Rakuen
Part 2
~ Mountain Breeze ~
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JC: Hello, and welcome back!
Satoshi: (waves)
Kenji: So, first, let's do the disclaimer.
Musashi: HIIII!! THE OJOU-SAMA WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT …
Yamato: (whacks Musashi off to the side) SHUT UP! I'm going to say the disclaimer.
Domino: Oh, whatever! I'm SAYING IT!
Yamato: I AM! (kicks Domino and the two start fighting)
Takeshi: JC doesn't own Pocket Monsters or any of it's characters… and never ever will.
JC: Thank you.
Takeshi: I'm guessing that there will be no pretty girls in the future of this fanfic?
JC: Nope, nothing but men!
Kasumi: Are you implying that I'm ugly? (deathglares)
JC: No, no, not at all!
Takeshi: It was… a joke! A joke!
Kasumi: Humph! (walks off)
Kenji: Well, I guess it's time to get it on (whispers) with Sato-chan.
JC: Mind out of gutter. NOW!
Hiroshi: Why do I have such a problem?
JC: What problem?
Hiroshi: Never mind. Just start the story so I can get rid of the fake blood capsules you shoved up my nose.
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"Raikou?" Satoshi asked. "What's that?"
"It's a legendary poke'mon that's said to carry thunder clouds on it's back." Kenji replied and pulled Satoshi's Zukan from the mess of things that were dumped on the bed so the clothes could dry.
"I'm not so surprised that one exists since we've encountered Suikun several times." Kasumi said as she leaned over to look at the Zukan as Kenji pressed the buttons to find the right entry.
"Raikou, Thunder type poke'mon. Although it is believed to be only a legend, this poke'mon is said to have carried thunder clouds on it's back. When it raced across the ground, the sky is said to shake with thunder and flash lighting." The Zukan reported.
"It looks so cool." Hiroshi breathed at the small picture.
"Are you kids also here about Raikou?" a voice asked.
"Nurse Joy!" Takeshi squealed with happiness as the nurse entered the room with some fresh towels.
"What do you know about Raikou Joy-san?" Kasumi asked as the nurse returned from delivering the towels to the bathroom and with Takeshi at her heels.
"Since this founding of this town, people reported seeing Raikou in the mountains to the northeast of here where the river is." Joy said. "There's supposedly a lake there which has some kind of special concentration in the water which helps people and poke'mon heal injuries, although I've never seen it."
"Well, now we have an idea of where to start looking." Satoshi cried and leapt toward the door. "Let's go!"
"Hold it right there!" Kenji grabbed the boy by the shirt and jabbed a finger at the window. "Look at that weather!"
"It does look pretty bad." Kasumi shivered as another flash of lighting lit up the room.
"These storms usually clear up by morning." Joy said and with a wave, she was gone.
"Well, we're still tired from our misadventure with the Rockets so morning would be a good time to start our search after we get some rest." Takeshi mused.
"You're right. Sorry Kenji." Satoshi apologized.
"It's just like you to jump the gun you don't have to apologize." Kenji smirked, causing Satoshi's face to turn red.
"You know what sounds really good right now?" Kasumi stretched. "A nice hot bath!"
"Sounds good." Takeshi agreed and opened the door for Kasumi so she could go to her room and change.
"Huh?" Satoshi blinked, confused.
"Oh, Satoshi, didn't you know? This poke'mon center is also famous for it's old fashioned hot spring baths." Takeshi explained.
"Oh. Let's go!" Satoshi's pants were off in a flash and clad only in a towel, raced out the door leaving a red-faced Kenji and a near passing out from blood loss Hiroshi.
"Uh, are you alright Hiroshi?" Kenji asked as he started to undress. The other boy just stood there, with a bit of blood trickling out of one nostril and his eyes slightly glazed.
"Moshi-moshi?!" Kenji waved his hand in front of Hiroshi's face, but the boy's eyes remained the same. Blank… and a little drool started oozing out of the side of his mouth.
"What's wrong?" Takeshi asked as he entered the room in all his full glory and… nothing else.
Hiroshi hit the floor.
"What took you so long?" Satoshi asked as Kenji slowly eased himself into the steaming hot water.
"Hiroshi… had a little accident." Kenji replied.
"Is he OK?" Satoshi gasped.
"He's … a big boy. He'll be fine." Kenji paused after the first sentence, knowing the cause of Hiroshi's nosebleeds. It wasn't uncommon for young people to become flustered in the presence of something they longed for… a small sign of immaturity… or a crush.
"You're right… er… where's Takeshi?" The poke'mon trainer peered towards the screen door entrance to the room.
"Uh…" Kenji winced as screams and the sound of blunt objects hitting someone echoed through the building. Satoshi sighed.
"And again, he didn't get the girl."
"Hmm… but we shouldn't meddle in where even the goddesses fear to tread." Kenji agreed.
"I missed you."
"I missed you too. You don't know how much I wanted to travel with you guys some more."
Hiroshi stood outside clad in a skimpy white towel. He listened to the conversation between the two boys already in the bath and felt the blood rushing to his head again.
'Stop it Hiroshi! This is no time for you to be thinking about dirty thoughts! Still… if they really did… … are doing something… then… it wouldn't be right to disturb them.' The redhead shook his head, which calmed him down somewhat. How ironic was it that the one person he liked the most was in love with another guy.
"I want you to be happy."
"Nothing makes me more happy than being with you."
"Mhm… that's so sweet… just like you."
Hiroshi felt his knees give out from under him and he crashed through the screen door and fell into the water.
"HIROSHI?!" The two other boys yelped as the redhead surfaced coughing violently.
"Hiroshi, are you all right?" Satoshi stood up, but the water had soaked through his towel and it slipped off with a loud splash.
"Uh…" Kenji rubbed his forehead as Hiroshi flopped facedown in the pool.
"Hiroshi! Hiroshi!" Satoshi said as Kenji helped the red-faced boy into a chair.
"Ughhnnn… Satoshi?" Hiroshi muttered weakly.
"Satoshi. I think you might need this." Kenji pulled a fresh towel from the room shelf and wrapped it around the other boy's waist.
"My head hurts." Hiroshi moaned in pain.
Meanwhile…
"I can't believe that Yamato. Getting us blown away like that." Musashi grumbled.
"Now, we have to work our way back to some cash." Kojiro sighed and dipped his mop back into the bucket.
"Mopping floors. I can't believe we're reduced to this." The redhead fumed.
"Don't complain too much. At least the meals here are free." Nyasu muttered as he polished silverware.
"I can't believe the boss gave Yamato-tachi more money to spend on their mission and we get nothing!" Musashi's anger caused the mop handle to snap in half. Kojiro and Nyasu slowly back away from the ready-to explode redhead.
"You know, uh, Musashi… getting all worked up over such a silly thing isn't good for your health." Kojiro stammered nervously.
"THE TWO OF YOU LOSERS ARE NEVER GOOD FOR MY HEALTH!" Musashi screamed and slapped her teammates with her paper fan.
"I have a brilliant plan! A plan to get Pikachu and at the same time take revenge on Yamato… AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
"Brilliant plan huh?" Nyasu moaned weakly.
"HEY! THE 3 OF YOU! STOP SLACKING OFF AND GET BACK TO WORK!" their cheap minimum-wage-paying boss shouted.
"YES SIR!" the Rockets quickly shaped up and resumed working.
"Oooohhhh… my head." Hiroshi moaned in pain as he tried to get up.
"Don't move. You gave us all a scare." Satoshi gently pushed Hiroshi back onto the bed and pressed the cold wash cloth against his friend's head.
"I'm sorry Satoshi. I guess I'm not that mature." Hiroshi mumbled.
"Don't worry about that now. We have to bring you fever down." Kenji entered the room with some medicine.
"I guess my nose bled a little too much." The redhead sighed.
"You hit your head when you fell into the pool. Just get some rest." Kenji said as he went to refill the wash basin with cool water.
"I'm really sorry…" Hiroshi mumbled before his eyelids fell shut.
"Hey Satoshi." Kenji whispered as they left room.
"Uhm?" Satoshi yawned.
"I think we're going to have to be a little more careful about certain things around Hiroshi." Kenji said.
"Uhgh… yeah. You're right. But it's so late and…" Satoshi stopped mid-step and fell into Kenji's arms. The artist smiled and carried the sleeping boy to bed.
To Be Continued %%
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JC: Well, that was part 2!
Kenji: Stay tuned for part 3!
Kasumi: I thought this part was unusually full of fluff. What happened to the action?
JC: It's going to get hot soon.
Hiroshi: *faints from blood loss*
Kenji: Oh no. Not again. Satoshi, get the smelling salts.
Satoshi: HAI! KENJI-CHAN!