CHAPTER 4

ZAAAAAP!!!

"Just what in the hell did you think you were doing?" My dad fumed, storming around the room while I sat on the recliner, silent as stone. "Do you think it's OKAY to just go roaming around the neighborhood at this time of night?"

"I was doing something important," I muttered.

"Oh really?" he said, in angry fascination. He kneeled down so he was face-to-face with me. "And what, pray, were you doing that was oh so important, hmm?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Try me!" he whispered maliciously.

"All right, I'll tell you." I looked up defiantly. "I was hunting a Pikachu."

My dad nodded slowly. "Right… a Pikachu… of course, it all makes sense now!"

"You believe me?" I asked hopefully.

"What I believe is that you have been playing way too many video games. First thing tomorrow morning, you will be giving me your Game Boy, and I will be taking your Game Cube controllers. And now, you are to draw yourself a bath and get in the tub right now, and wash off the filth of… our front lawn!" And with that, he stomped up the stairs and slammed the door shut.

I sat there, glowering. If he thought I was going to give him my Game Boy, he was sorely mistaken. I jumped off the recliner and crept into my room, picked up my Game Boy, and stole into the hall to the basement, where I would hide it.

"LET'S HEAR SOME WATER RUNNING!" came a shout from upstairs.

I rolled my eyes. Fine, I would start the bath, and then I would hide it. I went into the bathroom, put the drain plug in, and turned on the hot water. I turned and was ready to walk out when I screamed and jumped back. There in the doorway sat a yellow mouse-like creature, about a foot high and bearing brown stripes on its back, with red spots on its cheeks. It was a Pikachu!

"Pika pika!" it growled with half closed, glowing eyes.

"Umm," I whispered, panicking. I really didn't know what to do when confronted with a real Pikachu. "N-n-ice Pikachu!"

"Pika!" It growled again, and it jumped and tackled me on the chest, knocking me backwards into the tub, which was now full of hot water. My Game Boy slipped from my hand and fell into the bath. The Pikachu now stood on the toilet seat, growling.

"Don't hurt me!" I begged, but I could already see its cheek pouches beginning to sparkle. Suddenly, the little voice in my head asked me an interesting question. "Isn't a full bathtub the worst place to be when you're about to get shocked?" But I didn't have time to send a message back before a powerful current blasted across the room and surged through my body.