Chapter
33
"The
Mystery Menace!"
The
sun was setting on Atona beach, the bustling day was replaced with a
serene evening. The lights of the store windows were illuminated, the
signs gave out a neon glow which attracted many Pokemon to its
colors. Eevee and Squirtle, two of May's youngest Pokemon, ran up
to the storefronts, gazing above in awe at the pretty lights. Eevee
cheered in delight, bouncing playfully on the ground. Its coat of
brown fur bristled in the wind, as it wagged its tail innocently
knowing that its master and friends were nearby.
Sitting a few feet away on a small bench, Ash and May were resting contently while keeping a careful eye on their Pokemon in front. Pikachu sat on May's lap, facing the storefront with its head rested against her body. Her arms held the Pokemon lovingly, it was almost as if Pikachu shared the same kind of affection for May that Ash felt. It had been noted in Pokemon research and lore, that Pokemon share the feelings of their masters, sometimes taking on the same traits or personalities of their human counterparts completely. When Pikachu witnessed May peck Ash on the cheek with a kiss back in the hotel room, it started to feel as attached to her as it was to Ash. For Pikachu, Ash was his best friend and lifetime companion, but with May becoming seemingly more and more important in Ash's life, it had to accommodate its emotions to include her as well.
"Don't you just love moments like these?" May asked, fondly looking ahead at her Pokemon.
"Such as sitting and relaxing on a bench?" Ash asked, "Or watching our Pokemon amazed at the patterns of neon lights on the store windows?"
"Nah, I just mean its so peaceful," she smiled, "The smell of the saltwater is in the air, cool nights like this take away the uncomfortable heat and humidity of the day, and there's less people out now that it's just so peaceful to be here. I dunno, but I think I'm really becoming more of a "night" person."
"I see what you mean, but not me," Ash said proudly, "I'll take daylight hours over a peaceful night any day."
"Really?" she asked, gazing up at the night sky, "There's all these pretty stars out during nighttime, the way they twinkle in the sky is so beautiful. It gives the feeling that there is so much more out there, as if all those lights in the sky represent places we've never been to yet."
"Well yeah, those are stars, of course we've never been there!" Ash laughed.
"I mean here, Ash, on Earth," May said plainly, "There's so much world out there, and no matter how many places I travel to and visit, I still know there's so many more places to visit, people to see…"
"…Pokemon to capture…" Ash continued.
"…trainers to battle, Contests to be won…" she added.
"…Gyms, leagues, tournaments, a lot of stuff," Ash said.
"Yea," she said, "There's an entire world out there to see and I'm hoping we can continue to travel and see it all together."
She placed her hand softly on his, resting on top of each other on his leg. Ash and May exchanged fond glances, but this was one of the times they both wished they weren't wearing gloves. They both knew how great the feeling was when they held each other on the beach or had their skin brush against each other, but the connection of the fabric of their gloves wasn't the same. Ash wore dark black gloves on his journey, while May wore bright white gloves. They usually kept their gloves on for the majority of the day, only taking them off to wash up, sleep, or play with their Pokemon. Ash always found it funny that May wore gloves too, she always did wear them even when he met her for the first time back in Littleroot Town. Gloves were extremely handy for holding Pokeballs, as during battles the firm grip they had on the balls would prevent them from slipping out of their hands, especially in dire situations when the need to throw a ball into the battlefield was a must.
A bell chimed as a woman walked out of the store that Eevee and Squirtle were standing next to. The bell was hanging under the roof of the store, right under the door frame. Eevee really liked the sound the bell made, and waited patiently for another person to walk through the door so it could make the same delightful sound. A few moments later another person exited the store, and the ringing sound amused the little Eevee once again.
"Daylight hours give you the feeling that you have a nice long day to accomplish a lot of things," Ash said, "On days where its sunny without a cloud in the sky, you just know that you have to put all your free time into getting your training done and heading to your next destination. I get really excited just thinking about what the next day will bring, what exciting adventures or new challenges I might come across. Night may be more peaceful, but the blue sky and bright sun gets me really pumped for the new day."
"I suppose I prefer night more also because it's usually cooler out. I'm starting to think this beach has caused me to hate the sun and humidity," May said, chuckling.
Eevee's tail stopped wagging, it was getting a little upset that nobody was coming out of the store anymore. If nobody opened the door, then the bell chime would not be heard. Little Eevee lowered its ears in disappointment.
"Eevrie," Eevee moaned.
"Squirtle?"
It then came to a conclusion, if nobody was going to walk out of the store, then it just had to make the bell chime by itself. It quickly strutted itself on all fours and opened its mouth, preparing to fire a projectile attack at the bell hanging from the roof. Squirtle warned its younger friend that it might not be such a good idea, but Eevee was determined to hear that pleasant sound once more. It opened its mouth as a beam of dark energy formed, it aimed up toward the bell, and fired a small version of its Shadow Ball attack at the bell. The ball of energy made contact, causing the bell to chime loudly at it was shook back and forth on its hinges.
"Eeeeeevee!" the Pokemon cheered, the ringing sound filling its large ears.
"Squirtle, squirtle," Squirtle said, surprised that Eevee was able to do it.
Ash turned to her, "Do you think Max and Brock were able to make the reservations yet? I know the restaurant is crowed at this time but I'm getting pretty bored sitting out here."
"Bored?" May asked, "At least we have each other to keep each other company. I really like sitting out here with you, just talking about anything."
"I like it too!" Ash said quickly, almost trying to phase out his previous comment, "It's just that we can sit and talk at any time, but my stomach is really begging for some food."
Eevee again shot a small Shadow ball attack at the bell, which resulted in louder chimes from the impact. Squirtle decided to join in on the fun, firing a Water Gun attack at the bell too. The chimes rang again, with the two Pokemon getting more enticed by the sound each time.
"I'm hungry too, remember? Isn't that why we asked Brock and Max to go get tables for us? That way while they're inside on line, we could spend a few moments alone out here," May said, sighing. "I don't know how much time we'll have to just talk when we're traveling again."
"Are you crazy? Of course we'll have time! Just because we're going to be headed toward Gyms and Contests again doesn't mean we can't do stuff together!" Ash exclaimed.
"Like what?" May asked, sweetly.
"Well…like…" Ash pondered.
"Yeah?"
"…like…Pokemon battles?" Ash said.
May chortled, even in a possible relationship, he was still the same old Ash. Knowing that dating was a step that neither of them was ready to take yet, simply expanding on their friendship and letting it blossom into romantic interaction was a much better course of action.
"Pokemon battles, huh?" May said happily, "I guess that's easier to do than a date."
"A date?!" Ash said, shocked.
May blushed, her eyes scanning along the ground. "I…would rather train with you anyway, it's…easier."
"I don't even know what people are supposed to do on dates, I don't really like that idea that much," Ash said, thinking quickly.
"OK!" May cheered suddenly, "While other couples are doing real dates, our dates can be Pokemon battles! Who needs to go to expensive places anyway, that is so lame! Battling you every night, Ash would be much more fun!"
"And it'll help you prepare for you next Pokemon Contests too!" Ash added.
"That's right, I think our Pokemon battle dates are going to be awesome! I'll probably use my Eevee for our first battle, since I need to work on its aim….hmmm, what is Eevee doing over there anyway?" May asked, looking toward the storefront at her Eevee.
Ash and May gasped as they watched Eevee and Squirtle firing their attacks at the bell in front of the store, only this time the Pokemon weren't controlling their attacks and the bell looked like it was about to be knocked off its hinges!
"Eevee, Squirtle, STOP!" May shouted, standing up from the bench.
It was a little too late, as Eevee and Squirtle fired a Shadow Ball and Water Gun combination at the bell. Unaware of the strength they put into their attacks, the force cracked the bell off the hinge, it then came crashing down until it smashed to the ground into pieces. Eevee and Squirtle gasped as they realized what they had done, and quickly ran toward their master in fear. With Pikachu on Ash's shoulder, May quickly cuddled her two youngest Pokemon in her arms.
Eevee and Squirtle started to pout and cry in her arms, as if they had done something shameful and should be punished. May held them lovingly and reassured them that she wasn't mad at them, but they had to know that playing with other peoples property wasn't a game, and that they had to be careful with their attacks.
"It's ok you two, we'll just have to apologize to the store owner for breaking his bell," May said.
Tears came out of Eevee's eyes, May compassionately stroke its fur trying to calm it down.
"Aw, c'mon you little furball," May said playfully, "It was an accident, I'm sure you didn't mean to shoot the bell off the hinge."
Eevee licked May's hand for her kindness. She looked at Ash as the two agreed to apologize to the shopkeeper for wrecking the bell.
Suddenly, they heard some enraged shouting coming from inside the store. It was in a southern accent, as a man was cussing and shouting insults running toward the front of the store.
"Who in darn 'tootin wrecked my here bell? 'hose varmints are going to pay dearly for this!" the man shouted.
From inside the store, Ash and May heard a shotgun being cocked. May held her two Pokemon under both arms as she looked toward Ash for support.
"Whoever is out there is goin' get pumped full of lead, ya hear?" the man warned.
The shotgun was fired at the roof of the store, as the sound of the bullet startled the two trainers. Apparently the storeowner was being serious!
"Uh, May? About apologizing to the store owner…" Ash suggested uneasily.
"Yeah, you're right….LET'S FORGET ABOUT IT!" May shrieked.
With the Pokemon in her arms, Ash and May quickly darted out of sight and ran across the boardwalk toward the restaurant they were going to eat at as quickly as possible.
The shopkeeper exited the store only to see an empty boardwalk in front of him. He looked down at the shattered bell on the ground, and with his shotgun cocked, he mumbled a few nonsensical phrases as he walked back into his shop in defeat.
"Darn it, all 'dem kids manage to run 'way so darn fast. T'is shotgun is never goin' be used for anything," the man pouted, walking back into his store.
~*~*~*
May kept her eyes on Brock during the meal at the restaurant. She was still in doubt, but she couldn't shake the feeling that he was somehow connected to the missing envelope with 300 dollars. There were several indications that he was acting oddly at the table, such as stuttering nervously while he spoke and coughing into his arms frequently. The fact that the trio found Brock walking alone on the boardwalk right as they were headed to the restaurant was also pretty suspicious.
She awkwardly twirled her spaghetti with her fork and brought it to her mouth, slurping it up as Brock munched on a slice of bread with butter. Ash was busy stuffing himself with six different variations of pasta, while Max was eating a sandwich. She tried to take her mind off the thought that she was placing a lot of the blame on Brock, despite the fact that there was really no conclusive evidence that he should be blamed.
"Hey, Brock!" Ash said, in between stuffing his mouth full of food, "You never told…"
"Nobody can understand you when you talk with your face stuffed, Ash," Max said knowingly, "Didn't your mother ever teach you any table manners?"
"He's just really hungry!" May snickered.
Ash gulped down what he was chewing and panted while swallowing. "Like I was going to say before Max interrupted, I want to ask you something, Brock."
"Go ahead," Brock said, taking a sip of his glass of soda.
"You never told us about what you did with Tana and Jamie!" Ash said.
Brock nervously gasped as the soda almost went up his nose rather than down his throat. He pushed the glass aside and coughed as he swallowed the drink.
"What I did with them?" Brock asked.
"You…went to the hot springs with them right?" May asked, curiously.
"Yeah, I did!" Brock exclaimed, "We…uh…just spent most of our time relaxing in the water together…and whatever…"
"Were you all alone with them?" Max asked.
May looked at her brother oddly.
Brock nodded. "I had fun with them, errr…I mean to say I had a fun time with them," he shook his head nervously, "Oh great, that didn't sound right either."
"Hehehhee," Max chuckled, "I think you did something else with those girls!"
"MAX!" May shouted across the table, "Stop saying such things!"
Max squirmed in his seat under his sister's wrath, "Sorry, I just think Brock isn't telling the whole story."
"You're a nosy kid, you know that, Max?" Brock asked.
"I tell him that all the time," May added, agreeing with him.
Ash took a giant bite out of the meat he was holding, chewing with his mouth open. He was enjoying the food so much that he was disinterested in continuing the conversation that he started.
Brock continued to weasel his way out of the topic, he wasn't quite ready to announce the state of his manhood to three children, and three who were as innocent and naïve of the concept as a person can get.
May took his awkwardness in the wrong way however, and continued to relate it to her own problem. She was somewhat upset with the fact that she didn't have the courage to ask him about the money herself. After all, if she didn't ask him, who would?
~*~*~*
After dinner, the group was heading back to the hotel to get some rest. Ash and Max were walking ahead of Brock and May, chatting about various things and making general conversation. Since Ash and her brother were both walking a few feet ahead, she figured that now would be the best time to ask him about the money, without the two connected to the problem to hear about it.
"Um, Brock?" May asked, "I know this may sound a little strange, but I want to ask you something."
"If it's more about Tana and Jamie, I'll pass," Brock said, "Quite frankly, I'm still trying to wrap my mind around the sensation…ugh…I mean the situation myself."
"Well no it's not about them, well…maybe, or kinda…but eh…maybe not," May said in embarrassment, "Um, what I really want to ask is, when you came back to the hotel room after your hot spring time with those girls, did you…misplace anything in the room?"
"Misplace anything?" Brock asked, confused, "What do you mean? I hurried back to the room to see if you guys were there, but you were all down on the beach at that time. Since I didn't know where you guys were, I just left the room and checked out the various places on the boardwalk."
"Oh, but you did go into the hotel room when we weren't there right?" May asked.
"Uh… yeah," Brock said, trying to figure out what May was getting at.
Hmmm, since he said he went into the room while the rest of us were on the beach, he was the only one that was in the room alone with the money in the envelope. May thought, That still doesn't make sense though, because in order for him to see the envelope he would have to go through my fanny pack, and Brock never goes through my things.
"Is something wrong, May?" Brock asked.
May snapped out of her train of thought and put her hands behind her head nervously, "Oh no, not really, but…um...you see, there was this gift that Ash gave to…"
Brock cut her off, "Ha, you mean the Skitty/Torchic bikini that Ash bought you?" Brock chuckled happily, "Ash told me about the gift while we were headed to the restaurant, that was really amazing of him to go and get that for you."
Not that gift, May thought.
"I never would have thought of Ash to be the thoughtful one in this context," Brock said, looking ahead at Ash and Max, "I've traveled with Ash for such a long time now, and it's incredible to see what length he always goes to make his friends happy."
"Yeah, Ash is awfully sweet," May said, enamored.
"You tried it on for him, huh?" Brock laughed.
"Hey, of course!" May smiled.
The change of topic seemed to flow easily, May found talking about Ash and the bikini to be much more enticing than the horrible thought of putting the blame on him for taking the money.
"I think Ash really liked how I looked while wearing it," May squealed, "And of course we headed right down to the beach afterward, because I wanted to show him how much I appreciate it."
"That's really great, I'm happy for you. You got what you wanted after all, even after all the hardships you had to endure. It must be luck of the draw," Brock said.
"You got lucky too huh?" May asked.
"Let's not go there," Brock said sternly, "All this talk about me getting it on is getting me nervous, and that's a first…hey, Ash!"
Brock quickly ran ahead to catch up to Ash and Max, hoping to start a conversation with them.
"Hey…I was only going to say that he got lucky because two girls seem to like him," May said with her hands on her hips, "What else did he think I was thinking?"
May stared ahead at Brock and the others, as Brock put his hands on Ash's shoulder and rubbed his other hand playfully through Max's hair. May was quickly reminded of what a great friend he was, how protective he was of the three of them, and how he always looked out for their best interests on their journey.
"It can't be Brock," she said quietly, "He's too close a friend to take some money out of my bag and not say anything, especially $300. I shouldn't have blamed him in the first place, its…gotta still be in the room somewhere…maybe I just didn't look hard enough."
May sighed in relief and jogged toward them to rejoin her friends.
~*~*~*~*
"Why is my Premium Ball on the floor?" Max asked, flabbergasted.
He picked up the ball from the floor and looked at it oddly. He distinctly remembered putting the Premium Ball in his backpack before he left the hotel room, yet when they returned, it was resting in the middle of the room.
May walked over to her brother quickly. "You zipped up the zipper all the way when you put it back right? Maybe it just rolled out."
"Of course I did!" Max retaliated, "I showed it to you remember? And then I put it back inside."
"Well, what's the big deal then?" Ash asked, dumbfounded, "You guys are making this out like it's a big mystery, it's nothing to be concerned about."
"Hey, Ash, you wouldn't like it if your things weren't where you put them last would you?" May asked, angrily.
"Hey, calm down!" Ash said uneasily, "I was just saying."
May grinded her teeth in suspicion, this was the second time that something in their room was misplaced. She trusted her brother well enough to take good care of the ball, but something strange was going on. She pulled on her white skirt awkwardly, but reminded herself by saying that at least the Premium Ball was still in the room rather than completely missing like the money.
Ash and Brock both noticed May's awkwardness, but they couldn't place the reason for it. May got up from the bed and started to check all the windows in their room, as well as the front door to make sure that the locks were working correctly. She pushed aside the curtains and made sure the sliding windows were in fact locked, and then walked over to the bathroom to confirm that the window there was closed too.
Max asked, "May, what are you paranoid or something?"
"Quiet, Max," May said, checking under the beds and looking for any openings in the walls.
Ash hesitated a bit, but decided to knock on the wall above the bed May was crouched under. The knock startled May as she jumped out from under the bed and looked around the room alarmed.
"WHO DID THAT?" May screamed.
"I did," Ash said.
"Wha…what is wrong with you, Ash?!" May yelled angrily, "Why would you scare me like that?"
Ash walked over to May and placed his hands on her shoulders, lowering her to make her sit on the edge of the bed. Ash stood next to her as Brock, Max and Pikachu looked confused as well.
"ASH?!" May said annoyed.
"CALM DOWN!" Ash retaliated, "You're acting strangely, and by knocking on the wall I guess I was right. You're looking for something or someone aren't you?"
"No…you're…" May started.
"No, Ash is right," Brock said in agreement, "You're jumpy and awfully tense, you shouldn't be yelling at him for his concern about you. We're all a bit confused, May."
May got up from the bed and brushed past Ash and Brock. She walked to the sliding windows next to the door again and peeked outside.
"Pikachu pika?" Pikachu asked its master.
Ash shrugged his shoulders.
May turned around to her friends and clenched a fist worriedly by her face, "Guys, I think someone might be coming into our room while we're not here!"
"Huh?" the gang said in unison.
"I said I think someone is breaking into our room while we're not around, and they're messing with our stuff!" May said distressed.
"What makes you say that? Just because Max's Premium Ball was on the floor?" Ash asked confused.
"No…but because…" May said faint-heatedly, glancing at her yellow fanny pack on the dresser. She looked back at Ash and still didn't have the heart to break the news to him.
Ash followed her glance, and had a good idea of what she was upset about. "…yeah?" he encouraged her.
May brushed her hair out of her eyes and pulled her red bandana off her head. She handed her bandana to Ash and instructed him to tie it over his eyes. Since Ash wasn't moving fast enough for her, she took it upon herself to tie the ends of the bandana over his eyes. She tied the knot tightly so that it was secure on his head, and so his eyes were completely covered.
"And what is this supposed to accomplish?" Max asked snootily.
"I want Ash to sleep through the night with my bandana on as a blindfold," May instructed.
"Are you insane?" Ash growled.
"No, but I want you to tell me with a straight face that nothing odd is happening around here. I can tell what you're thinking by the look in your eyes, Ash, and with them covered, I want to tell your decision by the tone of your voice," May said, slightly perplexed.
"She's cracked, should I go call up my Mom and tell her that May needs some medicine?" Max asked.
"Please, Ash," May said softly, "I want to hear it from you."
"Pikachu pikachu," Pikachu shook its head discouragingly.
"How can I say that nothing odd is happening around here?" Ash said agitated, "If there IS something odd going around here, I already know what it is…it's you!"
May was silent.
Ash pulled the bandana off his face and handed it back to her. May looked at the cloth in her hands bewildered. He put his hand on her right arm and rubbed it reassuringly, as he could see there was a lot of doubt and confusion in her eyes.
"Sorry, May, but if there's something bothering you you're going to have to do a better job explaining it than this," Ash said compassionately.
May nodded, and while Ash took it as a response, in her mind she came to the conclusion that she was on her own in this matter.
"OK, but if more things start missing in our room, then I can say that I was right," May said, brushing Ash's hand away, plopping herself down on her bed.
"But…there's been nothing missing in the room so far!" Max blurted out, "I think you're just stressed out or something."
Or maybe there IS something missing, Ash thought.
~*~*~*~
It was 12:30pm, the group were all sleeping quietly in their beds with the lights out. They were all in their sleepwear, undershirts and pajamas respectively. Pikachu was sleeping next to Ash on the pillow, with their two heads leaning against one another. May turned around in her sleep, hoping to get into a comfortable position while in slumber land.
Max's backpack was leaning against the dresser on the floor, with the pouch zipper facing the beds. Slowly, and oddly enough, the zipper on the pouch began to open by itself. There was something inside of the bag that was opening up the zipper from the inside out.
Due to her earlier distress, May tossed in her bed again and opened her eyes slowly. She yawned loudly, hoping to get more sleep instead of spending the next several minutes thinking about sleeping. Before she could close her eyes again, an awkward sound surprised her.
"Hmm?" May uttered sleepily, sitting up in her bed, looking at the dresser across the room.
Max's backpack had toppled over, and was now resting flat on its front.
She yawned again, and shook her head over getting so tense about a backpack falling over. Just as May was going to rest down in her bed, the backpack lifted itself off its front and leaned itself against the dresser by itself.
"Huh?" May said aghast, rubbing her eyes carefully to make sure she wasn't seeing things.
The bag was indeed resting against the dresser instead of flat on the floor. May took a deep breath, she hoped that she was seeing things before and that the bag never fell over to begin with.
"Maybe…I'm just seeing things," she said tiredly.
What she witnessed next alarmed her, the zipper of the front pouch was opening by itself! Aghast, May watched silently as something poked itself out of the pouch…it was white and round in shape. It was the Premium Ball, and it slowly slid out of the pouch completely and rolled onto the floor.
She was frightened at this point, her teeth chattering and hand wobbling due to what she was seeing. Did this Pokeball really open the zipper of Max's bag and roll itself out all by itself? She wanted to scream at the top of her lungs and wake everyone up, but due to being overwhelmed with fear she couldn't do anything else but watch. Little did she know, the worst was yet to come.
Four compartments on the bottom of the Pokeball began to open up. Outside of these little holes, four slim metal legs emerged. Resembling the legs of a spider, these four metal legs raised the ball a few inches from the ground, and gave the ball enough strength to walk around.
She had hoped that this was a dream and that this Pokeball wasn't really sprouting legs, but it was all too real. She tried to yell out for help but her voice failed her, and nothing came out of her mouth. She knew she had to wake up her friends, but was too scared stiff to do anything.
The four thin metal legs were silent as they walked around the carpet of the room. The Premium ball rotated seamlessly while connected to the legs, almost as if it were trying to get a good view of the surroundings. The button in the middle of the ball was acting as if it were an eyeball, peering out of every which way like a Cyclops.
May quietly slid herself back down in her bed, she was terrified of the thought if the Pokeball would spot her sitting upright. Regaining a bit of her composure, her right hand moved along the bed trying to find something to pick up, anything that she can use to wake up Ash and the others. Her hand came across a piece of cloth, her bandana, and figured this was her best bet. With the covers slightly over her head to avoid being seen, she flung her bandana to the bed left of hers as it fell on top of Ash's eyes. Much to her dismay, the boy didn't seem to be moving.
Wake up! May shouted in her mind.
The Premium Ball turned and faced the dresser which towered above it. Using its four legs as arms, it began to climb its way up the dresser, using the handles for support. Unlike its movement on the carpet, the movement on the dresser gave off slight scratching sounds, which made it easier to hear.
She pulled the covers away from her eyes, and looked at the moving Pokeball in fear. The Premium Ball not only conquered the dresser, but it was heading toward her fanny pack which lay on top of it!
Her eyes widened in disbelief, as the ball used its metal legs to open the pouches of her fanny pack, and using the button in the center as an eye, it almost looked as if it were searching for something.
THE MONEY?! the thought clicked in her mind almost instantly.
She looked over in Ash's direction again, hoping that the kid would finally wake up so she didn't have to go through this alone. After a few moments, he began to realize there was a bandana on top of his face, and while half asleep, he pulled it away from himself. The bandana dropped to the floor, as Ash turned to the left, facing away from her and dozing off to sleep.
Ash, you were supposed to wake up! May shouted silently to herself.
She peered over her covers again, and spotted the Premium Ball still searching through her fanny pack. She was still in disbelief that this was really happening, just what in the world was going on? How or why did this Pokeball sprout legs, and why did it seem like it had a mind of its own?
In a last act of hope, she tried to quietly shout Ash's name, in some hope that he might hear her.
"ASH!" May called out, low enough so the ball wouldn't "hear" her, but loud enough for Ash to hear it.
He didn't budge an inch. She cried out his name again, but he still rested silently. Her frustration quickly caught up with her anxiety, and so her voice unintentionally raised slightly.
"Damnit, ASH!" she cried out.
The Premium Ball quickly turned its attention toward May in the bed, and lowered its leg which was searching through the bag. The ball must have somehow heard that May was calling out Ash's name!
May's eyes widened in shock as she made contact with the ball "staring" at her. Fearing the worst, she hid herself under the covers. However, there was no death beam or disintegration like she feared, only silence. She slowly lifted the covers off her head again and glanced at the ball while trembling.
The Premium Ball slowly raised its metal legs to lower itself down the dresser, going down one small part at a time, as if it were trying to head its way back inside Max's backpack and pretend the whole thing never happened.
May knew that she couldn't let this happen however, because if the ball returned from whence it came then nobody would believe her in the first place! A walking Pokeball was hard enough to swallow as it is, let alone if the walking Pokeball returns to the bag and disavows all knowledge of its actions.
In one last attempt, May called Ash's name again, this time in a normal speaking voice. To her surprise, Ash turned to her and opened his eyes!
"May?" Ash asked tiredly, still resting on the pillow.
The Premium Ball turned its "eye" toward Ash and May, and now it knew it had to move fast.
May mustered up enough courage, pointed with her finger and shouted, "THE POKEBALL HAS LEGS!"
Pikachu woke up from the noise as Ash slouched himself up from the bed and looked over in the direction she was pointing. Ash's heart nearly skipped a beat as he spotted the Premium Ball raised on four metal legs walking toward Max's backpack!
"PIAKCHU?" Pikachu shouted in disbelief.
Knowing that the situation was dire, the Premium Ball figured that there was no way it could stay here any longer. It began to dart toward the door, at an incredible speed, and tried desperately to turn the doorknob with its slim metal legs.
"What the heck?!" Ash yelled, sitting up in his bed.
"THAT'S WHAT I WAS TRYING TO TELL YOU!" May shouted, "THE POKEBALL, IT WALKS!"
Max and Brock woke up from the yelling, and were irritated as they looked at Ash and May.
"What's going on?" Max asked sleepily, putting on his glasses.
He turned on the light next to his bed, and then jumped in his seat as he saw his gift turning the doorknob for the front door!
The door opened up, and the Premium Ball jumped itself down to the floor, ready to scamper out of the room.
"It's...trying to make a break for it!" Brock yelled.
The "eye" of the ball looked up at Ash and Pikachu, and then darted out of the room.
"Ash…don't just sit there…run after it!" May gasped.
Its trainer was still in shock, but Pikachu hopped off the bed and began to chase the Pokeball outside the hotel room.
"PIKACHU!" Ash called out.
The metal legs on the Premium Ball carried it at alarming speeds down the catwalks, as the electric rodent had a hard time keeping up.
"May, what is going on?!" Ash asked, getting up from his bed and peering out the door. His black orange-striped T-shirt and boxers blew in the wind from outside.
"The Premium Ball…I think it took the money!" May blurted out, finally revealing her problem to Ash.
Ash nodded, "I knew there was something you weren't telling me!"
He darted out the door in his sleep ware and began to give chase to Pikachu and the Premium Ball ahead of him.
May, Max and Brock still sat in their beds in complete confusion and bewilderment.
"Who would have thunk it, a walking Pokeball?" Brock said.
"That thing nearly scared me half to death, I thought I was seeing things!" May gasped.
She jumped up from her bed and checked her fanny pack on the dresser. She looked through all the pouches but nothing was missing.
"Now I'm sure of it, that Premium Ball was going through my bag suspiciously, it must have something to do with your missing money, Max!" May exclaimed.
"Uh…what money?" Max asked, confused.
May face-faulted as she realized she hasn't told Max about the money Ash had given him as a present yet.
~*~*~*
The Premium Ball continued to scamper ahead erratically, with Pikachu and Ash following closely behind it.
"Don't let it out of your sight, Pikachu!" Ash said, "We gotta figure out what is going on!"
"Pika!" Pikachu shouted.
The two turned a corner as the Premium Ball ran vertically up a wall in the lobby of the hotel. It somehow had enough strength in those thin metal legs to cling to the wall and run across it. Ash and Pikachu watched with gapping expressions.
"That thing runs fast," Ash said, looking at the ball above.
"Pikachu pika?" Pikachu asked, pointing to the ball.
"You're right, if we can't follow it up the wall we'll just have to get it down ourselves!" Ash said.
He took his slipper off his right foot, and with an awkward aim, he threw his slipper at the Premium ball above. The ball quickly darted across the wall and avoided the slipper, while still remaining safe and secure high up the wall near the ceiling.
Ash picked up his slipper and put it back on, slightly distressed, "That didn't work."
"Pikachu pikachu pika!" Pikachu yelled.
"Oh you're right!" Ash said, "Why am I throwing my slipper at it when I could just have you try to get it down? Alright, Pikachu, use Thunderbolt attack on the ball!"
"PIKA!" Pikachu shouted.
It charged up its electric body and unleashed an electric attack at the ball. The electricity made contact, and the Premium ball lost its grip on the wall and fell to the ground.
"We got it!" Ash cheered.
"Pikachu!"
Their cheers were short lived however, as after a few electric sparks from the ball, its legs raised it again as it "stared" down its opponents. The button in the middle of the ball started to glow an eerie white light.
"Is it going to blow up or something?" Ash said confused.
"ASH!" a voice shouted from behind him.
Ash and Pikachu turned around to see May and Max standing behind him, both in their sleepwear. She was wearing her yellow T-shirt and blue spandex shorts, while Max was wearing his white tank top and green shorts.
"What are you guys doing here?" Ash asked.
"We followed you, what does it look like!" May replied sarcastically.
"PIKACHU PIKA!" Pikachu shouted, bringing the attention to the Premium Ball.
The white light in the center of the Pokeball illuminated the entire room, encompassing the three humans and the Pikachu that stood in front of it.
"Maybe we should call for help!" Max gasped.
"Where is Brock anyway?" Ash asked frantically.
"He ran to go get an Officer Jenny!" May said.
"Officer Jenny? At this hour? What is he crazy?!" Ash shouted.
"I dunno, maybe he's still attracted to Jennies even after being with Tana and Jamie," May shrugged her shoulders.
"Guys…I really think we should get out of here!" Max yelled fearfully.
May quickly held her brother and brought him close to her side, in order to protect him from any potential threat. Ash and Pikachu stood in front in a battle ready position, ready to protect the frightened siblings if case need be.
"Pikachu, try another Thunderbolt!" Ash commanded.
Pikachu fired a Thunderbolt attack at the ball, but this time the illuminating light completely phased out the electric attacks.
"Pika!" Pikachu said, surprised.
"The electric attacks don't look like they're working!" May shouted.
"I can see that!" Ash shouted back.
The light continued to fill the room, until eventually Ash, Pikachu, Max and May were frozen in their place. Before they could blink, the light consumed the four beings, and against their will, it retracted them inside the Pokeball. The gang screamed as their matter was transported inside, there was no way to escape it. The top of the ball closed once they were consumed, and the bright light disappeared as the room returned to normal. With the room now empty, the Premium Ball continued on its merry way, using its four metal legs to scurry across the hotel.
~*~*~*
In a hotel room on the other side of the beach, Jamie and Tana were sleeping in the same bed in their lingerie. The covers were up to their chests, sleeping side by side with their legs intertwined beneath the covers.
Suddenly, a bright light began to form in the middle of the room above the beds. The light was so intense that Tana and Jamie could no longer sleep through it, as they woke up and stared at the light forming above them.
"What's going on?" Jamie asked.
"It's so friggin bright, how annoying!" Tana whined, shielding her eyes with her arm.
They continued to stare in shock at the lights above, and even more so when four figures began to materialize above them.
"Something…is coming out?" Tana asked, pulling her lingerie strap back on her shoulder.
The bodies of Ash, Pikachu, Max and May soon materialized in the white light above the bed, and after a few more seconds, the light disappeared in which the group came pummeling down on top of the bed.
May and Max fell on top of one another, while Ash fell on top of the girls' legs underneath the blanket. Pikachu however manage to fall face first into Tana's chest.
"PIKA!" Pikachu exclaimed, trying to pick its head out of her curves.
"What…what is going on here?!" Tana shouted, plucking Pikachu up and placing it down in front of her.
After getting over their initial disorientation, May, Max and Ash looked up on the bed to see two of Brock's "friends" in skimpy lingerie with absent-minded expressions.
"Uh…we were just dropping by?" Ash bemused, scratching his face.
"Did we just get…transported?" Max asked, "I…I think that Premium Ball somehow transported us into Tana and Jamie's bedroom!"
"That must be it," Ash said.
"Uh, do you guys mind telling us what the heck is going on?" Jamie asked, "Secondly, would you mind getting off our bed? We're not exactly fully dressed here you know."
"Heh, sorry," May apologized.
She picked her brother up off the bed in a motherly tone, while Ash got off the side as Pikachu jumped onto his shoulder. The two groups continued to stare at each other dumbfounded, as if each were waiting for the other side to say something.
"Uh…" Ash uttered.
"Yeah?" Tana asked.
"Nice lingerie," May complimented, in a lack of anything better to say.
"Yeah, I like it too!" Max said, gawking at their chests which were barely contained in their tops.
His glasses began to fog up until May slapped him on the back of his head.
"What was that for?" Max whined, rubbing his head, "I was just adding to what you said!"
"So help me, Max, if you turn into another Brock when you get older, I'm going to so kill you," May said, crossing her arms.
"Well…um…I guess we'll be on our way?" Ash said stuttering, "C'mon, guys, let's get out of here and head back to our hotel so we can figure out what just happened."
He motioned for May and Max to follow him outside their room. Before exiting the room, Max took one last glance at the two girls in lingerie before May forcefully turned his head around with her hand, and marched him out of the room.
"Sorry about my brother, I apologize," May said nicely, shutting the door behind her.
Tana and Jamie sat in their bed, glancing at each other blankly.
"What do you suppose that was all about?" Tana asked.
"Who knows? I'm going back to sleep, it's not the first weird thing that's happened around here," Jamie said, sliding herself back down in the bed.
"I guess you're right," Tana said, lying down next to her friend, "You know, May's little brother is actually kind of cute!"
"May's kinda cute herself," Jamie snickered.
She stretched out her legs until her foot kicked something underneath the covers of the bed. She sat up awkwardly and looked under the covers to see what was under there.
"What's the matter?" Tana asked.
"I think there's a piece of paper or something under here," Jamie said, reaching underneath the covers.
She pulled it out with her hands and showed it to her friend.
"It's an envelope," Jamie said confused, "Why would you stick an envelope under our bed sheets?"
"Hm, I didn't put any envelope in our bed…and doesn't that one look kinda stuffed? There's something inside," Tana said.
Jamie flipped open the top of the envelope, and pulled out several $20 bills wrapped together.
"Whoa, there's money inside of here…a LOT of money!" Jamie said, flabbergasted.
Tana picked some of the bills out of her hand and looked at it carefully. "Wha, I don't understand, where the heck did this come from? This isn't yours, is it?" Tana asked, flipping through the bills.
"No, I have no idea how it got here, but I think we're really lucky!" Jamie squealed.
Jamie took one of the bills and slid it between her curves, giggling in amusement. The two girls cheered together while picking more money out of the envelope. Unbeknownst to them however, a certain four-legged Premium Ball was hanging from the ceiling, watching the scene below and waiting for its time to strike.