time she goes to Paris with Aunt Darla." Vincent shrugged.
"Eloise?" Teddyursa asked.
"So much to learn in so little time..." Estelle said as she patted her Pokemon on the head.
"You're telling me." Teddyursa said.
"Remember to dress warmly, guys," Vincent reminded his siblings. "This is Africa."
Akito and Estelle nodded as they continued to go through their clothes and supplies they would want to bring for themselves.
Mo was getting the steak to the way her kids liked it and answered the phone again after it rang. "Hello?" she asked, balancing the phone on her shoulder while she worked.
"Hello, Mo, is everything okay?" A woman on the phone asked.
"Oh, yes, everything is fine," Mo reassured with a smile. "Just making lunch for the kids, but I can talk."
"Oh, that's good, I can't wait to meet them and neither can Eliza, especially after I told about those wonderful creatures they have with them, I believe you called them Pokemon, right?" The woman on the phone said hoping she was correct.
"That's them all right," Mo said with a smile. "Some people call them 'Pocket Monsters'. I bet Eliza would love to meet them too."
"Oh, she will, she's always wanting to meet a new animal." The woman on the phone told her.
"Well, they're not exactly animals, but I'm sure Eliza will get along with them," Mo smiled. "You guys still on the road?"
"Yeah, just get ready, we have a wild child among us these days." the woman reminded her.
"I grew up living in a junkyard for most of my childhood, I think I can handle anything, Marianne." Mo reassured.
"That's true, well anyway, I'll let you get back to preparing lunch." Marianne said.
"Sounds good, see you real soon!" Mo said before she hung up and went back to preparing lunch for the kids.
The kids went back to the kitchen table with their Pokemon. Mo got the steak the way everybody liked it, and started to cut it up and serve it for lunch.
"Ooh, this is going to be delicious." Akito said.
Mo smiled a little, blushing slightly. The Fudo siblings then settled down and ate their lunch, also thinking about their trip to East Africa, anxious to meet the Thornberry family.
"Maybe we'll meet Kopa there," Akito smiled. "Then again, he would be in the African jungle."
"Maybe another time if we visit Africa for a family vacation." Mo said to him with a soft smile.
"That would be nice." Estelle agreed.
Meanwhile...
Forte served his own family lunch. Cherry poured black wine for herself and Forte, then poured water for Simon and Felicity.
"I still can't believe that we're going back to Africa." Felicity smiled.
"I hope you enjoy it..." Cherry said and went to sit at her seat, taking her food plate.
Simon grabbed his meat and started to gnaw at it and growled viciously like a carnivorous predator.
"Smaller bites, Simon!" Cherry scolded.
Simon glared to her, he took out his own knife and started to cut it, despite being too young to be handling a knife.
"He's becoming more aggressive," Forte warned her. "Should we be worried?"
"He's growing up," Cherry insisted. "Just another year and he can start preschool."
"I am shuddering to imagine what preschool would accept him..." Felicity looked nervous.
Simon ripped off a big piece of his meat and swallowed it, then started to chew the next slice.
"Well, let's hope that it's one that won't have any kids being killed." Forte said.
"Not this time," Cherry made Simon promise, looking to him firmly. "Remember what I said about other kids who are different than you."
Simon swallowed his food, he was now around the age of three, he did not speak that often, but occasionally said things, but mostly discussing with his mother and no one else. "They're all a bunch of Nazi conformist cheerleaders..." he spoke up.
Cherry patted him on the head without any emotion.
"Well, that is a good thing." Forte said.
Felicity stared at her brother and continued to have her meal with her family. "When are we going into Africa?"
"Tomorrow," Cherry told her after sipping her wine. "Luckily we don't need to travel like most people do... Just be ready to go for when we call you, so no playing with too many of your toys, that'll take you forever."
"Oui, Maman..." Felicity nodded to her mother.
Simon didn't say anything, but nodded his head. Misdreavus comes out of it's pokeball and floats over to her trainer.
Felicity kept eating and then smiled to her Pokemon, going over to it instantly, giving it a hug. "Good evening..."
"Good evening, Felicity," Misdreavus bowed. "Good evening, everyone."
Felicity giggled to her Pokemon. Simon merely glanced to Misdreavus, but put his little hand up.
"Oh, Flick, be sure to put that back in the ball when we travel, I don't want it to freak out." Cherry replied.
"Oui, Maman..." Felicity nodded. "I understand."
"Where are we going?" Misdreavus asked.
"East Africa," Cherry told her daughter's 'pet'. "We're going to meet Mo, Atticus, their children, and the Thornberrys."
"Ooh, and who are the Thornberry's?" Misdrevus asked.
"They are a family who have this nature program on television," Felicity informed. "I hear they are old friends of Tante Mo's."
"Cool, I can't wait to meet them." Misdreavus smiled.
"Just be on your best behavior." Felicity warned her Pokemon.
"Yes, I will behave." Misdreavus nodded.
"Good..." Felicity smiled and pet her Pokemon.
Simon finished eating his dinner and pounded on the table.
"Simon, use your words!" Forte told his son.
Simon looked frightened of him, but looked to his mother. "More..."
"What's the magic word?" Cherry prompted.
"NOW!" Simon narrowed his eyes.
Cherry then took his plate to give him more food.
"Well, that's close to saying please." Forte shrugged.
"I blame his birth during the Addams family reunion..." Cherry commented as she got more food for the 'baby'.
"I am excited to go to Africa," Felicity said to her brother. "Aren't you?"
"I'm so happy I could scream..." Simon scoffed.
"He has your heart..." Forte whispered to Cherry about Simon's behavior.
"Yeah, I know and I think he'll be fine." Cherry said.
"Probably..." Forte looked to Simon.
Cherry gave Simon another new plate of food. "Simon, go straight to bed after dinner..."
Simon glared to her as she then looked around, he took out a small bow and arrow. Cherry noticed something dropped to the floor and bent to get it. Simon shot the arrow, missing her and looked very angry in defeat.
"Did he actually try to kill your mother?" Misdreavus asked.
"Papa says it's a phase." Felicity whispered.
"How is that a phase?" Misdreavus asked. "How can that possibly be a phase?"
Felicity merely shrugged.