I thought this chapter was REALLY long, but it turns out it's only 12 words longer than the last chapter. Isn't that kinda cool? Well, I think it is.
ANYWAYS, I decided to put this chapter up early because I love it :P It's sort of a special chapter. Why? Well...you'll see why :P
Last time: Aiden, Michelle, and Brandon wandered into Mt. Moon, where they found a gorup of Cleffa and Clefairy being tormented by a Growlithe. While trying to battle the troublesome fire type, Aiden is interrupted by Team Rocket, who tries to kidnap the Pokemon in the cave! They are stopped in their tracks by the three trainers, however, and sent flying. After treating the injured and malnourished Growlithe, the kids realize that Growlithe has nowhere to go, and was only tormenting the inhabitants of Mt. Moon to try and find shelter. Feeling badly for the Pokemon, Aiden decides to invite Growlithe along with him as his very first capture.
Chapter Seven: The Princesses of Cerulean City
After catching a Growlithe right outside of Mt. Moon on Route 4, Aiden, along with his twin sister Michelle and their best friend Brandon, continue their journey along the same route, eagerly awaiting whatever challenge they will next face.
"So, where's the next gym located?" Aiden looked at Brandon, who was studying his Pokegear.
Smirking, Brandon replied, "according to the map, the next gym is none other than the Cerulean City gym!"
"Ugh," Aiden whined, stopping in his tracks in order to sulk. "This is really no fair. Mom's gonna kill me with this no battling stuff!"
"She didn't say no battle," Michelle sighed. "All Mom said was that she wasn't going to battle you until you had seven other badges."
"Yeah, but when it comes to her only little boy, Mom is very easily persuaded," Aiden suddenly stood back up to full height, winking at his sister. "Just what do you think Mom is gonna' do when she finds out that her precious baby boy won his very first gym badge? She's going to be so proud and overjoyed that she'll change her mind right away and battle me for the Cascade badge!"
"I don't think Mom works that way," Michelle folded her arms.
"Pichu pi," Pichu agreed from Michelle's shoulder. The baby Pokémon wasn't overly well acquainted with her trainer's mother, but from what she had managed to observe so far, the pretty red headed gym leader was pretty tough, and didn't seem like much of a pushover.
"Wanna' bet?" Aiden smirked.
"No, because I know that you can't handle loosing," Michelle sighed.
"Oh yeah?" Aiden narrowed his eyes. "Just watch!"
With that, Aiden charged down the path, darting straight towards Cerulean City. Grimacing, Michelle and Brandon followed after the boy, both of them fearing what Misty would do when Aiden tried to defy her…again.
XXX
"I challenge you to a gym battle!" Aiden demanded, stepping into the Cerulean City gym.
"How did he get into the gym without your Mom around?" Brandon gaped at Michelle.
"That stupid boy memorized where Mom keeps the emergency key," Michelle sighed. "Which, I guess actually makes him not so stupid. I still think he's an idiot, though."
"Come on! I'm totally strong enough to win the Cascade badge!" Aiden carried on.
The sound of oncoming footsteps brought a huge smile to Aiden's face, and a look of concern to Michelle and Brandon's.
"How did you get into the gym?" The fairly angry voice filled the air, surprising not only Michelle and Brandon, but Aiden as well. He knew that his mother had a fairly infamous temper, but she never brought it up with them. In fact, Aiden could not recall a time where his mother sounded so angry with him. Now he was nervous.
Misty came storming into the lobby with an irritated look on her face. When she realized that Aiden was the one who had entered the gym, however, her expression changed to one of bewilderment. "Aiden?"
"Hi, Mom," Aiden grinned at his mother, happy that she wasn't mad at him. She had just thought he was an intruder was all! "I'm here for my gym battle!"
"Aiden, how many times do I have to tell you," Misty sighed, placing her hands on her hips, "there will be no gym battle here until you've battled all of my fellow gym leaders."
"But, Mom, look!" Aiden whipped out his silver badge case with the red poke ball emblem on the front and held it out towards his mother. Flipping open the top, he continued valiantly, "I got my first badge from Forrest! It was an amazing battle, just ask Michelle and Brandon!"
Misty looked behind her son and was surprised to find Brandon standing next to her daughter.
"Oh, Brandon, how terrible of me!" Misty gasped. "I didn't even see you standing there! I'm so sorry."
"It's fine, Mrs. Ketchum," Brandon grinned. "I understand that your son is a handful. You can't watch over too much but him when he's around."
"Brandon!" Aiden snapped.
"That's true," Misty giggled.
"Mom!" Aiden whined. "I'm being serious! Look at my Boulder badge! I won!"
"I see that, and I'm very proud of you, sweetheart!" Misty walked forward and hugged Aiden tightly, causing the boy to grumble and try to pull away. "My baby boy got his very first gym badge! Your father is going to be especially proud of you!"
"If you're so proud, then you'll battle me!" Aiden finally tore away from his mother and closed the badge case, sticking it back in his backpack.
"Aiden, I'm not going to battle you," Misty shook her head. "I just can't."
"But the rule of the gym is a two on two battle at least, and now I have two Pokémon!" Aiden cried.
"Really?" Misty's face lit up. "You caught your first Pokémon, sweetie?"
"Uh, yeah," Aiden blushed at the term of endearment. "Here, I'll show you!" He plucked the second poke ball off his waist and tossed it in the air, a blue light shooting out to materialize into his newly caught Growlithe.
"Growl!" The puppy Pokémon barked, panting and wagging his tail happily as he looked up at Misty.
"Aww, what an absolute cutie!" Misty squealed, kneeling down to pet the fire type. "Hello there, little guy!"
Growlithe made some happy whimpering noises, reaching up with his tongue to lick Misty's wrist as she gently stroked his bright orange fur.
"See? Two Pokémon; Growlithe and Squirtle," Aiden beamed victoriously. "So battle me!"
"No," Misty answered simply.
"Huh?" Aiden sounded exasperated. "But…why?"
"Because I'm not going back on my rule," Misty stood up, folding her arms over her chest. "Did you really think that I was going to be a pushover, Aiden?"
Aiden chuckled nervously and pushed his fingers together, "uh, well I…"
"Either way, there's no chance I could battle you now," Misty sighed sadly. "The gym isn't open for battles right now."
"Huh?" Aiden was surprised by this piece of information. "Why?"
"Because of your Aunts, that's why," Misty stared through the doorway that led to the battle area with a look of contempt on her face.
"Aunt Daisy, Aunt Violet, and Aunt Lily?" Michelle questioned. "What are they up to?"
"Oh, just the same thing they're always up to every time they take over the gym," Misty breathed out tiredly. "A water ballet."
"You didn't try to stop them?" Aiden asked.
"Of course I did," Misty rubbed her head. "But that never works. All they do is tell me I'm the youngest, so I have to do what they say."
Michelle raised an eyebrow at this. "Even though you're 31-"
"Don't say it!" Misty warned her daughter, who laughed sheepishly and blushed at her mother's unexpected reaction.
At that moment, a small figure came running out from the direction of the battle area, setting her eyes on the group of trainers in front of her and squealing delightfully.
"Aiden! Michelle!" Elizabeth jumped at the raven haired boy first before climbing down off of him and instead tackling Michelle with a big hug.
"Aw, isn't your little sister just the sweetest?" Misty cooed, greatly enjoying the sight of her youngest child so happy to see her older siblings.
After detaching herself from Michelle, Elizabeth looked up at Brandon and raised a curious eyebrow. He chuckled and waved his fingers at her, but Elizabeth didn't have much of a response for the boy. Instead, she looked over her shoulder at Misty and cried, "who's this guy?"
"Okay, fine, she's sweet when she wants to be," Misty murmured as her older two children nearly fell over from the youngest's comment. "Lizzie, baby, you know who that is! It's Brandon!"
Elizabeth looked the darker skinned boy over again before shaking her head. "Never seen him before."
"Yes you have, pumpkin!" Misty tried. "His uncle is Brock, remember?"
Elizabeth pursed her lips and shook her head. "Nope."
Chuckling, Brandon knelt down and tried in a sweet voice, "Perhaps you remember me from the time that you couldn't decide which flavor of ice cream to get, so I pulled some strings and got you to try every single flavor they had?"
Suddenly, Elizabeth's eyes widened and a charming smile graced her delicate pink lips. "I know you! You're Brandon!"
"Yes, I am," Brandon smirked. "Nice to see you again, Lizzie!"
"Oh, now she remembers," Misty smacked her forehead. "Just like Ash…"
Observing her younger sister, Michelle suddenly realized that the girl wasn't wearing a regular pair of clothes. Rather, she was wearing a pure white, one piece swimsuit with a very full tutu attached to the waist, gold accents adorning the swimwear, and a gold tiara atop her head.
"Elizabeth, why are you dressed like that?" Michelle asked curiously.
"I'm a water princess!" Elizabeth beamed. "Just like you!"
"What?" Michelle raised an eyebrow. "I'm not a water princess."
"Actually…" Misty broke in, suddenly sounding rather timid.
Michelle's eyes shot up, looking wide and utterly shocked. "Mom, what do you mean "actually"? What is Elizabeth talking about?"
Groaning, Misty rolled her shoulders back and motioned towards the tables that sat in the next room over from the lobby. "Let's talk about this, Michelle."
XXX
"WHAT?"
"I know it doesn't sound great…" Misty held a hand out in front of her.
"Mom, I don't want to be in a water ballet, let alone be the star of the whole thing!" Michelle fretted. "Why would you think that?"
"I didn't," Misty quickly shook her head. "It was your Aunts! They are convinced that you, Lizzie, and your cousins should take over running the water ballets. I told them that you would have no interest in it, but they argued that you're the most important part."
"How could I be the most important part?" Michelle huffed.
"Because you're the first born daughter of the gym leader," Misty answered dully.
"So what? That makes me a big deal?"
Misty bit her lip and nodded. "It's always made you a big deal, Michelle."
"Well, no thanks," Michelle folded her arms and shook her head. "I don't want to be some pretty little ballerina, and I don't want to be famous for it either! All I want to do is train my Pokémon and become a top coordinator."
"Why don't you just try it?" Misty suggested.
At this, Michelle made a face of both confusion and slight disgust. "You told Aunt Daisy, Violet, and Lily that I wouldn't want to be in their show. So why are you trying to convince me to do it?"
"Because I never liked performing in them either," Misty leaned in closer to her eldest daughter. "But it did leave with some pretty good memories. Besides, it means a lot to the citizens of the city. They've always loved my sisters' water ballets, and I know that if they saw you performing in one, everyone would just be so proud and overjoyed. They love you in this city, sweetheart. You, Aiden, and Elizabeth are so beloved by everyone here."
"Isn't that weird?" Michelle scrunched up her nose.
"I thought it was at first," Misty giggled quietly, "but, over time, I realized that it's actually very sweet! They all love me, as their gym leader, so it seems almost natural that they would love you three as well."
Michelle frowned and looked down at her hands, which were settled on her lap. Pichu, who had since jumped from the girl's shoulder onto the table, scurried in front of her trainer and squeaked, "chu!"
"What's that, Pichu?" Michelle queried. "You think I should be in the ballet?"
"Pi! Pi!" Pichu leapt up and down, her ears bobbing as she did so.
"I think that Pichu is saying yes," Misty laughed.
"Mom…" Michelle whined.
"You don't have to worry about a thing, sweetheart," Misty beamed at her daughter. "I'm going to teach you everything you need to know about starring in a water ballet."
"Thanks, I guess," Michelle grumbled, trying to ignore the sympathetic smile her mother was throwing her. "So, when does my training begin?"
Crossing her arms across her chest, Misty closed her eyes thoughtfully and replied, "right now! Into the battle area, love."
XXX
Michelle felt unbelievably stupid.
She was sitting on the side of the pool, wearing a light blue bikini top and a pink mermaid tail that shimmered like a rose pearl and was a shade that reminded the young coordinator of cotton candy.
Sitting there miserably, Michelle suddenly heard the clicking of a camera, and immediately felt the need to murder someone. Growling, she looked over her shoulder and found Aiden standing in the bleachers, a black digital camera in hand and a devious little smirk on his face.
"Aiden," Michelle threatened, "mermaid tail or not, I will come up there and beat some sense into you with my fists."
"Go ahead," Aiden snickered, "I dare you, chicken of the sea."
"That's enough out of the both of you!" Misty stepped out of the locker room, her eyes narrowed as she looked in between her two oldest children. "I'm not in the mood for any fighting today. And I don't think you want me bringing your father in here."
"No ma'am," Aiden and Michelle answered simultaneously.
"Good," Misty grinned, pleased that her children actually did listen to her. "Now, Michelle, I'm going to teach you all of the tricks of the trade, like swimming in your tail and using the breathing apparatus."
"I already hate this," Michelle deadpanned.
"Mommy, I want a mermaid tail, too!" Elizabeth cried, running over to her mother and hugging her bare leg.
"You'll have a mermaid tail," Misty smiled at her little daughter. "Daisy said that the costume maker is almost done with it."
"Okay," Elizabeth pulled away, seemingly satisfied with the answer.
"I don't know if I want to stick around for this," Aiden commented from the bleachers.
"Good," Michelle snapped, "leave!"
"Michelle," Misty sternly warned her daughter, who refused to apologize for her little snipe. "Aiden, maybe you should go show your father your newest accomplishments. I'm sure he would love to see them!"
"Sounds like a good idea," Aiden nodded. "Elizabeth, you wanna' come with me to see Daddy?"
"No," Elizabeth answered easily. "I'm a ballerina! I need to practice."
"Practice," Misty gently corrected the four year old.
"Alright," Aiden shrugged, descending the steps. "I'll see you guys later!"
"Wish I could leave too," Michelle groaned.
"Oh, relax, dear, it's not so bad," Misty stroked her oldest daughter's hair. "Be glad I'm getting this done while your Aunts are gone. Once they come back, this will become like water ballet boot camp."
"Fantastic," Michelle drawled sarcastically, throwing in an eye roll for good measure.
XXX
Aiden, meanwhile, hurried inside of his house, which sat right next door to the brightly colored Cerulean City gym. He scanned his eyes around for his father for a bit, eventually giving up and calling, "Dad! Hey, Dad?" when he couldn't locate the older male.
Sighing, Aiden stepped into the kitchen, where he found Brandon sitting at the table and cradling Pichu like a baby, feeding it some milk out of a bottle.
"What're you up to, Brand-o?" Aiden asked his best friend, sitting down across from him.
"Giving Pichu some Moomoo Milk," Brandon smiled up at his slightly younger companion. "I know she's able to eat solid food, but Pichu is still very young, and Moomoo Milk is full of nutrients that help baby Pokémon to develop fully. I think that feeding this to Pichu as a supplement will greatly benefit her!"
"Well, you should know, you're training to be a Pokémon breeder after all!" Aiden grinned. "I can see why Michelle trusted you with Pichu while Mom's training her to be a mermaid."
"Why, were you shocked that Michelle didn't ask you?" Brandon snorted.
"Uh…no," Aiden admitted, blushing slightly. "But I would never hurt Pichu! Michelle may get on my nerves an awful lot, but I would never even think of hurting her Pokémon."
"I know you wouldn't," Brandon chuckled.
Turning his head from side to side, Aiden prompted, "Have you seen my Dad anywhere?"
"Come to think of it, I haven't," Brandon shook his head. "Your Mom gave me the key to open the house, and I was expecting to see your Dad when I walked in, but I didn't."
"Maybe he went out for a run," Aiden mused.
A loud boom from outside stirred both boys, who began to look frantically around the room. Pichu, who had also become distracted from the loud noise, stopped drinking out of the bottle and twitched her big ears.
"Pi! Chu!" Pichu cried, blinking her beady black eyes.
"Where on Earth did that come from?" Brandon's eyes widened.
"I think…it came from the backyard," Aiden jumped up. "Let's go check it out!"
Brandon followed after the raven haired boy, holding onto Pichu the entire time. Aiden eventually made his way to the back door, sliding open the glass and staring out into the backyard with wide eyes.
"Pikachu, use electro ball on Leavanny!"
Aiden watched as the familiar yellow mouse jumped into the air, doing two flips in succession while a ball of electricity formed on his lightning bolt shaped tail. With a final cry of, "kachu!" Pikachu fired off the attack, sending it barreling straight towards the grass type.
"Now, Leavanny, dodge it!"
"Leavan!" Leavanny jumped effortlessly out of the way, his antennae waving as he leapt.
"Great work! Now, use razor leaf!"
Leavanny released a flurry of sharp edged leaves, the Pokémon's trainer watching as they flew towards the electric type standing closest to him.
"Pikachu, you know what to do. Dodge it!"
"Pika!" Pikachu jumped right over the attack before landing skillfully on his paws.
"Aiden…" Brandon awed, "your Dad is awesome."
Grinning, Aiden puffed out his chest and replied proudly, "yeah, I know."
The sound of the boys' voices caught Ash's attention and took it away from the battling. Turning his head, Ash caught sight of Aiden and Brandon and smiled boldly at both of them.
"Hey, guys!" Ash greeted warmly, his eyes especially lighting up at the sight of his son.
"Dad, guess what?" Aiden charged right for his father, stopping only about a foot in front of the Pokémon Maser.
"What, son?" Ash chuckled, crossing his arms over his chest.
Reaching into his backpack, which he had brought outside with him, Aiden pulled out his badge case and flipped it open. "Tada!"
"Hey, a Boulder badge!" Ash sounded impressed. "You won that?"
"No, I stole it," Aiden drawled sarcastically. Laughing, he finished, "of course I won it!"
"On your second try," Brandon coughed in the background, causing Ash to laugh and Aiden to go red.
"Brandon!" Aiden groaned.
"Oh, Aiden, it's fine," Ash gripped the boy's shoulder. "I didn't beat Brock on the first try, you know. So I'm not surprised that it took you two attempts to beat Forrest." Looking back up at Brandon, Ash questioned, "you must be proud of your Dad, huh Brandon?"
"He's awesome," Brandon nodded affirmatively. "I wanted to be a gym leader just like him until Uncle Brock introduced me to Pokémon breeding."
"That's not all, Dad!" Aiden was so excited that Ash feared the boy might explode.
"There's more?" Ash chuckled.
"Yep!" Aiden pulled a poke ball off his belt. "Check it out! I caught my very first Pokémon!"
"Wow, you've really made some dent so far, huh champ?" Ash asked. "So, which Pokémon did you catch?"
"I'll show you!" Aiden threw the poke ball, "come meet my Dad, buddy!"
Growlithe materialized in front of Aiden, yawning and shaking out his fur before looking up at Ash and blinking his large, black eyes.
"Oh, wow, a Growlithe!" Ash sounded genuinely impressed. "Where did you find this little guy, Aiden?"
"Inside of Mt. Moon," Aiden beamed. "Can you believe it?"
"I thought the only Pokémon that lived in Mt. Moon were Cleffa, Clefairy, Clefable, and Zubat," Ash scratched his head.
"Usually, yes, but this little Growlithe had no home or friends, so he took up shelter in Mt. Moon," Brandon explained to the Master.
"So now I have a water type and a fire type," Aiden grinned. "I can't wait to do some training with 'em! I haven't gotten to do much since I caught Growlithe."
"Maybe I'll do some training with you, then," Ash smirked.
"Really?" Aiden's eyes were sparkling at the mere thought.
"Sure!" Ash nodded. "I don't see the harm in it. Say, where's Michelle? She came home with you, didn't she?"
"Yeah, she's in the gym with Mom," Aiden raised an eyebrow and glanced back up at Ash. "Can I ask you something, Dad?"
"Anything, champ!" Ash winked.
"The reason Mom is in the gym with Michelle is because she's training Michelle to be in some water ballet that Aunt Daisy, Violet, and Lily are making. She said it's a big deal to Cerulean City for Michelle to be in it. Why's that?"
Ash chuckled huskily before murmuring, "the Princesses of Cerulean City."
"Huh?" Aiden sounded genuinely confused. Brandon, standing behind the young trainer, looked equally bewildered.
"Let me teach you a little something about your mother," Ash smirked. "Something that she will never, ever tell you herself."
Aiden sat down on the grass, sensing that this was going to be a long story. Brandon followed suit, sitting Pichu down in his lap. When Ash sat down as well, however, Pichu jumped out of Brandon's lap and into Ash's, cuddling up against the Pokémon Master.
"Pichu likes you?" Aiden questioned.
"I think maybe she smells Pikachu on me," Ash grinned. Scratching Pichu's head, he cooed to the baby Pokémon, "is that it, huh?"
"Pi, pichu," Pichu squeaked, still snuggling against Ash. Pikachu trotted over to his trainer and crawled next to Pichu, gently chattering to his pre evolved form who just stared up at the bigger mouse in awe.
"Anyway, this all goes back to when your mother was a young girl," Ash began, occasionally petting both Pichu and Pikachu as he told his story. "Every gym leader is given some sort of nickname by the citizens of their town or city. Your mother's grandmother, for example, was known as "The Queen of Cerulean City." Her daughter, your grandmother, was "The Beauty of the Beach." Once your Aunts took over the gym, they were deemed "The Waterflowers of Cerulean City," since they all had flower related names. Once your mother became the gym leader, however, she was given her own nickname, and that was "The Tomboyish Mermaid." Your mother was never exactly fond of the nickname, although I must admit that it suits her rather well."
"Yeah, that's a pretty good nickname!" Aiden chuckled. "But…what does this have to do with Michelle?"
"You see, your mother is the most beloved and respected gym leader this city has had in awhile," Ash continued. "The last gym leader they felt this way about was her grandmother. Everything your mother does is essentially worshiped by the citizens here. I noticed that when we first started dating. Eventually, once she and I had gotten married and you and your sisters had been born, everyone in this city came to love our entire family. They didn't trust me with your mother at first, but that went away soon enough, once they realized how much we loved one another. It was you kids that they really loved. They figured that you three must be the light in your mother's life, so naturally they all adored you as well. In fact, you three are so loved by the citizens of this place that they gave you all nicknames, even though you were just babies at the time and not yet able to even consider becoming gym leaders."
"Really?" Aiden sounded intrigued. "What's my nickname?"
"They liked to call you "The Little Master", since I'm the Pokémon Master and you're my son," Ash chuckled. "I found that to be a rather cute nickname."
Aiden blushed in slight embarrassment, while Brandon guffawed from behind. "Okay," Aiden thought aloud, "so then what do they call Michelle and Elizabeth?"
"They are known as "The Princesses of Cerulean City", which is equally appropriate for the both of them," Ash tapped his cheek. "I call Michelle "princess" myself, and have ever since she was born. I don't call Elizabeth that, but she most certainly is a little princess. These nicknames became so widespread, in fact, that the citizens even began to consider your mother a Cerulean City princess. Her and your sisters are the most adored girls in all of Cerulean City."
"So that's why it would be such a big deal for Michelle to star in a water ballet?" Aiden questioned, the whole thing suddenly making a lot more sense. "Because she's practically royalty around here?"
"You've got it," Ash nodded in conferment. "It's like a coming of age for her."
"Aren't you mad?" Aiden raised an eyebrow. Ash looked confused by the question, so Aiden clarified, "Michelle's not a girly girl. She doesn't even like to be the center of attention. So aren't you mad that Mom is making her do this?"
"Of course not," Ash smirked. "Aside from the fact that I don't think I can get mad at your mother, she isn't forcing Michelle to do this. I know she isn't, because your Mom hated doing this also. I think she managed to convince Michelle that this is a big deal, and it's something special. I just see this as further evidence that my little girl is really growing up."
Aiden just stared at his father and breathed slowly. Silently, Aiden realized that his Dad was right-he and his sister really were growing up. But if this was Michelle's significant mark of impending maturity, then what was his?
XXX
The most luxurious resort in Cerulean City was the Imperial Shoreline Hotel. It was effaced in marble and gold, and located on the coast so every room featured a beach view. The inside of the resort boasted a five star restaurant, an exquisite ballroom, and a grand spa featuring homemade soaps and treatments inspired by the beach. Many grand events had been held in the resort, including the first birthdays of the gym leader's children.
On this specific afternoon, a group consisting of four people and two Pokémon were gathered in the hotel's tea room, sitting around a small table and holding conversation over their snacks.
"Mom, what are we doing here?"
The younger female at the table, who had her hair tied up in a ponytail while sporting purple tinted sunglasses and a sky blue sundress, posed this question, sounding utterly confused and fairly frustrated.
"I already told you, my love," the older woman, wearing black sunglasses, a white sunhat, and a pink dress with a scarf, replied, "we're working on our newest plan."
"Together?" A young boy sporting a plaid shirt with rolled up sleeves and dress pants seemed bewildered by this sudden revelation.
"This is a very important mission," the older male smirked, himself dressed in a trench coat with a suit underneath and a fedora on his head. "Show them, Meowth."
"I'm on it," Meowth slapped a piece of paper on the table, which the two younger humans leaned in to examine with particular interest.
"A water ballet?" The girl asked dully. "Who cares?"
"Sounds like fun," the boy disagreed, "but how are we supposed to make a mission out of it?"
"Jess, I don't think they understand," the man shifted his eyes onto the woman sitting next to him.
"You're missing the main point of it, children," the magenta haired villainess smiled deviously. "It's a water ballet in a water type gym."
"So…that means Pokémon to steal?" the younger boy asked.
"Jason's got it!" The blue haired male practically squealed.
"Shut it, James!" Jessie scolded, throwing her hand over the man's mouth and causing him to shriek and squirm.
"So we're going to infiltrate the Cerulean City gym during this water ballet and steal their water Pokémon to give to the boss?" Jewel tried, lowering her sunglasses so she could get a better look at her parents sitting in front of her.
"That's right, darling!" Jessie giggled behind her hand. "This plan is foolproof!"
Jewel raised an eyebrow, but said nothing in response.
"I agree, Mom!" Jason nodded wholeheartedly. "It sounds great!"
Sneasel, who had been quietly sitting between Jason and Jewel the entire time, finally raised a claw up in the air and asked curiously, "but how are we going to get inside the gym without them noticing us?"
"Leave it tah me-owth!" Meowth grinned. "I gots it all planned out right inside mah head! You don't gots to worry 'bout a ting!"
XXX
Michelle couldn't deny the fact that her mother was, in every single way, undeniably and breathtakingly beautiful.
After teaching Michelle certain aspects of the water ballet for awhile, which Misty had already done with such grace and elegance that Michelle started to believe her mother had been replaced by a prima ballerina robot of some sort, Misty put on her own mermaid costume to help Michelle adapt to the tribulations of working in the tail.
And, it was at this point, that Michelle seemed to realize there was no possible way she could do this in the way her mother could.
Misty was wearing her standard pink seashell top and sea green mermaid tail, but hadn't bothered to put in her hair extensions. It wasn't really necessary, since Misty's hair had grown out over the past few years. The naturally straight locks reached just below her shoulder blades, but swayed just as elegantly as the wavy hair extensions that reached her mid back.
Michelle watched in awe as her mother swirled around the water type Pokémon at the bottom of the pool, the gym leader smiling the entire time. Her face was so bright and flawless, and she looked just as Michelle envisioned a real mermaid would. The trepidation must have been obvious on Michelle's face, because it didn't take long for Misty to stop performing and swim worriedly up to her daughter, who had jumped up to sit on the side of the pool.
"Michelle, sweetheart, what's wrong?" Misty brushed back the girl's hair. "You look absolutely terrified."
"I can't do that," Michelle shook her head very slowly, like she was a zombie. "I can't do what you're doing. No way."
"Of course you can," Misty smiled gently at her daughter. "You can do anything if you believe you can, baby."
"I'm nowhere near as good as you," Michelle's eyes widened in disbelief. "Not even if I tried, Mom! You're so beautiful and graceful, and I'm just…not! This is like the most impossible thing anyone's ever asked me to do."
Misty frowned and gave Michelle a hug. She loved holding onto the girl like this; it made Misty feel like her daughter was never going to go anywhere, even though deep down in her heart she knew that wasn't true.
"Michelle, you can't think that I'm perfect," Misty pulled away to look her oldest daughter straight in the eyes. "I am far from perfect. No one in the world is perfect. Not me, or my sisters…not even your father. I mean, he's the Pokémon Master, and even if the world doesn't believe it, we're his family and we know that he's far from perfect, right?"
At this, Michelle finally laughed softly and nodded.
"Just be confident, sweetheart," Misty stroked Michelle's cheek with her thumb. "No one is going to be able to judge if you're flawless or not. All they're going to see is a beautiful girl performing just for them and representing her city with great pride, and love her just the same for it. Alright?"
Michelle nodded once again, feeling somewhat surer of herself. Misty leaned forward and kissed Michelle on the forehead before pulling her back into the water.
"Good girl," Misty hugged her again. "Now, let's try it again."
XXX
That same night, Misty was busy preparing dinner for her family, as well as Brandon, who she had offered a place to stay, even though he insisted that he would stay at the local Pokémon Center.
"Absolutely not!" Misty was horrified by just the idea. "You're going to stay right here, Brandon. I insist upon it."
"Are you sure?" Brandon frowned. "I don't want to be any extra trouble for you."
"Have you seen who I'm married to?" Misty smirked at the boy. "You're a dream come true compared to the trouble that he causes!"
Brandon chuckled and thanked the gym leader for her kindness before sitting down at the table, in between Aiden and Michelle. He quickly noticed that the girl was looking around the floor in an almost frantic state, which confused him greatly.
"Michelle?" Brandon questioned. "What are you doing?"
Michelle picked her head up and frowned, "I don't know where Pichu is! I thought you were watching her, Brandon."
Smirking, Brandon nodded his head towards the doorframe that led into the kitchen and quipped, "I think that Pichu found someone that she likes a little better than me!"
Michelle looked to where Brandon was motioning and raised an eyebrow at the sight. Her father was walking into the kitchen, Pikachu on his shoulder and Pichu sitting atop his head.
"Dad?" Michelle blinked.
"I'm like a Pokémon whisperer," Ash laughed before lifting the baby Pokémon off of his head and instead holding her in his arms. "Nah, I really just think that Pichu sees me with Pikachu and wants to play with me too."
"Pichu!" Pichu tugged at Ash's shirt with her little paws, staring up at the Pokémon Master with her beady black eyes. "Pichupi, pichu pi pichu!"
"What is it, little girl?" Ash stroked the Pokémon's head. "Are ya' hungry?"
"Pi," Pichu nodded as her stomach grumbled to prove that fact.
Chuckling, Ash walked over to where Pikachu's food bowl sat and placed Pichu down in front of it. Pikachu jumped off of Ash's shoulder and sat next to the whining Pichu, promptly patting its pre-evolved form on the head.
"Pika!" Pikachu reassured the little thing. "Kachu, pika."
"Chu…" Pichu sighed.
"It's okay, Pichu," Ash smiled, returning to the two electric types and placing an extra bowl in front of them, this one slightly smaller than Pikachu's. "I've got your food right here!" He held up a canister with a lightning bolt emblem on the front poured food into each bowl before stroking both Pokémon on the head. "Eat up, you two!"
"Pi! Pichu!" Pichu squealed, immediately sticking her face in the bowl and beginning to eat away.
"For such a tiny thing, Pichu can be a real glutton," Michelle sighed.
"It's understandable," Ash stood up and smiled at his oldest daughter. "Pichu is just a baby, so she's still growing all the time and needs all of the nutrients she can get!"
"Is that the food that my Uncle Brock makes?" Brandon asked the Pokémon Master.
"Yep!" Ash nodded in conferment. "Pikachu really loves that special electric type food that Brock makes, so I figured that Pichu would too. Guess I was right!"
"Isn't it amazing that you can inflate your ego over something as simple as Pokémon food?" Misty giggled, placing some of the food she had just prepared on the table.
"Come on, Mist," Ash pouted, "do you have to tease me like that?"
"Of course I do, dear," Misty winked at him before looking around the kitchen. "Hey, where's Elizabeth? Dinner is ready, she should've been in here awhile ago."
"Didn't you put her down for a nap after practicing with Michelle in the pool?" Ash tilted his head.
"Yeah, but she should've definitely woken up by now," a look of concern crossed Misty's face. "You don't think she's sick, do you?"
"Nah, you worry too much," Ash smirked. "I bet she woke up and started playing, and is completely ignorant of whatever's going on down here! I'll go get her."
Once Ash was gone, Misty simply sighed and began to fill everyone's plates with food. It didn't take long for Ash to return with Elizabeth bounding in front of him, her emerald green eyes glimmering with excitement.
"Well, it looks like someone's gotten all of their energy back!" Misty beamed down at her daughter. "Didn't I say that nap was a good idea?"
"No," Elizabeth refuted, climbing up onto her chair and grinning playfully at her mother. "I'm hungry!"
"It's a good thing I made dinner, then," Misty trilled, giving Elizabeth some food on her plate. "I made noodles!"
Smirking, Ash sat down next to his youngest child and asked sweetly, "Aren't those your favorite, little Lizzie?"
"Yeah!" Elizabeth nodded her head rapidly. "My favorite is noodles! And pizza, and sandwiches, and soup, and cheesy sticks, and burgers!"
"So…everything?" Misty sweat dropped.
"No," Elizabeth refuted. "I don't like casserole."
"Hey, that's a big word for you, pumpkin!" Ash ruffled his daughter's hair.
"Nuh uh!" Elizabeth whined. "I'm not a baby, Daddy! I can talk!"
"And there's the mini Misty we know and love…" Ash chuckled nervously.
"So, Brandon, you've decided to travel with Aiden and Michelle?" Misty, who had taken a seat next to Ash and was now daintily eating through her noodles, asked the darker skinned boy sitting across from her.
"Yeah, I've been waiting for awhile to go out on my own and discover more about Pokémon to help me in my quest towards becoming a breeder," Brandon nodded. "But I didn't really want to go alone, and meeting up with Aiden and Michelle was like the perfect twist of fate for me! It just gives me some company."
"Travelling with friends is always better than travelling alone," Ash agreed before stuffing his mouth heartily, quite a contrast to his well mannered wife who was sitting right next to him.
"And I'm certainly glad that Aiden and Michelle have you with them," Misty smiled. "You've always been so responsible and mature for your age. I'm certain that my children are much safer with you in tow."
"Gee, thanks Mom," Aiden laughed sheepishly.
"Michelle, I heard you're finally going to star in a water ballet," Ash turned his attention onto the ten year old red head, who looked flustered by the topic. "That's great! You must be so excited to follow in your Mom's footsteps."
"Uh, yeah, sure…" Michelle rubbed the back of her neck; a habit she had picked up from none other than her father.
"Well, I'm excited to watch you!" Ash beamed. "You're going to look so beautiful, princess! You always do, but I can't wait for everyone else to realize what I get to see all the time."
"Dad, stop!" Michelle covered her face with her hands and turned it away for good measure.
"Ash, you're embarrassing her," Misty frowned as she whispered to her husband.
"What, I'm not allowed to tell her how beautiful she is?" Ash seemed genuinely disappointed by this.
"Of course you can," Misty sighed, "but do you have to do it in front of everyone? Especially on a subject that she's not completely happy about."
"I'm just trying to make her feel better," Ash shrugged. "I know she's not thrilled with being in the show, so I thought complimenting her and telling her how much I love her would make her feel better. But I guess not."
"Try again later," Misty smirked. "Your heart's in the right place, you just need to approach it a little bit differently."
Ash nodded, deciding that his wife was right.
As usual.
XXX
After helping her mother clean up the table and putting Pichu to sleep for the night, Michelle was busy thinking about what her father had said to her during dinner. Was she actually that beautiful? Did even he believe that this seemingly stupid show was actually a huge deal?
Trudging up the stairs, Michelle walked towards her parents' room, expecting to find her father in there. When she looked in, however, she quickly noticed that the lights were off and no one was inside. As she closed the door, the sound of her father's voice reached her ears, catching the aspiring coordinator off guard.
Silently, she followed the sound until it got closer and clearer, and didn't sound so much like a gentle whisper. Realizing it was coming from behind the door of Elizabeth's bedroom, Michelle quietly opened the door and peeked in, finding both her father and younger sister in her bed: Elizabeth laying down and looking rather sleepy, while Ash was settled next to her holding a book and wrapping one arm around her small body.
"The little Mudkip was so happy that all of his friends were safe. And all of the other Mudkip were happy that their friend managed to save them in time. From then on, all of the Mudkip lived safely and happily in the marsh, looking out for one another and being the best of friends."
Elizabeth yawned and turned her eyes up towards her father. "Another one, Daddy."
"No, no more," Ash smiled. "It's time for you to go to sleep!"
"I'm not tired," Elizabeth grumbled, although her eyes were beginning to close.
"I think you are, little pumpkin," Ash closed the storybook and put it off to the side, pulling Elizabeth's covers over her shoulders. "Go to sleep, baby girl."
"Daddy…" Elizabeth murmured airily, reaching up for her father. Smiling, Ash leaned down and allowed Elizabeth to wrap her arms around his neck, kissing her on the cheek before rubbing their noses together in a loving fashion. Elizabeth's arms slipped off of Ash's neck and landed back at her sides. With the little girl fast asleep, Ash chuckled softly and sat up, climbing off the bed as gingerly as possible in the hopes of not disrupting his youngest child's slumber.
Once he was off the bed, Ash looked up and realized that Michelle was standing in the doorway, watching him with a sense of awe.
"Michelle?" Ash questioned softly. "What are you doing here?"
"I…just wanted to talk to you," Michelle looked down bashfully.
"Sure thing," Ash smiled.
Michelle stepped away from the door, standing idly in the hallway as she nervously rubbed at her upper arms. Ash closed the door to Elizabeth's bedroom before ushering Michelle into his and Misty's room, the young coordinator following after her father while staring at the floor the entire time.
Sitting down on the end of the bed, Ash beamed up at his older daughter and asked, "What is it that you want to talk about, Shelly?"
Michelle looked up reluctantly and murmured, "I don't think I'm good enough to do this stupid water ballet. I don't want to let anyone down, Dad. And I'm not good enough."
At this, Ash frowned and held his arms out towards the girl. "Of course you're good enough, Michelle! Come here, princess." Groaning, Michelle walked closer to her father and let out a small shriek of surprise when he pulled her down onto his lap. Hugging her close, Ash lightly kissed the girl's shoulder before continuing, "You're perfectly good enough. No one is going to be disappointed."
Looking up at Ash, Michelle grimaced and inquired, "Is this really a big deal, Dad? You're not exactly from around here, so I figure you'll give me a more honest answer than Mom."
Sighing, Ash nodded and confirmed, "It really is important to the people of Cerulean City. This is part of their traditions."
Biting her lip, Michelle continued, "and you really think I'm beautiful? I mean…really?"
"Of course I do," Ash pulled away in surprise. "I always knew you would be a little heartbreaker. You look just like your mother, there was no way you couldn't be beautiful!"
Michelle blushed fiercely at this, but didn't cry out in embarrassment the way she had when her father had showered compliments upon her in front of everyone at the dinner table. This didn't go unnoticed by Ash, who smiled sweetly at the thought.
That Misty, he thought brightly, always right!
"Aunt Daisy, Violet, and Lily are coming over tomorrow to see how well Mom has taught me," Michelle piped up, her voice laced with worry. "I'm worried, Dad."
Smirking, Ash shook his head and replied, "There's no reason to be worried when your Aunts are around, princess. They can be dumb as doorknobs when they want to be."
Michelle scrunched her nose up. "I don't think Mom would like to hear you talking about her sisters that way."
"Oh, she's said much, much worse things about them," Ash assured his daughter. "Besides, they love you too! No worries."
"But if they take this so seriously…" Michelle trailed off and bit her lip.
Ash thought silently to himself for a few moments. Eventually coming to a plan, he smirked and announced, "Don't worry, Michelle! I've got a plan!"
"You do?" Michelle raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"
"I can't tell you," Ash folded his arms and kept the winsome smile on his face. "But you'll find out soon enough. Just wait, sweetheart! It'll be worth your patience."
"Patience?" Michelle muttered under her breath. "I might not live past tomorrow afternoon!"
Yeah, Ash and Misty are going to be more involved in their children's journey than Ash's mother or any of the other parents. Because I think they should, that's why :P
So, this chapter is going to continue into the next one. How will Michelle's ballerina debut go? And her interaction with her Aunts? You'll find out!
It would mean ALOT ALOT ALOT if you guys left me a review :3 They make me happy! And it also helps me to learn what you guys liked or didn't like about the chapter. So, be awesome and leave a review!
Until next time!