When Barry Met Paulie

By Bryce Daniel

Our heroes are traveling through a forest when they happen upon a Pokemon Center. Ash being Ash, heads immediately to the cafeteria followed closely by Brock and Dawn.

"Dawn!" Kenny shouted standing up half-way from his booth before sitting down (almost as if he was pushed down) with an audible pop followed by a loud "OW!"

"Hey," Dawn said. "That sounded like Barry."

"Nah," Ash said. "If that WAS Barry, he'd have already-"

"GAAAAAANNNNGGWAAAAYY," Barry shouted before crashing into Ash knocking him onto the floor. "DAMNIT, ASH, I WILL TOTALLY FINE YOU FOR THIS!"

"Charge it to my room," Ash said as a flock of tiny imaginary Starly circled his delirious head.

"Hey, aren't those Kenny's pants?" Dawn asked, as Kenny looked down partly out of embarrassment…and partly to check if actually he was still wearing pants.

"Why do you say that? Are you criticizing my keen sense of fashion?"

"Whatever, I meant they seem a bit tight on you."

"Just showing off my best assets," he said confidently. "You have any OTHER questions for me while you're standing there?"

"Actually, yes. If you crashed into Ash headlong, why is the lump on the BACK of your head?"

He looks at Kenny, but he was too busy blushing to be any help. "…I meant SMART questions! Not-"

"Oh there you are, Paul," Nurse Joy said from her counter in the lobby. "You're pokemon are all healed."

"Thanks," he said curtly as he took his pokeballs off her tray, and then left the building.

"Wait, that was Paul," Barry said excitedly. "Kenny, come on, we're going after him!"

"Excuse me," Kenny said nearly tripping over his long grey khakis. "I have to keep him out of trouble. Bye."

"What was THAT about," Dawn asked.

"Who cares," Ash exclaimed. "Let's eat!"

"Ash isn't one to argue with his stomach," Brock noted.

"Obviously"

Meanwhile, outside, Barry and Kenny run after Paul.

"Hi, Paul, my name is Barry. I'm a HUUUUUGE fan of yours."

"Great, now go away."

"I wanted a battle."

"No"

"Just a quickie behind the wood shed, my Beedrill vs. your Cloyster!"

"Harmph, you probably couldn't catch a WEEDLE!"

"I CAN SO – IN FACT, IT'S TWICE THE SIZE OF KENNY'S!"

"No, it's not," Kenny said defensively.

"I said: 'No"

"Okay, fine, my Lickilicky vs. your Luvdisc!"

"You really SHOULD take him up on that," Kenny said helpfully. "…What?"

"No," Paul said forcefully.

"WHAT? I DEMAND A BATTLE, AND I WILL TOTALLY FINE YOU UNLESS YOU TELL ME EXACTLY WHY!"

"Because I'm a Pichu, and you're Purugly."

The two boys stand in stunned silence as Paul walks off into the distance.

"..….Wait, did he just call me 'ugly?'"

"….Well," Kenny said. "Those pants really aren't doing you any favors."

"Well, actually, they DO chafe a bit."

"We could trade… but we'd have to battle first."

"Not now," Barry said walking up the steps to the Pokemon Center. "I've got a headache."