Hi, everyone! This is just a story that I thought of yesterday. It's semi-based on my real trip to the Capital, though of course I didn't have Ash, Misty, or Brock there with me!. I realize that there's a lot of description and tour information; that's to give you an idea of what the tour's like. If you find it absolutely necessary, just skip over the 'boring stuff'. Finally, as for my "The Man Who Can't Be Moved" fans, don't worry, I haven't forgotten it or ditched it, but I'm a bit stuck, and I find that writing other stuff helps me get un-stuck. Enjoy!
DISCLAIMER: CarpeDiemEveryday (hey, that's me!) doesn't own Pokemon, Satoshi Tajiri and Nintendo do. I am, however, a citizen of the lovely US of A.
A Visit To Washington, D.C.
It was a bright summer's morning in Washington, D.C. The Reflecting Pool rippled in a soft morning breeze, distorting the image of the Washington Monument. This tranquility did not extend to the people, however. The streets of America's capitol were jammed with cars, and the sidewalks were hidden under the feet of bustling business people, senators and congressmen hurrying to work, and, of course, throngs of tourists.
Two such tourists were making their way towards the Capitol building. One of them, a tall girl with red hair pulled to the side, was marching along determinedly. Behind her trailed a boy whose black hair was slightly damp with sweat as he panted along in her wake.
"Misty, how - can you - keep this - up?" he gasped, trying to catch up with his companion.
Misty turned and raised an eyebrow, walking backwards, but just as fast. "Ash, it's only nine o'clock! It's barely seventy-five degrees! How are you going to manage when it's in the hundreds this afternoon?"
Ash panted even harder. "A - hundred - degrees?" he puffed. "I'm - toast!" He stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, dramatically falling to his knees (and then wincing - it's not a good idea to dramatically fall to your knees on concrete sidewalks). "Just go on without me, Mist! Save yourself!"
He then looked up, hoping to see his friend looking concerned at the least. He was horrified to see her walking away. "Hey, Misty, wait for me!"
He caught up to her, and she raised an eyebrow. "Was that really necessary? We're already here, you know." Ash sweatdropped as he noticed that they were indeed right in front of the driveway leading up to the Capitol Building.
"Uh, let's go, we're scheduled for the nine-fifteen tour, right?" Misty nodded, pulling out their tickets they'd gotten on the Internet. Together, they hurried to the back of the building where the visitor center was situated, admiring the stunning architecture as they walked.
Once they reached the Visitor Center, the two Trainers went through the metal detectors with no problems. They hadn't brought their Pokeballs, as that was against the rules. They as well as Pikachu were with Brock, who had mumbled something about just walking around the city taking pictures. He was probably at a Starbucks trying to chat up girls, but that wasn't really Ash and Misty's problem. The two were permitted to continue to the Emancipation Hall. It was an impressive sight; marble columns and statues lined the walls. Misty checked them in for their tour, and they got in line for the next group.
The tour began with a movie, describing America and its democracy. Misty was fascinated, but Ash was confused. "Psst, Misty," he whispered to his friend seated next to him. "Is it just me, or are there, like, no Pokemon in this video?"
Misty glared at him. "Shh. Don't ask stupid questions about parallel universes." Of course, this left Ash even more confused, but he knew better than to inquire further. Misty had that 'talk and you die' look on her face, and, while Ash may be stupid, he wasn't that stupid. Yet.
After the movie, the group was ushered up to a hallway where they were split into smaller groups, each with a tour guide. Ash and Misty's guide was a guy who looked to be about Brock's age. "Hi, my name is Steve, and I'll be telling you all about the Capitol Building today! Follow me!" Tour Guide Steve led the group into a circular room filled with pillars, arches, and more statues. The middle of the room was clear, and the center was marked with what looked like a white many-pointed star.
"Now, everybody over here!" Steve called, gesturing for them to cluster together at the center. "Now, we're standing right under the Rotunda, in an area called the Crypt."
"C-c-crypt?" Ash stuttered nervously. "I mean, I thought that was supposed to be where you put dead people and stuff, heh."
Steve nodded excitedly at Ash. "You're absolutely right, that's what a crypt is! And right now, we're standing directly above the Crypt of George Washington, first Pre-"
"Aaaah, I'm standing on a dead person!" Ash screamed, scaring the people around him. "Aaah, getmeoffitgetmeoffit! Aaah, aaah, aaa-" He stopped abruptly when he saw Misty glaring at him, one of her eyes twitching. "I, mean, sorry, I was just alarmed. Please continue, Tour Guide Steve." After that little speech, he basically cowered on the outside edge of the group.
Steve looked a little concerned by Ash's reaction, but swept on as only a professional intern can. "Well, actually, you're not standing on a dead person. You see, this crypt was intended for George Washington's body to be laid to rest, but in his will, the President requested a burial at Mount Vernon, his plantation home. But this place is still referred to as his crypt." Steve smiled reassuringly around at the tour group. "In addition, this star in the middle of the floor represents the beginning point of the four quadrants of Washington, D.C., though it isn't the exact center. Now, you have a minute to look around and take pictures, and then we'll be moving on."
After everyone had milled about and taken pictures of all the statues (except for Ash and Misty, who were camera-less, seeing as Brock was the photographer), the group was led up a couple flights of stairs to a large semi-circular room, draped in red and filled with (you guessed it), more statues.
Steve motioned for the tour group to follow him to a rectangular mark on the floor. "Now, this is the National Statuary Hall, which used to be where the House of Representatives met. Of course, that was back when there were only a hundred or so Congressmen; you couldn't fit all four hundred some in here now!" He laughed, but no one laughed with him. The tour guide cleared his throat. "Uh, yeah, but now this is the main place where we keep the statues. There are two for every state, and in a minute, I'll let you look around, but right now I want to show you one of the coolest things about this room. Stay here, I'll be right back!" And with that, Steve disappeared into the other tour groups milling around. Ash and Misty stood with their group, wondering what would happen.
Suddenly, a voice sounded among the group. "Hey there!"
"AAAH! GEORGE WASHINGTON'S GHOST IS AMONG US!" Ash yelled, panicking. The group looked as though they might panic too, but then the voice came again.
"Whoa, whoa, guys, it's just me, Steve! Look to your left!" The tourists obeyed, and saw their tour guide striding towards them, waving cheerily. "Sorry if I scared you guys; it's just the acoustics in the Hall. If a person speaks over here," Steve gestured at the space where they all stood, "then people over there," he pointed across the hall, "can hear you perfectly, and vice versa. No ghosts, though." Steve let his group separate to check out the other statues, and Misty immediately dragged Ash over towards Henry Clay's.
"What is your problem, Ash?" she snarled once they were out of Steve's earshot. "You're embarrassing me and everyone else!"
"But, Misty," Ash squeaked, cowering, "ghosts-"
"There are no ghosts!" Misty hissed. "Now get a grip or something really bad is going to happen to you!"
Ash knew she meant it, and got a grip.
The tour group proceeded to an open, round room, brightly lit by the morning sun. The middle of the floor was roped off from the tourists, serving as a thoroughfare for the members of Congress. Steve ushered them toward a statue of Alexander Hamilton.
"Now, here we are at the Rotunda. The roped-off area connects the Senate side of the Capitol to the House of Representatives side. As you can see, the Rotunda is full of art, right up to the ceiling." As he spoke, the tour guide gestured at the high ceiling, which was decorated with a beautiful fresco. "Now, the fresco is called The Apotheosis of Washington, and it basically shows President George Washington ascending to heaven." There was a collective "oooh" from the tour group, and camera shutters clicked frenetically.
"As you look further down the walls, you can see what is known as "The Frieze of American History". It shows our nation's history, from when Columbus landed in 1492 to when the Wright brothers took flight." The tour group went "aaah" and the shutter clicking increased.
"And then, as you reach the ground, there are eight paintings. Four show scenes of reaching America and colonization, and the other four are about the American Revolution." Having used their 'ooh' and 'aah', the tourists resorted to exclamations of "cool" and "wow". Their cameras snapped pictures at lightspeed.
"Man, why didn't Brock come?" Misty moaned to Ash. "All this cool stuff, and we have no pictures!"
Ash shrugged. "Hey, he's taking pictures of the city for us, right?"
The redhead rolled her eyes. "Yeah, sure, 'taking pictures'. You and I both know he's probably chasing girls."
"Yeah, well, um, that's probably true…" Ash sighed.
"So, does anyone have any questions?" Steve asked. Silence from the group, some were shaking their heads. "No? Well, okay then. Thank you for visiting the Capitol building, have a nice day!"
Misty stared at him. "That's it?"
"Yup! That's the Capitol Tour!"
"But, but, we only went in three rooms!" Misty sputtered.
Steve shrugged. "You could have had a more in-depth tour, but to do that, you need tickets from your Congressman."
"WE DON'T HAVE A CONGRESSMAN!" Misty shouted!
"Oh, well then, should have planned that better, you know," Steve replied, shrugging. "Now, everyone, the gift shop is just down that hall, as is Emancipation Hall, where you came in. Have a nice day!"
Ash's eyes lit up. "Gift shop? There's a gift shop!"
Steve nodded. "Two, actually-"
"MISTY, WHAT ARE WE WAITING FOR??? LET'S GO!" With that, Ash dragged Misty down the hallway towards the fabled gift shop.
"Ash, we're supposed to meet up with Brock for lunch!" Misty protested.
"Aw, come on, Mist, this'll only take five minutes, I promise!"
Thirty-five minutes later.
Misty was fuming. Ash was standing in front of a coffee cup display, agonizing over one with stars and stripes and one that had the Capitol building on it. He'd been like that for half an hour, and Misty couldn't take it any longer.
"Ash, what do you even want a coffee cup for? You don't even drink coffee!"
Ash stared at her. "You know what? You have a great point, Mist! We can go now!"
Misty let out a sigh of relief. "Finally! Now let's meet up with- hey, Ash, the exit's that way!"
Ash looked back at her. "We're going to the other gift shop, Misty!"
The redhead facefaulted. "Ash, the merchandise is going to be exactly the same!"
But Ash was already in the other gift shop and was deliberating over…
The. Exact. Same. Mugs.
Misty facefaulted again and was about to seriously injure her idiot friend when her phone vibrated. Quickly flipping it open, she took a deep, calming breath before saying, "Hello?"
"Hey, Misty, where are you guys? I'm getting hungry out here!" Brock did sound irritable, like he needed to eat.
"Sorry, Brock, Ash has just been, uh, souvenir shopping, sort of. But, where do you want us to meet you?"
"How about the Library of Congress?"
Misty racked her brains, trying to think where that was. "Uh, how far away would that be?"
"Oh, it's practically next-door. I'm waiting in the gift shop-"
"Shhhh…" Misty hissed, terrified Ash's ears would somehow hear that there was a gift shop to be visited.
Brock understood. "Oh, right, sorry. But it's seriously next to you. But I'd take the tunnel to get here."
"Huh? Tunnel?"
"Your tour guide didn't tell you? Well, according to my guide book, there's a tunnel that connects the Capitol to the Library of Congress. That way, you don't have to go outside to get there, and you don't have to go through the metal detectors all over again. Trust me, it's boiling outside."
Misty had to agree that it was a good plan. Hanging up her phone, she ventured near Ash, who was muttering to himself, "Flag or building? Flag… or building? Building or flag?"
Misty tapped him on the shoulder, and he looked up. "Misty, do you mind? This is a life-altering decision!"
Misty was losing her cool, but really didn't want to get kicked out of the country for violence. "Ash, Brock is waiting! And besides, you don't even have money!"
Ash deflated. "Oh, yeah, good point. So, wait, don't we go outside?"
She shook her head. "No, there's a tunnel, no come ON!" She marched off towards the tunnel, Ash trailing behind her.
The tunnel was painted bright white. The two Trainers walked along down its length, Ash wrinkling his nose.
"Hey, Misty?"
"Yeah?"
"Is it just me, or does this place have 'new tunnel smell'? Misty?" Ash turned to see his friend clutching her mallet, breathing heavily.
"Be afraid. Be very afraid," she said in a flat voice.
"I'm afraid," Ash squeaked, before he bolted up the tunnel, with a deranged mallet-swinging Misty right behind him.
Yeah, moral of this story: Don't be an idiot, especially in front of Misty!
So far, this is a oneshot, but if you want it to go further, I guess it could... but just tell me what you think! How, you might ask? (Readers of TMWCBM are rolling their eyes right now...) Well, you see, the fabulous site people provided you with a green button at the bottom of the page. Press it, and a mystical pop-up... pops up. There you will find a text box, where you can provide feedback as to the caliber of the writing exhibited. In other words, review!
Bye now,
Carp