(21)( ) (America's) (Greatest) (Product)
Kioshi, Suzu, and Hibiki were finishing up their supper when Nurse Joy came over to them with Dragonair, Croconaw, and Teddiursa in tow. "Kioshi?" she asked, and the black-haired Ouendan looked up to her kind face. "Your pokémon friends are all rested up and ready for anything again!" she proudly announced.
Kioshi wiped his mouth with a napkin and smiled. "Aaah, that's great! Thank you very much, Nurse Joy!" he thanked, bowing as best he could from his seat.
Nurse Joy smiled at him. "It was our pleasure! Just take good care of them, hmm?" she asked.
"We will, Nurse Joy," Hibiki promised.
"Thank you again!" said Suzu.
Nurse Joy nodded. "You're welcome! Sorry for intruding on your meal, but Dragonair seemed quite eager to come and see her friends again," she apologized, looking over to the long Dragon-type.
Kioshi blushed while the other two sweatdropped as Dragonair came over and gave a quick nuzzle to Kioshi's shoulder. "Eh-heh, thanks, and that's not a problem," he assured her. "I was eager to see them safe again, myself..." He gave a nervous chuckle to Dragonair while hoping his eyes were giving the message, "Watch it," clearly to her. Thankfully, she got it.
Nurse Joy smiled and waved her hand dismissingly again. "Oh, it's alright and wonderful to see a pokémon have such a strong bond with her trainer," she commented. "It means that life's good between them."
Kioshi nodded, smiling. "Well, thank you again, Nurse Joy!" he said.
"You're welcome! And enjoy your meal!" she bade, and left for the front desk again.
Kioshi sighed in relief when she left. "Phew...Well, it's good to see you guys are all alright again," he said, patting Dragonair on the head and looking at the others, smiling. "So, ready to get going in the morning?"
The three pokémon made sounds of "Yes" answers.
Kioshi breathed a sigh of relief. "Phew! Good, I was getting bored outta my skull here!" he said, and the others laughed.
After dinner, the six of them were about to go and do stuff before going to bed--Hibiki was going to go watch TV, Suzu was going to go and read a book she had bought yesterday from a handy little shop attatched to the Center, and Kioshi was going to go find someplace to play with Dragonair and see what new things she and the other two had learned. Croconaw and Teddiursa were going to go with Dragonair.
Then, out of nowhere, the three Ouendan felt someone's spirit, somewhere in the city, was starting to flicker with negativity and getting into the danger zone. They ran into the lobby together, nodded to each other, and took off. Dragonair was now, to Joy's amazement when she confusedly saw them bolting, able to slither fast enough to keep up, but Croconaw and Teddiursa needed to be carried. Hibiki carried Croconaw and Suzu Teddiursa.
--
It was a nice night outside an apartment building inside the city. Not too hot, not too cool. Inside, though on the first floor, though, things were scorching. Arguing could be heard from the outside.
"I still can NOT believe that you came THIS close to getting caught!!" cried a young woman's voice.
"We almost had them!" said a familiar, young, male voice. "Those lucky pendants that creepy guy sold us worked! They didn't even suspect us! It was just that guy's pokémon..."
(The Ouendan stood outside the window, but to the sides of it. They didn't dare look inside, but they were utterly curious, now, about what was going on.)
"It was OUR fault because we didn't train properly!" argued another boy, again familiar.
"No, those things didn't work at all!" cried a third voice, this one frighteningly familiar. "THAT'S the problem!"
In fact, Kioshi found it unmistakible. He was about to whip his head to look in when Dragonair, using her tail, grabbed his head and held it.
The girl's voice sighed, and she stepped over to the window. The Ouendan ducked as she came out to the window to take a breath of fresh air.
(Bito Kagome, 17.8, guardian of three boys)
She had medium, straight, normal-cut brown hair, a pair of small glasses, a gold-colored short vest, and that was over a white v-neck t-shirt with a picture of a purugly(? Evolution of Delcatty), over which the words "PET ME, I DARE YOU" blazed red in English block letters. She wore no jewelry, but she had on red lipstick. She breathed in some air through her small nose, which was attatched to a green-eyed, sad face. "You guys shouldn't even DO this, you know," she grumbled.
"Yeah? Well, tell us what we CAN do!" said the first boy.
"Something FUN!" said the third.
"And something profitable, preferably," said the second.
She grumped and turned around. "How about actually putting those trainers' licences to good use for once instead of using them to be a bunch of bandits?!" she asked testilly. "You guys are GREAT trainers! You've gotten all of your pokémon to their highest stage, and they all obey your orders, despite the fact that I'm sure they know that you're not being very nice to people!"
"Yeah, yeah, but trainers are so...so STUPID!!" said the third boy. "They're all like, 'Oooh, I wanna be a Pokémon Master, so I'm gonna go all over heck and creation to end up losing in the preliminary rounds of the League!!'"
Kagome blushed. "Oh...Sh-Shut up!" she stuttered.
"Then who are YOU to tell us that we shoud do something that ended you up with failure?" asked the first boy.
"And besides, there's no money in being a trainer!" complianed the second. "How will we survive?"
"Trainers get by. If you manage to beat another trainer, remember that when you do, your trainer's account gets half the money of the loser's account, and everyone starts out with a good amount..." She growled and crossed her arms. "...as you guys found your first days."
"Hey! That circus was AWESOME!" protested boy three. "It was SO worth it!"
"Yeah! I mean, it's not every day that you see a professional get stomped on by the rhyhorn he was riding! That was HILARIOUS!" laughed boy one.
"But that's basically it, Kagome," said the second boy. "That was it. We battled people, we lost. We got tired of camping. We got homesick. And we don't really WANT to be trainers if we have to LOSE so much!"
"And there aren't many trainers who are loaded with dough, so what's the point in going for chump change?" asked the first.
"And, Kagome, it's the only thing we're good at. We can fight pretty good ourselves and we're good at sneaking up on people. Trainers don't do that. They just walk all over the place for no good reason but to lose and get tired and have to camp out all the time and get attacked by mosquitoes!" The third boy grumped. "We'd rather stay here!"
"Then go to school!" Kagome said.
"""NO!!""" The reaction was so powerful, Kagome was nearly blown outside the window. "You can't stop us from doing what we want, Kagome," said the third boy. "We learn to get by in life our own way, and if people can trust their ten-year-olds to go and fend for themselves as trainers, I don't see why we can't be bandits. It's so much more fun, and more profitable, and so many other things! Besides..." Sounds of a few footsteps, and the Ouendan cramped under the window again as the boy stuck his head out. "There's nothing else to life for us. This is the only thing that's really fun."
Kioshi surpressed a gasp.
Standing above him was Tag.
'What the...?! Are we...Are we gonna cheer HIM?!'
He had to grab Dragonair's mouth and hold her before she did something rash, since he could tell she wasn't happy, either.
Tag sighed, standing next to Kagome. Kagome looked down, a dull look on her face. "Tag...No, Takishi...listen..."
Tag, or Takishi, whipped his head to look at Kagome. "Call me 'Tag!' 'Takishi' sounds stupid!"
"Yusuke, Itachi, you listen, too," Kagome continued.
"It's 'Yer!'" corrected boy one.
"And it's just 'It!'" corrected boy two.
Ignoring them, she just looked down. "You guys are so talented...you've got something good in store for you in life. If only you could all see that...!" She clenched a fist. "Your mother didn't trust you in my care while she was away for so many years just to let you guys become crooks!!" She whipped her head up and looked at them with eyes threatening crying. "I'm trying to help you! I know a heck of a lot better than you all do about what life is! And I know that you're way too young to be criminals! Do you have any idea how awful it is to be under thirteen years old and already have a hell of a criminal record?!"
But the three just looked away, or at least Takishi did. "Same old, same old," he grumbled.
"Yeah," Yusuke agreed.
"Still no idea what goes on in kids' minds these days," Itachi sighed. "So, then, about next time..."
Kagome growled and slammed the side of her fist on the wall below the window. "Do you guys ever TRY to listen for once?!" she asked incredulously.
Takishi moved away from the window, shrugging. "We don't do good at listening, Kag," he said. "That's why we don't do good at school. The only people we listen to are those we respect, and, quite frankly, you're not one of them."
Kagome's head fell. "Then how do I EARN your respect?" she asked faintly.
"""BACK IT UP!!""" they shouted annoyedly. "Sheesh, it's not that hard!" Takishi mumbled.
Kagome furrowed her brow. "But...How...?" she whispered. "I...I can't..." She turned away. "I can't do anything right, either..."
The three were ignoring her and were talking about their next heist. "Okay, then, why don't we try it again tomorrow, and this time..." was audible before the three moved out of the room.
Kagome squeaked and stood up straight. "They're doing it tomorrow?! AGAIN?!" she cried. "Oh, no...I have to stop them!! But...they won't listen to me...Wait..." She walked over to a shelf and picked up three pokéballs. "Actions speak louder than words...But...can I...How...Mmmmm?" She was at a loss.
Just then, the Ouendan began to just stand around, acting like they were doing nothing more than stop for a rest. The reason was because they didn't want to look like stalkers in front of the Officer Jenny that walked by. "Yeah," she said in her walkie-talkie after being called. "What's up?"
"Officer? Well, we've got reason to suspect that Tag, Yer, and It are going to try again, tomorrow."
Kagome froze solid.
"Reason being...?"
"The bug we planted in their house picked up part of their conversation."
"Their...Hey, I'm right next to it!" Officer Jenny muttered, glancing to her right. She immediately turned the dial down on her walkie-talkie and began speaking quietly. This still didn't drown out her next words: "Good. We'll finally get them this time. Their pokémon must be weakened still from that fight that..."
("...kid's pokémon gave them..." was the part the Ouendan, but not Kagome, heard.)
Kagome twitched an eye. "They're...going to be put in jail...tomorrow...?" she asked softly. "But...I...I...No...Their mother...She trusted me with their lives..." She looked at the calender and nearly melted. "AND SHE'S COMING BACK TOMORROW?!" she cried in disbelief, jaw open in shock. She had an image of the mother as she normally was: Long, wavy black hair, blue eyes, a small nose, and usually in a pretty floral-print dress with a golden necklace.
It was too much. The boys not listening and being listless in terms of what life has for them...the planned sneak-arrest tomorrow...the reaction that their mother would have! 'Not only would she KILL me...and I'll feel horrible...I could be put in jail, myself, for not being a responsible guardian!!' she thought.
She shook. She trembled. She held one of the balls tightly as she slowly started.
"O...O..."
Then, whipping her head to the sky and crying out, she cried with all her heart and soul,
"OOUEEEENDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!!"
--
When Officer Jenny had moved away, Kioshi and the others looked at each other in amazement. "I never knew that they had such a hard life," Kioshi muttered.
"Heck, that poor girl's got a worse-off life than they do," commented Hibiki.
"But...I feel kinda angry that we've got to help, even inderectly, the people who ambushed us yesterday," Suzu muttered.
Kioshi nodded. "I know," he said. He lowered his voice "And I know, they deserve to be arrested..." He spoke normally again. "...But I know that, if she can pull it off, then she can save those boys from a horrible fate..." He looked to Dragonair. "I know, you don't like Tag, or Takishi, but...we've got to do this, Dragonair," he said firmly. "That's what Ouendan do. We help people, no matter what, if their goals are to do something positive against all odds. We'd never help them try to escape, or something, if there wasn't something good at the end for everyone. But sometimes...it's a bit grey, like now. We have to do it."
Dragonair, who was growling a bit after the three boys had left the room, settled down, though still wasn't impressed yet. 'Alright, Kioshi...I trust you, but still...'
There were a few seconds before they all nodded together. "What song, then?" asked Suzu. "We need something strong...something that'll help her..."
"Something serious, maybe?" Hibiki suggested.
Kioshi shook his head. "I think I know the perfect song," he said. "Life is Beautiful."
Suzu gasped. "That American song?! That's emo!! That's not gonna--"
"No, it's not that one," Kioshi said, smirking. "But you're right that it IS American..."
The Morning City members raised their eyebrows before looking at each other as Kagome screamed.
-:-:-
(-)1...2...1, 2...Mm-mmm...
(-)Yeah, ladies and gentlemen
(-)Y'know we came through that door
(-)m-flo
(-)Toku, the son-a Jazz (Ha!)
(-)And the lady that needs no introduction
(-)DOUBLE (Ayyyyye...)
(-)And this is how we gon' set it tonight
(-)Check it, yow:
The three Ouendan were right there when the music began, so all they had to do was do their responding "OSU!" at the start of the stage. However, this time, before they did, Kioshi talked to Dragonair and the others quickly. "Okay, I want you all to come with this time," he said. "This way, you don't risk getting captured. Besides..." He looked at Dragonair. "...I want you to watch. You'll see if things turn out..."
Dragonair almost burst with joy. 'I get to watch him cheer up close?! AWESOME!!'
"But stay out of the way and just watch. Like, a few feet from us--we can't risk you getting in the way, sorry," Kioshi added.
Dragonair hung her head. 'But of course...I'm regretting evolution right about now...then I could just hang onto his leg like I used to...Wait, then I wouldn't get much of a view...'
It was getting late in the introduction, now, and so the three did their beginning "OSU!" and the cheer began.
-:-:-There's More to Life!! Will They Listen for Once?-:-:-
(-)You know the beat-down is critical, whenever tricks
(-)Played by the devil make me cynical, think of the opposites
(-)Tell me, would you rather pack a briefcase and paperchase or
(-)Throw down stacks in Vegas?
(-)Outrageous livin' everyday is blazin' hot & large
(-)Smother you with all the latest exaggerations
(-)Sedated, inebriated soul charged with emotions
(-)Take a swig of this to see the universe frozen, mmm...I like that!
Oblivious to the music right now, Kagome, a bit after the first "OSU!" of the "stage", heard a door slam and gasped. "They're going outside?" she asked, and looked out the window again (the Ouendan ducking out of the way while waiting for the right time to "OSU!!" her). Indeed, the trio was walking out.
"We've gotta get some sort of practice in," said Yusuke.
"Maybe at the park?" suggested Itachi. They turned down the sidewalk and out of sight.
Kagome whined. "I've got to stop them before it's too late!" she cried. Grabbing the three pokéballs, she raced outside. She got out a while later and ran after them. "WAIT, GUYS!!" she called. The three didn't turn. She growled and raced after them to the park.
At the park, they began to train with their pokémon. All around them, other trainers trained, as well. Kagome reached them and called again. "GUYS!!"
They looked up, then back down again to their training and practicing their maneuvers. They were practicing the "wall of pokémon" that Dragonair and the other two had experienced before.
Kagome growled again. "Why...I know!" She grinned and looked around. "HEY!! ANYONE WANNA BATTLE ME?!" she called out.
At THIS, many heads--including Takishi's, Yusuke's, and Itachi's--turned to her. One young man came over to her, smiling. "Heck, yeah! I've been waiting all day!"
Kagome grinned. "Thanks!" She stood back on the patch of grass and released her first pokémon. "Okay, Sakura!! Let's get 'im!!" she called, and out came a jigglypuff.
The guy grinned and said, "Let's CRUSH 'em, Hercules!!" And out came a Machamp.
Kagome just froze, eyes completely white in shock, and twitched.
At this point, the LONG introduction had about finished, and the first planned cheering segment was about to begin. Thus, Kagome's seemingly late cheer squad came in.
"""OSU!!"""
Instantly, fire erupted around Kagome and in her eyes as she determinedly raised a fist. Even the purugly on her shirt had blazing eyes and a raised, clenched fist. "GOOOOOOOOOOOO!!"
The three skidded in, and Kioshi's pokémon stood from the sidelines to watch. """IKUZE?!...SAN! NI! ICHI!! SURE!!"""
-11AM nesugoshita shuu no hajimari
-Douryou ni 1 CALL
-Sorry I'll be late, but I'll be there as soon as possible
-Anata kara no chakushin wa nai kedo
-Kamawazu shitaku & dasshu shita
-You know she came through that door like she said it before
-We livin' astro
As m-flo (featuring DOUBLE and Toku)'s "Life is Beautiful" began with its strong Jazz flavor instantly feeling its way into the soul of everyone who could hear it, Kagome began battling her opponent. At first, she was a bit underconfident, since she was out of practice, as was Sakura the jigglypuff, and they were doing only moderate, facing a standoff. The criminal child trio was only half-watching. Then, in a sudden dip in drive caused her to panic and Sakura to start getting beaten around by Hercules like a pink volleyball, eyes (circular) spirals. The boys snubbed her and looked back at their own practice. Seeing this, Kagome got back on track and her drive to save them boosted her energy and confidence. She was commanding with ferver and Jigglypuff was giving it to Hercules, this time, with a flurry of strong Pound attacks.
"Sakura!" cried Kagome, pointing at Hercules. "Use Sing!"
Sakura took a deep breath.
"Hercules! Cover your ears with one set of arms and use Seismic Toss with the other!" commanded the other trainer, grinning.
Hercules did so, and approached Sakura at frightening speed.
Kagome spazzed a little, but got back into it. "QUICK! Dodge it!!" she cried.
Sakura leapt in the air, using her puffed-up body to float a la Super Smash Bros.
"Now! Uh...Aerial Ace!!" Kagome commanded. 'Oh, please let her remember that move we worked so hard on...two years ago...'
Sakura let out the air in her like the balloon she was and zipped through the air at an amazing rate, zigzagging until, after a second, slamming into Hercules with a jigglypuff version of Aerial Ace.
Hercules stumbled back and finally fell down, eyes spirally (squarishly, like normal knockout spirals). His trainer looked at him with shock on his face. "H...HERCULES!!" he cried in dismay.
Kagome grinned and high-fived Sakura. "Great job, Sakura!" she praised.
"JIG-LY!!" agreed Sakura proudly.
The boys gawked at her. "You...He...But...WHAT?!" Itachi stuttered. His mouth then quivered for a moment, then he just burst out, "YOU BEAT A MACHAMP WITH A MEASLY JIGGLYPUFF!! I DON'T CARE IF THAT WAS A FLUKE OR NOT, THAT WAS AWESOME!!" He laughed and trotted over, patting her on the shoulder. "Kagome, you've got my respect, you know?" he said. "Underdogs RULE!"
Kagome gasped, smiling. "Really?! THANK you!!" she cried, nearly actually doing so.
--(O)--
(-)Iki kirashite kakeoriru to hora
(-)TICK-TACK-TOE wasuremono
(-)Toorisugari no inu made mo
(-)BOW-WOW-WOW!
(-)What a day?! (Man, what a day)
(-)Sore ga jinsei
Takishi still ignored her, it seemed, and they all seemed a bit needful of more convincing. Itachi, because he didn't feel much like betraying his brothers, played along. "Alright, we've got to find out who's got the most money coming along," Takishi was saying.
Kagome growled and clenched a fist. 'I don't know if beating another trainer would do enough,' she thought. 'What shall I do? What else do I need to back up?' She crossed her arms and thought. 'There are quite a few chances to make a profit when being a trainer...but not enough to show them out here. But honorable work is another thing I want them to realize is good, even if they can't get real jobs yet...Wait, it's the middle of the night, how can I find anything--'
"Augh!" cried a man in a construction suit as he trudged along the park path. "So many lights to change...So bored..." He yawned.
Kagome looked at the man, raising her eyebrows, and ran to him. "Could I help?" she asked.
The man brightened up. "Would you?" he asked. "Someone needs to change all these lights with some more energy-efficient ones, but I'm too bored to go on anymore without losing my mind...I'd be willing to pay you what I'd earn for going on, honestly!" he promised. "It'd be the least I could do...that is, if you can do it quickly and well..."
Kagome grinned. "Aw, what's so hard about changing some light bulbs?" she asked. She took the bag of new lights and the bag of old. "I'd be glad to help out!"
The man smiled. "Good! I'll just take a nap here on this bench while you finish up with all the lights here!" he said, pointing to a bench before motioning to the HUGE expanse of paths lined with lights for her to change. She sweatdropped at the prospect of the job and the fact she'd have to finish at lightning speed to make sure that she kept the interest of the boys.
'I'm never going to finish this in time...' she thought hopelessly.
"""OSU!!"""
-Yama ari tani ari, demo
-Onaji kazu dake no hareru hi mo aru kara
-I don't wanna be blue (never wanna be blue)
-Jumon wo tonaeru mune ni tsubuyaku
-Nani wa tomo are just life is...something like that
At first, she was going along at lightning speed, galvanized by the initial "OSU!!". She was unscrewing the old bulbs so fast they flew up into the air out of their sockets out of sight. During this time, she quickly screwed in the new bulb, just in time to catch the old one with her other hand and put it in the old bulb bag. Then, she would dash to the other one. The whole process would take about three seconds. She occasionally passed by the boys, who were staring at her speed. Then, she got a little tired and was only trotting along, unscrewing them normally, putting them in the bag, then taking out the new ones and putting them in before moving on. She moved slow, but determinedly. When she passed by the boys, they only glanced at her, unimpressed. Then, thinking she needed to pick up the speed, Kagome started going a bit too fast--she ended up fumbling with the old bulb and dropping it, thus having to stop and sweep up the debris. The boys were laughing at the sad thought of her messing up changing a light bulb. Then, after that brief moment of panic she had gone through, she got back on track like she had been. Just before the last one, though, she took it a bit slow again.
At last, she came over to the man sleeping on the bench again. "Excuse me, mister electrician?" she asked, tapping him on the shoulder.
The guy yawned and stretched. "Yeah?" he asked sleepilly.
Kagome spread her arm out and motioned to the bright, beautifully-lit park. "Got 'em all!" she said.
He raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Wow! Look at them all! So bright!" He grinned and stood up, shaking her hand. "Alright, then..." He looked at his watch. "Wow! I'm sorry, but you're only getting a quarter of what I'd be getting paid by the hour...still a heck of a lot shorter time than I would have done." He fished into his pocket and withdrew a small wad of cash, then gave it to her in exchange for the bag of old bulbs. "Thanks a bundle! I thought the tedium was going to kill me!" he laughed.
Kagome smiled and nodded. "It was my pleasure to help someone in need!" she said, and they left.
As she came over to the three boys, she showed them the cash. "See?" she said. "You don't need to steal your money--heck, why worry about getting caught stealing when you can work for it honestly and feel proud that you actually earned it?"
This time, it was Yusuke who was amazed at the turn of events. "Wow! That's all from when you just helped that guy out?" he asked.
She nodded. "Yep! And even if he didn't pay actual money, he'd most likely have paid me back in the equivalent SOMEhow, and a lot of things are better than just money--like a free lunch or something," she suggested.
Yusuke's eyes bulged and he licked his lips at this. "I can get a free lunch if I work for people?!" he asked.
"You just might!" Kagome winked. "And don't forget, trainers earn money, too, by battling!"
Yusuke was still thinking about the good food he could have. "Mmmmm...fried delights...ice cream...ramen..." he mumbled. "And all I'd have to do is NOT risk getting thrown into juvie?! I'm SO there!!" He pumped his arm in excitement.
Kagome sigh-smiled, holding her hands up. 'The best way to get to a man is through his stomach,' she repeated the adage to herself.
--(O)--
(-)I float in space watch you walkin' through the Golden Gate
(-)The phase that I pass is like a glitch, how can I miss that?
(-)The risk factor is astronomical
(-)Sound effects spark imaginations, every syllable
(-)Is crisp and clear, once upon a time I felt like God was light years away
(-)But He said, "FEAR NO MAN," then my eyes opened
(-)Forget the lies of decieving mouthes and rise from the dark to see the light
(-)Beautiful in the eyes of the beholder
(-)I wrote a thousand letters, signed and delivered, but I can't find the
(-)Right words to describe this vibe
(-)Looking at my Francks' it's about that time
(-)Hey yo, think about it for a sec, it ain't hard ot see
(-)We-dress-to-kill...
(-)Live from the city that don't know how to sleep
(-)Tell me how-you-feel
(-)Ooh...I'm all shook up!
Kagome sighed as the boys began to talk again about the heist, regardless of what had just happened. The two big brothers were still playing along with Takishi, oddly. 'What else is making them feel so bad?' she thought. She snapped her fingers. 'Wait! That's it! I've just got to find someone to battle with them!' She thought for a moment on that, but then whined in defeat. 'But they wouldn't want to battle, anyway,' she pointed out to herself. 'Awwww...I need some expert help! Where could I find some...?'
"HEY! Come--back--here--you--stupid--Bug-type!!"
Kagome turned her head to look and gasped as she saw, swinging a big net at a wild dustox(pretty rare in the Kanto reigion), of all people to enter the city--'Bugsy! The Gym Leader of...uh...Azelea? No, that's Falkner...Ummm...Oh, the town's not important!' she thought, shaking her head. 'This is extraordinary luck! If I can get to him and convince him to help me out...' She trotted over to the Gym Leader. "Excuse me! Mister Bugsy?" she asked.
Bugsy looked over at her as he heard his name called (well, his Japanese name, of course). He went, "Huh?" before colliding with a tree, snapping the net in two.
Kagome gasped, putting her hands to her mouth. "Oh my gosh! I'm sorry!" she cried, trotting over to help. "I should have paid more attention to where you were going before I called over..."
Bugsy shook his fist as he got up. "Oh, I'm fine," he said, ignoring the bump on the side of his head. Then, exploding and spreading his body out in the angrily-yelling-anime-character position, he roared, "BUT I LOST THAT GREAT DUSTOX!!"
Kagome sweatdropped. "Uuuuuh...then I probably shouldn't be asking for some help with some trainers I know...?" she asked nervously.
Bugsy thrust the quickly-repaired bug net at her. "I didn't work all night for nothin'!! If you want me to help, ya gotta pay me back!" he told her.
Kagome pulled her mouth open into a teeth-gritting frown, pulling the corners down--the "yeek" face. "Oh, dear...I'm not good at catching Bug-types..." 'At least I don't have to use an empty pokéball, which I don't have...'
"""OSU!!"""
-Iki aisugite surechigaezu hora
-ZIG-ZAG to tango suteppu no you (Y'like that, ch'all?)
-Toorisugiru toki ni uniki
-Wakuwakuwaku ((Sounds like "WauWauWau!!"))
-What a day?!
-What a good day?!
-Yama ari tani mo aru
-Demo onaji kazu dake no hareru hi mo aru kara
-I don't wanna be blue (never be blue)
-Jumon wo tonaeru (mune ni tsubuyaku)
-Nani wa tomo are just life is beautiful
At first, Kagome was chasing the dustox, jogging along and waving the net and making just as much progress as Bugsy--not much. Then, she was sweaty, panting and plodding slowly, waving the net pathetically while the dustox, jeering, fluttered just in her reach before zigging away at the last second out of the way of the net. However, a burst of energy from her desire to have Bugsy help out the boys drove her to first get back on track the way she was, then speed it up. When she sped it up, she was swinging the net like crazy, running at full speed, and -barely- missing the moth pokémon, who was frantically trying to avoid capture.
Bugsy was walking, trying to locate Kagome. "I think maybe I exploded on her a bit too harsh," he was mumbling. "But still, she shouldn't've gone and called me when I was obviously busy..." He grumped. "Where is she? I at least want to see how she's doing..." He went, "Ah!" as he found her running towards him, the dustox just in front of her. "Woah!" he cried, stuck in a spot where he couldn't move away to the side quickly, since he was between two thick trees. He didn't know how far she'd jump, either, so stepping back wouldn't be good, either.
Kagome wasn't paying attention to where SHE was going, either. Bursting with energy, she jumped up, net back and ready to strike, sort of like Link doing a Jump Attack. "I'VE GOT YOU NOW, STUPID MOTH!!" she cried, and down came the net.
THWWAP!!
Kagome looked up after landing, net still down on the ground. "Did I get it?" she asked, looking at her catch. There, inside the net (which was a perilous two inches from Bugsy), was the dustox, making noises of unhappiness that it had lost the chase, it sounded like, more than the fact that it had been captured at all. Kagome grinned and pumped one arm for joy. "GOTCHA!!" she crowed triumphantly.
Bugsy clapped his hands. "Well done, miss! Thank you!" he said. As he took the Bug-type, he added, "You'd make a great Bug Catcher. Want to move to my Gym and train as one of the best?" He was in a real chipper mood now.
Kagome sweatdropped and waved her hands. "No, that's alright!" 'I'm kinda not THAT fond of Bug-types, myself, anyway...'
Bugsy grinned. "But you have such great aim!" he complimented. 'Most people would have overshot and bagged ME, instead!'
--(O)--
(-)There ya have it
(-)Life is beautiful
(-)Y'know what I'm sayin?
(-)Toku! Tell it to 'em!
(-)Muted trumpet improv solo
Kagome talked to Bugsy about her problem. The Gym Leader nodded. "Mmmm," he went, closed eyes and crossed arms. "I see. I could try and convince them, if you want," he said. "I have nothing better to do before hittin' the sack, anyway."
Kagome smiled widely. "THANK you!" she said, bowing. "But...they don't listen to people they don't respect, and I dunno if they respect you...you'd have to DO something..." She gasped. "But, shoot! I just realized that beating them in a battle wouldn't be good, and neither would throwing the battle!" she squeaked.
Bugsy groaned. "Then what do I do?" he asked. "I was going to show them that they have good pokémon, but if they won't listen..."
Kagome thought wildly. "THINK, girl, THINK!" she muttered furiously, clenching her eyes shut and prodding her forehead.
Just then, all three of the boys came over, wide-eyed as they gazed at Bugsy. """WOAH!! BUGSY, THE BUG-TYPE GYM LEADER FROM JOHTO?!""" they exclaimed.
Bugsy smirked and nodded, fists on his hips. "You bet," he said.
They gazed at him with dazzling eyes and clenched fists at their sides. """AWESOOOOOME!"""
Kagome and Bugsy smiled at each other. "No worries on that, anymore, then, huh?" Kagome asked, chuckling.
Bugsy smiled. "Nope!" he answered. Then, addressing the three, he said, "Alright, boys, your guardian here, Kagome, has asked that I help you see that your pokémon are, indeed, great, as well as teach some other things."
At the mention that Kagome set this up, the three recoiled. """K-K-KAGOME?!""" After a split second, though, Yusuke and Itachi said, ""Who cares?! It'd be an honor!!""
"Yeah, really?" asked Takishi, crossing his arms and moving off to sulk.
Kagome fumed, then roared, "WHAT DO I NEED TO DO TO EARN YOUR TRUST?!" after him.
Takishi stuck his tounge over his shoulder.
This was the last straw. Kagome, seething, jumped at him. "I guess I'll have to do it the way only a man could understand!!" she shouted as the two met and the scuffle began.
Yusuke held up a finger. "Ah, Kagome? Need we remind you that he's beaten black belts before?" he asked, sweatdropping as he looked over in the place Kagome was in.
'!!' thought Kagome as she heard this.
(The Ouendan raised their eyebrows to each other, but shrugged and went along with it, anyway, hoping that this didn't count as child abuse.)
"""OSU!!"""
-Days will pass
-Imagine, what if this day was your last?
-It's like a jungle sometimes it makes me wonder, you know it makes me wanna...
-Sou ne
-We be swingin' to bring it to the minute so feel it, yo
-m-flo and we do it like this!
-Shu, shu-bee-doo-bee-doo-bee-doo-bee-doo-bee-doo-WAAAH!
At first, Kagome was going well for a brief moment, likely due to the jumping, but it was so brief, one couldn't get a good glimpse of what was going on before, a nanosecond later, she was getting pinned by the ten-year-old bandit. Crying in agony, she was on her stomach while Takishi sat on her back, grabbing her arms and a leg and bending them back painfully. Then, recovering from the lapse in focus she had, she flipped him off and the two were merely grappling with each other in the classic hands-clasped-body-braced position, each trying to throw the other down. At last, after a few seconds, Kagome was doing well again, assaulting the kid with a flurry of aggrivated slapping, like a human version of Double Slap with both hands, while he had to work and defend himself with his arms. Kagome managed to get a slap on his cheek once in a while, though.
The two were soon head to head again. "I've had ENOUGH!" Takishi said, and, with all his strength, did what every person on Earth has wanted to do at SOME point in their parent/guardian once or twice: He threw her down HARD. Then, he got on her back again, but this time, he was going to do something else. "Hiiii..." He held his hand up.
Kagome made a perfect "!" face at this. She knew exactly what he was going to do. 'Pressure point!'
"YAH!" cried Takishi, bringing his hand down in a chop.
Then, with amazing reflexes, Kagome grabbed the hand with both of hers and slammed him off her back, forwards and over her head, into the ground. She got up and crossed her arms, glaring. "Sorry, Takishi, but it was about time you got what was comin' to ya," she told him shortly.
Takishi got up and looked like he was going to cry, but he swallowed and looked determinedly up at her as he rose. A moment passed, and then, finally, he bowed his head, looking away, as he admitted, through gritted teeth, "You...have my respect..."
Kagome raised her eyebrows. "Really?" she asked, surprised.
"You beat me in the one form of battle I thought I could win at the most," Takishi said, looking up at her again and actually smirking. It was a sportsmanly smirk, though. "Hand-to-hand combat."
Kagome chuckled uneasilly and put her hand behind her head. "Thank goodness," she said, "but let's try to avoid this until you're older, 'cuz you don't know how many people could've just gotten me for something REAL bad just now..."
This caused the boys to laugh (and the Ouendan to mop their brows).
--(O)--
(-)Yama ari tani mo aru
(-)Demo onaji kazu dake no hareru hi mo aru kara
Once everyone had gathered around him, Bugsy addressed everyone. "Okay, then, boys," he said, "it's time for a practical lesson--" He brought out three pokéballs. "--so bring out your two best each and let 'em loose, 'cuz me and Kagome are gonna give you the biggest double battle in history!"
Kagome, standing next to her, looked shocked. "Wait, WHAT?!" she asked.
Bugsy grinned. "My three plus your three is six, those three have two each to be six, and so, then, us two each have one for going against both of each of their two!" he explained while Takishi got out Ledian and Scyther, Yusuke got out Heracross and Ariados, and Itachi got out Beedrill and Pinsir.
Kagome gave a bewildered smile. "O-Okay," she said shakilly, but in her mind, she said, 'I SO got lost there...And is she CRAZY?!'
Bugsy turned his face to the other three. "Alright, time for you to see how powerful your pokémon are, but know that we're not gonna hold back!" he warned.
Kagome, as if she was walking towards her own demise, got out her three pokéballs with TT-like face of squiggly waterfall tears.
(Kioshi looked to Suzu and Hibiki. All three nodded and turned back to their target.)
"""OSU!!"""
-I don't wanna be blue (never wanna be blue)
-Jumon wo tonaeru (mune ni tsubuyaku)
-Nani wa tomo are just life is just (what?!)
-Yama ari tani mo aru
-Demo onaji kazu dake no hareru hi mo aru kara
-I don't wanna be blue (never be blue)
-Jumon wo tonaeru mune ni tsubuyaku
-Aruite yuku
-I am gonna make it through! (Tell it to 'em, girl!)
-Nani wa tomo are just life--
-Is beautifuuuuuuuuullllllll...
At first, Kagome's courage became high enough from the """OSU!!""" that she was both commanding her three pokémon--Sakura the jigglypuff, but also Riku the cubone (named after his type(well, actually it's "earth" or "land")--REAL original) and Ki the oddish (again, REAL original since Ki means tree)--and handling the multi-tasking well. She was commanding left, right, and center, depending on who needed to be commanded. Bugsy was commanding well, too, but was visibly impressed by what Kagome was doing. The boys' pokémon were doing their best to follow orders, and the battle was very heated. Then, her energy faded and she was stuck barely catching each order issued by Takishi, Yusuke, or Itachi. She was looking a bit flustered, quickly darting each order, then waving her arms as she heard another command and had to change position to counter it. Bugsy was ignoring her behavior and commanding confidently, but at the same speed as his partner. The battle was at a stand-off. Then, losing some more focus for a second, Kagome was clutching her hair as she was wildly telling her pokémon to dodge, defend, anything to try and hang in there--the boys were gaining on her end of the battle--while Bugsy was giving her unimpressed looks. Thankfully, Kagome got back on top of the ball again and was doing what she was doing at first.
Finally, Bugsy shouted, "STOOOP!" and held his arms up. The two mini-armies stopped and backed up to their trainers, both sides panting hard. Bugsy grinned and looked at the three boys. "You guys see how powerful your pokémon are?" he asked. "And you're great trainers! You had us on our toes for a while! And during the times ours were hitting yours, your pokémon were exhibiting marvelous defence!" He grinned. "You're FABULOUS Bug-type trainers!" he complimented. "You ought to be proud of yourselves and your pokémon."
Takishi, Yusuke, and Itachi had slanted mouthes from unsureness as they looked at each other and their pokémon. "You really sure?" asked Takishi. "I mean, sure, we trained them a lot, but that's only because we had nothing else to do. We never beat anyone when we all went off on our journeys...and I dunno if I'd've won this time..."
At this, Bugsy stamped his foot. "You wussies!" he shouted, changing tone from complimentary to insulting in an instant. "You're not going out and being trainers because you LOST all the time? How cowardly can you get?!"
The children staggered away, taken aback (n.p.i.) by all of this from him. "But...Miss Bugsy..." whined Yusuke.
Bugsy shook his head. "No 'buts,'" he said firmly. "Trainers lose all the time. It's a part of life. But the point of being a trainer is that you try, try again. I'm pretty sure you've had your share of trouble training your pokémon up, right?" he asked, pointing to them all. "Don't tell me you only did that because you were at home and not losing all the time--losing makes you stronger even more than winning."
They raised their eyebrows at this. """It DOES?!""" they asked in doubt, amazement, and confusion.
Bugsy nodded. "Yeah, and I think Miss Bito Kagome here can explain pretty well," he said, holding his arm out to her. "Or, should I say, Miss Lost-in-the-first-Championship-prelims?"
Kagome gasped, blushing. "Y-You know about that?" she asked.
Bugsy nodded. "Yeah," he said, "it was on tv, after all. I heard about you again, and that you tried again and lost--not as quickly, though, by far." He smiled and crossed his arms. "I'm not happy that you obviously gave up at that point, but why not you explain how losing can sometimes be better for you to these children?"
Kagome gulped, sweating. "Ummm..." Looking at Takishi, Yusuke, and Itachi, she lowered her eyebrows and nodded, determined. "Losing," she began, "is a fact of life we all must face. Sure, it sucks, but it's good, too. It's because that you have the ability to learn from your mistakes--even if you don't think you do. It's something we all know, down to a genetic level. It's like how discipline works--something bad happens when you do something you shouldn't, and to avoid it again, you don't do what you did."
The boys looked at her with determinedly blank faces as she spoke. "In this case, losing a battle means you have to think about what you did wrong and find a way to correct it for next time." She was actually starting to cry a bit now. "It's no good to give up. That means you've REALLY lost. And...And you'll never see what could happen if you win. Even if it's your dream to win a certain battle...and you lose it...try again, and again, and again..." She looked at her pokémon, who were looking up at her. "...and you'll get to it..." Bursting out crying, she reached down and hugged her pokémon. "I'm sorry I let you guys down all those years ago!" she cried. "I was just so weak and young and foolish! I talk like I'm wise...and here I am, realizing I have just as far to go as those guys!" Her pokémon blushed at this, then patted her on the back as she cried. "I want so badly to try again, now...What about you?" she asked, holding them out again. The three small pokémon nodded and smiled, making sounds of agreement.
"And that's what I'm happiest about." Everyone turned to Bugsy. He was smiling and standing with his arms crossed. "It takes a lot of courage to admit your faults, even more to even want to try and fix them, and it takes a lot of cowardice to hide from them, even more to deny that they're fixable."
Takishi blinked, utterly confused. "...Okay, what the heck's going on?" he asked. He pointed to himself. "I thought WE were supposed to be the ones being taught a lesson."
Bugsy nodded. "At first, yes," he said, "but after I recognized your guardian, I realized she needed some help, too. It looks like her desire to help you guys out of this big bind I heard about from her has helped her out, too, seeing as it's the same thing--dealing with losing." He grinned. "You think I got to be a Gym Leader just like that?" he asked, snapping his fingers. "Think again! I lost a lot, too, just like everyone else. But I worked hard." He pointed to them all. "You guys have worked hard, too, to make your pokémon strong. I can see it in your eyes! And in their eyes, I can see that they're getting antsy!"
Kagome nodded, releasing her pokémon from her arms. "I've been trying to ignore my pokémon for years, I guess. They're just bursting with the desire to try for the League again!" She grinned. "I bet your pokémon are getting anxious to try again, too."
Takishi, Yusuke, and Itachi looked genuinely surprised and amazed. Turning to their pokémon, they asked for confirmation. They all made sounds and motions signifying that, yes, they wanted to try again. This only increased when asked if they were certain about it. At this, the three boys, with hopeful smiles on their faces, turned and looked at the two women.
Bugsy grinned. "So, you gonna try again?" he asked. "All of you?" He was addressing everyone at this point.
Kagome sniffed and wiped her eyes and nodded while the boys shouted, """YEAH!!""" together. She only quietly said, "Yes."
Bugsy winked and gave a thumbs-up. "Then good luck to all of you on your journeys!" he bade them. "And come visit me sometime, you three!" He turned to leave.
They promised that they would as they waved after her. Then, Kagome cried out, "THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING, MISTER BUGSY!!"
Bugsy turned and grinned. "Hey, I just helped things along, here," he called back. "YOU'RE the one who made it really happen!" He chuckled as he turned around and left the park.
Kagome blushed a little. "All...me? Really?" she asked nobody quietly.
"Hey, Kagome?"
"Huh?" Kagome looked down to see Takishi with his brothers. "Takishi?"
Takishi smiled. "Thanks, Kagome," he said. "I really mean it. I dunno if we would have seen any of this without you."
Kagome blushed deeper, chuckling nervously and putting a hand on the back of her neck. "You think so?" she asked. "All I did was try and show you that there's more to your lives than what you were talking about...and..." She dropped her voice to a whisper as she crouched to them. "...saving your necks from a planned police ambush at your usual spot tomorrow," she added.
At this, the three boys' hair stood on end as they reeled back in shock at the danger that had been averted. """NO WAY!!""" they cried in English, jaws on the ground.
Kagome giggled. "Oh, yeah, they were," she said. "I'm just so relieved that you guys got smart in time..."
The three looked at each other (hair and jaws back to normal), then made sheepish faces. They then looked at Kagome. "We're sorry, Kagome," said Takishi. "Me, especially. I'm just so stubborn..."
"We really owe you big time for this," Yusuke said. "Without you, we would have gotten jailed..."
"And without you," Itachi said, "we never would have ended up getting a much-needed lesson."
They bowed to her. """Thank you and forgive us, Kagome!"""
Kagome's mouth was quavering in a wavy line from her emotions at this. 'This...no way...' She cried happy tears as she hugged the boys and said, "Of course!! Of course!!" joyfully.
(-)Baby that flow(?)
(-)Nine-nine 'till infinity
(-)Y'know I'm sayin'?
(-)Yeah, yeah
(-)We got DOUBLE
(-)In the place to be
(-)An-a, yeah you don't stop
(-)We got Toku
(-)In the place to be
(-)An the, yeah, yeah, you don't stop
(-)On an' on an' on an'-on-an'-on
(-)(On an' on an' on an'-on-an'-on)
(-)Uh-uh-uh, y'know I'm sayin'?
(-)Aright!
(-)Yeah!
(-)That' right, y'all
(-)All the way live
(-)Life is beautiful
(-)Y'know what I'm sayin'?
(-)We're the future of Tokyo sound...
:-:-:
The next morning saw a woman's hand holding a letter reading, "Meet us at Vermillion. Why? Well, it's a long story, but..." The rest of the letter was hidden by the image of Kagome travelling along with a backpack with Takishi, Yusuke, and Itachi, now in separate, different clothes, behind her, as all of them went off on their renewed journeys. Kagome is smiling as she looks behind her, even laughing, while the three boys laugh and smile back. The wind blows a few flower petals past as they continue along a hill in a grassy field. In the background, like a watermark, was the smiling, crying face of the mother as she looked down at the letter's end, which you couldn't see at all since the back of the paper was turned to the point of view.
(-)...Now!
:-:-:
The Ouendan watched in the window of the apartment as the mother quietly read the letter that same morning. They were getting a strong image of what Kagome and the others were doing as they watched. Then, satisfied, they turned and walked a ways to give her some peace before looking at each other and nodding.
"""OUEN!!"""
"DAI!"
"SEI!"
"KO!"
-
(...)
-
(WHOOO!! YEAAAHH!! clappity-clappity)
Vrrrrrnnnn--Chuk. Chuk. Chuk. Chuk. Chuk. Chuk. Chuk. Chuk--
VWOOYYY-PSHH!!
(...)
TEUUSHH!!
-
--
--
The three sighed and leaned against the wall of the building. "PHEW!" Kioshi said, mopping his brow. "I didn't know if that was going to end or not!"
"Yeah," Suzu breathed weakly. "We stayed up all night and into the morning...Ugh, so tired..."
"I think he was referring to FT's standard long-windedness and him going WAY longer than the ending of a stage should go, especially if the all-O's bonus picture's supposed to come when he planned it," mumbled Hibiki, looking a bit annoyed. When he suddenly heard the sound of what seemed like a giant cracking his knuckles, he gasped and said, "I-I mean, yeah! Yeah, stayed up all night...yeah..." 'Don't hurt me!'
(I won't if you don't break the fourth wall just to point out the obvious like that again.)
'Okay, okay, I promise...wait...Huh?' Hibiki puzzled over whatever confused him while Kioshi looked over to Dragonair.
With a smile, he asked, "See, Dragonair?"
Dragonair tilted her head in askance. 'See what?'
Kioshi chuckled. "It turned out alright. I know, we all hated those kids, but we did what we had to do." His face went serious. "It's our job. If you're going to hang around us, I hope that you understand that. That goes for you two, too," he added, pointing to Croconaw and Teddiursa. "It's a matter of duty to the job of Ouendan. We cheer for those in need when all of the world's against them. That is, of course, if they're of a good or reforming heart. We brush off the bad guys, trust me, and we know whether they're decieving us." 'Just like how I have the feeling that sulky ol' Dragonair felt that Tag, Yer, and It--er, Takishi, Yusuke, and Itachi, I mean, needed to be changed and that Kagome wanted to make them change for the better,' he suspected.
Dragonair simply nodded, then yawned. 'Oooog, staying up that late canNOT be good for my scales,' she groaned in her head sleepilly.
Kioshi yawned, too. "Don't tell me you learned a new attack and are trying it out on me," he joked. "But you've got a point, regardless..." He wearilly turned to the other two. "Well, my Morning Town friends," he addressed, getting their attention, "I think we're going to have to stay at the Center for another day while we recover from this all-nighter cheer..."
The other two groaned at this, and all three sighed, hanging their heads and arms down center as they stood with their legs apart, looking quite comical in their defeat. Then, as one, the whole party turned and trudged back to the Center.
The sound of the doors sliding open caused Nurse Joy to automatically smile (eyes closed, of course) and say, "Welcome to the Pokémon Center!" She opened her eyes as she continued, "How may I...help...you?" When she saw the baggy eyes and sorry condition of the Ouendan and their pokémon friends, she let out a sigh. "You guys are something else, you know?"
"By the way," Kioshi mumbled as he passed by slowly, "you don't have to worry about Tag, Yer, and It anymore...relay that to Officer Jenny for us, would you?" he asked. "And if she asks who's responsible, tell her it's someone who deeply cares about them."
Joy raised her eyebrows at this. "Wha...? Did you...do something?" she asked cautiously.
Though she couldn't see it since his back was to her, Kioshi smirked. "No," he said groggily, and Joy had to listen hard to him, "all we did was our job. Good night."
And they were in their rooms and asleep on the beds, all of them, by the time Joy came to ask what that job was. She smiled when she saw how tired they were and the cute sight of them resting with their pokémon friends: Dragonair with, of course, Kioshi, her hat resting on his bag on the floor while she lay coiled up on him; Croconaw with Hibiki, curled into a ball in front of him; and Teddiursa lying on his side next to Suzu's head. (The latter Ouendan had just barely enough energy to undo her hair before collapsing on the bed. Right now, the actually fairly-long strands were all around her. The eye normally covered looked plain while closed, as it was now free of the shield of hair.) Joy smiled and quietly closed the blinds and then the door. "Sweet dreams," she whispered behind the closed door before walking back to the desk to help a waiting trainer.
--
As Hibiki pointed out, I probably made that ending a bit TOO long. He didn't really say that it was because of all the dialouge, thankfully. I'm sorry, really, I am, but that's the way stories and the way I write go. I didn't really have a plan, majorly, to have Kagome learn something in the end as well, but...it just happened. That's the way things go. And sorry for the overall HUGE length of the chapter--21 pages in WordPerfect on my stupid black-and-white-screen ThinkPad with Windows 3.1 on it! :( Well, anyway, this two-part chapter--sorta--is done and over with, now. Hey, this makes for the longest cheer yet!
I'll provide a link to the song, on YouTube, as soon as I can. It's "Life is Beautiful" by m-flo. I was originally going to do "TRIPOD BABY", but the lyrics conflicted a lot in meaning and I was confused as to what the main voice was and also on how to do it. I'm also sorry for the amount of pokémon dependency that this stage has, but that's how the story came out after much thinking on what to do with the song. And, no, I wasn't planning on having Tag/Takishi, Yer/Yusuke, and It/Itachi being recurring characters, but now I've still got one thing to resolve with them yet.
(Note on the names in this chapter: Yes, I realize that they're all the names of anime/game characters, even Kagome's last name (Daisukenojo Bito from The World Ends with You--AWESOME (but helluva hard) DS game, pick it up if you dare), but for her, I couldn't think up of many Japanese female names and I was reaching for a last name. As for the boys, I decided to base their nicknames off of their names' first sounds. T for Tag, Y for Yer, and I for It. Things just became Takishi (like Takeshi from IGPX), Yusuke (Urameshi from Yu Yu Hakusho), and Itachi (Uchiha from Naruto(WHICH ROCKS, I DON'T CARE IF YOU HATE IT!! -strawberry-)). Why did this all happen? No Internet access no ability to fish up more real Japanese names from Google. Sad panda, indeed.)
Another apology for the song's length, itself. I know, five minutes plus isn't Ouendan/EBA length, but hey, this is my dream-EBA/Ouendan-game fanfiction, so I get to take a few liberties. Mleh. Anyway, more comin' down the pipe soon! See ya!
OI. Folks, changing all of the pronouns for Bugsy was NOT fun...