Wakeful - Part 3
by Goz
Disclaimer: I own some merchandise. But I don't own any of the characters or anything...
-
Part 3: Lock-On
-
Ash was seriously considering sneaking off ahead. Misty alone was annoying. Misty plus Daisy and Violet was enough to make Pikachu hide under his hat.
"Where does that freak Flint, like, *go*, anyway?" Daisy was complaining now.
"Do you, like, really want to know that?" asked Violet witheringly.
Daisy continued ranting obliviously. "Always says that *he's*, like, the Gym Leader, but ninety percent of the time it's, like, *Brock* -"
"Or Renee," grumbled Violet. She had never forgiven Brock's oldest sister for beating her with a Sudowoodo.
"An' *we*, like, get made fun of just 'cause there're, like, *four* of us! Whereas Flint, like, doesn't even, like, *fight* anyone -"
"Have you taken your Valium today?" asked Misty sweetly.
"AN' I DON'T SEE WHY WE, like, DON' GET TO CATCH THE RARE POKEMON! They, like, *said* they think it's a Water-type -"
"I'm definitely going on ahead," muttered Ash, taking off before he was asked to account for his superiority. "*Girls.*" Why couldn't Misty have just left them *all* behind? They were even more afraid of bugs than *she* was, and they *knew* they'd be going through Viridian Forest to get to Pewter.
Ash paused as Pikachu suddenly stiffened and peeked out from under his cap cautiously. "What is it, Pikachu?" he asked slightly tiredly. "We're *not* lost -"
"Chu, chu," Pikachu interrupted irritably, diving to the ground. He cocked his head, his ears quivering as he listened intently. "I don't hear anything -" Pikachu shot Ash a frustrated look and he subsided. Ash looked backwards uncomfortably, hearing Daisy's wails grow nearer.
After about a minute, Pikachu sighed and shook his head. "Kachu," he said apologetically, and hopped back onto Ash's shoulder. "Alright. Let's go!" Ash didn't give any more thought to that. Thus, he missed something he would have found very interesting.
-
*Well, they didn't really leave because they were dangerous - like those stories say - it was because they got annoyed when some kid tried to catch them.*
"So they're not really dangerous? How disillusioning. I could take over th' world wit' a Magikarp -"
*Of course they're dangerous. But they were always careful not to knock anything over or hurt anyone. Then that little boy started throwing Fast Balls at Raikou, and they all decided to leave. Entei was *very* insulted - she set fire to the tower before they left,* Mew added slightly disapprovingly. Then he continued, sounding a little puzzled, *They always go back to the tower in late July - I don't know why - and it should be day after tomorrow. I'm not sure how anyone could have found that out, though...*
"Maybe they haven't paid their book club dues. Book clubs kin get awful vindictive 'f they don't get th' check on time."
*...whatever. I don't know where Entei and Suicune are right now, but Raikou's always with the cows.*
"That's clearly one've the weirdest things I've ever heard," Fess observed cheerfully. Mew had been reluctant to Teleport directly into the herd of Milktanks he expected Raikou to be near - you'd think a giant thunderbolt-hurling cat would be more startling than a little pink cat using Teleport, but one never knew. So he had decided to walk - or swoop - to the herd's current residence from a spot just inside Viridian Forest.
*Well, it's true. You ought to stay back - these are all wild, and they're very easily startled.*
"Hey, *look*! It's *Team Rocket* wit' a *meat grinder* and -"
*WILL YOU SHUT UP - now, look what you've done! GET DOWN.* A few Milktanks shifted lethargically around a tree in the middle of the field.
"Waaaaugh - stop 'm, helllllllp -"
*You woke up Raikou, brilliant! Get down before he sees you!* Fess ignored the agitated Pokemon, studying a Ponyta-shaped cloud. *I *mean* it!*
"Oh, ya do?" Fess sat down behind a bush. Mew's tail lashed once, and he zipped off over the heads of the inattentive Milktanks.
Fess spent an awful lot of money upgrading Pry. That might have been why she owned only four changes of clothes. In any case, Pry could somehow translate any form of Pokemon speech and amplify a conversation taking place forty yards away. The most obviously useful skills came in handy maybe once in a lifetime.
"*WHAT* DID YOU SAY?!"
"I'M SORRY - I JUST - WEREN'T SURE WHERE YOU WERE -"
"WHAT'S THE POINT OF BEING PSYCHIC IF YOU CAN'T EVEN TELL WHERE *I* AM?! NEVER MIND - GET LOST BEFORE YOUR TRAINER FINDS ME."
"I JUST HAVE SOMETHING TO TELL YOU. IT'LL ONLY TAKE A MOMENT -"
"SO TELL ME ALREADY. [EXASPERATED SOUND]"
"WHEN YOU THREE GO TO THE TOWER, THERE ARE GOING TO BE HUMANS WAITING -"
"*WHY DID YOU TELL YOUR TRAINER ABOUT US?!?!?!*"
Pry interrupted herself: "I DON'T LIKE THIS GUY."
"I DIDN'T -"
"WE HAVE BEEN VERY CAREFUL NOT TO LEAVE ANY EVIDENCE THAT WE WERE THERE. WE ARE NEVER SEEN *WHILE* WE ARE THERE. NO OTHER POKEMON WOULD DARE -"
"*I DIDN'T.* LISTEN -"
"YOU GET AWAY FROM ME BEFORE YOU CAUSE MORE TROUBLE! WE'LL DEAL WITH THEM OURSELVES! OR I -"
Mew reappeared - his left eyelid was twitching. *Someday I shall teleport him into a shopping center...*
"'kay. Didja accomplish anything?" Pry had switched the screen printing out the two cats' words with one displaying winged toasters.
*...no,* he decided frustratedly. *I think I'll have to destroy Ketchum and Oak's Master Balls to stall them.*
"That doesn' sound like th' best solution," Fess understated.
*Well, convincing *them* depended on Raikou. Entei would never change her plans because of a threat, but she would if Suicune wouldn't go along with them. Suicune would have agreed with Raikou if he decided going was too dangerous, because he's the weakest and in more danger of anything than she or Entei would be.*
"Are *they* convinced they can't be caught?" Mew was apparently too relieved to be getting sensible questions out of her to think much about the content. *No - the Sneasel who steals TM's for them tells them too much about how Poke Balls work for that.*
"'kay. How ya plan ta get hold've Ketchum an' Oak's Master Balls?"
*That's none of your business.* Mew was clearly nervous about hanging around Fess too much - she knew more about Master Ball manufacture and distribution than most of Team Rocket, you know.
"Ketchum'll be in Pewter 'bout three today. He's always there or Cerulean after he gets beaten, an' Misty an' her sisters are gonna be in Pewter anyway."
*...how do you know that?*
"Got a spy - Lily's Seaking emails me everything that they do. He's part of the underground Seaking movement ta take over Cerulean Gym an' replace the Waterflowers wit' paid Jynx impersonators, an' I'm their computer consultant." Mew didn't respond. "My sister sent me an email 'bout it. She wanted ta know if I wanted ta try an' beat 'em again."
Mew's tail twitched. *I'll think about it...*
-
"Oh - uh, hi - um, Rena?" Ash could never keep Brock's siblings straight - he remembered people more by their eyes than anything else.
"Renee," this one corrected, shuffling through the coats in the closet. Ash tried to align "messy brown hair, t-shirt and jeans way too big, and pointy ears" with the name "Renee", and found that he remembered Renee as being the fairly normal one. *Argh - it's impossible -*
"Oh... sorry... how's your, uh, Sunkern?" he asked, glancing around nervously. Pikachu hopped off his shoulder to wander down the hall, looking piqued. Brock *had* know they were coming, right? Where'd he get to this time?
"Invincible. Beat a Charizard las' month," the girl continued matter-of-factly, selecting a black cardigan and tugging it on quickly. "I'd evolve him, but I heard his stats'll go down by three-fourths if I do."
"I see... Do you know -"
"*Fess!*" A female voice yelled angrily from the kitchen. "Your Quagsire's *fighting* some guy in the garden!"
"...Ya!" The liar snatched up a Poke Ball she had dropped on the floor and tore past Ash and out the door. Pikachu followed her a few steps, then stopped, wrinkling his nose.
"Hey, Ash!" Brock called, strolling into view at the end of the hall.
"Uh, hi," Ash replied, glancing backwards. "Fess" had dashed around the left corner of the house, holding a Poke Ball threateningly. Pikachu was peeking out the door after her, one eye narrowed.
"*Leave my Quagsire 'lone, ya freak!*"
He continued, "You've got weird relatives -"
"*Hey!* Excuse me -" Brock interrupted, knocking Ash over as he pursued his sister. Ash muttered something uncomplimentary as he stepped out the door and took the neglected shorter route to their garden, down the set of stairs to the right of the door. He heard Fess hiss, "Get it *exactly* right, cat, Kwa's first owner -"
"Stop right there!" yelled Brock, hurling down his Golem's Poke Ball, as Ash wandered down the stairs, shaking his head. Fess was standing in front of a very uncomfortable-looking Quagsire, glaring at a black-haired guy with a ponytail and a Fearow. The guy with the Fearow flinched violently as Golem materialized in front of him, and Pikachu's pride naturally demanded that he get involved, too, hopping onto Golem's head and striking a threatening pose.
"Hi," said Ash uncertainly, waving. "I'm the League Champion. You wouldn't be doing something illegal, would you?"
"..." The black-haired guy's eyes settled on Ash, and he gritted his teeth in frustration. Then he turned to Fess, looking icy. "Give it back if you know what's good for you. I can find you now. *Do you understand?*"
"Nope. Got the IQ've doilies." She did not look particularly impressed, and her eyes had even opened completely.
"I *don't* think Kwa ever belonged to you, considering that *I* caught him," Brock began tolerantly.
The insane guy shot Brock a disbelieving look, then gestured sharply to the Fearow, who obediently picked him up by the shoulders and started off away. Pikachu gave Ash a questioning look, and Ash shook his head. "Be ready, you - *hey!*" The Fearow irritably pecked the guy's arm when he accidentally hit the bird's wing with his threatening gesture. Fess waved good-bye cheerfully.
Brock turned to her slowly. "Fess... what was *that* about?"
by Goz
Disclaimer: I own some merchandise. But I don't own any of the characters or anything...
-
Part 3: Lock-On
-
Ash was seriously considering sneaking off ahead. Misty alone was annoying. Misty plus Daisy and Violet was enough to make Pikachu hide under his hat.
"Where does that freak Flint, like, *go*, anyway?" Daisy was complaining now.
"Do you, like, really want to know that?" asked Violet witheringly.
Daisy continued ranting obliviously. "Always says that *he's*, like, the Gym Leader, but ninety percent of the time it's, like, *Brock* -"
"Or Renee," grumbled Violet. She had never forgiven Brock's oldest sister for beating her with a Sudowoodo.
"An' *we*, like, get made fun of just 'cause there're, like, *four* of us! Whereas Flint, like, doesn't even, like, *fight* anyone -"
"Have you taken your Valium today?" asked Misty sweetly.
"AN' I DON'T SEE WHY WE, like, DON' GET TO CATCH THE RARE POKEMON! They, like, *said* they think it's a Water-type -"
"I'm definitely going on ahead," muttered Ash, taking off before he was asked to account for his superiority. "*Girls.*" Why couldn't Misty have just left them *all* behind? They were even more afraid of bugs than *she* was, and they *knew* they'd be going through Viridian Forest to get to Pewter.
Ash paused as Pikachu suddenly stiffened and peeked out from under his cap cautiously. "What is it, Pikachu?" he asked slightly tiredly. "We're *not* lost -"
"Chu, chu," Pikachu interrupted irritably, diving to the ground. He cocked his head, his ears quivering as he listened intently. "I don't hear anything -" Pikachu shot Ash a frustrated look and he subsided. Ash looked backwards uncomfortably, hearing Daisy's wails grow nearer.
After about a minute, Pikachu sighed and shook his head. "Kachu," he said apologetically, and hopped back onto Ash's shoulder. "Alright. Let's go!" Ash didn't give any more thought to that. Thus, he missed something he would have found very interesting.
-
*Well, they didn't really leave because they were dangerous - like those stories say - it was because they got annoyed when some kid tried to catch them.*
"So they're not really dangerous? How disillusioning. I could take over th' world wit' a Magikarp -"
*Of course they're dangerous. But they were always careful not to knock anything over or hurt anyone. Then that little boy started throwing Fast Balls at Raikou, and they all decided to leave. Entei was *very* insulted - she set fire to the tower before they left,* Mew added slightly disapprovingly. Then he continued, sounding a little puzzled, *They always go back to the tower in late July - I don't know why - and it should be day after tomorrow. I'm not sure how anyone could have found that out, though...*
"Maybe they haven't paid their book club dues. Book clubs kin get awful vindictive 'f they don't get th' check on time."
*...whatever. I don't know where Entei and Suicune are right now, but Raikou's always with the cows.*
"That's clearly one've the weirdest things I've ever heard," Fess observed cheerfully. Mew had been reluctant to Teleport directly into the herd of Milktanks he expected Raikou to be near - you'd think a giant thunderbolt-hurling cat would be more startling than a little pink cat using Teleport, but one never knew. So he had decided to walk - or swoop - to the herd's current residence from a spot just inside Viridian Forest.
*Well, it's true. You ought to stay back - these are all wild, and they're very easily startled.*
"Hey, *look*! It's *Team Rocket* wit' a *meat grinder* and -"
*WILL YOU SHUT UP - now, look what you've done! GET DOWN.* A few Milktanks shifted lethargically around a tree in the middle of the field.
"Waaaaugh - stop 'm, helllllllp -"
*You woke up Raikou, brilliant! Get down before he sees you!* Fess ignored the agitated Pokemon, studying a Ponyta-shaped cloud. *I *mean* it!*
"Oh, ya do?" Fess sat down behind a bush. Mew's tail lashed once, and he zipped off over the heads of the inattentive Milktanks.
Fess spent an awful lot of money upgrading Pry. That might have been why she owned only four changes of clothes. In any case, Pry could somehow translate any form of Pokemon speech and amplify a conversation taking place forty yards away. The most obviously useful skills came in handy maybe once in a lifetime.
"*WHAT* DID YOU SAY?!"
"I'M SORRY - I JUST - WEREN'T SURE WHERE YOU WERE -"
"WHAT'S THE POINT OF BEING PSYCHIC IF YOU CAN'T EVEN TELL WHERE *I* AM?! NEVER MIND - GET LOST BEFORE YOUR TRAINER FINDS ME."
"I JUST HAVE SOMETHING TO TELL YOU. IT'LL ONLY TAKE A MOMENT -"
"SO TELL ME ALREADY. [EXASPERATED SOUND]"
"WHEN YOU THREE GO TO THE TOWER, THERE ARE GOING TO BE HUMANS WAITING -"
"*WHY DID YOU TELL YOUR TRAINER ABOUT US?!?!?!*"
Pry interrupted herself: "I DON'T LIKE THIS GUY."
"I DIDN'T -"
"WE HAVE BEEN VERY CAREFUL NOT TO LEAVE ANY EVIDENCE THAT WE WERE THERE. WE ARE NEVER SEEN *WHILE* WE ARE THERE. NO OTHER POKEMON WOULD DARE -"
"*I DIDN'T.* LISTEN -"
"YOU GET AWAY FROM ME BEFORE YOU CAUSE MORE TROUBLE! WE'LL DEAL WITH THEM OURSELVES! OR I -"
Mew reappeared - his left eyelid was twitching. *Someday I shall teleport him into a shopping center...*
"'kay. Didja accomplish anything?" Pry had switched the screen printing out the two cats' words with one displaying winged toasters.
*...no,* he decided frustratedly. *I think I'll have to destroy Ketchum and Oak's Master Balls to stall them.*
"That doesn' sound like th' best solution," Fess understated.
*Well, convincing *them* depended on Raikou. Entei would never change her plans because of a threat, but she would if Suicune wouldn't go along with them. Suicune would have agreed with Raikou if he decided going was too dangerous, because he's the weakest and in more danger of anything than she or Entei would be.*
"Are *they* convinced they can't be caught?" Mew was apparently too relieved to be getting sensible questions out of her to think much about the content. *No - the Sneasel who steals TM's for them tells them too much about how Poke Balls work for that.*
"'kay. How ya plan ta get hold've Ketchum an' Oak's Master Balls?"
*That's none of your business.* Mew was clearly nervous about hanging around Fess too much - she knew more about Master Ball manufacture and distribution than most of Team Rocket, you know.
"Ketchum'll be in Pewter 'bout three today. He's always there or Cerulean after he gets beaten, an' Misty an' her sisters are gonna be in Pewter anyway."
*...how do you know that?*
"Got a spy - Lily's Seaking emails me everything that they do. He's part of the underground Seaking movement ta take over Cerulean Gym an' replace the Waterflowers wit' paid Jynx impersonators, an' I'm their computer consultant." Mew didn't respond. "My sister sent me an email 'bout it. She wanted ta know if I wanted ta try an' beat 'em again."
Mew's tail twitched. *I'll think about it...*
-
"Oh - uh, hi - um, Rena?" Ash could never keep Brock's siblings straight - he remembered people more by their eyes than anything else.
"Renee," this one corrected, shuffling through the coats in the closet. Ash tried to align "messy brown hair, t-shirt and jeans way too big, and pointy ears" with the name "Renee", and found that he remembered Renee as being the fairly normal one. *Argh - it's impossible -*
"Oh... sorry... how's your, uh, Sunkern?" he asked, glancing around nervously. Pikachu hopped off his shoulder to wander down the hall, looking piqued. Brock *had* know they were coming, right? Where'd he get to this time?
"Invincible. Beat a Charizard las' month," the girl continued matter-of-factly, selecting a black cardigan and tugging it on quickly. "I'd evolve him, but I heard his stats'll go down by three-fourths if I do."
"I see... Do you know -"
"*Fess!*" A female voice yelled angrily from the kitchen. "Your Quagsire's *fighting* some guy in the garden!"
"...Ya!" The liar snatched up a Poke Ball she had dropped on the floor and tore past Ash and out the door. Pikachu followed her a few steps, then stopped, wrinkling his nose.
"Hey, Ash!" Brock called, strolling into view at the end of the hall.
"Uh, hi," Ash replied, glancing backwards. "Fess" had dashed around the left corner of the house, holding a Poke Ball threateningly. Pikachu was peeking out the door after her, one eye narrowed.
"*Leave my Quagsire 'lone, ya freak!*"
He continued, "You've got weird relatives -"
"*Hey!* Excuse me -" Brock interrupted, knocking Ash over as he pursued his sister. Ash muttered something uncomplimentary as he stepped out the door and took the neglected shorter route to their garden, down the set of stairs to the right of the door. He heard Fess hiss, "Get it *exactly* right, cat, Kwa's first owner -"
"Stop right there!" yelled Brock, hurling down his Golem's Poke Ball, as Ash wandered down the stairs, shaking his head. Fess was standing in front of a very uncomfortable-looking Quagsire, glaring at a black-haired guy with a ponytail and a Fearow. The guy with the Fearow flinched violently as Golem materialized in front of him, and Pikachu's pride naturally demanded that he get involved, too, hopping onto Golem's head and striking a threatening pose.
"Hi," said Ash uncertainly, waving. "I'm the League Champion. You wouldn't be doing something illegal, would you?"
"..." The black-haired guy's eyes settled on Ash, and he gritted his teeth in frustration. Then he turned to Fess, looking icy. "Give it back if you know what's good for you. I can find you now. *Do you understand?*"
"Nope. Got the IQ've doilies." She did not look particularly impressed, and her eyes had even opened completely.
"I *don't* think Kwa ever belonged to you, considering that *I* caught him," Brock began tolerantly.
The insane guy shot Brock a disbelieving look, then gestured sharply to the Fearow, who obediently picked him up by the shoulders and started off away. Pikachu gave Ash a questioning look, and Ash shook his head. "Be ready, you - *hey!*" The Fearow irritably pecked the guy's arm when he accidentally hit the bird's wing with his threatening gesture. Fess waved good-bye cheerfully.
Brock turned to her slowly. "Fess... what was *that* about?"