COPYRIGHT NOTE: I don't own Pokemon / Pocket Monsters, or the song "It's My Party (and I'll Cry If I Want To)," performed by Lesley Gore.
COMMENTS: Kinda' long chapter, but I really enjoyed writing this particular episode. ^_^ Lots of nostalgia, guest appearances, and other Pallet goodies ahead. Oh, and just a friendly reminder: this chapter's narration occasionally swaps from third-person (side-scenes Ash is unaware of) and first-person (Ash's POV). And once again, all birthdays mentioned in this series are 100% fictional. Onward!
It's Her Party, and I'm In Big Trouble Again
Aiselne Phoenix
Ch.3: "The Uninvited Ones"
"Well, well, well…I see it's the redhead twerpette's birthday again."
Red-painted lips curled mischievously as Jessie's sapphire eyes gazed through an ajar window. To be expected, she and her Team Rocket cohorts hid themselves in the bushes surrounding the Ketchum residence. Through the living room window's drapes, Jessie could see the party favors scattered throughout the parlor. Remembering the fiasco in Petalburg City last March, Jessie more than easily knew whose birthday was fast approaching. Crouching below the window's bottom, the woman turned to the vigilant James and Meowth. "And it looks like the twerp's throwing her another party, after all. Tck! That clueless kid never learns his lessons, does he?"
"Heh, I say we royally mess up dis' new party!" Meowth cheered in excitement, punching a furry fist into the air. "Afta' dat' Petalboirg party, da' twoip desoirves humiliation! Rememba' last year? Da' boss wasn't too happy ta hear we missed out on all those party Pokemon."
"Don't remind me," Jessie grumbled darkly. Then again, she wondered why Giovanni made such a damn fuss about the trio's failures, anyway. After all, failure was not exactly new for Jessie, James, and Meowth. "I wasn't too happy about missing that big bonus, either, but now it's payback time!" she reassured, balling a determined fist.
"But Jessie..." came the obligatory conscience of James, coercing his teammates to roll their eyes and groan in irritation. "...Give the twerp a break. He was pissed the last time we interrupted the twerpette's birthday party, and…I really can't blame him." Trailing, the violet-haired Rocket gazed sadly up into the blue sky. True, James could not stand the twerp, but, "He worked so hard on that party..."
"Oh cry me a river!" Jessie snapped, smacking the yelping James' shoulder to shut him up. The redhead could care less about the twerp's failures, since Jessie knew all about such. Frankly, she was sick and tired of her team always failing, while the twerps rarely tasted defeat. It was so unfair, and the woman felt it was high time the tables were turned. So what if one of the twerps' birthdays was approaching? Jessie lived an entire childhood of crappy birthdays, and she sucked it up. It would not kill the twerps to taste disappointment once in a while. "You heard those twerps, James. They're inviting a bunch of friends this time, and you know what that means."
Meowth took Jessie's devilish smirk as his cue to leap onto her shoulder. "Dere'll be TONS of Pokemon!" the cat gushed, particularly recalling the names of extra guests Ash mentioned. The girl who constantly sang that Electabuzz theme song was irritating, but she boasted a pretty impressive Meganium. Then there was the teenager who trained a bunch of Water Pokemon a la Misty, not to mention the visiting teahouse girl with the Espeon. "And didn't dey' say dat' Trinity woman was comin'?"
Jessie and James blinked, exchanging looks. Their memories hazier than Meowth's, the humans asked in unison, "Who's Trinity?"
For a second, Meowth shook his head, pitying how human attention spans sucked compared to Pokemon. "She's da' winna' of dat Whoirl Island competition, you knuckleheads! Rememba'? Dere' was a huge celebration honoring her victory, and she was top in da' news for a week afta' da competition ended!" It was rather difficult not to have noticed. Winners of Pokemon championships, ranging from the Leagues to the smaller competitions, were always well commemorated. No wonder almost every Tom, Dick, and Harry wanted to become a Pokemon Master. Instant celebrity!
Light bulbs clicked and memories jarred for Jessie and James. "Ooooh! She's that super-powerful Gyarados trainer!" gushed James, suddenly shifting out of conscience mode. True, he was not thrilled to botch a kid's birthday, but the thought of having Trinity's Pokemon being presented to the boss was a little too good to pass up. Giovanni would flip in his seat if James' crew gave him championship-quality Pokemon. James could already hear the "ka-ching" of his team's biggest promotion! "Trinity is bound to have tons of other rare and powerful Water Pokemon!" the green-eyed man noted in glee. "And if we get her Pokemon, along with Pikachu and all the others..."
"Now ya' speakin' my language, Jimmy!" Meowth cheered, slapping James a high-five. "The boss'll be thrilled with dis new boirthday haul! Imagine if it were Giovanni's own boirthday!"
"'Own birthday'?" Jessie raised an eyebrow, pondering, "When is the boss' birthday, anyway?"
"Who cares!" Meowth interrupted incredulously. "Wit' dis' Pokemon haul, everyday will feel like a boirthday! Imagine da' boss one day, bored with his life, feelin' old with each passin' boirthday. Now ova' da' hill, da' boss will be down in da' dumps, unable to woirk and be his happy bossy self.
"But den', he'll look out his window, and see the Pokemon we got from da' twoirpette's boirthday, each one smilin' and givin' da boss his own boirthday party! He'll be so happy, ya' know what da' boss'll say? 'How thoughtful of Meowth and his friends for givin' me da' happiest boirthday eva'! I should reward dem' with da' happiest raise eva'!' And den'...
"Promotions! Expense accounts!" the Rocket trio cheered and clapped giddily. "Go us! It's our birthday!"
"Woooobu!" Wobbuffet popped out and chimed with a notorious salute.
"Then it's settled!" Jessie said with a determined clap as she gazed back into the Ketchum house. The twerps had already left to go shopping, meaning now was the perfect opportunity for Jessie's crew to make their move. Naturally, the gears in the redhead's mind were already concocting another self-proclaimed "brilliant" idea. "We're gonna' snatch that Pikachu, plus all the other Pokemon coming to the twerpette's party!"
"So what's the plan, Jess?" James asked curiously, inching closer.
Jessie snickered devilishly, flashing the victory sign. "I've got a brilliant idea that'll get tons of Pokemon, completely humiliate that twerp, and we'll have a blast doing it!"
The woman's teammates sweatdropped. "We, uh...always have a 'blast,' one way or another," James muttered to a nodding Meowth.
After smacking the idiocy out of her partners, Jessie retorted sharply, "That's not what I'm talking about!" Thereafter, she folded her arms over her chest, nodding assertively as a nefarious grin split her face. "My plan's flawless, and we'll have 'fun' doing it, too."
Sure, Jessie's idea sounded great, but it also sounded a little too good to be true. Then again, most of Jessie's plans always fell into this category. Raising an eyebrow, the Rocket cat dared to ask, "How'd ya figure, Jess?"
Giggling, Jessie cued James and Meowth to follow her lead. Raising an index finger, the redhead began relaying her brilliant strategy. "First, we need those extra invitations. To do that, we need to get inside the house. Now's the perfect time to do so, since the twerps just left."
"Yeah, but the twerp's mother is still inside," recalled James.
Of course, Jessie was unfazed. Ash's happy-peppy mommy was the least of the red-haired Rocket's worries. "So what? We've fooled her before, and we can fool her again. Mama Twerp is just as dippy as her son! Now let's hurry back to the balloon, disguise ourselves, and get into this house before the twerp quartet comes back."
Their plan of action made, the gang sprang into action. Jessie, James, and Meowth's hot air balloon was parked in a small forest clearing nearby the Ketchum house. Inside the balloon's basket were the perfect disguises that would effortlessly fool Mrs. Ketchum. Frankly, Jessie had a very good feeling about her latest plan. Last year's birthday party in Petalburg City ended in Team Twerp's favor, but this year would be different! Once the party invitations were in Team Rocket's hands, Jessie knew the rest of her plan would unfold as fluidly as water.
One thing was certain; the twerp was pretty confident about this year's party. For once in her life, Jessie agreed with Ash. The grinning girl had a good feeling about this year's birthday party, too. A very good feeling.
With full grocery bags in our arms, May, Max, Brock, and I exited the busy grocery store. Finally, we were fully stocked on fresh food and snacks for the party, and May got four days worth of Pink Surprise ingredients for Munchlax. The shopping was completed by lunchtime, and all four of us decided to grab a quick bite to eat before returning home. No complaints here! I like burgers, though fast food burgers don't hold candles to Professor Oak's…
"Soo...what's this I hear about a party at your house, and I'm not invited, Ashy Boy?"
…Speaking of Oak – well, not 'Professor' Oak – but speaking of 'another' Oak…
My luck never ceases to amaze me. My timing is imperial, er, impeccable. Of all the fast food restaurants my friends and I chose, we had to pick the place my wonderful childhood rival just-so-happened to be visiting. Terrific.
Granted, Gary and I now get along much better than we did before the Silver Conference. But, what can I say? Gary Oak is still Gary Oak. Gary and me bugging each other is second nature in our relationship, kinda' like with Misty and me…minus my semi-boyfriend part. Last we spoke, Gary told me he happens to be the semi-boyfriend of a girl he and I grew up with. Way back in the day, the three of us gave each other goofy nicknames, and hers was "Green." Weird thing is, Gary still calls her that, though I think he uses it as a "pet" name, nowadays. Hey, it beats using nauseating nicknames like "smoochy," or "dumpling," or "babydoll," or…crap, I'm gonna' puke my burger if I keep thinking about this. Thank God Misty and I never bothered with pet names. She just calls me her "idiot," or "nimrod," or "bonehead," and so forth.
To me, Gary's more like a brother, the type of brother a boy somewhat admires (note the "somewhat," folks). In no way am I implying that Gary Oak is "better" than me! Ha! No way! I kicked his butt in the Johto League! Though, Gary kinda' kicked my butt once, twice…okay, he's beaten me a bunch of times! But the Silver Conference counts most, right? Yup, I thought so. Gary is also the type of brother who constantly annoys the living hell outta' his younger brother. I mean, so what if Gary's a few months older than me? People always seem to think that just because Gary is six months older, that makes him more mature and smarter than me. Psh, what do they know?
So, yes, Gary and I are on better terms. However, when he wants to be obnoxious, he is obnoxious. I could tell just by the sarcastic tone in Gary's voice that today was one of those days. Wonderful. I suddenly lost my appetite. Setting down my half-eaten burger, I braced myself before turning around to see the cocky brunette. Same ol' Gary, with the same ol' cocky smirk. Argh, just the person I needed at the moment.
"What do you want, Gary?" I dared to ask, not overly in the mood to be juggling Misty's party plans and Gary's obnoxiousness at once. My friends decided to stay quiet and ignore Gary, which was probably the smarter choice to make, wasn't it?
Naturally, Gary was never fazed by my unenthusiastic remark. Shrugging, he leaned against the back of a vacant booth, casually folding his arms. "I'm just curious about whatever this party is. Grandpa said you're having some shindig at your place in a few days."
Oh, and one other thing about Gary: he's nosy. Bah, and Mom says I'm a nosy kid. Gary's worse! "It's a birthday party," I replied matter-of-factly, as if it was any of Gary's business. But the sooner this conversation ended, the better.
Too bad for me, things rarely get "better" during this hectic time of year. Nosy as always, Gary just rose an eyebrow and continued to egg on. "Oh? Your birthday's not for a few months, and I coulda' sworn Grandpa once said something about your mom's birthday being in December." Then came the famous (or infamous) Gary Oak smirk, pulling his lips as he added a suggestive, "But my birthday was last month…"
"As if I'd throw you a birthday party, Gary," I snorted sarcastically, rolling my eyes. I barely had time to squeeze Misty's birthday party into my training schedule, never mind Gary's birthday! Besides, even if I did throw Gary a birthday party, I wouldn't throw the party a month after his birthday! How dumb does this guy think I am? And what was the deal with his comment about my birthday? Why the hell would I throw myself a birthday party? That's something Gary might do, not me. I'm not that arrogant! Urgh, I was already feeling a headache coming on, which was undoubtedly Gary's intent. Shaking my said head, I sighed before confirming a blunt, "The party's for Misty." As if that was any of Gary's business, either.
"'Misty'?" my rival asked, obviously trying to put the name with a mental picture. When the light bulb clicked, Gary then plastered an even bigger grin across his face. "Oh right, right…your girlfriend."
Everybody else at my table snorted or choked on whatever they were eating, stifling laughs as I blushed. Yes, Misty and I were semi-boyfriend and semi-girlfriend, but nowhere near close enough to really be deemed "full-fledged" boyfriend and girlfriend. Furthermore, and most importantly, that was none of Gary's damn business! So what if he told me about Green? He's the one who advertised and bragged about his new relationship. I never pried the information out of him. I mean, why would I want to know about Gary's girlfriend, and about how they date and do all that icky kissy-kissy stuff? Eew. Frankly, Gary's personal life is Gary's business, and my personal life is my business! Strangely, Gary doesn't seem to understand this concept. He thinks if he tells me about his relationships, that means I have to tell him about my relationships. "I'll show you mine, you show me yours." Er, well…maybe that wasn't the best adage example, but you know what I mean…right?
The restaurant suddenly feeling warm, I did the best I could to counter Gary's remark – which was not very much. "Shut up, Gary," I grumbled, knowing I did not look very threatening with my face covered in blush. Changing the subject was probably my best bet. "What're you doing in Pallet, anyway? Shouldn't you be traveling or working?"
"I could ask the same to you, Slakoth," he smugly countered, sending another jolt of anger through my veins. How is it that Gary always gets two steps ahead of me? "Me? I've been in Pallet since last month, came' home for my birthday and all. Plus, Grandpa, Tracey, and I have been researching the Pokemon on his ranch. Pre-spring an important time of year, after all, and a busy season for Pokemon…" he paused, winking. "…If you know what I mean."
I blinked for a second…well, two seconds, actually. Okay, help me out here: what's so special about Pokemon and springtime? Is this a peak season for evolution or something? I never thought seasons mattered, but if Umbreon and Espeon evolutions can change based on the time of day, I suppose season-based evolution isn't out of the question. Shrugging, I decided to grab my burger to take another bite. Actually, this idea of season-based evolution sounded pretty fun. Maybe I should send Pikachu and the rest of my Pokemon to join the festivities at the Professor's ranch.
My friends seemed to like the idea, too, especially May. In a very high-pitched squeal, the brunette clapped her hands over her chest and gushed like a schoolgirl. "Aaaw! How sweeet! All the Pokemon eggs hatch, babies are born…ooh, spring is like the happy ending for the Pokemon mating season!"
However in God's name I managed to keep my burger in my stomach was beyond my comprehension. MATING SEASON? Jeez, May, I'm eating here! Okay, scratch that: I'm not sending Pikachu to join the Professor's festivities. That's just…eew! If I can't picture myself doing…that…I sure as hell can't picture my Pokemon doing it, either! Pikachu wouldn't do those types of things anyway…right? I mean, maybe Pikachu would like to meet another Pikachu, someday, and maybe have Pichu, someday…maybe…eew…EEW…bad mental pictures! I don't wanna' think about my Pokemon like that! Make it stop! Please!
For once in his life, when Gary opened his mouth he actually happened to 'help' me get my mind off unwanted topics. "So, how come I wasn't invited to your party, Ash?" he asked in an innocent, fake-hurt voice.
Regaining myself, I put on a weird face and did a double take. "Why would I invite you?" I countered rather incredulously, as if Gary just asked me if Pikachu had been – um, what was the phrase Professor Oak used again? – "sprayed or nude-ered"? (Do I even want to know what that's about? Er, please don't answer that question!). "Gimmie a break, Gary. You didn't even realize who Misty was when I first mentioned her. You don't know her, so why would you be invited to her birthday party?"
Not seeming to think my words were excuses, Gary simply declared, "But the party's at your house."
SO? "And what?" I huffed a snort. "My house has a huge sign saying you're welcomed to barge in whenever you feel like it?"
"You're one to talk, considering you and your mom are always visiting my grandpa."
"Yeah…we visit his lab and ranch, not your 'house'."
"You were always over my house when we were kids."
"You were always over my house, too," I retorted, starting to feel my short patience begin to thin. "And why are you so interested in this party, anyway?" I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. "The party's for Misty, not me! Go ahead and terrorize my next birthday, but leave Misty alone!"
Gary actually looked a little hurt by that last remark (though I must stress the word "little"). "I'm not gonna' 'terrorize' her party, Ash," defended Gary, before casually folding his hands behind his spiky head. "I just figured it'd be a fun get-together, just like the good old days."
Good old days?
Yeah right.
Just so you know, when Gary says "just like the good old days," he's referring to the countless times he turned my birthdays into living hells. Now, I'm well aware I jinx my own parties and I've gotten myself into my own messes. However, Gary's never helped the situations, either. But, well, I did say Gary was "a story for another time," and I suppose now is as good a time as any. So here's my tale of woe:
Minus the Misty fiascos, the last party I had in Pallet Town was my ninth birthday. Actually, age nine is a pretty big deal for Pokemon trainers and their families, being that it's the last year before kids set out on their journeys.
By then, Gary and I had already been rivals for a while. We were constantly at each other's throats in anticipation for when we would finally get our licenses. Mark my words, the only reason Gary showed up at my party was because Mom made me invite him. She was living under false hopes that she could patch up the friendship between Gary and me. Unfortunately by age nine, Gary and I were too far gone for a simple birthday party to make amends. Furthermore, Gary (or more specifically, Mrs. Oak) invited me to his ninth birthday in February of that year. There are downfalls to being younger, even slightly younger, than your rival. Mom felt obligated to invite Gary to my birthday a few months later. "It was only fair," or so Mom told me to justify her reasons for inviting my rival to my party. Of course, Mom had no idea about what Gary did to me on his ninth birthday on that terrible February…
To make a long story short, Gary's ninth birthday party was a nightmare. He kept rubbing it in my face how he was going to be a Pokemon Master. Okay, okay, I'm no angel, and yes, I didn't help matters by countering Gary's arrogance with my own. Every other word out of our mouths was, "I'm gonna' be the best!" and "I'm gonna' beat you!" We were both pretty full of ourselves. I know should've ignored Gary, but I didn't. Big surprise, right? Needless to say, Gary and I got into a huge argument. Come the era of Gary's ninth birthday, our rivalry had peaked to dangerous levels. Spitting insults at each other wasn't enough anymore.
That's when…somehow, someway, from somewhere…somebody threw food.
I swear to every Pokemon god, I don't know "who" threw the piece of birthday cake. Honest! Gary and I were too wrapped up in our insult war to notice anything else at the time. Hell, I don't even know if Gary threw the food, or if some other kid did it. Gary invited all the boys from our neighborhood, his older sister invited a few of her girlfriends, and Gary's parents and grandfather invited friends, too. So, there was a pretty big crowd at the Oaks' house. But regardless of who was to blame, a food fight inevitably ensued. You can imagine what happened afterwards.
Naturally, the "birthday boy" was exempt from blame. After all, nobody saw Gary throw the food, and nobody was going to blame him on his special day. Unfortunately, since nobody else owned up to initially starting the fight, I was the one who was blamed. There was no proof that I threw the food, either. But all the other boys insisted I "must" have started the food fight, since I was originally bickering with Gary.
Again, all honesty, I don't remember if I was the instigator. Mom knows I've never been the type of kid to play with food (why play with food when it's more fun to eat it?). But, Gary and I did come dangerously close to throwing fists, so the possibility of food getting into those fists wasn't out of the question. But if I did make the first move, the food-throwing would've been totally unintentional. Everything about our fight was so chaotic that neither Gary nor I knew what we were doing until it was too late. Nevertheless, I denied the accusations, and guess what? Nobody believed me.
Then again, getting falsely (or potentially falsely) accused of instigating the fight was only the tip of the iceberg. When Mom found out what I did…oh God, hell broke loose all over again. Not only did I have to clean up the mess, but I was also grounded for the next three weeks. And to top it all off: I even had to apologize to Gary! I mean, how much more humiliating is that? There I was getting blamed for something I (probably) didn't do, and I was also crawling back to Gary with my tail between my legs! But did things become A-okay once I apologized? Of course not! Even after the apology, the birthday bastard simply pointed and laughed in my face. The other boys sided with Gary, too, and well...let's just say, I didn't leave the Oak's party with a smile on my face after getting ridiculed by half a dozen neighborhood "friends." I had never been so embarrassed. And here comes the cherry on top of this wonderful matter. After I came home crying like a baby, my pissed-off mother sent me to my room so I could think about what I did to "poor Gary"!
And the REAL clincher was when I had to invite that jerk to my ninth party a few months later. I do not know how many times I screamed to my mom not to invite Gary, but she simply told me, "You owe it to Gary to invite him!" I did not owe him anything after what he did to me! All the other boys in the neighborhood practically put a stigma on me after Gary's party, making me yet again the laughing stock of Pallet Town. I refused to see why the hell I owed anything to Gary! Sadly, Mom did not see my logic, and sure enough, Gary Oak was there on my ninth party. Granted, that party wasn't as bad as Gary's. No fights ensued, and Gary and I barely talked or even looked at each other, but it was not the most comfortable of birthdays. I could not wait for the party to end.
So now…Gary wanted Misty's party to fall under his definition of "good old days." Hmph! My ass.
"You're not gonna' make Misty's party a re-run of 'the good old days,' Gary," I growled strictly. I was not about to let my old rival humiliate me again, and I was certainly not about to let him ruin Misty's special day. God only knew what Gary might try to do, and I did not want him to be the reason Misty's birthday was ruined. It was one thing for Gary to make my life miserable, but it was an entirely different story if Gary tired to make Misty miserable. I absolutely refused to allow that to happen.
"Who say's this party will be a 're-run'?" Gary asked casually, still pleading ignorant. "Come' on, Ash, do you honestly think I'd try and hurt your girlfriend's feelings?"
There he went with the 'girlfriend' thing again, saying it in that snotty voice that was reeeally getting under my skin. I was still coming to terms with my relationship with Misty, and I totally hated the way Gary not-so-subtly poked fun at it. Balling my fists to maintain control, I grumbled again. "So you're gonna', what? Make me look like a complete ass again?"
I should've realized that line would come back to bite me in the said rear. "Ash, you don't need me around for you to look like a complete ass in front of your girlfriend!" snorted Gary.
Grinding my teeth, I did my best to keep my temper in check. When Gary's arrogance clashed with my anger, bad things happened. "In case you haven't noticed, Gary, you're not invited to Misty's party, so don't even bother showing up!"
"And what if I do?" Gary challenged, causing me to feel my stomach start to churn up my lunch thanks the unpleasant thought. "What're you gonna' do, Ash: kick me out? Chuck' some birthday cake at my face? Start another food fight? You'd be pretty damn stupid to do that at your own house. Though…I vaguely remember hearing about some other party of yours where there was cake and water all over the place…"
I heard Max poorly snort a snicker over Gary's rehash of the so-called "water-balloons-plus-cake-equals-one-hell-of-a-mess" fiasco from a few years back. Seriously, did Gary want me to slug him? The guy was doing a fantastic job of provoking me, that was for sure. But the last thing I needed was to be grounded during Misty's party for wasting a swing on Gary, no matter how good it might feel.
"You're NOT invited, Gary. End of story!" I barked, finally locking my eyes with Gary's. I must've looked pretty peeved, because Gary's eyes blinked the moment they saw the annoyance in mine. Good! It's about time he got the message. "Go bug someone else for a change."
It took a minute, but Gary finally backed down. Carelessly shrugging with his eyes, my rival huffed a passive, "Whatever." Thereafter, he typically waved a hand to silently bid us farewell, not before adding a finishing line. "Say hi to your girlfriend for me…and be sure not to screw up like you always do, Ashy Boy."
I was very, VERY close to belting that jerk, and the only saving grace at that moment was the fact that Gary left. Growling, I sunk deeper into my seat, trying to calm down after yet another 'enjoyable' encounter with Gary Oak. I could not figure that guy out! Some days, he was fine and nice to me. Other days, like today, he was a royal pain in the ass, just like the "good old days." Some things will never change, I guess.
"I take it your talent for messing up birthday parties exceeds just Misty's parties," I heard Max suddenly chime in next to me. Bad idea, Max. Before I knew it, my elbow hit his side hard enough to almost knock the boy's glasses off his face.
"Shut up, Max," I snarled angrily, thereafter slamming my elbows against the table to bury my face into my palms. I had to calm down. Still, there was no reason for Gary to start any of that crap. Why he enjoyed irritating me, I would probably never know, but I gave up trying to understand Gary Oak years ago.
Fortunately, I think Max understood. "Hehe, sorry Ash," he apologized sincerely, therein causing me to return the apology for jabbing him. Yeah, I shouldn't have taken out my anger on him, or anyone for that matter. Max was just trying to lighten the mood, and it was not his fault that Gary chose today to be a jerk.
"Man, I'll never figure that guy out," Brock muttered, sipping his soda and shaking his head, practically reading my mind. Swallowing a gulp of coke, my oldest friend then added a confused, "I thought you guys settled that rivalry thing after the Johto League."
Sighing, I shrugged. "So did I, but Gary's always been unpredictable. Some days, he and I are practically friends again. Other days, like today…" I trailed, discreetly gritting my teeth for a second. My friends just filled in the blanks.
"Well, don't let it get you down, Ash," May replied cheerfully from across the table. "Don't forget, once Misty arrives, everything will turn out great. You'll see."
I'll admit, May's comment made me smile. I guess Misty was the silver lining whenever it came to these disastrous birthdays. But now, as I absently stared at my reflection in the metallic tabletop, another realization struck me. "Maybe, but now I'm worried Gary will show his face during Misty's party." Just imagining that jerk crashing Misty's party made my blood boil. "Dammit, I have enough things to worry about! I did not need Gary making matters worse."
"Don't worry," Brock reassured firmly. "We'll be on the lookout for him. If any of us see him coming, we'll kick him out before he causes trouble."
Well, that was a relief, but I didn't want my friends acting as Gary-look-outs the whole day. They deserved to see Misty just as much as me. It wasn't right for me to hog Misty to myself. "Thanks, but maybe it would be better if I took care of Gary myself."
"Non-violently?" Max asked, narrowing his hazel eyes knowingly. "I don't advise you giving him a bloody nose three days before Misty's party. Otherwise, there may not be any party, and if there is one, you sure won't be allowed to go."
As always, know-it-all Max was right. I was already on thin ice with Mom after this morning's potty mouth incidents. Mom wouldn't need much more of an incentive to ground me from joining Misty's party, which was a fate worse than death. I'd rather do chores for a month than miss Misty's special day! "I know, Max, but how else can I make sure Gary won't show up?"
"He may not show up, Ash," Brock wisely suggested. "Half the time, Gary says one thing and does another, just to piss you off. I really don't think you should let him get to you."
"Brock's right," May agreed wholeheartedly. She and her brother didn't know Gary very well, but I told them plenty of stories during our travels through Hoenn. Everybody knew Gary and I had a rocky relationship. "Gary's got no business to even be at Misty's party, anyway. There's no reason for him to show up…"
"…Other than tick me or Misty off…" I predicted sourly, groaning as my hand ran through my black hair. "You guys weren't there during his ninth birthday party. Someone instigated a food fight, and I got blamed."
To be expected, my friends blinked, exchanging obvious looks. "You...you didn't start it, though, did you?" May asked hesitantly.
My default answer would be, "Of course not!" But instead, I exhaled and shrugged. "I really don't know who started it, May," I admitted openly. "But I got the whole blame. If that was not bad enough, Gary made me a total laughing stock in front of almost every boy in the neighborhood. You do the math," and my friends silently did just that. "For all I know...Gary would probably love nothing better than to screw up Misty's party as payback."
"Oh come' on, Ash," Brock chuckled incredulously; obviously thinking I was starting to overreact and stretch the truth. Maybe I was, somewhat. "Gary can be immature, but do you really think he'd be stupid enough to avenge something that happened years ago?"
"Yeah!" Max wholeheartedly agreed. "If you got all the blame, then Gary already got his revenge."
"I know, I know, but…" I trailed, at a loss for words and shaking my head. "But when Gary wants to be a jerk, he does everything in his power to be one. Now I've got a sinking feeling he's gonna' pull something!"
"Then we'll make sure he doesn't, Ash," May almost promised. "Look, Gary would be really stupid to pull anything. We're all gonna' be there, and so is Tracey, who lives with Gary's family! I'm sure if Tracey told Professor Oak that Gary pulled any crap, the professor would believe Tracey above all else. It wouldn't be in Gary's best interest to instigate anything, especially if he thinks he can get away with it."
"But that's just it, May!" I retorted a bit too loudly than necessary. "Gary does think he can get away with things! He always has! He's so freakin' spoiled and he never takes the blame for what he does, and that's why he's such a brat…"
Um, yeah, now I know I was starting to exaggerate. Brock interrupted me again to point that out, too. "I think Gary's a bit more mature than that, Ash," he corrected, making me quickly sink back into my seat. "After raising ten little kids, trust me when I say that every kid has his or her moments. I'm sure Gary had his moments of being a brat…just as much as I'm sure you had your moments, too, Ash. Whether or not you instigated that food fight, there were probably 'other' times when you weren't entirely innocent in those confrontations, right, Ash?"
I bit my lip, shooting Brock a glare, one he shot right back at me. Sure, I was no saint, and I had my moments, but Gary was worse. I was not the kid with the complex of, "Since I'm the great Professor Oak's grandson, I am 'supposed' to be a Pokemon Master!" Gary used his grandfather's glory many times to his advantage over the years, and it often worked. Nobody dared to scold or upset the child of a Pokemon researching prodigy. On the flip side, many people often misunderstood me as being plain jealous that Gary was the grandson of the amazing Professor Oak. Back then, maybe I was a little envious. What kid wouldn't want their parent or grandparent to be a celebrity? Imagine the perks! For a little kid, having a rich grandfather equals TONS-OF-BIG-EXPENSIVE-PRESENTS! But I got over that pretty quickly. Yeah, I'm not the most 'mature' of people, but I quickly realized the reason I didn't need a rich grandpa to shower me with presents. I had Mom, and I wouldn't trade her for all the money in the world.
"Look...I know I'm not perfect," I admitted in another sigh. "But Misty's party is something I want to be as perfect as possible. You guys know better than anyone how my luck runs with these birthday fiascos. I don't wanna' mess this up, and I sure as hell don't want Gary messing it up, either. Misty…" I found myself trailing, while my eyes suddenly reverted back to the table's reflection. Much to my surprise, my mirrored portrait was starting to redden, and I knew why. "…Misty…she deserves the best." I think I heard May muffle another girly squeal, which caused my cheeks to burn more profusely.
"We'll keep an eye out for Gary, okay?" Brock sympathetically reassured. I could tell by the tone of his voice that he was smiling, but it wasn't a rude smile by any means. "But we're not gonna' be held up at the windows all day awaiting an arrival that may never come, either."
I couldn't blame him. "I don't want you guys to be," I nodded, raising my face to smile at each one of them. "Gary's my problem, and I'll just have to deal with him if and when the time comes. I won't let him ruin your time with Misty."
Then I felt a hand on my shoulder, causing my eyes to meet Max' hazels. Much to my surprise, and joy, there wasn't a trace of sarcasm in Max' features: just confidence. "You won't ruin our time, Ash," the boy spoke with enough precision to rival his book-quoting. If I had not known better, it sounded like Max was speaking the truth. "And you won't ruin Misty's party, either. Like sis said, everything will turn out great. You'll see."
I really needed to hear that. Considering Max was usually the first person to tease me about my birthday issues, there was no greater compliment than getting a vote of confidence from him. A bright smile flashed through my curled lips before I even managed a grateful nod.
Max, May, and Brock were right. I had been getting paranoid over the dumbest details regarding Misty's newest party. First came this morning's invitation mix-up, and now Gary. Simple things were making me a nervous wreck and driving me to overreact, jumping the gum, er, gun, and all that. Maybe I really should take a chill pill. After all, there was no sense in getting worked up over something that may not happen. I was still going to keep Gary in the back of my mind, just in case, but I was not about to let that jerk ruin Misty's birthday. I had been waiting for March 20th ever since last year's, and nobody, not even Gary Oak, was going to ruin it!
Ding dong!
"Coming!" sang the harmonious tune of one Delia Ketchum, fluttering to the living room's front door. Misty's cake was currently in its respective oven, and just when Mrs. Ketchum thought she could finally take a five-minute break, the doorbell rang.
Urgh, will I ever sit down today? Sighing tiredly, the woman fixed her appearance as best as possible, fingers combing her auburn hair. There was a chance Professor Oak would be behind that door to relay the news of their theatre tickets. For Sam, Delia did not want to look like someone who just crawled out of a grave. Unlocking the door and turning the knob, Delia put on a smile, expecting her older friend to greet her.
However, it was not Professor Oak who greeted Delia. Instead, it was…
"Like, hiya there!"
"Cooool!"
Blinking and sweatdropping, a surprised Delia did a double-take upon inspecting two teenagers on her front porch. Neither looked familiar to Delia, and she knew almost everybody in Pallet Town. Both teenagers appeared in their late teens, dressed in uniforms for high school seniors. To be exact, they wore female uniforms – black dress shoes, white knee-high socks, short gray skirts, and tan v-neck sweaters flashing a school insignia Delia couldn't quite make out. Both girls wore a tad too much make-up for Delia's taste, and their skin appeared as though the teenagers spent an unhealthy number of hours at the tanning salon. One bubbly young lady had long orangey hair, while the softer-spoken girl had short blonde hair. Surely, Delia would recognize townspeople as flamboyant as these two, yet the woman was drawing a blank.
Bracing herself, Delia dared to ask, "Can I help you?"
With Meowth and Wobbuffet staking out in the nearby bushes, the undercover Jessie and James exchanged secret smirks. Showtime!
"Why yes!" the orange-haired Jessie gushed, posing energetically in her infamous schoolgirl uniform. "We're, like, old friends of…" she stammered, thinking for a second to remember the twerpette's name. After running into a few too many twerps during her lifetime, Jessie lost track of every brat's name. "...Missy!"
Delia blinked strangely. Then came a soft yelp came from Jessie's over-painted lips, as Meowth discreetly jabbed the girl's ankle with a bush branch. "It's 'Misty,' you peabrain!" he hissed as quietly as possible. Meowth would have gone totally unnoticed, too, had the bush not randomly resonated a delirious "Wooooobuffet!"
When Jessie realized the twerp's mother was already getting suspicious, the Rocket girl not-so-discreetly kicked the bush to shut up the hiding Pokemon. When that drove one of Delia's eyebrows to arch, the sweatdropping Jessie giddily laughed, pooh-poohing the matter and attempting to change the subject. "Uh, I mean...Misty!" she corrected, attempting to save herself. "We always, like, called her Missy! Tee hee."
"Oh really..." Delia muttered, not sure what to make of these odd strangers. Mrs. Ketchum certainly was not the type of person to slam the door in people's faces, but she did not want any trouble, either. Then again, these schoolgirls obviously knew Misty, so that led Delia to automatically assume one thing. "Well, I'm afraid Misty's not here, yet. Were you invited to the party?"
There were things to be said for the Ketchums' inherent naivety. Relieved to know her brilliant scheme had yet to go up in smoke, Jessie continued her charade. "You, like, bet we were!" she cheered with her horrible valley girl voice. "Like, we showed up a little early. But when we got the invitations, we like, just couldn't wait for that radical party!"
"Coooooool!" James finally gushed in his girly impression. It took every ounce of Meowth's willpower not to fall out of the bush in rolling hysterics. But that would blow their cover, yes? So the cat chewed on his bleeding lip to keep his big mouth shut.
"Well, the party's not for another three days," Delia informed, though she was happy to know these oddballs were friends of Misty's, instead of total strangers who might cause trouble. These schoolgirls were clearly out-of-towners, probably from a Cerulean City high school. Granted, Delia did not know these people, and gushy girls did not seem to mix with tomboyish Misty. Still, Delia knew she was in no position to question Misty's friends. Misty was obviously a good judge of character if she befriended people like Ash, Brock, Tracey, May, and Max. Thus, there was no need for Delia to worry. "But I'd be happy to let my son and his friends know you've arrived. What're your names?"
Jessie and James exchanged looks for a second. They needed aliases...quick!
"Uh...like, I'm Jesselin!" Jessie lied, pointing to her nose before directing the same index finger in James' direction. "And this here's Jane!"
The girl (well, man) of few words confirmed Jane's identity with another high-pitched, "Coooooooool!"
"Well, it's very nice to meet you," jubilantly welcomed Delia, making sure to shake the girls' hands. "I'm Ash's mother, Mrs. Ketchum. Though, speaking of Ash…I don't recall him mentioning your names before," she curiously pondered, much to the sweating horrors of 'Jesselin' and 'Jane.' True, Delia knew Ash tended to be forgetful, so it was not extraordinary to envision him forgetting about these two schoolgirls. Sometimes, Delia found it an utter miracle that her scatterbrained son remembered his own name! Even so, "Ash said he was inviting four other girls: Trinity, Sakura, Casey, and Marina." Not noticing Jesselin and Jane gulp, Delia smiled rather awkwardly. "You'll have to excuse me, but your names don't ring a bell."
"Not so 'dippy,' is she?" the wise Meowth muttered from his bush.
Jessie would have kicked the bush again, but she knew that would only draw greater suspicions from the twerp mom. The Rockets had to think quickly! Surely, Jessie was brilliant enough to fool Mrs. Ketchum. Before her plan could flounder, Jessie quickly cued Delia closer to whisper something in her ear.
"Well, like…" Jesselin stammered. "…Jane and I are kinda' supposed to be, like, a 'surprise' for Missy…I-I mean Misty. But the twer-I mean your son, like, knows all about us."
Delia still could not recall Ash ever mentioning Jesselin and Jane. But as the orange-haired teen noted, this visit was meant to be a surprise. Mrs. Ketchum just wished Ash had told her about this, because now Delia would have to make accommodations for two extra guests. Surely, Jesselin and Jane's arrivals were intended to be surprises for Misty, not surprises for Delia. But leave it to Ash to let a detail such as this slip his mind. Yes, Delia was impressed, and touched, by Ash's efforts planning Misty's party. However, the woman also had to admit her son was not approaching this matter as wisely as he could. Nonetheless, Ash getting himself in over his head was certainly nothing new, and Delia did what she always did: grin and bear it. Her son was bound to learn his lesson, eventually. Plus, Ash was the one always claiming he was growing up, who did not need to be babied by his mother. All Delia could do was trust Ash's judgment.
"Well, alright then," Delia brightened, before motioning for the teenagers to enter her home. Honestly, entertaining guests was the last thing Delia felt like doing after slaving over Misty's cake all morning. However, tiredness never stopped Delia Ketchum from being a gracious host. "In that case, please come in. Would you girls like anything to drink?"
Winning their tickets into the Ketchum residence, Jesselin and Jane squealed in delight. "Why, like, thank you!" Jessie replied, while James sung another "Coool!" for a good measure. Trotting into the living room, James scanned the area with his eyes, while Jessie kept Mrs. Ketchum busy. "But we, like, can't stay very long. We've still gotta' go buy Misty's presents, and like, buy new clothes for the party. We're totally busy! So, like, we really just wanted to drop in and say 'hi!' to let your brat-I-I mean your son know we're, like, totally comin' to the par-tay!"
As much as virtually possible, Jesselin's "like"-riddled words made sense to Delia. "Oh, well, if you're in a hurry, just let me run into the kitchen and get you those drinks. You'll probably need them if you're planning on running around downtown." From experience, Delia knew spending a day shopping in downtown Pallet could be an exhausting but fun adventure. The woman certainly did not want Misty's friends to fall sick before her party. Making her way to the kitchen, the last Delia mentioned was, "Please, sit down and make yourselves comfortable. I'll be right back!"
Grinning from ear to ear, Jesselin replied, "Like, totally thanks!"
"Cooool!" Jane finished.
Once the clueless twerp mother disappeared into the kitchen, Jessie and James got to work. The unused party invitations were still scattered across the living room's coffee table. Each card was practically calling out to the Rockets, which was why the incognito schoolgirls hurriedly stuffed the cards under their sweaters. Considering the twerps were so oblivious during the earlier invitation mix-up, Jessie and James doubted the kids would notice the missing cards. Mrs. Ketchum obviously had better things to worry about, too. Even if she did notice the absent cards, the Rockets would be long gone before Delia could do anything about it. Victorious winks were exchanged, just as Mrs. Ketchum reentered with two large glasses of orange juice, offering one to each guest.
"I must say..." Delia started as Jesselin and Jane quaffed down their juice like dehydrated fish. In spite of her personal misgivings concerning Misty's party, Delia felt inclined to admit, "I think what you and my son are doing is very sweet."
Jesselin and Jane blinked, soundly swallowing the remainder of their drinks. "Come again?"
Delia just giggled, running a hand through her auburn bangs. "This party is important to Misty. But, I think it's even more important to my son that this party turns out okay. I know Ash has nothing but the best intentions, but sometimes he doesn't always think things through."
No kidding, Jessie and James bluntly thought in unison.
"But I'm just glad to know both Ash and Misty have such good friends like you," beamed Delia, obviously speaking from her heart. "It's wonderful that my son knows people who care about Misty and are willing to help make this party the best it can be."
Oh damn, like it or not, Jessie and James could feel their unflattering consciences kick in. How was it that mothers possessed the abilities to guilt almost anyone, even people outside family? One thing was for sure, the Rockets suddenly felt a tad claustrophobic in the Ketchum parlor. Knowing they overstayed their welcome, Jessie and James haphazardly made their exits.
"Oh, like, look at the time!" Jesselin gasped, looking at her arm (which had no watch) before grabbing Jane's collar and heading for the front door. "We've like, gotta' go! Thanks for the drinks! C'ya at the rad party!"
"Coooooooooooool!" Jane sung farewell, mid-sentence as he and Jessie dashed out the door and down the street. The weird duo was gone long before the blinking Mrs. Ketchum could even ponder the girls' whirling dervish.
Sighing, Delia just strolled to the door, shut it, and shook her head. Ash does attract some strange people, doesn't he?
Dirt road crunching under their shoes, Jessie and James stopped to catch their breath once they reached a safe distance from the Ketchum house. A short distance behind, Meowth and Wobbuffet scampered to join their fleeing teammates. Reorganized and reinvigorated, Jessie and James quickly whipped out the invitations from under their sweaters. In one hand went the cards, while their opposite free hand slapped each other a celebratory high-five.
"We did it!" Jessie exclaimed, staring down at the Dragonair-designed invitations in her hands. "Now all we need to do is mail these out!"
"What're yous talkin' about?" Meowth asked strangely, still trying to decipher the logic behind Jessie's so-called brilliant scheme. "What does sendin' out boirthday party invitations have ta' do with us gettin' Pokemon, and with humiliatin' da twoirp?"
Jessie snickered villainously, waving the invitations like a flag under Meowth's nose. "What you see here, Meowth, are not 'birthday party' invitations, per se." Overdramatically, the orange-dyed redhead proclaimed exuberantly, "Once we're done with them, these'll be invitations to the greatest and BIGGEST celebration this town has ever seen!"
The complaining cat's jaw almost hit the ground. "I thought we were gonna' humiliate da' twoirp, not make him more popula'!"
Jessie shook her head in exasperation. "Furball! Don't you get it? The twerpette wants a small party, and I'm sure the twerp's mother wants the same," she said, grinning like a madwoman. "But if we make it look like the twerp invited the rest of the town to this shindig – without Mommy's permission – so much for a 'little party'! And if the party gets too big, and out of control…"
Meowth understood the rest, beaming brightly as his light bulb clicked. "Ha ha! Da' twoirp's gonna' be in soooooo much trouble!"
On the same wavelength, Jessie nodded in full agreement. "And trouble is what we're all about, Meowth!"
"Cooooooool!" James suddenly gushed in excitement.
Blinking, Jessie and Meowth turned to their cross-dressing partner. "Uh...James..." Jessie sweatdropped. "You don't have to do that anymore."
Blinking to himself, James blushed, lowering his head sheepishly. "Oh. Sorry."
"Woooooooobbuffet!" Wobbuffet chimed before getting returned to its Pokeball.
"Anyway, let's get started!" Jessie ordered, Meowth and James nodding in full agreement. Punching an excited fist into the air, the smirking Rocket girl reveled over what was sure to be her greatest scheme ever. Without doubt in Jessie's mind, this plan was perfect, and she, James, and Meowth would have fun executing it. Though, which would be the greater source of entertainment: mischief-making at the twerp's party, or watching that brat finally get the punishment he rightfully deserved?
Either way, Jessie knew she was guaranteed to enjoy herself. "You heard the twerp mother; we've got three days to initiate Operation: Pallet-Palooza!"
To Be Continued...
A/N: James will never live down his St. Anne schoolgirl segment (not in my book, anyway). And yes, I couldn't resist throwing Gary into this fic. What good Pallet Town story would be complete without Ash's favorite rival? ^^
Credits-wise, "Pallet-Palooza" was spoofed off the anime episode "Wobbu-Palooza" (which is, like, one of my all-time favorite episodes. I'm totally jealous of the characters in that episode, living in a Wobbuffet-filled village, and even wearing T-shirts with Wobbuffet faces on them! Lucky bastards). All hail Wobbuffet! *hugs Wobbuffet plushie*
So…now that I'm totally digging Ash's grave even deeper…stay tuned for Ch.4!