(Blaine's New Gym, Cinnabar Island)
The next day, Blaine
led the two groups down a hidden passageway in his newly built gym. The
Cerulean sisters walked close together, looking disdainfully at the demon
Alakazam continued to carry.
"If it bothers you to
look at it, then don't," Sabrina said, without turning around to see them.
Lily and Violet shuddered.
"It's so like, creepy
how she does that."
Daisy shook her head.
"But like, Sabrina,
what if it like, woke up but nobody knew because nobody was like, looking
at it? What would it like, do?"
"Hopefully it would
kill you three first," Koga grumbled, half-jokingly.
Sabrina and her Alakazam sweatdropped. Daisy
crossed her arms.
"Dude, you really need
to like, chill out."
"I agree," Blaine chimed.
"Well, no one asked
you," Koga growled.
Gary and Whitney exchanged glances and Whitney
smiled embarrassedly.
"I'm sorry, Gary. They
don't exactly get along well, but…"
"It's okay, Whitney.
Remember, I hang out with Team Rocket. There's not much of a difference."
Whitney laughed lightly, but grew quiet as the
group stopped. Before them stood two strange looking pods. Blaine stepped
up to them and pushed a button to open them.
"These are my own personal
transportation devices. I had them installed all over when the gym was
built, knowing that this would happen one day."
He extended an arm towards them.
"All right. Everyone
in my group go in this one here. Everyone else go in that one."
Violet hugged her two sisters before filing in
with Blaine's group. Daisy and Lily grimaced as Alakazam stood between
them and Sabrina.
"Do we have to like,
be so close to this thing?"
Sabrina sighed, but gave them a small smirk.
"Would you rather stand
by Koga?"
Koga cast the two sisters an evil look. They
shook their heads and groaned. Sabrina smiled at Koga, but he looked away.
Blaine saluted them
and closed their pods. He pushed a button to send them off. Then, he stepped
into his and sealed it. Reaching up to the ceiling, he pushed another button
to start theirs. Gary and Whitney took each other's hands as the pod began
to shake and Violet closed her eyes.
"Relax everyone," Blaine
coaxed. "Get some rest. We'll be arriving in Kenya, Africa in a few hours."
(over the Indian Ocean)
Meowth yelped as
white foam from the water's surface splashed onto him, wetting his fur.
"Me-owth! I'm getting
soaked! Can't dis thing go up some?"
"It travels faster this
way!" Dr. Brown called over his shoulder.
Jessie, James, and Dr. Brown's hair blew violently
around them as Dr. Brown's dragonite flew over the Indian Ocean like a
speeding bullet. Jessie turned her head slightly to look back at Meowth.
"If you don't like it,
you could always go inside a pokeball," she teased.
Meowth stuck his tongue out at her and she turned
back. James chuckled and tightened his hold on Jessie's waist slightly,
resting his head on her shoulder. She glanced back at him and her lips
pulled up into a soft smile. Meowth rolled his eyes.
"Don't yous two start
gettin' all lovey-dovey. I can only take so much."
Jessie was about to reply when her Team Rocket
communicator went off. She slipped it out of her skirt pocket and flipped
it open.
"Agent Parker here."
"Jessie. This is Giovanni.
Where the hell are you?!!"
Jessie winced.
"Uh, sir, I'm uh…"
Everyone gasped sharply as Dragonite veered to
the side roughly to dodge a speedboat. The communicator fell out of Jessie's
hand and into the ocean at the quickness of the turn. Jessie sighed and
looked back at James.
"You wouldn't happen
to have yours, would you?"
James shook his head.
"I left it at HQ. Sorry,
Jess."
Jessie shrugged and faced forward again.
"It's no big deal. I'll
call him when we land."
Dr. Brown nodded.
"We should be there
in just a few hours. Dragonite, can you pick up the pace?"
Dragonite nodded his reply and sped up even faster.
They closed their eyes against the considerably rougher wind and shielded
their faces with each other's shoulders. Dr. Brown pressed his face close
to Dragonite's face and was momentarily reminded of how he used to seek
comfort like this in Blaine when they were younger. He tensed as he was
struck with the thought that Blaine might be doing the same thing they
were. And then maybe they could see each other again…after all these years.
He opened his eyes a sliver and stopped himself. He didn't want to get
his hopes up.
(Russian Speed Train, Russia)
Professor Oak leaned
back against his seat and looked out the window. He shivered at the sight
of all the snow. Pallet Town didn't get snow all that often, and certainly
not that much. But he would have to grin and bare it. This was an important
task.
Behind him, Professor Elm and Ivy were
seated in an awkward silence. Elm rubbed his palms together idly and looked
at her.
"I really admire your
work-all your research," he complimented uncertainly.
Ivy smiled carelessly at him for a moment.
"Thank you. I also respect
your work-all your discoveries."
Elm blushed and smiled back.
"Thank you very much!"
Ivy nodded and glanced out of the window as they
once again fell into silence.
"Of course," he started
again. "I'm nowhere near as famous as you and Professor Oak."
"You're getting there,
Professor."
"Yes," Professor Oak
agreed. "And perhaps this expedition will spread your fame."
Professor Elm beamed half-proud, half-embarrassed.
It was alittle overwhelming to be in such well-known company.
(Valencia Speed Boat, on the North Atlantic Ocean)
Ash stood on the dock,
his black hair ruffling in the breeze. He smiled at Pikachu who was on
his shoulder.
"These are the kind
of things Pokemon Masters have to do every now and then," he commented.
"It's kinda cool huh, Pikachu?"
Pikachu smiled back and nodded in agreement.
"Pika pi!"
May came to stand beside him.
"It's so exciting! I've
never done something like this before!"
"Well, I'm glad you
decided to come along, May."
May smiled warmly at him.
"Of course, Ash."
"And I'd never miss
the chance to save the world with you," Misty said, cutting in and standing
on the other side of him.
Ash grinned at her. May frowned slightly and
looked away from them.
I can't believe how he just melts when he
smiles at her like that!
She shook her head to clear away that thought.
Jealousy isn't becoming, May, she reminded
herself.
But Misty left! And Ash traveled with me!
She had her chance and didn't take it!
She glanced at them again.
Maybe she's taking her chance now…I shouldn't
try and stand between them…
She sighed audibly and Ash looked at her.
"Are you okay, May?"
She blushed clumsily.
"I'm fine, Ash!"
Ash and Misty smiled at her. May forced herself
to smile back. Brock watched them from a bit of a distance, a little amused.
He thought about going over and starting something when he saw a group
of girls clad in bikinis in the corner of his eye. Grinning to himself,
he forgot about the love triangle and headed over to the girls in his "Babe
Magnet" mode.
The sun set slowly across
the horizon as Ash, May, and Misty gazed out to the sea. The sky was light
and hazy, giving off quite a romantic effect. In the peaceful silence,
May slipped her hand over Ash's hand nearest to her, not knowing that on
the other side, Misty was doing the same. Ash's eyes widened slightly and
he looked down at his hands. He sweatdropped, but didn't say anything.
Pikachu saw and smiled a little smirk as the islands of the Bahamas came
into view.
End of Chapter Two
