~A Poke Dance Party~

Charlotte: 3 years old

Summary: While taking a nap, Ash and Pikachu are forced to face their biggest fear when Ash's Pokemon mysteriously go missing, and Pikachu becomes a real life Poke Doll. On the plus side, Totodile ends up having the best day of his life.


It was a Saturday afternoon, and Charlotte was bored. Her dad was taking a nap, and her mom was busy cooking dinner. With both of them preoccupied, she would have played with Pikachu, but he appeared to be missing as well. That left her with nothing to do but stare out the window. But quite honestly, that wasn't cutting it for the energetic three-year old. Climbing off the kitchen chair, Charlotte made up her mind that if everyone was too busy to play with her, she would just find something to do on her own. After all, her parents always encouraged her to try and do things on her own.

"Charlotte," Ruby called, noticing her daughter climbing off the chair. As she had learned over the years, Charlotte was quite talented at disappearing without her noticing, "Where are you going, Sweetie?"

"Find Daddy," she answered back.

"Daddy's sleeping," Ruby explained to her daughter. "He was really tired, so you should let him rest. When he wakes up, I'm sure he'd love to play with you."

Charlotte just stared at her mother, not exactly understanding the full extent of what she had said. She was only three, so her comprehension wasn't exactly the greatest. Regardless, she brushed off what her mother had said and walked out of the kitchen, thinking her mom had given her the okay to leave.

Not wanting to leave her cooking pan unattended, Ruby was forced to remain where she was. For the most part, her and Ash's apartment was child proof, but her daughter tended to get herself in trouble. "Chikorita, can you keep an eye on Charlotte for me?" Ruby kindly asked her Pokemon. True she had gotten annoyed with Ash on several occasions for leaving Pikachu to watch Charlotte, but now that she was the one unable to keep an eye on her daughter, it didn't seem like such a bad idea.

Nodding its head, Chikorita rushed off to make sure it's trainer's daughter stayed out of trouble. Following its trainer's daughter, Chikorita stayed by Charlotte's side as she wandered into her parent's room. Glancing around the room, Charlotte looked for something that could be considered fun to do. Seeing that her dad was still asleep-and knowing that she would probably get in trouble if she woke him up-she searched for something else. Just about to give up and move on to another part of the apartment, Charlotte's eyes lit up when she spotted her father's Pokeballs resting on the nightstand, just within her reach.

Grinning from ear to ear, Charlotte tiptoed over to the dresser. Standing on her tiptoes, she reached her arm as far as it would extend and grabbed a Pokeball off the dresser. Which Pokemon it was, she had no idea; what mattered to her was that she now had a friend to play with. Not content with just two friends, Charlotte grabbed more of her father's Pokemon until she had all five balanced in her arms. Then as quietly as she had walked up to the nightstand, she made her way out of the room. Unsure of what the little girl was up to, Chikorita followed her as Charlotte led them into her own room.

"Come out!" she called, throwing the Pokeballs into the air like she had seen her father do many times. As the Pokeballs flew into that air, out came a Totodile, an Oshawott, a Snivy, a Squirtle and a Bulbasaur, all calling out their names when they were released. Grinning in happiness, Charlotte waved happily at her father's Pokemon. "Let's play!" she declared, clapping her hands in glee. There was nothing she enjoyed more than playing with her parents Pokemon. They always provided her with endless amounts of fun and laughter.

"Oshawott?" the little otter Pokemon inquired as he glanced around the room, confused as to why his trainer was nowhere to be found. To add to the confusion even more, there weren't any signs of a Pokemon Battle happening. "Oshawott, Osha Osha!"

"No worry," Charlotte told Oshawott. "We have fun. I pwomise!"

Walking away from the slightly distraught Pokemon, Charlotte headed over to her CD player. Pressing the magic button that would turn it on, she started up the CD she always enjoyed listening to. As the CD started, the music began to echo through her room, disturbing the sleep of her father's Pikachu in the nearby room.

Flicking his ear into the air, Pikachu cracked open an eye to see if there was any trouble. Noticing that its trainer was still napping on the bed, Pikachu stretched his body and yawned, figuring he would go investigate the disturbance on his own. Besides, by the time he could get Ash to wake up, whatever was making the noise might be gone. Hopping of his trainer's bed, Pikachu let the music guide his way, leading him to Charlotte's slightly cracked open door. Nudging open the door some more, he spotted her standing in front of Ash's other Pokemon, instructing them on the game they were going to play.

"Pikapi pi pi pi?" Pikachu called, dashing over to Charlotte.

"Pikachu!" Charlotte screeched, thrilled to see her father's prized Pokemon. She'd been hoping he would wake up so she could play with him. Scooping an unsuspecting Pikachu in her arms, Charlie squished him to her chest, making it hard for the little Pokemon to breathe. Normally, he hated little kids touching him and would hit them with a light thunder shock as a warning, but he knew if he did that, Ash would probably kill him. Loosening her grip on Pikachu, Charlotte extended her arms in the air as if she was going to toss him. After that, much to the dismay of Pikachu, Charlotte began to spin around, her child like giggles bouncing off the walls in her room. "Dance with me!"

As the music continued to play, Charlotte continued to spin around in circles with Pikachu as they 'danced' together. Following what Charlotte was doing, Ash's other Pokemon started to get into the music a bit as they too began to sway back and forth. Linking arms, legs or vines in the case of Chikorita and Bulbasaur, the Pokemon started to dance around Charlotte's room. Already excited about the prospect of dancing, Totodile instantly latched onto Oshawott's hands, dragging the water Pokemon with him as he twirled around the room.

Pokemon-mon-mon!
The journey's just begun
Pokemon-mon-mon!
The more the better
Pokemon-mon-mon!
Team Rocket's on the run

At the sound of the evil organization's name, Pikachu started to panic, afraid the song was warning him of the arrival of Jessie, James and Meowth.

Pokemon-mon-mon!
We're friends forever

As the lyrics to the sung wafted through the room, Charlotte took turns dancing with each of her dad's Pokemon, inventing as many dance moves as she could come up with. She even sang along to as many of the words she could remember from hearing the songs over and over. Grabbing Bulbasaur's vines, she started to twist back and forth with him, getting into the groove of the music. Thinking the little dance party needed more, Charlotte flicked off the lights in her room and grabbed her Ledian pillow that also functioned as a nightlight. Although it didn't do much to darken the room, considering her window was wide open and the sun was shining bright on this summer day in Viridian City, it worked for her. Pushing the button that caused it to switch between a green, red, white and yellow light, Charlotte stuck it in the middle of her bed, declaring it to be their disco ball. Turning up the music, Charlotte proceeded to pirouette around her room as she pretended to be a ballerina.

From his hiding spot under the rocking chair, Pikachu watched as Ash's Pokemon lost themselves in the music, simply enjoying their time out of their Pokeballs. While Ash did let them have time to run around, this was much more fun than wandering around outside. Like Ash's other Pokemon, Pikachu did enjoy having fun time, but Charlotte was too energetic for him. Unlike Togepi, he couldn't hold her back, and she always wanted to cuddle him like he was a Pokedoll. True, Pikachu recalled Ash being an energetic and exuberant trainer, but Charlotte had him beat. Simply put, Pikachu did love Charlotte and cared for her, but he liked to play it safe, and she was just too much for him to handle at time. As far as Ash's other Pokemon went, that was a different story. They adored Charlotte; she spoiled them with attention and always came up with more exciting things to do compared to Ash's ideas of fun. If only Ash's friend's Pokemon could meet Charlotte. They would surly agree she knew how to have fun.

"Dance with me Totodile!" Standing next to the water Pokemon, the two of them went on to continue Charlotte's ballerina dancing, as they spun around in circles as fast as they could. After a while, Totodile and Charlotte started to teeter back and forth, the little Pokemon's eyes slowly starting to turn into spirals. "Whoa…I all dizzy!" Charlotte managed to say between her giggles. Although her room was now spinning, she couldn't help but think it was still really cool and lots of fun.

Once the room stopped spinning, Charlotte quickly checked back in to the room around her. Although the song wasn't over, she was already bored with it and wanted to play the next one. Making her way over to her CD player, she pushed the button she had memorized as changing the song. Happy with the next song, she turned up the volume some more and turned back toward the Pokemon. Glancing around the room, she frowned when she no longer saw Pikachu amongst them. She loved Pikachu, and while it was fun dancing with her dad's other Pokemon, she wanted to dance with him! Spotting Pikachu hiding under the rocking chair, Charlotte grinned in victory as she ran over to him and pulled him-against his will-out form under the chair. And as she once again squished him in her arms Pikachu swore that, since he couldn't shock Charlotte for fear of getting in trouble with his trainer, he would surly make Ash pay.

On the road to Viridian City

(I'm on my way, I'm on the road, I'm on the road)
On the road to Viridian City

(I'm on the road)

"Pikachu! We already in Viridian City," Charlotte laughed, finding the lyrics of the song to be rather amusing, considering her hometown. "We no need to go there!"

Meanwhile, while Charlotte flung Pikachu around in her arms like he was a rag doll, Ash and Ruby watched with curiosity from the small opening the slightly ajar door had left. When he had woken up, Ash had almost had a heart attack when he discovered his Pokemon missing from his nightstand. To make matters worse, Pikachu was no longer by his side. Convinced Team Rocket had tracked him down and stolen Pikachu while he was asleep, Ash had dashed out the door, only to come to a screeching halt when he spotted Ruby standing outsider their daughter's door, an amused smile on her face. When she spotted her boyfriend curiously staring at her, she gestured for him to come over but be quiet. Quietly making his way over to his daughter's bedroom door, he peeked through the opening the door had left, his jaw dropping at the sight before him.

"Found 'em," Ash sighed, relieved his Pokemon were not in the hands of Team Rocket. At the same time, though, he couldn't help but think that his daughter had been a lot more successful in the time it had taken her to steal them off his dresser than Team Rocket had been in twelve years. Then again, to Ash, it appeared as if Pikachu would rather be in the hands of Team Rocket than in the hands of an over excited Charlotte. "They look like they're having fun."

"Yeah, everyone but Pikachu," Ruby pointed out, feeling a little sorry for the electric Pokemon. Numerous times she had tried to explain to her daughter that just like people did, Pokemon had their boundries. Despite her efforts to teach her daughter this, it clearly had not stuck with her, or she had chosen to ignore her mother's lectures. "Look, she even created a disco ball," Ruby laughed, pointing to Charlotte's Ledia light in the center of her bed. "It's an official dance party alright."

"I think Totodile's in heaven," Ash chuckled, shaking his head as he watched his dance-obsessed Pokemon sashay down the room with his less enthusiastic Squirtle. Turning to Ruby, he asked, "Should we crash the party and rescue Pikachu?"

"Maybe in a bit. Let's just watch for now," Ruby suggested, focusing her attention back on Charlotte. Despite what she might have thought earlier, Charlotte was not getting herself in trouble. Instead she was just being herself, something Ruby couldn't help but enjoy secretly watching. "She looks so happy."

Nodding in agreement, Ash silently smiled to himself. Watching as she danced with his Pokemon, Ash couldn't help but be happy that, despite what he was already keeping from her, he could at least introduce her to the fun and joy of Pokemon. As the two of them continued to watch, though, the lyrics of the song left a bitter taste in his mouth.

I left my home and now I see a new horizon

(horizon)
But one day I'll come back to Pallet Town

( Im comin back, coming back)
I'm on the road to become the greatest trainer
And I won't quit until I'm #1

Why the song mentioned Pallet Town, he hadn't the slightest clue, but the mention of his hometown left him with a heavy feeling in his heart. Although he hadn't directly left from Pallet Town, he'd sure left the town behind when he decided to go into hiding. Like the song stated, he knew one day he'd return, but as of now, he didn't know when that would be. For returning to Pallet Town would mean letting the Meowth out of the bag about the big secret dancing along with his Pokemon. He'd left so much more than Pallet Town when he decided out of fear that he wouldn't tell his mom or hid friends about Charlotte; he'd lost, at least for the time being, his dreams of being a Pokemon Master, and his determination to be number one. Now he was facing a new horizon ahead of him: fatherhood.

"-sh! Ash!" he heard Ruby hiss as she waved her hand in front of his face. Snapping out of his reflection on his life, he stared blankly at her, waiting for her to repeat what he had missed earlier. "I think it's time we crash the party."

"Oh."

Standing up, he followed behind Ruby as she pushed the door all the way open and announced her and Ash's arrival. Spotting Ash walking into the room, Pikachu made a run for it, leaping onto Ash's shoulder and out of Charlotte's reach. Seeing Pikachu glare at him to express just how unhappy he was about his daughter's antics, the raven-haired trainer cringed in fear, knowing it would take a lot of ketchup to make this up to Pikachu.

"Daddy!" Charlotte cried out in joy, running over and clinging onto her father's leg. Staring up at him, she put on the best Growlithe eyes she could muster. "I sorry I take your Pokemon. I wanted to play."

Knowing he couldn't possibly get mad at her with a face like that, Ash sighed as he nervously scratched the back of his neck. "It's alright, Charlotte," he assured her. "Next time just ask Daddy when you want to play with his Pokemon."

"Okay!" Running back over to her mother, Charlotte grabbed her hand and dragged her toward the spot in front of her bed. "Dance with me, Mommy!"

Smiling down at her daughter, Ruby grabbed her hands and began to twist back and forth with her. From a few feet away, Ash continued to watch them dance until he felt a tug on the bottom of his jeans. Looking down, he furrowed his brows in confusion when he spotted Totodile standing at his feet, a bashful look on the Pokemon's face.

"Toto…dile," the Pokemon squeaked, kicking his feet at in imaginary pebble. Convinced Ash didn't know what he wanted, Totodile began to hop back and forth from one foot to the other.

Understanding what his Pokemon wanted from him, Ash sighed as he picked up the Johto starter and lifted it up in the air like he used to when they won a battle. Although the thought of dancing with his Pokemon like this seemed rather foolish, it only reinforced how much Charlotte being in his life had changed him. It'd made him a big sucker-more than he already had been.

After finishing the rest of the song dancing with Totodile, Ash set the Pokemon back down as the next one started to play. Finished dancing with her mom, Charlotte made her way over to Ash, jumping up and down as she begged him to dance with her. Glad to oblige to his daughter's wishes, he bent down and scooped her up in his arms, this way of dancing seeming to fit better with the pace of the song. Noticing that his trainer was bring his daughter closer to him, Pikachu leaped off Ash's shoulder and over to the much safer spot on Ruby's shoulder.

Wrapping his arms around Charlotte, Ash pulled her close, letting her rest her little head on his shoulder. Wrapping her arms around his neck, Charlotte closed her eyes as she sat in her dad's arms, letting him sway her back and forth.

You've been such a good friend
I've known you since I don't know when
We've got a lot of friends,
But they come and go
Even though we've never said it,
There's something that the two of us both know

Once again the lyrics of the song left Ash with a heavy feeling in his heart. A song clearly about friendship, it left him missing his friends more than anything in the world. Even more so, though, it left him wishing more than anything he could take back his decision after finding out about Charlotte. He would never regret going to meet her and taking care of her, but he regretted abandoning his friends without any warning and then keeping Charlotte a secret from them. While he knew he could have fixed things in the beginning, two years later, he'd dug himself so far into a hole, he felt trapped and without a way out. He doubted they would even speak to him again.

Always gone that extra mile
Depended on you all the while
Even in the good and bad times
You will see
From now until our journey's end
You know that you can always count on me

Squeezing his eyes shut, Ash tried to block out the lyrics. The song wasn't about him and his friends, but it could be applied to them just the same. They'd been there for him time after time, good and bad, the ups and the downs. He was sure they would have even been there for him if he had told them about Charlotte. Instead, he had run from them without even trying. And now because of it, not only did he feel like he was missing a whole chunk of himself, but he'd also robbed his daughter of meeting the most important people in his life. So long as he continued to pretend like they didn't exist, she would never know about people like Misty, Brock, Dawn, Cilan, May or his mom. She'd never heart the stories about his travels if he continued to keep everything from her and her from his friends. She wouldn't be able to laugh with him about the days of his first journey when all he cared about was a badge, and all Misty cared about was her bike. The more he thought about it, the more he could just hear the daily exchange in his head.

"C'mon you guys, I gotta get another badge!"

"You'd better figure out how to repay me for my broken bike, Ash Ketchum!"

"Oh no, not this again…" Brock would groan, already pulling out the asprin he kept in his backpack.

"Pikachu…"

As he opened his eyes again, he sensed the steady breathing of his daughter as the tiny puffs of air tickled his neck. Worn out from dancing, she was passed out on his arms, her hands still wrapped tightly around his neck. Continuing to sway back and forth as the song came to a close and another more fast paced one played, Ash promised himself that eventually he'd get over this obstacle of his fear and tell his daughter about the amazing people that he'd befriended. When that would be, he didn't know, but he knew whether by choice or accidental encounter, one day his secret would be revealed and he'd have to deal with the repercussions. Until then, he would continue to be by her side and try to be the best dad he could.

You teach me and I'll teach you
Pokemon, gotta catch 'em all

Every challenge along the way
With courage I will face
I will battle every day
To claim my rightful place

Come with me, the time is right
There's no better team
Arm in arm we'll win the fight
It's always been our dream

As the words of the current song played on, one last thought crossed Ash's mind. Since becoming a father, Charlotte had taught him a lot about maturity and sacrifice, but there hadn't been a whole he felt he had taught her. He didn't know a whole lot about the stuff Ruby talked to Charlotte about, but he did know about training Pokemon. He knew one day he'd get his shot to try for Pokemon Master again, but until then, he figured the strategies he'd built up over the years would best be put to use by teaching them to his daughter. It was pretty obvious she loved them just as much as he did.

With this new idea running through his head, Ash made another promise that day: He'd teach his daughter everything he knew about Pokemon and battles, ensuring that when she finally started her own journey, she'd blow everyone away and be the trainer he never was back then. Plus, what other way would he be able to see to it that one day his daughter achieved her dream of kicking Gary Oak's ass in a Pokemon Battle?

Okay...so maybe that's my dream.

Regardless, he would be sure it became hers.


In case you are wondering...Yes, Charlotte owns a copy of the 2BA Master CD. :) Minus Misty's Song...