Thursday/Friday
"But Daddy, why can't I go?" Riley complained. The young Raichu-furred anthro Pikachu had been pestering his father for the last half hour.
"Yeah, why's Austin the lucky one?" Bear added. Riley's Riolu brother was just as peeved as him.
"For the last time boys, he's paying for half of it! Now, unless one of you can produce another thousand dollars, this discussion is over." Tyler replied. The two boys moaned sadly. Their father was justified though, as he told the truth. Austin had used some of the money he'd saved up from his paycheck to halfway fund the weekend vacation that he and his father were packing for. At a mere six years of age, the Soleon has become the youngest superstar in the history of the WWE.
The head of the Keith household left the small ice chest he was towing at the front door, and then looked upstairs through the banister.
"Austin, you done packing yet?" he shouted up. Tyler had everything ready to go at the front door, except Austin's suitcase.
"Almost!" Austin shouted down. Minutes later, the t-shirt and brief clad Soleon came running downstairs with his suitcase, all ready to go. He helped his Daddy pack up one of the two family cars, a blue Audi R8 5.2 FSI Quattro. Once the trunk was full, Tyler loaded the ice chest into the passenger side floorboard. Austin's legs were short, so he was fine with the reduction in foot room. Besides, now they could have an ice cold beverage whenever they wanted to.
With everything set to go, Tyler and Austin said their goodbyes to Riley and Bear.
"Hey, don't forget about me." a feminine voice said from the front door of the house. The four boys turned to see Tyler's wife, Mesprit, standing in the door. Like Tyler, who's a shiny Azelf, Mesprit is an anthro Pokémon.
"I'd never forget you Mesprit, you know that." Tyler responded.
"Neither would I Mommy!" Austin added.
"I know, I know." Mesprit replied. She then walked outside and embraced her boys in a goodbye group hug. After a full minute, they separated.
"I'll see you boys Monday." Mesprit said. Both boys nodded. "Have a good time." she added.
"We will honey, don't worry." Tyler replied with a smile. He and Austin then climbed into the R8 and drove away.
The trip to Dallas was a long one; which was why they were leaving on Thursday. First, Tyler drove the R8 to the port in Twinleaf Town, and onto a ferry. The ferry took them overseas to Kanto, where they drove cross-region to the port north of Pewter City. They parked on another ferry at approximately 10:45 PM. The trip north through the Gulf of Mexico would continue overnight, so rather than stay in the car, Tyler and Austin made their way to their cabin and slept for the night.
The next day, Tyler and Austin awoke just as the ferry docked in Houston. They quickly dressed, and made their way back to the R8. From the ferry, they made their way into Houston and grabbed breakfast via McDonalds drive thru. Austin wanted hot cakes, but settled for a McGriddle because of Mesprit's strict 'No syrup in the car' rule. After that, Tyler drove north towards D/FW. (Dallas/Fort Worth)
In Arlington, the boys stopped at a T.G.I. Friday's. After eating a bit more quickly than usual, they made their way to the Rangers' Ballpark in Arlington for the first event of the weekend. There were a total of eight events scheduled for the weekend, none of which conflicted with one another. This wasn't a coincidence; it was because the Texas Rangers, WWE, NASCAR and The Chipmunks had gotten together to schedule the biggest weekend D/FW had ever seen.
Tyler parked in the very back of the Six Flags Over Texas parking lot, a commonly used spot not even a block from the stadium. People were already staring when at the sight of an Audi R8, but they stared even more when two WWE superstars got out. Tyler and Austin were more than happy to sign some autographs as they walked to the stadium. Things got worse when they got inside the enormous structure though; the wide halls were jam-packed with fans.
Eventually the father and son duo arrived at their seats, their arms getting sore from signing so many autographs. They sat in the second row of the Home Run Porch, an elevated seating area in right field. Only the strongest hitters could put a ball there, one of which was Rangers MVP Josh Hamilton, Austin's second favorite player.
While Tyler and Austin were making their way to their seats, an on-field promo was occurring for Power Rangers Strike Force. Suddenly, a REAL monster appeared, and the so-called Power Rangers ran for their lives. As if that wasn't enough, even the monster was surprised when six real Strike Force jets flew overhead in formation, and real Red, Blue, Black, Yellow, Pink and White Rangers appeared.
"So, the real Power Rangers decided to show up! Too bad you're still going to lose!" the Monster said menacingly.
"You wish!" the Black Ranger retorted in a strangely familiar voice. The Rangers and the monster broke into a classic fight, and the fans cheered from high in the stands. Utilizing martial arts, swords and blasters, the real Strike Force Rangers nearly defeated the monster before it took them out with an explosive blast. With the Black Ranger barely standing and the others lying defeated on the ground, the Monster thought it had won. That wasn't the case.
"Not so fast!" a voice shouted. Two Strike Force jets, one green and one white and dark blue, flew over, dropping two more Rangers to the field.
"Look, it's the Green Ranger!" one fan shouted.
"Sweet, it's the Strike Force Omega Ranger!" another exclaimed. One fan, who'd been chatting with Tyler and Austin, was surprised to find that they'd suddenly disappeared.
Meanwhile, the Black, Green and Omega Rangers took down the monster in style. After stunning it, they combined their weapons to blast it to bits. The grounds crew began cleaning up the mess, meanwhile all of the Rangers' jets flew overhead and beamed them up Star Trek style. The fans, left awestruck at the scene, cheered as they returned to their seats.
Meanwhile, the Power Rangers' jets flew over a hidden building, and beamed them inside. They were greeted by Alpha 6, who was running their futuristic base. The Rangers immediately morphed out of their jumpsuits, revealing their true identities. The Red Ranger was none other than Ash Ketchum, his girlfriend Misty being the Blue. The Green and Pink Rangers were Tyler and Mesprit, while Yellow and White were Pikachu and Buneary in human form. The Black Ranger was the legendary Tommy Oliver, or Dr. O for short. Lastly, the Omega Ranger was none other than Austin, who was heightened when he morphed.
"Congrats on the successful mission Rangers!" Alpha 6 said.
"Thanks Alpha." Tommy replied. He turned to the rest of the Rangers. "Good work today guys, let's head home now. Don't forget to let the rest of us know if any trouble shows up." he said. The other Rangers nodded and then teleported back to where they'd been. Tyler and Austin reappeared at the ballpark, walking out of the bathroom like nothing happened. There was a slight difference though: Austin had been scared out of his wits when the monster appeared so suddenly, and wet himself. Tyler had since changed him into a Pokémon themed Pull-up and a pair of shorts. Still quite comfortable, Austin walked back to the stands holding his Daddy's hand.
"Hey, where'd you guys go? And why is Austin suddenly wearing shorts?" a fan asked. Tyler recognized the fan; they'd been chatting with him prior to the incident.
"We went to the bathroom. Austin was getting a little embarrassed, so he put shorts on while he was at it." Tyler lied. Austin was glad his Rangers jersey and the blue tee underneath it had his waistline well covered. Sitting down comfortably, he began flipping through the game program his Daddy had bought.
Meanwhile, the grounds crew finished cleaning up the monster's bloody mess. The pregame show began ten minutes behind schedule, and things returned to normal. The team was introduced to crowd applause, especially for Nelson Cruz. The Rangers' top slugger received a full standing ovation. Recently, he'd out-scored 25 teams in one game, and he was still red hot. Firestorm, the starting pitcher, received an ovation just as big. He'd been continuing his amazing career on the mound in shutout fashion.
Once the introductions finished, the National Anthem was sung, and then Firestorm took the mound to start the four-game series against the Cardinals. Much to the fans pleasure, Firestorm struck out the side. His combination of blistering fastballs and varied off speed pitches kept the hitters baffled. As the inning came to a close, Tyler left the stands to get Austin and himself something to drink. Meanwhile, the Cardinals Chris Carpenter took the field.
"This may end up being one hell of a pitcher's duel." Tom Grieve said on the TV broadcast.
"That's almost a certainty." Dave Barnett added.
"Yeah, it's pretty unlikely that that'll happen again." Tom Grieve responded. Meanwhile, Carpenter managed to toss a 1-2-3 inning, despite the Rangers' hitters staying tough. Tyler returned with a souvenir size Dr. Pepper, and put it in the cup holder between his and Austin's seats. The two began taking sips periodically.
In the second inning, Firestorm struck out his fourth consecutive batter, and then scored a ground out before a changeup got away from him. The Cardinals' number 6 hitter skied it to right field, but Nelson Cruz made short work of it. With the side retired, the Rangers returned to the dugout and switched to offense. Firestorm simply grabbed a bottle of Gatorade and sat down; he was able to rest thanks to the Designated Hitter.
Carpenter faced Adrian Beltre and Michael Young first, and both hitters lined out. However, the fans cheered when the hottest player on the roster stepped to bat. Chris Carpenter stared straight at Nelson Cruz, who was on a major hitting streak. The Cardinals' fielders were signaled to back up as Carpenter wound up for his first pitch. The ball was just off the plate, and the ump called it a ball. Cruz proceeded to draw Carpenter into a full count, forcing him to throw strikes.
Finally, Cruz got the pitch he was looking for. Crack! The ball soared into right field, and the fans shot to their feet.
"That one is high and deep… AND IT'S GONE!" Dave Barnett exclaimed on Fox Sports.
"That one was just short of making the upper deck." Tom Grieve added. Meanwhile, Austin was a bit frustrated despite his excitement.
"Aww man, I wanted to catch it!" he whined.
"I'm sure another one will come this way, don't worry." Tyler said.
"That's easy for you to say…" Austin responded, sitting down glumly. The inning continued, and Carpenter gave up a single to Mike Napoli before striking out Mitch Moreland to end the inning. Firestorm, refreshed and ready to go, made his way back to the mound as the Rangers took the field. A short 1-2-3 inning later, the Rangers were up to bat again.
Noticing that the soda was empty, Tyler left the stands to get a refill. Meanwhile, Austin watched the Rangers battle valiantly with Carpenter's pitching. Endy Chavez grounded out, but Ian Kinsler managed to get a single. Elvis Andrus then sacrificed himself to push Kinsler to second. This brought American League MVP Josh Hamilton to the plate with a runner in scoring position. Tyler returned with a full soda to find Austin literally on the edge of his seat. Not only was he excited, but it appeared that he needed to pee.
"Austin, I'm back. You want to take a bathroom break?" Tyler asked.
"Wait, Josh Hamilton's at bat!" Austin said excitedly, not taking his eyes off the game. Tyler sighed. Austin clearly had to go; his legs were crossed tightly and he was shaking all over. He was wearing a Pull-up though, so Tyler gave him the benefit of the doubt. He sat down just in time for Hamilton to line an RBI double. After a short celebration, Tyler turned to see Austin sitting normally, as if nothing was wrong. Face-palming, Tyler forced Austin to come to the bathroom for a change.
Austin and Tyler returned in the middle of a catastrophic 4th inning. As the result of an at-bat with multiple gaffes by the umpire, Firestorm gave up a single with one out in the inning. He then struck out the following hitter, before more umpiring gaffes led to his first walk of the season. A single later, Firestorm got a ground out with the bases loaded to keep a shutout alive. As the sides changed, the home plate ump was relieved of his duties, and the walk was stricken from the record.
With the Rangers at bat again, now sporting a 2-run lead, Firestorm had a chat with the pitching coach. Meanwhile, Tyler noticed that Austin was fidgeting nervously.
"What's wrong sport? You look nervous." Tyler asked. Austin sighed.
"I'm embarrassed because I wet myself…" he answered. Tyler frowned.
"It's not the end of the word Austin. Besides, no one knows." he said comfortingly.
"It's still embarrassing…" Austin pouted.
"How about a helmet sundae? Will that cheer you up?" Tyler asked knowingly. Austin's face lit up like a light bulb.
"You really mean it?" he asked. Tyler chuckled.
"Of course. I'll even wait until the Rangers finish batting." he answered. Austin smiled for the remainder of the inning, despite the Rangers stranding two men in a vain attempt at scoring. As the Cardinals came up to bat, Tyler led Austin out of the stands and into the hallway. Sure enough, Austin wound up with a helmet sundae. While Austin began to eat, Tyler bought himself a snow cone at a different stand. The two then made their way back to their seats.
Meanwhile, Firestorm gave up a blast to left, but Josh Hamilton caught it at the wall for an out. Regaining his control, Firestorm fanned the next two batters. The Rangers returned to their dugout as the Cardinals made their way back onto the field. Tyler and Austin had made it back to their seats by this time, and watched the Rangers bat whilst nomming on their sweet treats.
The Rangers' batting was sweet too; Michael Young hit a leadoff double to set up Nelson Cruz. With the fans cheering for Nellie, he belted a line drive to the alley in right.
"Nellie's been hitting a lot of opposite field stuff today." Tom Grieve commented.
"Hey, when he's hitting like this, I'm cool with whatever!" Dave Barnett responded.
"I have to agree there." Grieve added.
Cruz made his way to third, while Young came in to score. Mike Napoli stepped up to bat next, and singled to drive in Cruz. Unfortunately, things went sour from there. Mitch Moreland grounded into a double play, and Endy Chavez followed it with a fly out at the warning track. Firestorm face-palmed in disbelief as he watched it all unfold. Grabbing his hat and glove, he made his way back out to the mound.
The rest of the game seemed to fly by for Tyler and his son. Firestorm held the Cardinals scoreless through nine innings, and the offense totaled 11 runs. Tyler and Austin left the ballpark at 4:30, and headed over to Bobby V's Famous Sports Gallery Cafe, a fun sports themed eatery across town. After a satisfying dinner, they made their way to Dallas and the American Airlines Center.
Parking in a VIP parking lot, they made their way inside by virtue of a pair of backstage passes. They were led to a nice lounge area where several other people were already sitting and conversing with a group of nine 3 foot tall chipmunks. Austin could barely contain himself; he was backstage at a concert for one of the hottest bands in the world. As he and his Daddy walked in, two of the band members separated from the group, and came to greet them. One of the two, clad in black and orange, spoke first.
"Nice to meet you, my name's Austin." he said. Eerily, Austin Keith had said the exact same thing at the exact same time. The four were silent for a moment, before the other munk spoke up.
"Same here, my name's Tyler." he said. Tyler Keith mimicked his son's performance unintentionally.
"Well that was awkward…" both Austins said together.
"You can say that again…" the Tylers replied.
"Well that was awkward…" the Austins repeated. At this point, one of the female Chipmunks walked over; a concerned look on her face.
"Is everything alright boys?" she asked.
"I don't honestly know honey..." munk Austin said.
"Thank God I didn't say that…" Austin Keith said to himself.
` "Austin, I think we need to pay Simon a visit." munk Tyler said to munk Austin.
"Agreed…" munk Austin replied.
The four very confused acquaintances separated Simon from the crowd, and led him away to his dressing room. When confronted with the problem, Simon's first reaction was to run a DNA test. When he got the results, his eyes widened.
"What if I…" he muttered to himself, typing something into his laptop. His eyes widened again at the results. He turned around. "I know what's going on. I tested the DNA of both Tylers and found them strangely similar for different species. So, I used a state-of-the-art program to alter my brother's DNA so it would appear as if he were the same species as the other Tyler. Then I compared them, and got a 100% match." Simon explained.
"So it's like we're the same person?" the Tylers asked. Simon nodded.
"I'd guess Austin and Austin are the same way, with an added age difference." he added.
"This is too weird…" the Austins remarked.
By experimenting, Simon was also able to determine that Austin and Austin- or Tyler and Tyler- only spoke simultaneously when what they were saying applied to both of them. He was unable to find out anything past that, however, as the concert cut their time short. Apologizing, the munks made their way onstage.
Tyler and Austin Keith enjoyed the show, as the munks played not only their own songs, but songs by bands such as Green Day, Van Halen, Aerosmith, and more. There were even female-voiced bands thanks to munk Austin's wife Brittany. The concert seemed to fly by, and all too soon everyone was backstage again.
It was late out at this point, and munk Austin had to take his son Zachary home. Austin Keith was getting tired too, so he and his Daddy followed munk Austin out. Tyler and Austin Keith made their way to a Hyatt Place hotel in Arlington, just across the street from Six Flags. They checked in at the front desk, and then headed up to their room. Tyler gave an exhausted Austin a quick bath, making sure he was squeaky clean. Once the last soap sud was rinsed off of the young Soleon's body, Tyler wrapped him in a towel and let him lie on the floor.
"So, do you think you can go a night without having another accident?" Tyler asked.
"Maybe…" Austin answered, toying around. Tyler smiled and shook his head; his son liked to play this game at night.
"Well, if you're not sure then I guess I'll just have to put you in a diaper." he responded, opening his son's suitcase.
"Aww, you're sure there's no other way?" Austin asked, showing mock desperation.
"I'm sure; you did a number on that Pull-up today." Tyler answered knowingly.
"Alright then…" Austin said, faking defeat. Tyler just smiled, having known the game would end this way. Grabbing a blue tee and a dark gray Pokémon diaper from the suitcase, he got to work on his son, who was already on his back. Austin was ready for bed in no time, but his father was far from it. The young Soleon was content watching TV though, so Tyler took his time showering and changing into his pajamas. Finally, half an hour after they entered the room, the "Daddy" and son climbed into the room's lone Queen sized bed.
"Good night Daddy." Austin said, snuggling up to Tyler.
"Good night Austin." Tyler replied.
"I love you Daddy." Austin added. Tyler smiled.
"I love you too son." he replied. Then he wrapped his arms gently around his son as they drifted off to sleep.