Chapter 8: The Mew of Swan Lake
Ash and Pikachu slept on the couch in Renee's home. After the Mews, Elliot, Mark and Wesley dealt with Team Rocket, Corina invited Ash to her mansion to show her some of her dancing. Renee arose and started making breakfast for the three. When the smell of eggs reached Ash's nose, he began to stir. "That smell will always get me," he groaned. Sitting up, Ash turned to his Mouse Pokémon. He didn't wake from the scent. "You're probably dreaming up something good." Renee stepped out of the kitchen and peered at the rodent.
"There's a saying 'Let sleeping dogs lie'," she quoted. "Same applies to other animals." Pikachu let out a shrill-like yawn.
"I suppose so… By the way, I'm surprised that you wanted me to stay in your place with Pikachu."
"I have my reasons, like after Corina asked you to see her dance. She's fawned over me for my stardom. She knows that you're staying with me and that Team Rocket won't be anywhere that can bother you again."
"I heard that Wesley and Elliot brought them somewhere soundproof."
"They wouldn't have used to unless there were some good reasons. Happily, I'm glad the damages were minimal, especially to… What… was that that appeared? That blue blob-like thing." Ash knew what Renee referred to.
"Jessie's Wobbufett. Here…" He pulled out Dex and showed Wobbufett's picture.
"WOBBUFETT, THE PATIENT POKÉMON," it registered. "UNLIKE ALMOST ALL POKÉMON, WOBBUFETT CANNOT INITIATE ATTACKS." Renee scoffed to Wobbufett's description.
"Pokémon like that makes me wonder why someone like her has one," she groaned. "And these guys could've easily gone back to Petalburg to tell the people of where you were and bring a mob onyo us? Even the aliens we fight against would attack relentlessly at them." Ash blinked to the mention of another race.
"Aliens?" he repeated.
"They're the ones responsible for those mutated chimpanzees when you learned our secret. One was in love with Zoey before he died." There was a history that Ash just learned.
("Too early to talk about death,") Pikachu groaned. Ash and Renee turned to the Mouse Pokémon starting to awaken.
"Oh, good morning, Pikachu," Ash welcomed. "I bet you slept well with Team Rocket locked away." Pikachu let out a gleeful squeak. "Makes two of us." Suddenly, there's a ring. Renee answered the phone.
"This is Renee," she answered.
"Is Ash awake?" sounded Corina.
"He is. Do you want to-"
"No, no… I was just asking. I wanted to know when he'd be ready to come over."
"I'm sure he and Pikachu will come by at anytime."
"Right. I'm kinda anxious. I also bet that you have camerawork scheduled."
"Don't remind me. Anyway, after we eat, we'll come over."
"Alright, I'll wait for you." Hanging up the phone, Renee turned to Ash and Pikachu.
"Sorry about that," she apologized. "Corina called. Let's eat before we get going."
"Sounds good," Ash accepted. After breakfast, Ash, Renee and Pikachu headed out with Pikachu in Renee's bag. Meanwhile, Cafe Mew was preparing for the day as muffled shouts came from below. Wesley sighed to the bellowing that was Jessie.
"The lungs of that crotchety woman…" he murmured.
"Tell me about it," Elliot mulled. Incoherently, Jessie's yelling continued while she thrashed in a cage. Two cages had Jessie and James in each while Meowth was in a kennel. After what had been hours, Jessie collapsed.
"Jessie, it was wiser to bring Petalburg City to here than just go after the twerp for Pikachu," James nagged. "And now, look at what's happened: We're being held in dungeons and no idea how to get out!" Jessie groaned to the review of their actions.
"Sure, it would've been an idea so crazy, the police would learn eventually," she nagged. "Besides, it would've been smoother if we found Pikachu and catch him before returning to Petalburg."
"And we would've been heroes," Meowth added. "At least, ta dose in Petalburg." Jessie and James sighed again.
"Well, now what?"she wondered before they sensed a new being and turned.
"Perhaps I may offer some help," a man offered. Team Rocket looked to the figure hiding in the shadows.
"You?" scoffed Jessie. "In case you can't see, the twerp's protectors have applied five padlocks! FIVE!" The figure saw the five padlocks on Jessie's cage, each with more reinforced steel. James' cage had only two and Meowth's kennel had one.
"These would be a problem if it wasn't you humans they locked up," the voice muttered. Team Rocket could only wonder what the figure had to show. At Corina's mansion, Ash and Bridget arrived as Pikachu hid in Renee's bag after Bridget arrived. They entered the main hall where Mickey barked happily to Ash who knelt to welcome Corina's puppy.
"Hi, Mickey!" he greeted. Mickey wagged his tail feverishly to seeing Ash. Pikachu leaped out from the bag to play with Mickey.
"Corina's puppy couldn't wait, huh?" teased Bridget. Ash laughed before he had a request.
"Hey, do you know where Corina is?" Eager to help, Mickey began climbing the stairs and down an adjacent hall where he stopped and pawed on a door. There was harmonious music echoing from the room.
"She must be practicing." Bridget opened the door cautiously where they saw Corina in a new look: a cyan leotard, pantyhose and ballet shoes. She had her eyes clothes as she lifted her arm around and upward, cresting itself. Her knees bent before straighenting them, then repeated a few more times. She lifted her leg up, all the way to where her knee was at her head. "She's stretching to prevent injury." Then, another song began and she started by standing. She guided her arms around as if they were lifting something. She tapped the floor with her toes. She began to dance, her leg kicking up as she pranced around, twirling repeatedly. She leaped across the floor, long jumps with one leg out and the other forward. Time and time again, she performed pirouettes which Ash and Pikachu awed. Corina finally bowed as the song ended. Mesmerized, the boys applauded to Corina's dance. She opened her eyes and glanced to her viewers.
"So, that's… ballet?" he believed. "I didn't realize it was a form of dancing." Corina's face became red, rather embarrassed.
"Perhaps you can try it yourself," she offered. Ash and Pikachu blinked to the offer.
"Me?" the trainer gawked.
"Of course!" she agreed. Pikachu began to dance a little and spun around a few times. "Seems Pikachu's got a few ballet moves." Copying Corina, Pikachu performed ballet leaps.
"Are you preparing for anything special?" asked Ash.
"I am," Corina confirmed. "See, there's a gala tomorrow and I hope that you attend it as well." This made Ash and Pikachu realize the importance of Corina's ballet.
"Must be some celebration for you to participate in," he guessed.
"It is," Corina nodded. "It may bring new sponsors who'll help fund the Bucksworth businesses." The purpose made Ash and Pikachu believe more money was coming her family's way. "Come, let me teach you some of the basics. Hold the bar." Ash came to the bar attached to a wall of mirrors. "Lift your leg out and raise it as high as you can without bending your knee." Demonstrating, Corina lifted her leg. Her foot was about at the same height as the buns in her hair. Ash tried to lift his left as well. He only rose it to knee level. "Not much on flexibility." Bridget giggled to Corina's early assessment. "Let's try a pirouette." She demonstrated a pirouette. Two rotations later, Ash felt ready to try it himself. He spun and made three rotations before stopping. Corina and Bridget applauded Ash's attempt.
"That was good!" complimented Bridget.
"For someone learning ballet for the first time, that was good," Corina joined. "Of course, I've done 12 times in a row without dizziness. That many rotations would be enough to throw average people out of balance." Ash and Pikachu's faces gulped to Corina's feat.
"12?" repeated Ash. "I don't think I'd make it pass five." Corina's teachings continued as she showed Ash other stances and maneuvers of ballet. Ash copied to his ability, half he picked up but the other half having his face or his buttocks hitting the wooden floor. Pikachu's copy of ballet had a slightly better success rate while Taillow, released from his Pokéball, danced in the air with Corina. She even allowed Taillow to balance himself on Corina's open hand and finger. Zoey and Mark also stopped by just as Corina's training finished. She dressed herself out of the leotard and pantyhose before being in her normal attire. Taillow stayed on Corina's shoulder like Pikachu to Ash's.
"I'm actually glad we stopped Team Rocket before they made a huge mess with Cafe Mew," Mark remarked. "I know you told us about Team Rocket beforehand but I wouldn't think they'd actually enter our establishment to come after you."
"I concur," Bridget agreed. "Do you think they were caught off-guard when they saw that you worked with us?" Ash sipped some tea before turning to Bridget.
"I think so," he believed. "But I'm thinking they followed me here after I vanished from Petalburg City." Corina became a little concerned.
"You warned us, they came because of your history with them," Zoey listed. "They were probably lying in wait and instead, they foolishly got into our business with… Wobbufett that can't do much."
"True, but seeing a Pokémon like that," Corina studied with her chin cupped. "In a battle, it would bring a false sense of security. Any Pokémon Trainer would believe they'd have an easy chance of victory and let their guard down." Bridget mulled to Corina's explanation.
"You know you said the same thing, just with a different sentence," she pointed out. Corina's eyes nearly left her face at the mistake. "Anyway, are Meowth and Wobbufett the only Pokémon Team Rocket has on hand?"
"No, they have three more," Ash corrected. "Jessie's got Seviper and Dustox and James has Cacnea." Bringing out Dex, he first brought up a picture of a black zigzag snake with gold plates over its face and a red blade on the tail.
"SEVIPER, THE FANG SNAKE POKÉMON," it registered. "SEVIPER'S TAIL ACTS AS AN ATTACKING WEAPON AND AN EXTENSION TO DISTRIBUTE ITS POISON. IT USES HARD ROCKS TO SHARPEN SAID TAIL." That made Mark and the Mews to shiver.
"That is one scary snake," Bridget shook. Then, Ash showed a picture of a purple moth with ragged green wings. The wings had red circles on it.
"DUSTOX, THE POISON MOTH POKÉMON," it computed. "DUSTOX IS THE EVOLVED FORM OF CASCOON. AS THEY FLY TO LIGHT, THEY SCATTER POISONOUS DUST FROM THEIR WINGS." It made the Mews somewhat appreciate the Dustox.
"Not exactly my cup of tea but it's not too bad, per say," Corina acknowledged. The last one was a round cactus with a face, arms like clubs and spike-like legs while it appeared to be wearing a crown.
"CACNEA, THE CACTUS POKÉMON," it buzzed. "CACNEA CAN SURVIVE A MONTH ON WATER STORED IN ITS BODY."
"If not for the fact that it's a living cactus," Zoey gulped. "It would be a nice scratching post for kittens."
"I'd rather not go there," Mark denied. Zoey blinked to Mark's rebuttal. "Anyway, if they did come by to get Pikachu, wouldn't they have exposed themselves already and come after us?" Ash shook his head.
"Meowth would be taken and offered a home," he thought. "I'm surprised they didn't report to Petalburg City after they found me." To Bridget, that wouldn't be what Team Rocket wanted.
"It would be too risky, especially when you have a city and people and those aliens around," she pointed out. "The amount of chaos and riots would be too great. I know we implied that Team Rocket isn't smart, but I highly doubt they'd go back to bring a crowd. The amount of injuries would fill a handful of hospitals." Taillow flew onto Mickey's head and rested.
"Which would mean that they're waiting for Pikachu to appear and get you beaten to a pulp," Mark believed. In Ash's mind, the plan made sense.
"I get it," he realized. "They would take my buddy and retreat to Petalburg and when I got there, that mob would also be there to give me a beating of a lifetime." Pikachu sighed in relief which made Zoey pick him up.
"Don't worry, Pikachu," she promised. "We love you too much to let you be taken." Pikachu's squeal. For Ash, everything had been close call after close call. The gala coming up would help Ash understand the Bucksworth more.
TO BE CONTINUED…