POKE-ON!
Chapter 4:
The Audition
"You have to admit," said DJ Rick to his assistant Mike as the girls from Hokago Tea Time finished setting up their instruments, "they are quite the professionals when it comes to setting up their stage."
"Just like how a true, bona fide rock band should be," Mike replied. Outside the Ketchum house, the Pikachu known as Charger was busy chasing a few butterflies, going around in circles like a dog chasing its tail.
"Folks, we are finished, we are finished, we are finished. Got set up with 5 minutes to spare." said Ritsu Tainaka. "How's that, you guys?"
"Nice," Mike said with a thumbs-up.
"Any other words from the rest of our band before we get started?
"Ummmm...not a bad record for us, I agree" said Azusa Nakano. "That was quick."
"All right. Come on girls let's show them what we're made of!" said Mio Akiyama, fist in the air.
"Yeah!" said the girls before they took their places.
"Everyone, quiet on the set," said DJ Rick. "Audition is now in session!"
"Fuwa Fuwa Time, you guys!" said Yui Hirasawa. Ritsu brought her drumsticks up.
"1, 2, 3, 4!" she said before the music started. A signature riff. C major, F major, G major. And the song began.
"Whenever I look at you, my heart throbs wildly
This shaky feeling is fluffy like marshmallow
You're always so hardworking, you never notice me
Watching your face so intently
And only in my dreams can we ever
Get close to each other
Ah, God please
Grant us some Dreamy Time, just the two of us together
I go cuddle my fave bunny plushie and say goodnight
Fluffy time~ (Fluffy time)
Fluffy time~ (Fluffy time)
Fluffy time~ (Fluffy time)
And again today, just being your casual self makes me squee
Just reading too much into your simple smile, I overheat!
Your serious face that I've seen soon enough
Comes into view everytime I close my eyes
I really want the two of us to have some Sweet Time together
Though that may only happen in my dreams!
Ah, My Lord, why does
This Dreamy Night aches me so much that I'm starting to like it
I already took out my special Mr. Bear will I be fine?
If I can just have some courage
And try to speak to you naturally
Would anything change?
Yeah I think so...
But dat's da biggest problem, ya see.
'Cuz then I'll need to think of a topic of conversation!
And it ain't gonna be natural fo me to do that in da first place...
Ahh, that's enough! Sleep sleep sleep! (Yea~! Let's sleep~)
Ah, God please
Grant me some Miracle Time, just once!
When I finally get that chance to talk to you then afterwards... we'll see
Fluffy time~ (Fluffy time)
Fluffy time~ (Fluffy time)
Fluffy time~ (Fluffy time)..."
"Here's one more song that we would like to sing," said Yui to DJ and Mike. "This is called My Love Is A Stapler."
"I wonder how?
That night I had you on my mind
This feeling
I'll try writing it down in a letter
Perhaps
Maybe this is just a whim
But even so it's only a few sheets
I have to keep writing!
A calculated formula probably derived from love
I wish I had it and yet…
A sparkling request
And a messy worry
That's it! Let's bind them together with a stapler
It's just the beginning but I'm feeling light
Before I knew it, it was too thick
I can't put in anymore staples
Lala See you tomorrow
What should I do?
I reread it; It's embarrassing!
This and that
I wrote it all!
These feelings
Need to go into the trashcan
My chest aches
Maybe I should just hold onto them
I'll express my current feelings
I'll search for words not even in dictionaries
Completely excited plans and
And exhausted developments
Let's bind it all with a stapler
Remember today's events
My heart is always tightening
I no longer have any staples so I need to buy some more
Lala See you tomorrow
A sparkling request
And a messy worry
That's it! Let's bind them together with a stapler
It's just the beginning but I'm feeling light
Before I knew it I was too thick
I can't put in anymore staples
Lala See you tomorrow..."
"Mike and Delia, I have to tell you folks, these girls are a goldmine!" said a dumbstruck DJ Rick, taking off his sunglasses.
"You're not kidding, brother! They sound like angels!" said Mike.
"LET'S SIGN THEM UP!" they both cried, throwing themselves down towards them.
"Thank you very much," Tsumugi Kotobuki said with a bow.
"Hold it, hold it." said Sawako Yamanaka, the band manager, appearing before the two awestruck men. "Before you two...ambitious gentlemen whip up a contract for my girls, these are the terms." with that she handed them a sheet of paper.
"You bet! Please stick around we'll have the contract ready by tomorrow." said Mike, taking the sheet.
"Welcome to the Pokestar family." said DJ Rick before they rushed out so they can get to work. "Have a great day everyone!"
"You too, take care," Sawako said, seeing them off.
"ALL RIGHT!" the girls cheered, high-fiving each other.
"Pi-Pikachu!" said Charger, celebrating as the bubbly Pikachu returned inside the house.
"That was beautiful, girls," said Delia. "You truly have some world-class talent."
"Thanks, Ms. Ketchum. You know, we have been doing this since our high school days and all through college. We've been doing it for so long it's like second nature to us." said Yui. "We just know how to get the job done."
"Why does Yui have to brag like that?" thought the girls.
"Couldn't help it," Yui said to them. "I'm stumping for you folks, cause it's true."
"Going overboard with this," Ritsu said as an aside, a sweatdrop coming down her forehead. Yui had to laugh.
"Mmm-hmmm, I see. Well then, do you guys know what you all are going to do while you wait for your travel gear?" asked Delia, going back to the refrigerator to pour herself a glass of iced tea.
"I do." said Mio before walking to the center of the room.
"Really?" asked Ritsu. "Do share. We are all ears, you know."
"Heh. Yep." She cleared her throat. "Ladies, we are gonna have a Pokemon training camp!" Mio declared.
"We all knew that was coming." groaned the girls.
"We need to be sure our Pokemon are ready for anything. I don't know about you guys, but I'm not gonna put Radar in danger until I know he can take it." said Mio.
"Radar?" asked the girls, confused.
"It's a name I came up for my Mudkip." said Mio getting out her starter's Pokeball. "Radar come on out!"
"Mudkip!" said Radar as he appeared. "Mudkip, Mudkip, Mudkip..."
"Pika pika." Charger told him, as if to say, "So that's your name."
"Mudkip?" asked Radar, as if to say, "What do you mean?"
"Pika." said Charger, as if to say, "Never mind."
"Oy, Mio. Why did you name him Radar?" asked Ritsu.
"Simple." said Mio picking him up. "See this fin on his head? Professor Birch told me it's like a radar."
"Mudkip?" asked Radar, as if to say, "Is that my name?"
"Pika pika pikachu." said Charger, as if to say, "She named you Radar, Mudkip."
"Mudkip." said Radar with a sweatdrop, as if to say, "Oh, that's terrible my friend, but I can live with it."
"I came up with a name for mine as well." said Azusa. "Hardtop come on out!"
"Squirtle Squirt." said Hardtop as he came out of his Pokeball, as if to say, "Hello everyone."
"Pikachu." said Charger, as if to say, "Hey, Hardtop."
"Mudkip." said Radar, as if to say, "Yo. That's your new name now. Gratz, Hardtop."
"Oh how cute! They seem to be gossiping." said Yui.
"How come you came up with that name Azusa?" asked Mugi.
"Well he has a hard head." said Azusa picking her Pokemon up. "Feel for yourself." the girls each came up to rub Hardtop's head.
"Whoooooa. Hey, you're right, Azusa!" said Ritsu. "Pretty clever."
"Azunyan is clever with names!" said Yui before she started to cuddle her. "Isn't that right, my sweet Azunyan!"
"Stop it, love!" Azusa cried before she was forced to lock lips with Yui.
"Pika?" asked Charger, as if to say, "What are you two doing?"
"Squirtle?" asked Hardtop, as if to say, "Are those two girls...hugging and kissing?"
"Long story." said the girls in unison making the Pokemon sweatdrop.
"All right fellas, here's mine!" said Ritsu. "Skytorch, come on out!"
"Charmander!" said Skytorch as he appeared from his Pokeball.
"Oh dear! Ritsu, please make sure your Pokemon's careful with that flaming tail. I can't let anything catch fire." said Delia.
"I'll put it out!" said Yui, stopping was she was doing before running to the kitchen to get a glass of water only to be tackled by Ritsu.
"You can't! Skytorch needs his tailflame lit so he can stay alive!" she told her.
"Oh!" said Yui. "I forgot about that."
"Well put him back in his Pokeball you baka!" said Mio giving the drummer another headbump. "Common sense, man!"
"Ouch! Skytorch...Return!" said Ritsu holding up her Pokeball which shot a red beam from the white button at Skytorch. once the beam hit him, Skytorch turned into energy and fused with the beam. Once that was done the beam was sucked back into the Pokeball.
"Um, that reminds me. Why did you pick that name, Ricchan? It doesn't look like he can fly." said Yui, scratching her head.
"Well not now, but he will once he grows up." said Ritsu getting out a chart. "This is from Professor Oak. Here's his kind's evolution chart. Take a look at he'll become a Charmelon, and then he'll be a Charizard."
"Oh." said the girls in unison.
"All right, I got a name picked for mine." said Mugi. "Ginseng, come on ou~~~~~~t!"
"Bul~~~basaur!" said Ginseng as he appeared from his Pokeball.
"Should've known she would pick a tea name." thought the others as Delia continued to sip her tea.
"I'm gonna see if Professor Oak can help me teach him how to find tea leaves in the wild. That can save us a lot." said Mugi.
"Here's mine," said Ui Hirasawa, Yui's younger sister. "Bruce, come on out!"
"Torchic!" said Bruce as he appeared.
"Once he grows up, everyone, he'll be part fire type and part fighting type." said Ui. "Hence the name."
"So you named him after the greatest fighter in history." said Mio making her nod. "Bruce Lee."
"The way of the martial artist is to be smooth like water!" said Ritsu in a fake Chinese accent reminiscent of David Carradine.
"You must put yourself to the limits everyday!" said Yui, also speaking in a deep, fake Chinese accent.
"Dedicate yourself to the art and we can make a warrior out of you yet!" they both said, posing in the fusion stance a la Dragon Ball Z.
"YOU BAKAS, STOP PLAYING AROUND!" said Mio giving them both headbumps.
"Ow," they both said.
"Pika pika!" said Charger slowly walking towards Mio with sparks coming out of his cheeks. As if to say, "You should stop too, woman! I'll teach you to mess with my master! Here!"
"Oops!" said Mio.
"PIKA-CHUUUU!"
"YOW!" cried Mio as she was hit by a Thunderbolt from Charger. Served her right. "Sorry!"
"From what I read, that was a Thunderbolt Attack." said Azusa, recalling the fundamentals. "It's super effective."
"I'm so happy he loves me enough to protect me!" said Yui picking her Pokemon up before she peppered his face in kisses. "Charger, I love you."
"Pika!" Charger exclaimed, as if to say, "When they mess with you, they mess with me. And I love you too, honey."
"Oy, you alright Mio?" asked Ritsu, laughing a little bit.
"I just feel...a little frazzled!" moaned Mio.
"Well all that aside I guess I should get into the act. So here's mine!" said Sawako. "Lucky, spotlight!"
"Treecko!" said Lucky as he appeared from his Pokeball. "Treecko..."
"Why'd you pick that name Sawachan?" asked Mugi, tilting her head to the side.
"He's kinda like a 4 leaf clover, so...I figure he could be a good luck charm." said Sawako, nodding her head.
"Treecko." said Lucky as produced a small twig and put it in his mouth. "Treecko!"
"You know I've been thinking, What kind of Pokemon job should we get?" asked Azusa, asking the others as the inquisitive cat that she was.
"I say...wait for it...wait for it...let's all be Pokemon Handlers!" said Yui, causing the others to fall over.
"You realize, that's a lot of jobs wrapped in one, right Yui?" asked Ritsu.
"Well, it could be a good image for us." said Mugi.
"Okay, it sounds like a plan. All right, folks, once that contract comes up tomorrow we'll cut our first album since there's a recording studio in town, then we'll have our training camp. And then we'll use our first paycheck to buy that land and start making our house. Then once we get our travel gear we head out and make sure this world knows our name!" declared Sawako.
"Yeah!" said the girls. And thus, it was settled.
Nodoka Manabe returned from her work at her university to take in a little down time. She had been busy mulling through the nuances of the Pokemon universe that it was time to go ahead and watch some television.
A change into her pajamas after a long, cold shower, and she turned on the television. On the air was a new series.
"Poke-On?" Nodoka asked, watching the screen. And she saw images of the girls and the Pokemon: Charger, Radar, Hardtop, Skytorch, Ginseng, Bruce and Lucky.
"Oh my God," Nodoka said. "Not only have they sucked themselves into the game, now they are in a new anime project. Incredible."
No sooner had she that, when Nodoka heard the phone ring. She answered it. "Um, hello?"
"Hi, is this Nodoka Manabe? This is Sumire Saitou," said a voice over the line.
"Oh, you are Tsumugi's personal assistant, right?"
"That's correct. I was wondering, where did ojou-sama go? I haven't seen her in the past few days."
"Well..." Nodoka took a long pause before she could say something. "It's pretty much a long story."
END CHAPTER 4