Chapter 7
The Pikachu
They rushed through the door.
"Joy! Help us!" Tracy cried.
Nurse Joy looked alarmed. She had been resting peacefully in her office chair until they burst in. She was about to scold them until she saw Butterfree.
"Oh!" she cried, taking Butterfree and giving him to a Chancy, "I remember you! Your Pokémon are always in bad shape! What have you been doing to the poor things?!"
Ash tried to demand, "What kind of nurse are you?!" Because he was in a bad mood, but he was to exhausted.
"We set this Butterfree free a long time ago," Misty said, "He was looking for us and was attacked by Beedrill!"
"Oh, my!" Joy cried, not admitting she was wrong.
She ran into the ER, not letting them follow.
"I'm sorta tense," Misty admitted, "I'm gonna go see how my sisters are doing."
"See ya," Tracy said, "Are you going Ash?"
"You spend way too much time outside the ER door," Misty said, "Even though you're worried, come with us. Tracy will be here."
Tracy nodded.
They left the Caterpies, Metapod, and Pinkie. They headed toward the Cerulean City Gym. It was hardly to be considered a Pokémon Gym. Her sisters were into synchronized swimming.
They came and sat in the chairs that looked down on the swimming pool. Ash noticed a sign and wondered who would want to get rid of a Pikachu.
The pool itself had several spotlights on it. The three diving boards were only silhouettes.
"Now presenting," the announcer said, "The Sensational Sisters Synchronized Swimmers and the Pika-quadruplets."
"The what?" Misty whispered. Ash shrugged.
The music began and the three neatly groomed shadows did graceful dives into the pool. After a few second, three prissy-looking Pikachus dived in landing straight between the girls.
"Pika?" Pikachu muttered from Ash's lap. He had been amazed by the act before, but this was astonishing.
Togepi squeaked, confused by the hearts in Pikachu's eyes.
At the end of the show they stood under their diving boards. The Pikachus stood in front of the girls.
All the people in the room clapped.
"Pika… Pika," Pikachu said in a dorky way.
Togepi rolled his eyes.
"Pika-CHU!"
Everyone jerked in surprise. A forth Pikachu flew out from the corner to above the pool, about 15 feet above the surface.
It did a Thunderbolt and toasted the six performers, right before landing in the pool with a surprisingly graceful splash. It swam beautifully to the edge, shook its fur, and bowed.
Ash giggled. Misty smirked. Togepi squeaked.
Pikachu fainted.
"What?" Ash asked, "What happened Pikachu? What's wrong?! Pikachu?!"
He picked Pikachu up and shook him slightly.
"Maybe he got bored and fell asleep?" Misty wondered.
"He seems okay," Ash observed.
"What do you think you were doing you IDIOT?!" One of Misty's sisters demanded of the troublesome Pikachu.
The audience stared. As they had suspected, this was not supposed to happen.
She laughed nervously, "Um? Bidding anyone?"
The crowd murmured. If that Pikachu was that disobedient, they didn't want it.
"Minimum of $3…" Daisy whimpered.
No one said anything. Then…
"I have two!" Misty yelled from the back of the audience.
"Misty?" Lily squinted.
"I'll pay the other dollar!" Ash chimed in.
Lily slumped and said, "Sold to Misty and her boyfriend for three bucks…"
"WHAT?!" Ash demanded.
He rushed toward them, angry. But Misty stopped him.
"Ash don't!" she cried, "They're my sisters!"
Ash didn't refrain from his attempted attack.
"They're my sisters!" Misty yelled again, "I get to kill them!"
"Fair enough," Ash thought. He stopped and let Misty slam into Lily and start fighting her in the pool.
Togepi attempted to follow Misty down the long staircase, but his legs were to short. Before Ash could catch him, Togepi rolled and bounced down the stairs.
He stopped rolling right on the edge of pool. He shook the dizziness away.
"Misty! Stop!" Ash yelled running after Togepi. He was watching Misty and imitating the choking movements with his tiny hands.
"Why should I?!" Misty demanded, not looking up.
"You're setting a bad motherly example for Togepi!" Ash cried as he landed on his knees behind Togepi.
That made Misty freeze.
"Yeah!" Lacy pleaded, "Stop!"
Ash set Pikachu aside, covered Togepi's eyes, and said, "Continue…"
As much as she knew she shouldn't, before she got out of the pool, Misty punched Lacy in the eye.
ZAP!
"Ahh!" Ash screamed.
Togepi somehow sent a burst of energy off than stunned Ash's arms.
Then he walked up to Misty and shook his finger at her, scolding.
"You're right Togepi…" Misty said.
She glance at Lily, who was trying to get out of the water. Her Seel helped.
"Sorry, Lily," Misty said reluctantly, "But never, ever suggest that I would ever go out with… that!" She pointed at Ash.
[Are you going to take offence from that?] the one Pikachu ask. Ash would have shrugged, but he didn't understand it.
Ash's Pikachu began to wake up. When he saw the other Pikachu he jumped straight up. He just stared. The other one looking wearily back.
"Pi-Ka!" he exclaimed, "Pika-Pika-Chu!" he bounced a little.
No response came from the other one.
Meanwhile, Togepi went back to Ash to apologize for hurting him. No one understood him at first, but he hugged Ash's shoe and everyone got the message.
"Pi-Ka! Pi-KA!" Pikachu cried. The other one just yawned and turned away.
"Pi-Ka?!" Pikachu moaned, on the verge of tears.
The other Pikachu just turned around, "Pi-Pika-Pika-chu. Pi-pi-Pika. Chu!"
Pikachu slumped and crawled over to Ash.
The other one cocked its eye at him, but then turned back around.
"Since you already have a Pikachu, and I paid more," Misty said to Ash, "Can I keep this one?"
"Sure," Ash said. He looked down at his own saddened Pikachu, "What's wrong Pikachu?"
"Can we call you Pika?" Misty asked the new Pikachu, "It beats 'You Idiot.'"
She looked at her sisters.
It thought, then nodded, "Pika."
"Pi-Pika!" Pikachu piped up, "Pi-pi-chu! Pi-Ka!"
"Pi!" Pika scolded. Pikachu slumped again.
"I think your other Pikachu feels unacknowledged," Daisy said.
"We still love you just as much, Pikachu," Ash said, picking him up.
"[I know,]" Pikachu murmured.
Ash hugged him before he hopped up on his shoulder.
"Togepi's maneuver is still making my hands hurt," Ash complained.
"Does your Poké-Dex learn knew things?" Misty asked.
He turned his Poké-Dex to Togepi.