Chapter 16: In Which There Is Much Insanity and Many Noodles (But No Time Travel)
All that week, noodles disappeared from stores and restaurants all over Johto. And not just Johto, either- noodles were disappearing from Kanto, Hoenn, the Orange Islands... everywhere there had been noodles, there was now something that looked suspiciously like an absence of them. Everyone was puzzled. Where had the noodles gone? Were they being stolen? Who the hell would want to steal noodles, anyway? Some suggested that it was Team Rocket, others that it was some new evil, and still others that it was a hungry Snorlax with a noodle addiction. A few thought that it was the doing of the Giant Machops from Space, and began proclaiming this loudly to anyone who would listen. They couldn't think why everyone they knew suddenly started giving them funny looks and stopped talking to them.
The progress being made on the Noodle Project made Giovanni happy. Soon he would have every noodle in the world, and they could make their announcement. They could let the world know that they now had to pay Team Rocket 100 (p-like symbol) per noodle, and Team Rocket would become rich! Richer than it was already, anyway.
Ash, however, was not quite so happy when the Kwik-E-Mart was out of his favorite kind of instant noodle for three days in a row. And then one day, he went shopping for food and there were NO NOODLES AT ALL.
"Someone has stolen all the noodles!" Ash proclaimed dramatically, causing most of the other shoppers to look at him strangely and a few to suddenly remember that they had pressing business elsewhere.
"I'll bet I know who's behind this evil plot!" Ash continued, oblivious to the effect that he was having on the other people at the Kwik-E-Mart.
"Um, Ash," said Misty, trying to drag him out of the store by his arm, "perhaps we'd better go elsewhere to talk about this. It's not the place for-"
"I said," Ash interrupted, "I'll bet I know who's behind all this!"
There was a long pause.
"You're supposed to ask who it is," Ash whispered to his companions.
Misty, Brynna, Brock, Pikachu, and Tracey looked at one another. Finally Brock said, "Okay, who is it?"
"TEAM ROCKET!" announced Ash loudly.
"No, really?" said Brynna.
"Really," Ash said, missing the sarcasm entirely. "We have to stop them! Come on, let's go to the Team Rocket headquarters!"
He dashed towards the exit to the store, knocking over quite a few things on the way.
"Ash! Hey, Ash! Wait up!" called Misty. "I'm going with you!"
"Oh, Misty," sighed Ash, "you really do care!"
"About you? No," said Misty, sounding ever so slightly disgusted. "But I care about noodles."
"Oh," said Ash, looking disappointed.
"I'm coming with you guys too," said Brynna. "You wouldn't be able to get in without me."
"I'm going too, because Brynna's going!" exclaimed Brock. "And such a beautiful lady certainly should not be allowed to venture into danger alone!"
"I can take care of myself," said Brynna, slapping Brock.
"Hey! I didn't do anything do deserve that," he muttered.
"And I'm coming," Tracey said, interrupting what might have turned into another argument, "because you never know when there might be interesting things to sketch!"
"Pika pichi ka acha," added Pikachu.
They set off down the street to the Underground, which they entered, then took their Card Key and went through the door marked, "Top Secret Team Rocket Headquarters." Brynna flipped the switches quickly. They went through the maze to the other side, through the door at that end, and down the hall, all the while looking around warily for Team Rocket members that might be hiding in the shadows. There weren't any.
"I don't like this," said Misty nervously. "No one's tried to stop us."
"You're right," Brynna agreed. "It's too easy. I get the feeling that we're walking into a trap."
"They're probably just not expecting us," Ash said confidently.
"If I wasn't so worried that you guys couldn't get the noodles back without me," said Misty, "I'd leave now."
"But we have to get the noodles back from the evil Team Rocket!" Ash cried.
"And you were planning on doing that... how? By making the entire organization 'blast off' from who knows how many yards underground?" asked Misty.
"I'm gonna challenge Giovanni to a Pokémon battle! If I win, he'll have to give me the noodles!"
"Remind me again why you've been following this idiot for nine years?" Brynna asked Misty.
"Oh, various reasons."
"Like what?"
"Never mind that now," Misty replied, looking slightly embarrassed. "Anyway, I haven't been following him for the entire nine years. Just on and off."
They came to the end of the final hallway, and went into the vestibule where the closets were. From there, they entered the main building of the headquarters. No sooner had they gone in the door than they spotted Gretchen, sitting on a folding chair in the middle of the hallway. She was eating noodles and absentmindedly petting her Espeon.
"Oh, hello, I was wondering when you'd get here," she said nonchalantly, not looking up from her noodles.
"YOU HAVE NOODLES!" exclaimed Ash, staring at the aforementioned food item.
"Oh, yes, I meant to tell you, but I suppose it just... slipped my mind. We stole them all."
"I knew it!" cried Ash.
"What do you know, even idiots are right sometimes. But then, I suppose anyone can have a lucky guess."
"I was going to say that," muttered Brynna.
Gretchen stood up. "Oh, before I go... Giovanni me to tell you that he's your father...'s cousin's brother's best friend's former roommate."
"So what does that make him to me?" Ash said puzzledly, trying to figure it out.
"Absolutely nothing," replied Gretchen, "which is what you are about to become."
"WHAT?!" squawked Ash. "What do you mean?"
"Simple," said Gretchen. "The noodles have all been moved to a more secure location. This is no longer our headquarters. And the entire complex is set to blow up soon- but I won't say how long it will be, because that would be telling. Teleport, Cassandra, if you please."
Gretchen, noodles, and Espeon all shimmered and disappeared.