Screensaver Problems Part 7

PDM: Okay, little summary here. (Mew is presently spending a little time locked in a Pokeball for trying to delete this story during the break.) Last chapter, Chris and Brock came up with a plan to get Ash and Misty to go to the Ultra Ball, a big party dance thing in Cerulean City. With a little help from Misty's sisters and a little prodding of Ash on Chris/Brock's part, Ash managed to ask Misty to the ball without fainting. She accepted, and now Chris, Brock, and Ash are going out to get Ash a tux, while wondering if they'll be lucky enough to get any dates for the ball.

M: *projects psychic "voice" from Pokeball* Can I come out yet?

PDM: Nope.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We left the hotel and headed down the street to rent Ash a tux. But on the way back, two female voices hailed us from behind. We all turned around and I had to smash Brock on the head, earning me a sprained wrist, to keep him from going into girl-mode. Two very nice-looking girls stood there- one with long green hair in two ponytails and one with even brown hair to her shoulders.

"Duplica!" Ash cried at the same time Brock shouted "Suzie!"

"Hey, Ashy boy!" the green-haired girl, apparently Duplica, said. (Pokedex Info: Duplica is a girl who runs an Imitation House with a Ditto as her pokemon.)

"Hello, Brock." the brown-haired girl, Suzie, said. (Pokedex Info: Suzie is a famous pokemon breeder, and also the only girl that Brock keeps himself from drooling over due to the fact that he respects her too much to. Brock still loves her madly, though.)

"I recognize both of you from TV!" I said.

"So who are you?" Suzie asked.

"I'm Chris. I just started out as a trainer and I have a Boulderbadge so far. I'm traveling with Ash, Brock, and Misty for now."

"Chris, huh?" Duplica asked.

"So what are you guys doing here?" Ash asked.

"Well, Suzie and I are here for the Ultra Ball, but both of our dates ran off when a pretty girl walked by. Clods." Duplica said.

"Why would they leave when they had two obviously beautiful girls as dates?" I asked.

"Flatterer!" Duplica giggled.

"So what are you doing with a tux?" Suzie asked.

"It's for Ash. He has a date." Brock explained.

"Who?" Duplica asked.

"Not Misty!" Suzie gasped.

"Yes, Misty." I replied.

"You go, Ashy boy!" Duplica cheered.

"We helped!" Brock said, indignant.

"Wait a minute, Brock! Conference!" I said, then starting to whisper in his ear. "This is the chance of a lifetime! Two awesome available girls, and you know you've always wanted to ask Suzie!"

"Are you suggesting we ask them to the ball?"

"Why not?" I replied.

"Okay, but you do it. You're better with words than I am."

"Fine." I said, ending the discussion. I turned to the two girls who had been waiting patiently this entire time.

"Um... We've been helping Ash and Misty get together, so we've had no time to get dates... What I'm trying to say for Brock and I is... Would you go with me to the Ultra Ball, Duplica?"

"And would you go with me, Suzie?" Brock asked.

"Quite a compliment, boys." Duplica laughed. "Sure, I'll go with you, Chris. You seem like a nice guy."

"Certainly, Brock. I'd be honored to." Suzie said.

"Yes!" we both shouted.

"What hotel are you guys staying in? We don't have any rooms yet." Duplica asked.

"The Cerulean City Poliwag Hostel. It's right down this street. Ask for rooms on the 10th floor." I replied. "And thanks, Duplica!"

"You're sweet. What room is Misty in? We need some girl time before the ball!"

"Room 1067."

"See you soon!" Suzie called as they walked back to the hotel.

"We are so lucky!" I shouted.

"Now what?" Ash asked, having waited patiently through this entire encounter.

"Now we go back and get two more tuxedos." Brock said.

"Gaaaa!"

As we went back to the tux place, Duplica and Suzie were just arriving at the hotel. They checked in and managed to get a room by Misty. They went upstairs, took a look at their rooms, and then knocked on Misty's door.

"One minute!" Misty yelled from behind the door. When she opened it, she got quite a shock. "Duplica! Suzie! What are you guys doing here?"

"We were here for the ball, but our dates dumped us for another girl." Suzie said.

"So how'd you know I was in this room?" Misty asked.

"We met Ash, Brock, and that new kid Chris on the street. We have a room next to yours now." Suzie said.

"And Brock and Chris asked us to the ball!" Duplica practically squealed.

"Why don't you guys come in?" Misty asked.

"Sure!"

So they all went in and sat down. Duplica started right off with an important question.

"I hear that Ash asked you to the ball and you said yes. Does that mean you like him?"

"No! I only owe him for something!"

"Mmm-hmmm..." Suzie said.

"I don't think so." Duplica added.

"Really! We're just good friends!"

Duplica and Suzie gave her equally matched disbelieving looks. Misty finally cracked.

"Fine, fine, fine. Don't broadcast it, but yes, I do like him."

"Who wouldn't? He's cute! But he's yours, sadly." Duplica laughed.

"Hey!"

"Don't worry. I have that cute Chris for a date already anyway."

"And Brock's going with you, Suzie?"

"Yes. I get the feeling he's always wanted to."

"What are we doing standing around here talking? The ball is in two days! We've gotta go shopping!" Duplica cried.

"Duplica, it's 6:30 PM."

"Oh. We absolutely HAVE to go shopping tomorrow, then!"

"Fine, but when the boys get back, it'd be smart to go get dinner." Suzie said.

"Good idea."

"Yeah, then I can find more out about Chris!"

So the girls made a promise to shop till they dropped tomorrow then went to our room. We were already in there getting our collective butts kicked at Pokemon cards by Pikachu and Kadabra.

"Hey, guys, wanna go get some dinner together?"

"Sure! Anything's better than this!" I said, throwing my cards down in disgust.

"I still say Kadabra was cheating." Ash said.

"Kadabra dabra kad!"

"Guys, calm down. It's just a game." Suzie said.

"Yeah, but they've already won half of our stuff!" Ash said.

"Pika pi."

"Can we just go eat?" Misty asked.

"Fine."

We went downstairs to the hotel restaurant and sat down at one of the big tables. The seating arrangements were as goes: Ash, Brock, Suzie, me, Duplica, and Misty in that order. We ordered our food, and then settled down to conversation. Brock and Suzie were talking about breeder techniques, and Ash and Misty weren't fighting, for once, but they were talking in low tones about some battle. It wasn't important, anyway. Not when the gorgeous girl at my left was deep in conversation with me.

"So, tell me a little more about why you're traveling with this threesome." Duplica asked me.

"Um, I was just out of Viridian for the first night with Abra, and the next morning, I literally stumbled onto their camp. Then I realized I could profit and learn from spending some time with them. So I decided to join."

"Cool. I take it you like photography?"

"Definitely. It's one of my favorite things to do besides catch psychic Pokemon and battle. So who's watching the Imitay House?"

"Ditto is."

"Oh. So what's your story?"

"Not much. I always wanted to be an imitation artist, so when I started with a Ditto, I opened the Imitay House. But Ditto couldn't perfect its Transform, so I had to close. Then after an encounter with Team Rocket stealing Ditto, it finally got Transform perfect, and ever since then I've been performing at the Imitay House." (Pokedex Info: A Ditto is a Pokemon that in its natural form resembles a pinkish-purple blob, but its only attack is the ability to transform into anything.)

"Nice."

Just then our food arrived. Digging in, I continued the conversation.

"I never knew it would be like this when I met up with the others."

"What do you mean?"

"A few things. One, I never thought such a beautiful girl ever existed."

Duplica blushed. "Thanks. You're sweet."

"Second, I never knew I would be playing matchmaker with Ash and-- oops!"

"It's okay. I know about it already."

"Misty told you?"

"Duh."

"So anyway, it's been fun and completely insane at the same time."

"Wow. Pretty nice story."

"Yeah. I hope that you didn't mind I asked you to the ball when I didn't even know you that well."

"Nah, it was no problem. I'm glad you did!"

Then the meal was finished and we decided to have a round of Pokemon cards before going to bed. Kadabra won, of course, even though Ash kept insisting Kadabra was reading our minds to know what cards we had. That night, I slept easily with many good dreams.

The next morning, the girls were gone shopping when we woke up. We had a small breakfast and decided to find out just what was happening at the Ultra Ball. We walked across town to find that it was right next to the gym. When we entered the building, we saw many workers getting the place set up while an older man with white hair watched. Ash saw him when we walked in and hailed him.

"Hey, Professor Oak!"

The man turned around to see where the yell had come from. "Ash! How are you?"

"Fine! What are you doing in town?"

"I'm in charge of the Ultra Ball."

"Really?"

"Yes. I know that's Brock, but who's your new friend with the computer and camera?"

"I'm Chris. And you would be the famous Professor Oak of Pallet?"

"Guilty as charged."

"Cool!"

"Are you all coming to the Ultra Ball?"

"Yes, sir!"

"You have dates, I assume?'

"Correct."

"Interesting... I wonder who they are. I'll have to wait till tomorrow to find out, I guess."

"You certainly will!" I said.

"See you tomorrow, Professor Oak!"

We left, but when we were out of the building, something occurred to me.

"Darn! We never did find out what was happening at the Ultra Ball, Ash!"

"Guess we'll have to wait until tomorrow." Ash sighed.

"Oh, well. At least we have all of today free. What do you guys want to do?" Brock asked.

"Well, I think we should all try to practice a little 'charm' for tomorrow, since I will unashamedly say that we all need it!" Ash said.

"Yeah, I guess. But don't forget, I want to be taking some pictures, too! And I also think we should do some Pokemon training while we can. You never know when we might need it!" I said.

"True, true. Why don't we go train now while it's still light and Chris can take his camera and snap photos while we train?" Brock suggested.

"Smart idea, Brock. Where should we go to train?" I asked.

"How about Nugget Bridge?"

"Where's that?" I asked.

"It's north of Cerulean. There is a perpetual contest going on up there- there are five trainers on the bridge. If you can defeat them all, you'll win a Nugget. (Pokedex Info- A Nugget is a nugget of gold that sells for $5,000.)

"Good plan!"

"Let's go!"

So we went on up to Nugget Bridge and we all trained against the people on the bridge. Ash finally managed to win a Nugget, which we persuaded him to cash in and split the cash with us so we could use it for the dance. I had taken about three rolls' worth of pictures when the sun set and we headed home. When we returned, we got quite a surprise.

"The girls are still shopping?" Ash asked.

"Sheesh. Do they even think about food at all?" Brock wondered.

"Why are you complaining? If they're shopping this long, then that means they're finding the best outfits for the ball, and we'll have the best-looking dates!" I retorted.

"Fine..."

"We should wait for them before we have some dinner." Brock said.

So we waited...and waited... and waited...

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PDM: So, interesting developments. Mew's still locked up in that pokeball- M: NOT FOR LONG! PSYCHIC ATTACK! *Pokeball shatters* M: *floats up into air until face is even with PDM's* So, wanna try and see how much pain I can inflict on you for locking me up? PDM: Uh, I'll pass, thanks. M: No, I insist. MEGA PUNCH ATTACK!

PDM: AAA! *runs away* This is what I get for capturing a Mew!