Pokémon Spirited Away

Alight! Chapter 4 is up folks! Hope this clears up some questions you might have! If not…That'll happen later on! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon nor Spirited Away. Sigh…

Review: White realized that they were in the spirit world and met up again with the boy from earlier. He gave her and the Pokémon some food that prevented them from fading away. He then hides White from view of a Honchkrow, much to Snivy's anger, as he had White in an uncomfortable position. After a small delay, he leads White to the bath house, White seeing her friends very briefly before arriving. After becoming invisible then revisable, the greeters of the bath house were about to capture White when flames erupted everywhere. N told her to go to Kamaji and ask for work before going off to put out the flames. What will happen to our brave heroine?

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White sighed in relief as she and the Pokémon were able to crawl back to the gardens, avoiding anyone. From the bridge came the relieved cries as the fires were extinguished and the Politoeds scattering to search for her. She stood up and opened the back gate, just as N had done for her a short while ago, and yet it felt like forever. She let the Pokémon pass, before she slipped through, closing it securely behind her. She was much calmer now, thanks to Snivy and the others. Now, White was going to follow N's directions and find Kamaji.

The wind blew softly as White walked forward, Snivy settled on her shoulders, Oshawott in her bag, and Tepig in her arms. Carefully, she found a wooden platform with a set of stairs. White leaned over to see how long it was. The stairs stretched down a great distance, leading to a smaller platform, farther away.

"Yikes…" White whispered. "Long way down."

"You can say that again," Oshawott remarked.

White felt a little dizzy looking at the great distance between her and the ground, but she took a deep breath and drew on her courage. She looked around for a railing, but there was nothing. She sighed. Ah well, it would have been difficult for her to grip a railing with Tepig in her arms. But it would have been comforting too.

"Just take it one step at a time," White said, gently setting a foot on one step. So far so good. Steps one through three went well. Step four…Not so much.

"YIPE!" White cried as she slipped and landed on the fifth step, right on her rear end. She winced at the pain, but was relieved. A sore butt she could put up with; death and eternal residence in this world, not so much. White got back up and secured the Pokémon better before climbing down to the next step…

Creeeeaak…

"Huh?" Oshawott asked a the peculiar noise filled the air,

SNAP! CRASH!

The wooden step was very worn and it couldn't support the weight of a human and three small Pokémon. White was sent sliding down a few dozen steps, screeching as she held the terrified Pokémon close. She was jostled this way and that, like a roller coaster, with all the twists and turns, without the safety of a seat belt. The Pokémon screamed and yelled in harmony with White as they tumbled down the steps before White managed to get to her feet and ran down the rest at a breakneck pace, yelling the whole way down, a peculiar feeling sweeping over her as well as horror, excitement, and exhilaration.

WHAM!

As quickly as it had happened, the terrifying tumble had ended, with White's face pressed against a stone wall. It took s few moments to process what the hell just happened to them. After those couple minutes of mortal fear, they were now at the end of the stairs.

White, Snivy, Oshawott, and Tepig all looked at each other for a few moments. Then they all burst out laughing It was so hilarious, crashing into a wall at the end. And despite the terror, the ride had actually been quite fun. It was also comforting, to laugh in the face of a strange new world.

White stopped laughing quickly and pressed a hand to Snivy's mouth, silencing her. The others soon followed. Above them, a window opened. A ghost-spirit stuck its head out the window and puffed on a cigarette, letting the smoke blow across the night sky. It was clear he was going to be there for a while. White held up a finger to her mouth before she snuck past, towards the second flight of stairs.

Once a safe distance away, Snivy said the thing that had been bugging her for the last half hour.

"I don't like that N guy."

"He's helping us, Snivy," White said as she stepped down carefully.

"Still," she said, going on as if White hadn't spoken at all, "There is something strange about him."

White shot her a patronizing look. Snivy understood what she was getting at and was about to say something else when something caught her eye. She choked slightly and hissed, "White…You have white ears…"

"Huh?"

"Just…Lift your hand to your head…" White did that. "Now, place it on the top." White also did that. "Now…Move it to the left." White did…

White froze and felt it again. There, amongst her hair, was a soft, furry little ear, just off to the left side, where her normal ear should be, only higher. White checked the other side and found another to match.

"Wha…?" she asked as Tepig and Oshawott gasped.

"You…Have…A TAIL!" Oshawott shouted hysterically.

White swerved her head and nearly passed out. Indeed, a creamy white forked tail cowered between her legs, shaking like a scared Lillipup. White sat down hard on the cement stairs, confused and shocked by it all.

No one said anything for a while. Then Tepig said, "When that spirit grabbed you, back when we were fighting with Cheren and Bianca…It must have put the same curse on you…"

"Is it a slow thing?" Oshawott asked nervously.

Snivy looked at the face of her Trainer, showing no emotion. White's eyes were wide and unblinking as a large purple dot formed over each of her eyes. Snivy nodded and then slapped White across the face.

Tepig's jaw dropped and Oshawott fumbled with his scallchop. White looked at Snivy, surprised.

"White, concentrate on me, okay? Just think about what you look like normally. No cream colored ears or tail and no purple dots."

"Purple dots? What purple dots?" White asked fearfully.

"No purple dots," Snivy said forcefully. "Just concentrate."

White sighed and nodded. She closed her eyes and drew up a mental picture of herself, with Bianca and Cheren there too. White relaxed and the Pokémon watched in fascination and relief as the white ears moved downwards and morphed back into her normal ears and the white tail retracted into her body. The pale lavender dots faded from view. White opened her eyes and said, "Better?"

"Much better," Snivy said with a smile.

"Holy Arceus," Tepig said in wonder. "They tried to cast a spell on you, but Cheren broke the contact. The spell's incomplete; it allows you to turn into a Pokémon at your will!"

"How awesome it that?" Oshawott asked. He grinned. "Of course, since White was going blue and cream, it's safe to say she was being transformed into a Water-type, correct?"

WHACK!

Oshawott groaned as he rubbed his sore head while Snivy glared at him.

"You dope! What Water-type has a thin cream and purple tail?"

"I was…Turning into a Mienshao," White whispered.

The Pokémon turned to White, stunned.

"How can you tell?"

"Just…I felt stronger, swifter, more agile…And it was triggered through adrenaline rush and calmed through meditation. Anyone know anyone but Physic and Fighting-types that meditate? And the colors…A Mienshao," White said with finality.

"…I think it suits you," Snivy said with a soft smile. She meant it too. While she would have preferred White turning into a Grass-type, like herself, a Mienshao was graceful and elegant, while tough and skilled, everything her Trainer was. White was speedy enough, but added with the skills of a Mienshao, she was even more powerful.

"Alright," White said, standing up. "I think we better get moving before something else unexpected happens. I don't think I can take too many more surprises, you guys?"

"Nope."

"No."

"Uh-uh."

"Then let's get moving."

The foursome then began to tread again, White thinking hard. "I think I should tell N, whenever we see him again."

Snivy groaned. She disliked N with a burning passion.

"He might be able to help, Snivy," White said. Snivy stopped. Okay, maybe she could tolerate the green-haired guy long enough for them to get some more answers. They all lapsed into silence for the time being.

The back of the bath house was completely different, the walls unadorned and a grey color, some places stained in soot or mold, the tall top casting a shadow over the back that made it look dark and creepy. White hopped down the last few steps, her ears there again before she drew on her mental image and they returned to normal. If it was going to happen every time she did physical stuff, White was going to dig out her cap and slap it on. A grey-green metal door with a tiny window was stuck in the wall, the same White had seen in the directions N had implanted her with. It was the door to the boiler room, where Kamaji should be.

"So…" White said looking at the door with a mix of fear and anticipation. "Whose ready to meet Kamaji?"

"…I'd pass if it weren't crucial to freeing Bianca and Cheren," Snivy replied with the others agreeing.

"I would too," White said embarrassed.

She shook herself slightly and pulled open the door, this time the ears staying down. The Pokémon raced through the opening with White following, closing the door behind her. The entrance they were in was a narrow hall covered in pipes on both sides, smoke and steam streaming out from little leaks. It was fairly hot in there, as expected in a boiler room. White and the Pokémon stepped quietly down the hall, an orange glow guiding them forward through the shadows. White and Snivy peeked around the corner together, the Snivy wrapped around White's neck, while Oshawott and Tepig glanced down lower.

There was the massive boiler. It was a ridiculously gigantic piece of iron equipment that reached up to the ceiling. At the base of the boiler was an open door that looked over the orange and red flames. A line of tiny, little black puff balls dashed to and fro, dropping large lumps of coal into the furnace. White recognized them as soot sprites, otherwise known as Susuwatari, from her own home and the forest close to where she lived. She smiled at the comforting sight before she turned her eyes to who she expected to be their boss, Kamaji, who was sitting on top of a tall block.

Kamaji looked like any normal aging man, White supposed, his head bald with an overly bushy mustache and a pair of black sunglasses. But unlike a normal man, Kamaji had more than two arms. He had six to be exact, all of them pulling levers, hooking up wire, or grinding up herbs in a mortar and pestle in front of him. One hand paused in its work to whip sweat from his brow and White realized he only had two fingers, along with a thumb, on each hand.

White gulped slightly. Kamaji seemed fairly intimidating and White had only dealt with calmer and much more polite forest spirits back home. Ah how she missed Totoro and his friends…But this wasn't any normal situation. This was so White could secure a job to help save her friends. Besides, if it was fire she was going to be working with, White was diffidently the girl for the job.

She looked at the Pokémon, who nodded encouragingly. White was about to step out to talk to him when Kamaji wrapped a hammer on the side of a hand crank three times. The soot sprites stopped their work and retreated to some tiny holes in the wall. The coal they had been carrying was either taken back with them or thrown into the furnace, depending on how close they were to the little door. White felt more relieved. Now was the perfect time to ask him for a job.

White tenderly stepped out into the warm glow of the furnace and walked towards Kamaji. She was certain he knew she and the Pokémon were there and this was his way of hearing what she had to say. But it was certainly hard to tell, as the man kept grinding up something.

"Hel-hello?" White asked the man. "Excuse me?"

Kamaji looked up at White for about three seconds. Then one of his arms grabbed a teapot, raised it to his mouth, and the old man took a few swigs from it. He went back to his work without another glance. White and Snivy shared a look, before White pulled on her determined face and stepped over to just below Kamaji's work station.

"Hello? White asked again. "Are you Kamaji?"

The old man gave a grunt and a careless glance for another couple of second. But now, he did a double take at the strange girl standing in his boiler room, surprised by her boldness. Her pale blue eyes stared at him with determination as the Snivy curled up around her neck, an Oshawott peaking around her legs with a Tepig sitting by her side. This girl reminded him of someone from long ago, but the past was a place Kamaji rarely dwelled on these days, so he ignored that feeling.

White took in a deep breath and said quickly, "N told me to come to you and ask for work? May I have a job here? Please?" White paused and looked at the man before continuing, "I'm very good at working with fire sir; I've had experience."

The old man stared at her for a little while when, from the ceiling, lavender ropes dropped down. Tied to each of their ends were red cards, come with different yellow shapes or black lines on each. Kamaji, who had been studying White carefully, grimaced and groaned at the sight of the cards.

"Four damn bath tokens at once…" he grumbled angrily as he banged the hammer three times again. "Alright you runts! Back to work!"

Kamaji turned his attention back to White and, though his eyes were hidden by his sunglasses, she could tell his stare had grown hostile.

"Yeah, I'm Kamaji, slave to this accursed boiler and bathhouse," he replied in an annoyed tone. "Hey soot sprites! Move it you lil twerps!" he shouted in a hoarse voice.

"Did he even listen to your request?" Snivy asked underneath her breath.

"Please Mister Kamaji," White requested a little louder. "Can't you give me a job?"

"Bah! I don't need your help, little girl," Kamaji spat. "This place is full of soot. I place an enchantment on it and I have all the work I need from the soot sprites."

At the mention of their names, the Susuwatari poured out of the holes, carrying once again the huge lumps of coal that looked too big for the little creatures to carry. White backed out of the way, as Tepig and Oshawott climbed into her bag, trying to clear a path for them. It didn't work though, as a soot sprite crashed into her foot, squeaking angrily.

"Sorry," White said to it, lifting her foot to let it pass.

It squeaked again before continuing, only for another soot sprite to crash into White's other foot. Then number quickly grew to two, then three, then finally ten, as a giant collision was right at her own feet.

"Sorry," White called again, as she made a graceful leap to the side, landing in an empty spot before moving again. "Excuse me. Sorry!" she said as she dodged the soot sprites. White managed to land in an open spot just to the right of the farthest hole on the left. Hopefully, she could keep out of the soot sprites' way and their work.

"Coming through!"

White suddenly leaped into the air, her senses surprising her as one of Kamaji's arm shout out and pulled open a draw, drawing out some stalks of dried purple flowers. White landed on a platform and watched as the arm reached out towards another drawer near the ceiling. It opened it and removed something else. Kamaji's arm returned to his body as he began to mix up the materials he needed.

"Lavender and thyme?" White questioned.

"Know your plants huh? Yeah, lavender water and thyme baths are pretty popular around here kid," Kamaji said as he ground up the stalks and mixed the together.

Squeak! Squeak! Squeak!

White heard a few pitiful cries from one of the smaller sprites. It was being crushed by the weight of a piece of coal three times the size of it. White watched in surprise as the other sprites ignored it, gathering their coal and walking up as though nothing was happening. White frowned and set her bag to the side, her heart tugging at the pitiful sight. She walked to the small sprite and lifted its burden from it.

Squeak? Squeak! Squeak squeak squeak!

All the other sprites watched in amazement as White lifted the coal off the trapped one's body. White frowned at the weight. It was heavier than she had expected, but she managed to lift it and set it next to her foot. The sprite was relieved and, looking a bit frazzled from being crushed, gave a sort of bow to White before rushing back to a hole.

"Nice work," Oshawott said with a smile.

"It should have done it on its own," Snivy said, crossing her arms. "But it was nice of you to help it out White."

White smiled when Kamaji said to her, "Girl! Finish what you've started!"

White blinked slightly and glanced down at the coal. Finish what she'd started? He must have meant for her to throw the coal into the furnace. White guessed this was a test of some sort, to prove to Kamaji that she could work hard and perhaps land her a job. White bent down and wrapped the sleeves of her jacket around the coal, (don't ask her why, but it felt easier), and picked it up. She lugged it towards the furnace, the Pokémon sitting on the sidelines cheering her on.

"Go White!" Oshawott and Tepig called. Snivy merely clapped her hands together, but nodded encouragingly to her Trainer.

White smiled softly, it felt like she could do anything with her partner and new Pokémon friends cheering her on. The other soot sprites cleared up a path for White. They watched with excitement and anticipation was White reached the furnace. The door of it, instead of staying open, would open and close every few second, allowing for coal to be thrown in one piece at a time. White prepared for the toss, timing it just right. With a flick of her wrist, the coal shot into the flames and was consumed by the fire. White grinned and dusted her soot-stained, sleeve covered hands.

The soot sprites squeaked to one another, amazed by what they had seen. One quickly dropped its coal on itself and pretended that it was being crushed, clearly wanting White's help. Soon, a whole crowd had gathered at White's feet, following suit. White looked surprised as the pile of coal built up around her, the Pokémon moving to her to help move it away.

"Hey you little soot balls! Get back to work else I'll crush you all!" Kamaji threatened, holding his hammer like a club. "And you human. You can't just take someone else's job! If these soot sprites don't work, their spell wears off and they turn back to regular soot. Now go. There's no work for you here. Try somewhere else." He sighed and looked slightly sad. "Sorry kid."

White sighed and the Pokémon hung their heads. That plan was bust. But the soot sprites began to squeak angrily at Kamaji. They were all upset at him for trying to turn her away, they could tell this girl would be a good worker and wanted her to stay. They crowded around her, stopping her from leaving.

"You soot balls got a problem? Get back to work!" Kamaji snapped angrily, pointing his hammer at them.

At that moment, a small door, more a like a wooden panel, slide open from the wall. A woman climbed through. She was tall and young, with green-black hair that fell to her waist, a wooden bucket around her arm. White noticed that her nails were a little longer than most and a pink feather was tucked behind her ear. Her shape was very thin too, lithe and without curves. White realized this woman was no doubt a half human-half Pokémon creature, perhaps a Sneasle.

"Hey, I brought lunch," she announced. "Whoa, what's going on here? Another fight?"

The woman removed a china bowl with unusual food from her bucket. Kamaji rapped his hammer on the wheel three times again and said, "Alright, break time you soot runts!"

The woman passed the china bowl to Kamaji. "Now where's your other bowl? The one from yesterday?" Kamaji passed her an empty bowl. "Ugh, I keep telling you to leave your dirty dishes outside so I can pick them up." She then turned away from the old man as he started to eat, bending over the edge of the platform and digging her hand into the wooden basket. The soot sprites abandoned White, heading for the Sneasle woman. She tossed out star-shaped sprinkles to the little sprites, who grabbed one or two each and began to nibble on them. White smiled as she watched them run about. They made her feel a little homesick.

Suddenly, the woman turned her head towards White and gasped. Her face visibly paled as she pointed at White and the crowd of Pokémon around her. "A human! You're the one everyone's looking for!"

"Dang it," Snivy said.

"We're busted," Oshawott sweat dropped.

Tepig merely sighed.

"She's my granddaughter," Kamaji said simply as he continued to eat his food. Everyone stared at him, but he ignored it all.

"She says she wants to work here. But…I've got all the help I need around here. Can you take her to see Yubaba for me?" he asked casually. "She's a tough little girl. I think she can handle it."

"Wha? Are you freakin' kidding me?" the woman asked. She crossed her arms and turned up her nose. "I'm not smuggling a human around here."

Kamaji had figured this would happen so he brought out his ace-in-the-hole. He waved a honey-yellow hardened candy to the woman.

"Not even for a sweet honey Poffin?" he asked.

The woman opened an eye, tempted beyond words. The last time she had had such a delicacy was last year.

"Listen kid," Kamaji said to White, "If you want a job so badly, you'll have to make a deal with Yubaba. She…"

"She rules over the bathhouse, I know," White said, finishing for him.

"Smart girl," he said with a smile, a hand reaching out and patting her head.

With a groan, the woman snatched up the offered treat from Kamaji and dumped the remaining sprinkles. "I give up, old man. Come on kid. Follow me if you want to get to Yubaba alive."

"Yes ma'am. Coming," White said with a bow before climbing over the small mountain of coal, the Pokémon leaping after her. She lifted up her bag and scrambled to the woman's side.

White removed her shoes, (her grandmother had taught her it was a custom among bathhouses), and placed them on the floor.

"You won't need those," the woman expressed.

White nodded and caught a little glimpse of eager soot sprites gazing over her shoes before she walked with the woman. Before White slipped through the door, she turned back to Kamaji and said, "Thank you so much, Kamaji."

He gave her a thumb's up and a smile. "Good luck, girl. You'll need it."

White nodded and she and Snivy closed the door after themselves.

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Yup! White's been turned into a Pokémon too, but she has control over it, unlike her friends. And she's met Kamaji and she's on her way with a familiar character (a few minor changes) through the bathhouse to get to Yubaba. Next chapter? On its way!