Fun-time fill-in
It was another fine morning on the WB lot, and Ash Ketchum, a visitor from another dimension, was waking up with a, for now, common sight before him – the green eyes of a familiar cat. "Good morning, Rita." The traveler said to the cat on his chest as he laid on his bed. The cat stared at him for a few moments, just enjoying this welcoming sight for the past few moments.
"Morning to you, too." She said and then felt his fingers on one of her favorite spots: behind her left ear. 'I still can't believe that he had found one of my favorite petting spots.' She thought while letting out a passionate purr. The two stayed like that with one boy laying there while petting behind the ear of a gray and white cat until the visitor decided to get down to business.
"So, what are we going to do today?" Ash questioned to her while still petting his friend's fur.
"Not sure what we could do, but Runt and I have an episode to get to this afternoon." The gray furred singer said to her friend, even though she felt as though she wanted it to me more. He picked her up from him by placing his hands under her upper arms, and then placed her on the floor.
"Before that I have to fix you two some Breakfast." He said to her while lightly patting her on the head. He then walked off to his kitchen with the feline right beside him. The human then created the traditional grub for her, and the moment the trainer put the bacon into the oven he heard something slam into his counter.
"Bacon. I smelled bacon. Definitely, definitely bacon." The big dog said acting as though he did not feel a thing. He then went around to the kitchen where the others were. "Am I late, Ash?" Runt questioned while looking this way and that for his meal.
"Just put the bacon in the oven shouldn't be too long." The trainer answered back to the canine while wondering what kind of activities is he going to do today. As the three of them waited the boy decided to ask a question, "So, what will you two be doing today?" He has often asked them that ever since he let them in.
"We're supposed to do another Kiki episode." The singing one said to her friend with a shudder. He understood why she shuddered, aside from training and helping he also watched their work, and saw what she meant. "I much rather be in your arms than hers, Ash." She whispered even though that she only wanted it to be a thought instead.
"What did you say, Rita?" The trainer asked since he heard her, but did not know if he heard her right.
"What? Oh, nothing." She said back while seeming a bit bashful about his question. He ignored the awkwardness, and the group just waited for the cooking to be done, and once it was the three scarfed down their food selsction.
"Another great meal, Ash. Definitely, definitely good meal." The brown furred one said in a happy tone. For the next two hours the group just relaxed in the living room with Ash sitting on the couch, Rita on his lap, and Runt around his feet, but this didn't last.
"Hate to break it to you two, but it's almost time for your cartoon episode." Ash said to them even though that in this short time the two were taking a nap to digest their food.
"Not right now." The gray furred one said while curling in his lap not wanting to get to work. The monster tamer looked down at her with a smile, and also noticed that the dog was also fast asleep.
'What do I do?' He thought while wondering how to help them out. It was not in his natural to make up a lie so that they could stay with him, but he knew that he didn't have the physical strength to carry both even though he has been to the gym and muscles have been starting to appear.
"Just call me in sick." Rita said while still fast asleep. He heard her, but she knew that he wouldn't.
'This may be a bit risky even for me.' Ketchum thought as he decided to put his plan into action. The first thing that he did was pick up Rita - so he wouldn't disturb her as he got up. Once up he gently put her on his hat, since that was the first things he put on since he slept in his clothes, and as soon as she was up there her claws became one with his hat.
"Giant doggy bone!" Runt exclaimed causing the traveler to leap over the sofa from surprise.
'What was that?' He thought before looking down and saw that it was only the dog. He may have been here for almost a year, and even though he was used to talking in one's sleep he still hasn't gotten over all of their 'against logic' abilities. 'It was only you, Runt.' He thought before setting back to work by putting the hefty hound onto his back.
"Just a little lower, Ash." Rita purred while still sleeping on top of his head. The assistant had gotten the dog onto his back, opened/closed the door, and was in the elevator - going down.
'That was easy.' Ketchum thought while still having Runt on his back, surprised that he didn't weigh much. Once the elevator had brought it down to the base of the building he headed to where he knew the Kiki studio was in this lot, but as he was walking he noticed that a lot of people were staring at him; he even heard a few comments.
"What is that new guy up to?" One of the extras in a Harrison Ford movie said as he saw that hat wearer walk past him. The three of them were able to get to the right studio with minimal starring.
"This looks like the place." The boy said after looking at the big doorway. After he said that he went over to where the stage was set – including the co-star which in fact wasn't as mean as they made her seem; in fact she was actually quite kind when the camera's were off.
"Ah, Ash I see that you brought over the stars. After you wake them up you can go. We actually got a studio with good lighting system." The director of the episode Steven Spielberg said to the hired hand.
"Okay." He answered back, trying not to sound sad that he had to bid his two roommates good-bye. The human taxi knelt down and had Runt slid down his back. "Hey, Runt, time to go to work." He said softly to the snoozer, but there was no response, so he decided to use a tactic that he had been using ever since he escorted them to their stations. "After you get done with this I will play fetch with you with a new Tennis Ball." He said that that caused him to jump up in excitement.
"Fetch? We can play fetch after Rita and me play with the monkey?" The canine questioned while running around in circles.
"Sure. Sure thing, Runt." The trainer said after laughing at the funny antic. With that agreement made the canine ran off. A little after he watched the big dog run off he then felt something on the back of his neck. 'Oh, yeah. Rita's still on my head.' The raven haired one thought before taking off his hat, and placing it on the floor. "Rita, time for you to go to work." He whispered sweetly to her.
"Just five more minutes of petting." She muttered back since she was still half asleep. He really did not wish to wake her since she seemed to be enjoying it, but the boy knew that it had to be done.
"I'll pet you after this shooting, I promise, but right now you are needed." He said while slowly stroking his hand on her back. She heard his words, but after spending the last several nights and off days with him it was always hard for her to focus on work.
"Alright, I'll go, but you better hold up to your word, Ash Ketchum or you're hat is a scratching post." She warned after getting off the item in question and headed over to the set. Once she got there Kiki uttered in her native tongue a statement.
"Sorry about what I am about to do." The cat nodded and decided just to get it over with. Once he was outside the trainer then decided to go for his Walkie Talkie to see if there was anyone around that needed his help.
"Ash Ketchum to anyone that is listening to this - is there anyone out there that needs a hand?" He asked on his end and then waited for a reply from the others.
"No, I don't need you playing Tarzan of getting my acorns. Skippy and I are gonna get them by visitin one of my old pals." The elderly gray squirrel said to the boy before hanging up on her end.
"Why didn't you tell him which one, Aunt Slappy?" The nephew questioned in his innocent tone. While Ash has been there with the crew of creatures the young squirrel saw the trainer as an older brother.
"You remember when I let you talk me into having him tag along we visited Walter Wolf?" The green hat wearer questioned as she closed the door to her house.
"Sure I do." The other mammal said energetically.
"You remember when that old wolf tried one of his old school moves to get rid of me?" She questioned while on their way to the house. The boy gave it some thought and answered back.
"Sure I do, but he was only reacting like he usually does." He answered back as he recalled that one moment in time.
"A bomb!" Ash exclaimed a while after being left alone as the elderly man went to get snacks and saw that there was some stripes of red under Slappy's chair.
"Relax kid, I've got this." The female said, but her comment went unnoticed as he went into action.
"I got this." He said to her and went to work by ripping the comically long fuse from the end, but as soon as he did that SEVERAL more bombs were revealed underneath it. "Oh, crud. That, I did not see coming.
"Kid, enough already. I've been through this bit." She shouted while pulling on his hair, just to get his attention, but he ignored her.
"No time to defuse them all." He muttered before adding, "One other option." The monster man slacked the experienced one over his left shoulder and the youngling under his right arm.
'He does realize that we can't be killed let alone die.' Skippy thought even though he learned that lesson the hard way. He felt the human male run to the back of the house.
"What going on?" Walter questioned with four glasses of lemonade on a tray. The only thing that answered him was a charging traveler who kept running until he went through the back door.
"DUCK!" The mouse man said and took cover and then there was an explosion followed by Ash getting chewed out of interrupting their fun.
"Face it Skippy, he just doesn't get our style of doing things." The aunt said in anger since she did not recall anyone having to save her from any of her earlier work. As they spoke of that moment in time Ash spoke to pretty much everyone else through his Talkie.
"Guess no one needs any help." The out of towner said after being hung up by the Girlfeathers. 'I would try working out at the gym, but it just wouldn't feel right without friends.' He thought, but knew just where to go in these kinds of problems - the forest. He walked all that way, and stopped at one of his favorite spots: a lake. 'This is nice.' He thought before sitting down on the grass and then laid down to look at the partly cloudy sky.
'Come on, Minerva, concentrate.' The white furred woman thought as she stood outside her house with a golf club in hand. The yellow haired one has been trying distance shots for the past hour, but with hardly any luck. 'Just one last shot.' She thought and then used up all of the anger of the crap shots into this one swing, and after the head hit the ball the sphere soared. "All right! Finally!" She cheered to herself while jumping up and down, grateful that she was wearing a pair of jeans, but as she was praising her work the assistant was almost ready to take a nap until he heard the faintest whistle.
"What is that noise?" He questioned before resting his upper body on his elbows, but after seeing that that did not help he sat up all the way. 'I still see nothing.' He thought and then went from sitting down to standing up, and that was when he realized one thing, 'It's coming from behind me.' He turned around and that was when he saw a white ball which nailed him right on his forehead.
"Was that a body?" Minerva questioned after hearing a louder thud than what she usually heard. "Hopefully I hit another perv with a high powered telescope." She said while walking to where the ball flew. "Oh, man." She muttered after seeing who it was that she hit. "ASH!" She shouted and ran the rest of the way to the boy in question.
"Ow, that hurt." Ash said while rubbing the offended part of his body. After moving his hand from his head to the ground he felt something soft underneath it. "What the?" He questioned while looking down and saw that there was a familiar hand underneath it. "Minerva?" He questioned while following the hand to the wrist, arm, and finally face. "Is there something wrong?" He said to her in concern, totally ignoring the pain in his forehead region.
"Oh, Ash, I am so sorry." She said in a semi-rushed tone. He still seemed a little confused over what she meant so she clarified by pointing at the object that hit him. He saw the small sphere and picked it up.
"Looks like a shrunken Pokeball." He said aloud while looking at it. The mink gathered that Ash knew of body building and helping others, but sports seemed foreign to him.
"That's a Golf ball." She informed him and then went deeper, "I often use sports to calm my nerves." He nodded to her and then saw that her left hand was slowly feeling his forehead. "Well, there doesn't seem to be anything wrong." She said while taking her time to let her fuzzy digits to glide on his flesh.
'She must know what she is doing, so I won't disturb her.' He thought and kind of liked this feeling. It was like Pikachu nuzzling his face, but at the same time the feeling felt different.
"Your head seems fine." She commented while slowly gliding her hand away from his face. The two of them just stared at each other, not sure what to say next, so they just stayed there for a few moments.
"I better let you get back to Golf." He said to her while handing her the ball of that sport. "I better get going." He said as he stood back up and headed out. "See you later, Minerva." He said to her while running off.
"Yeah…see ya." She said back to the fleeing man in a dazed tone. The two went back to what they were doing before the incident - Minerva went back to training and Ash went back to the lot. The Pallet Town protector headed over to his apartment since Rita and Runt's cartoon adventure would still be a while.
'I wonder if there is a book or two in the library that can tell me how these sports of their's works.' Ash thought while entering the building and then went into a built in Barnes & Noble to see if there was anything that he was hoping for. After an hour of searching he found a total of thirteen books that can get him started. "These ought to do the job." He said as he walked off with the books in his arms.
'That really was an accident.' The mink thought after entering her home and tried to relax over what had happened through laying on her bed. 'I still don't trust that cat.' She thought as she recalled the close range female who by now was finishing up her act.
"Where is he?" Rita questioned while looking around for her ride. She had to deal with that monkey long enough and she would like the compassionate touch of Ash, but he was no where in sight.
"Do you think he's okay, Rita?" Runt questioned to his old friend as he stood beside her. He often worried when the human ran late, and this was one of those times, but his worrying was for nothing since the boy in question was reading the book over - Hockey.
"So…that is the job of the Goalie." Ash said after reading all that position does after briefing over the others. He had been reading that book while lying on his bed with his back to the head board. "Hmm, why does it feel like I forgot something?" The trainer questioned with his right fist at his chin, trying to think of the answer to that question until he looked at his clock. "Oh, man! Rita!" He shouted in realization after he found out the problem.
"Normally, I wouldn't scratch an owner choice, but he has about five minutes before I change my mind about that." The gray furred one said in anger as she paced around her friend.
"Oh, crud. Rita is going to carve me up like a turkey dinner." The trainer said as he ran up to the site and full speed even tapping into his monkey-like skill to gain distance to that location. As soon as he said that his favorite body part sounded off which he answered back, "No time to listen to you, old friend." After jumping off of a rooftop he landed in front of the right building.
"It's Ash!" The canine shouting in joy over seeing the faithful human before him, but the feline on the other hand was not so happy to see him - late.
"What kept you, Ash?" She demanded to the boy before her since she was still miffed of being held up.
"I was caught up reading on the sports around this place." He said to her while rubbing the back of his neck in embarrasment. "Can you guys forgive me?" He asked while looking at both of them with pleading eyes.
"Well…" Rita started to say something until she looked into his eyes and then felt his fingers on her chin. "Of course I do." She said dreamily while enjoying his stroking procedure.
"I do too, Ash, yep I definitely do." Runt said in joy, and with that resolved Ash did to them now as he did in the morning - carried them back. This time around they were able in half the time. As soon as he was inside he was reminded of the promise for the cat.
"Now about that petting you promised me." She said while looking up at him.
"You got it, Rita." He said to her before picking her up and heading for the bed. "I hope that it's okay by you if I read as I pet." He questioned to her, and prayed that she was fine with his request.
"I suppose even though I prefer to have your attention on me." The cat commented back to him not even hiding the blush on her white cheeks.
"Thank you, Rita." He said back and then went to reading and petting. This carried on well into the night where the three went back to bed. 'I better start practicing those sports in the morning.' The trainer of beasts thought before falling into sleep. The night went uneventful, and silent until the dawn happened where he woke up with the cat's green eyes staring at him.
"Good morning, my Ash." She whispered while moving up to his face and nuzzled up to it. He smiled after feeling her fur, and decided to speak to her.
"Morning to you to, Rita." He began rubbing behind her ears. The two then starred at each other before going through the usual routine of Breakfast and taking them to a shoot, but instead of taking it easy he went over to the lot's baseball practice building.
"What's he up to?" Plotz questioned after seeing the young man head over to that specific building from his office. He knew that with Ash's help the problems that the Warner's three have been handled - by making him chase them every other day, but he often wondered what the human does off duty. "Time to find out." He said and then told his secretary to hold all of his calls so he could see what was up himself.
"This must be the place." The trainer said after arriving at a large building with a baseball bat and glove above the entrance. Without a second thought he entered the walls of that building, and decided to work on his hitting first. "Safety first." He stated after putting on a blue helmet, and then walked past the cage to face a mechanical pitching machine. "I wonder how it works." The beginner thought after picking up the bat provided, but no sooner than he did that the device started to fire away.
"I'm sure he went this way." The CEO said as he was walking around the same building he saw the new guy walk into earlier, but he dared not risk being seen so he stayed outside to ask him when he came out.
"Wow, I'm actually good at this." Ketchum said after hitting his tenth baseball. "Too bad Casey's not here; she'd probably freak out over how many I have hit." He added as he kept on going while glancing down and saw the four he missed. "Just a few more and then I better head back." He confirmed to himself since he did not wish to keep Rita waiting this time. There was a problem there though; for each swing that he took his aura was seeping into the bat, and after he slammed his forteenth swing it slammed the wall. "Almost felt the bat break that time." He said and then added, "One more hit."
"That wasn't the last time I was here." The older man said after seeing the sudden appearance of a large crack.
"Here it comes: last ball of the day." The trainer said and then slammed the ball so hard that it did not only brake the bat, but put a hole through the wall before him. "Whoops!" He shouted in alarm.
"Who's the wise-guy that did that?" Plotz shouted in pure anger after removing the chunk of wall from the top of his head. What the man saw surprised him grately. "Ash, did you make this hole with a baseball?" He asked since he really wanted to know.
"Yeah, it was me. I'll repair the damage right away." The honorable youth said since he felt bad that he did such a thing even though he had no idea how.
"No worries, my boy." He said back while thinking of using this boy as a secret weapon on some of the business sporting events since he was able to do that. Ash on the other hand was just concerned on repairing that hole in the wall.