Chapter 7: Ash Ketchum: The Cats' Meowth
A new day started with the sunrise and Pikachu's asleep on top of Renée, whose chest was covered from the shoulder down with a blanket. They're in a studio apartment and the rays of the sun struck Renée's face. She woke up and rose, her arm holding Ash's Pokémon and to her own chest. Pikachu felt Renée holding him up and awoke. "Good morning, Pikachu," she cooed. "Still a little tired from what we did last night?"
("A little, Renée,") Pikachu muttered. ("And I thought I was wild.") Renée got out of bed after putting Pikachu down to run off and to a couch in front of a television set. He grabbed the remote and hit a red button. The television turned on.
"Zookeepers are still at a loss for words after a child faced down an angry Siberian tigress after she escaped from her habitat," a newsanchor reported. That's when it showed Ash confronting the tigress from an angle aimed at Ash and the Mews. "This video shows the boy foolishly stepping toward Mika, the tigress in question, but able to comfort the enraged animal who, zookeepers have reported, is pregnant but will not disclose too much detail. The incident started when two boys, whose identities will not be disclosed due to their ages, harassed Mika to the point she broke from her habitat and caused chaos to people out and about before the boy quelled her anger."
("That tiger was what?") asked Pikachu. Renée heard the story as she gave Pikachu a cup of milk. She wore a magenta robe while she had warm tea.
"That tigress was going to have a baby?" she summarized. "No wonder she was aggressive. Female tigers have that habit since they want to protect their offspring."
("I could only imagine protecting my child…") While Renée and Pikachu have the morning to themselves, Ash, Bridget, Mark and Zoey arrived at school which the buzz about Ash's feat at the zoo. Megan and Mimi presented a newspaper article to Ash in class.
"Look at this, Ash!" showed Megan. The article's headline made Ash red in the face.
BOY STOPS PREGNANT TIGRESS' WRATH
Ash nervously laughed to the article's title. "What's so funny?" laughed Mimi. "Siberian tigers are pretty vicious and that's even when they're not carrying a baby. Add that baby and they become a whole new animal." Ash had a look that he had no clue about the tigress' pregnancy.
'So, you're pregnant if you're going to have a baby?' he thought. 'I had no clue. I better not tell them that I had no idea about being pregnant.' Quickly, he refocused. "All I knew was that the tiger was surrounded and had to get her attention. I knew she was scared and I coaxed her down."
"Really!?" the gray-haired Becky awed. Ash, Megan and Mimi turned to find the three Beckies coming up. "I heard that Caesar Milan is the Dog Whisperer. Perhaps, you can be called the Tiger Whisperer."
"Or even the Tiger King," the redhead Becky offered. "We have a Lion King." Bridget and Zoey walked in to see the three Beckies around Ash, brushing off Megan and Mimi.
"That's not good," gulped Zoey. The blond Becky leaned in to Ash's face.
"So, what's your secret?" she wished. Ash felt cornered but had no idea how to answer.
"What do you mean 'Secret'?" he wondered. "I've had it since I was little."
"For real?" the redhead Becky gawked. "It's natural for you to approach enraged animals to calm them down?" To Bridget, Ash was nearing a breaking point to revealing his origin. She had to speak up.
"It's not proper to lean in to his face for answers!" she voiced. The three Beckies, Megan, Mimi and Ash turned to the green-haired.
"Oh?" the gray-haired Becky snapped. "You seem to be denying what every girl in this school wants: It takes a lion's pride to tame the tiger." Megan and Mimi stood in front of Ash, blocking access.
"It takes some serious greed to want pride of a special boy," Megan growled.
"There's no way we'd allow you Beckies to get to Ash!" warned Mimi. That's when more girls began to barge into the classroom. Everyone was after Ash and Megan and Mimi felt cornered. With the barrage of girls rushing into the classroom, chairs, desks and paper flew everywhere. In the mess, Ash escaped and left the classroom and down the hall. More girls came for Ash from a few classrooms. They chased Ash through a few halls. Suddenly, he vanished. The girls paraded through the school but Ash disappeared without a trace. In a broom closet, Mark huddled Ash down.
"All for that tigress?" groaned Mark.
"I know, right?" whispered Ash. "I nearly came close to blowing my cover."
"I don't blame you." Hearing nothing, Mark checked outside which no one was around. "When you told us about being chased out of Petalburg City…"
"It wasn't like this. I beat a Gym Leader, everyone wants me beaten. I calm a tiger, everyone wants my skill."
"I don't think that's it... but I also doubt it's something Pokémon Trainers learn, right?" All Ash did was look up.
"Actually, I think it's how I grew up respecting every Pokémon who needed a good petting."
"It's your own? It's not-" Hearing the detail, Mark shook his head. "Whoa, and I thought you needed to learn that before you became a Trainer." Taking a bit of a breather, Mark plotted the next move. "Let's head to work." Ash nodded as Ash and Mark escaped. At Café Mew, Corina held Pikachu in her arms with Kikki, Renée and the Pokémon making sure every table has cloth.
"Corina, is something wrong?" asked Wesley. Corina gawked to her name being called before turning to Wesley.
"Oh, not really," she denied. "I heard that Ash had not seen ballet before. I want to invite him over." Pikachu, Torkoal and Taillow heard Corina's concern.
("Ballet?") repeated Torkoal.
("We'd all like to see it,") Pikachu squeaked. Corina smiled to the idea of allowing the Pokémon to see her dance. That's when Ash and Mark stepped in to the café. They were out of breath. Elliot and Grovyle came to the arrivals.
"Boy, what's gotten you two exhausted before we opened the doors?" he wondered.
"Elliot, expect a lot of customers today," Mark warned. "And I doubt it's for the new items we're serving." The girls gulped. Zoey and Bridget came in, pale in the faces.
"Ash, we should've kept our mouths shut about the tigress!" gasped Zoey.
"Everyone wants to see you!" gulped Bridget. Ash became a tad worried. After getting prepared and uniformed, business at the café opened. There were new items like the Skitty-themed cookies relabeled "Strawberry Kitty Cookies." There was a smoothie that had a purple top layer and a French Vanilla flavor below called "Moon Cat Smoothie." There was a bag of popcorn with some cranberries mixed in called "Persian Popcorn." There were other items included but right now, girls swarmed Ash's booth to be seated and see the boy who tamed the pregnant tigress. Some of the girls asked for Ash's autograph as a few posed for pictures. The Mews seemed defeated with how to serve when customers were around Ash. Corina showed extreme concern.
"Please, don't take him away from me," she wished. Ash told the customers about the new items on sale. Plenty of customers accepted the offer while the Mews took their orders.
"We are making a killing!" cheered Renée. As Ash took a deep breath while returning to the "Waiting" booth, someone familiar recognized him.
"The twerp!?" sounded Jessie, James and Meowth. Hearing the name, Ash turned to the trio as Jessie's hair sprung out. Ash had a deadpan look to the three in disguise.
"Should I be surprised that you'd follow me, Team Rocket?" he mulled.
"Well, you know we'd get Pikachu from you, twerp!" argued Jessie. "And what are you doing in a place like this? Waiting tables?" Ash nodded to Jessie's question. "Guiding customers?" Another nod from Ash. Jessie stopped to the confirmations. "You… actually work here?" Meowth gasped to the information.
"Never tought you's work in a place like dis," he mewed. "Even afta dat tiger attacked ya."
"It was worse when Petalburg City attacked me," Ash mulled.
"That, we can at least agree," James nodded. "After all, I can only imagine that it was a tough battle with Norman."
"It was…" Ash agreed. "So, now what? Are you guys going back to Petalburg City to notify them where I am?" To Jessie, a negotiation began. Mark, Zoey and Corina also noticed and came to investigate.
"Well, we can avoid that if you offer Pikachu and all of your Pokémon," she ordered. Ash sighed to the demand.
"None of them are with me," he lied. Pikachu peeked around to see Jessie and growl, alerting Wesley and Elliot.
"That woman's someone after you?" asked Wesley.
("Team Rocket!") growled Pikachu.
(Flashback to Yesterday at Corina's Mansion)
Ash showed Jessie and James displayed on a wanted poster. Mark grabbed the poster and studied it with Zoey looking over.
"Who might they be?" she asked.
"Jessie and James, members of Team Rocket," Ash identified. "They're a criminal organization who steal Pokémon, rare or owned by trainers. Those two, along with their talking Meowth, have been after me for Pikachu."
("They've been pains in the neck,") Pikachu moaned.
"Obviously, not too bright," Corina huffed. "They can get their own Pikachu if they want one so badly." Bridget had a thought mend in her mind.
"I've been meaning to ask," she voiced. "Your other Pokémon: Grovyle, Torkoal, Corphish, Taillow… Doesn't Pikachu have a Pokéball as well?" Ash presented another red/white ball, this one having a lightning bolt above the button.
"It's right here," he presented. "The thing is, Pikachu doesn't want to be inside. He likes it outside and he's helped me many times." Kikki lifted Pikachu and embraced him in a hug.
"Big mean adults should not have you!" she cooed.
("Kikki…") Pikachu squeaked.
"If these two rear their heads, we'll be ready for them," Renée promised.
"Thanks," Ash nodded.
Seeing Team Rocket, Elliot nodded to Kikki and Renée to standby. Jessie didn't believe Ash's lie. "Don't pull that on me, twerp!" she snapped. "There's no way you'd leave him wandering around this city!" Customers started to hear the argument, confused about Jessie's request.
"Pikachu?" one of the customers voiced. "What's that?"
"And… Pokémon?" another customer repeated.
"What are they talking about?" one more customer shrugged. Ash knew the customers were clueless to the Pokémon. James and Meowth gawked to the customers' confusion.
"Jessie, maybe now's not a good time ta take da twerp!" warned Meowth.
"Don't fall for the twerp's lies!" snapped Jessie.
"We're in a different land, Jessie!" advised James. "We can just cut the loss and run."
"I know Pikachu's here!" argued Jessie. "You can either bring him out or we'll force you out!"
"Not in this establishment!" barked Mark. Team Rocket gawked and turned to Mark, Zoey and Corina. "You can either take it outside or we can make you." Just then, a blue blob-like creature with cartoonish squinty eyes and mouth with a black tail emerged. It saluted upon its arrival.
("Where's the issue?") it garbled. Team Rocket and Ash gasped to the blob's arrival.
'Don't say Wobbuffet!' he minded. 'Don't say Wobbuffet!' Jessie growled to Wobbuffet's arrival.
"Hey, don't get out of your Pokéball until I say so!" she argued. The customers became eerily frightened with Wobbuffet.
"What is that!?" one more customer shrieked.
"Oh, it's hideous!" another customer shivered. The displeasure made Team Rocket defensive as Zoey reached Ash.
"We need them caught and brought back," he planned.
"Understood," Zoey agreed. Before anyone else could react, the customers began hurling anything they could at Team Rocket, especially Wobbuffet. Corina held Ash back as Team Rocket tried to cover from taking shots from glasses, plates, hard cover books and laptops. James and Meowth fell from books and plates. Jessie took a chair across the eyes, the force slamming her into the wall, leaving a huge dent and collapsing. Mark, Zoey and Ash wove their arms. Wobbuffet wasn't hurt. Renée and Elliot came over to help drag each one back while Ash told the customers to stop and let the staff deal with the group. In the back, Team Rocket was tied up except for Wobbuffet.
"So, what's this blue guy?" wondered Kikki.
"That's Jessie's Wobbuffet," Ash sighed. Wobbuffet was worried about its trainer. "Unlike my Pokémon, Wobbuffet doesn't really attack."
"Not much of a Pokémon," Wesley scoffed.
"But looks can be deceiving, even with Wobbuffet's Counter and Mirror Coat abilities," Ash added.
"So, it's a defensive type?" wondered Bridget. Jessie stirred and thrashed, trying to break free.
"Let me out!" she roared. "Let me out!" Pikachu zapped Jessie which stopped her outrage. James and Meowth gawked at Pikachu's handling of Jessie.
"So, Pikachu is here!?" balked James. Ash knelt to James to clarify.
"See, this is why I tried to stay clear of any Pokémon-related issues while here and helping these guys," he reasoned.
"Dat would explain your hesitation to bring anyone of your Pokémon out," Meowth mewed. Renée picked up Meowth while Pikachu's on Kikki's head.
"So, Ash," Renée voiced. "Is there a reason this Pokémon can speak like us and Pikachu can't?" Meowth sighed to the question.
"Would ya believe I attended classes ta enunciate speeches?" he briefed. "All for a Meowsie dat rejected me for a Persian…" That made Zoey raise an eyebrow.
"That's something I didn't expect," she gulped. "I mean, if you weren't with these two, I'd have you as a house cat." Meowth had a shy laugh.
"You a cat person?" he believed. Ash began to ponder how to deal with the issue.
"Ash, is something wrong?" asked Bridget.
"A big one," Ash confirmed. "I can't risk the Pokémon being exposed again, but releasing Team Rocket would have one issue or another." Elliot and Wesley realized Ash's point. James wasn't so quick to study.
"I can understand not showing Pokémon to the crowd, but what do you mean releasing us?" he asked.
"As the situation stands, if you were let go, you could be going after us again or you'd summon the people of Petalburg City onto us and cause a huge riot," Elliot summarized. "After all, aren't the citizens still a bit bloodthirsty at Ash for defeating the Gym Leader?" James and Meowth glanced to each other. "Ash, Wesley and I'll find some use for these three. You can relax."
("I trust you,") Pikachu squeaked. Corina had an offer as she reached Ash.
"With that addressed, Ash," she voiced. "Perhaps, I can invite you over, tomorrow. Mickey wanted to see Pikachu again." Ash laughed as he nodded.
"Hey, I'll be over," he accepted.
"Thank you," Corina praised before kissing his cheek. Now, Ash had a place to go to after school. Hopefully, Elliot and Wesley have the proper punishment for Team Rocket. What could await Ash and Pikachu in Corina's Mansion?
TO BE CONTINUED…