Poke-genetics: Viridian city
Someone almost step on him. AGAIN. He was getting tired of this. Couldn't people just look where they were putting their feet? Sure, they were in a crowd, in the middle of a city, but he wasn't the only pokemon smaller than a human around here, was he?
«Hey! Look down a little! » he growled to an absent-minded guy that just kicked him without even realizing.
«Ash. Stop shouting. They don't even understand you. »
«That's not a reason to kick me for Mew's sake! How do you manage to be healthy after walking in a city, Pikachu? »
«I just dodge or jump on your shoulder. Careful! »
Ash shouted a very lood «Pika! » to another person that should have looked down a little. The woman jumped back in surprise and quickly moved away.
«Hurrrggh, can't you just turn into something frightening like a Gengar or a furious Gyarados? »
«I already told you about that, remember? »
He did.
They had been walking through the forest for a long time. After the fifth time they fell off a hill (Genno wasn't as good with direction as he though apparently), Ash just said in an angry tone:
«ARGH! Can't you just turn into a pidgeot and FLY with us on your back? »
«No, I can't. » Genno answered just as rudely. «Maybe you never researched pokemon, but you should have guessed I can only turn into something I meet. The only way for me to morph into a creature I'm not staring at is by locking on it. »
«Locking?»
«Yeah, I can save a sample inside my body and hide it. It will stay there even if I change to something else and I can then morph into that whenever I want. Unfortunately, I can only keep one sample at a time. Right now, that spot is taken by your human appearance. So unless we see a big flying type pokemon, we'll have to walk our way to town. »
«Fine, but Pikachu's the one leading the way from now on. »
They had stayed silent for a little while after that.
«Yeah, yeah, still if I get step on one more time… OUCH, THAT'S IT! »
Ash jumped on the guy's leg and bit him.
«Aouch! What was that for, you rat! »
Oh, he was asking for it.
«CHUUUUUUUUU! »
The guy fell to the ground, looking charred. Ash kicked him and triumphly said:
«That's for calling me a rat, you loser! »
«What's happening here? » asked a feminine voice.
«Oh, great… » mumbled Genno.
An officer Jenny got out of the crowd and stopped in front of them.
«What is this ruckus all about? »
She looked at the stupid guy, then at Ash, then at Genno.
«I suppose one your pikachus is responsible for this. »
«Ehh… I caught him the other day. He's still not used to being in a crown… and he was tired of being stepped on. »
«Yeah, and he insulted me too! »
«Oh, and that guy have just called him a rat too. »
The officer stared at him. That face reminded her of someone.
«You look familiar… do you have a criminal record? »
Ash loudly shouted a negative «Pika! ».
«No. » replied Genno.
The officer tried to see if he was lying, but was reassured by what she saw.
«Very well. I'll believe you for now, but you'll have to go to a pokemon center. I want you to make him pass an aggressivity test. If it is negative, you'll have to keep him in his pokeball. »
Jenny noticed their horrified look. They looked at her as if she had condemned them to jail for a lifetime, which ironically, was not too far from the truth.
«You're not serious, are you? »
«I'm always serious at work. Follow me; I'll escort you to the pokemon center. »
Genno glared at Ash.
«Congratulation, Ash. Couldn't you have just endured it for a few more minutes? »
«Would you enjoy being kicked because you're small? »
«No, but I wouldn't have caught the attention of a police officer by shooting lightning! »
To avoid making the case worse, Genno had to pick him up and carried him in his arms.
«Well, that's humiliating. » Ash whispered. «I look like a baby that can't walk now. »
«Oh, zip it, Ash! »
The trip to the pokemon center was quick and incidentless. People were getting out of the way of a police officer.
They were welcomed by the usual: «Hello, how may I help you? »
«Hello Joy, I'd like it if you could make this fellow's Pikachu pass an aggressivity test. »
«Oh my, that cute pokemon sure doesn't look aggressive. »
Ash was making every bit of effort to look as cute and gentle as possible. There was no way he'd get stuck as a pokemon forever because a guy walked on him.
«He fried a random passerby. »
«Oh my. »
«Hey, that guy had just kicked him and insulted him! » corrected Genno.
«Anyway, I'd like it if you gave me a copy of the results after you're done, Joy. »
«Of course, officer. »
«Very well, I'll go back to do my street patrol then. »
They all waited for the female officer to get out before they talked again.
«Well, young trainer, take your pikachus with you and follow me. »
«Sure. »
Ash was very nervous by the time they arrived in front of a colorful door. What would they do if he failed? They couldn't put him in a pokeball, he hadn't (thank Mew) been catch yet. What would they do?
«The test will take place in the nursery. »
Ash gasped. The nursery? He'd be place with children?
«If he can take care of those baby pokemon without losing patience, he'll definitely pass my test. »
Oh Mew, what had he gotten himself into? He had zero knowledge about taking care of babies.
He was still panicking when Nurse Joy took him from Genno's arm and entered the room with him.
The place was… colorful, at the very least. Everything was painted in yellow, blue and pink. «My eyes! » he thought. When he opened them again, he was just over a children park. A few of the baby pokemon had seen him and were cheerfully giggling.
«Well, here you are, little pikachu. Don't worry, they are not dangerous at all. »
«Oh, and why am I feeling like running then? »
«Here you go. Take care. »
And her cheerful voice sounded like a death sentence.
Ash didn't know what to do, he was surrounded by pink barriers and the babies were getting closer, blabbing things like «Play! » and «Mama. ».
Oh, he was so not ready for this.
Genno was struggling for air. He couldn't stop laughing. Next to him, Pikachu was trying to suppress his hilarity, but he couldn't either. They were hoping Ash didn't look at them or he'd be sure to fail the aggressivity test.
«Oh my, are you alright? You're almost blue. » Joy asked them with a little bit of worry in her voice.
«Yhaha… yes… we're hahaha… alright. Aaaaah. »
It was good to laught like this.
«You should try to breathe a little, it always help. »
«Alright… »
He looked at Pikachu.
«Do you need to be examined while we're here? »
«No, I'm fine. »
«Okay, then. Come with me, we'll try to get in touch with my father's friend. »
Ash was on the verge of breaking down. It was impossible for him to take care of them all. He was already being overwhelmed. He already had an igglybuff in his arms, a pichu on his head and a clefable following him around. Oh, and that was without the Mime Jr. that was imitating him.
An alarm clock rang on the wall. «Feeding time» was written on an electronic screen. As if synchronized with the machine, most of the young pokemon stomachs growled.
«Oh oh. »
They all started to cry.
Genno and Pikachu were walking down the streets. Genno was completely silent. He was extremely nervous. They were about to meet a great poke-geneticist. That alone was enough to make him nervous, but it was more the part where Ash's fate and his were in that stranger's hand. What would they do if he said that he couldn't do anything? Worse. What would they do if he said there was nothing to be done? Ash's acceptation of his condition was mostly based upon the fact that if they worked hard enough, they'd change back. If there wasn't even hope, he'd break down. And Genno wasn't sure if he could keep himself from doing the same.
Suddenly, Pikachu shouted.
«Genno, stop! »
«What is it? »
«Look. » he said while pointing a shop.
«What about it? »
«There's a way we could make sure Ash isn't sulking after his little test. »
Now, that was something to make his worries fly away for a while.
There was too much to worry about at the same time! Ash had just finished giving nursing bottles to every baby that they were already moving everywhere again. Some were even making trouble.
«Azuuuuuuuuuuuu! »
«Hey, Magby, stop bullying Azurill! »
The fire pokemon looked defiantly at the small pokemon trying to get in his way. He pushed him and Ash flew just high enough to be catch by the net.
«The next time Pikachu says I'm ready to fight baby pokemon, I'll strangle him. »
They were wandering in the shop when Genno saw something that caught his eyes. Pikachu looked at him and said in an apprehensive tone:
«You're not going to… »
«Why not? »
Things were finally calming down. The baby pokemon were finally getting tired of all that playing and eating. One by one, Ash put them to their bed, nest or mini-caves. A few were reluctant at first, including the Magby, but slowly, their eyelids were getting heavier and they went to sleep too.
«Whew… I can't believe people actually like babies. »
He was now walking around, being extra-careful not to bump into any sleeping kids. Even one of them crying would result in an apocalyptic chorus of pokemon voices.
He nearly jumped in surprise when one of them grabbed his tail.
It took him a lot of effort not to utter a sound.
He looked down and saw a sobbing pichu.
«Daddy? »
«I'm not your daddy! » Ash whispered.
«No daddy? » said the little mouse pokemon, tears appearing in the corners of his eyes.
RED ALERT!
«Yes, yes, daddy! » he corrected as fast as possible.
The tears disappeared and the pichu looked unbelievably happy.
«Daddy! »
He jumped on Ash, who fell on his back. The pichu was now burying its face in Ash chest. In a matter of seconds, it fell asleep on him.
«Well, that is awkward. » he thought.
But he felt a strange warmth in his chest.
When they came back to the pokemon center, Genno and Pikachu were surprised to see that Officer Jenny had returned. They were even more surprised as they saw that she had a tender look on her face, completely to the opposite of the severe attitude form earlier. Both her and nurse Joy were talking like they were quite moved by something.
«They're so cute like that. » said Jenny.
«It's as if they're family. »
«He passed this test with flying colours. »
«There's no doubt about that. All the babies were sleeping like angels. »
«Hum… excuse us, ladies, but how is my pikachu? »
«Come with me. » said Nurse Joy with a smile.
Pikachu and Genno's jaws dropped to the floor. Ash was sleeping with a Pichu on his chest! It was so touching that Pikachu felt a little bit of instinct catch up to him.
It was hard to recover Ash as the little pichu was clinging to him with all his strength. With a lot of patience, they finally separated them, though the pichu seemed a bit sadder in its sleep.
Ash yawned.
«Oh, did I fall asleep? »
Both of his friends nodded simultaneously.
«Why are you looking at me like that? »
«No reason. »
Pikachu was strangely silent.
«Is something wrong, pal? »
Pikachu seemed startled by the question.
«O…of course not. »
Genno and Ash exchanged a look. Pikachu was definitely a bad liar.
«A…anyway, we've bought you something to cheer you up. »
«Really? What is it? »
«Tadaaa! » said the pokemon as he presented something to his master.
A very familiar something! Ash took the present with awe.
«A cap! It's the same as my old one! »
Without wasting a second, he put it on his pikachu head.
«Ahhhh, that's much better. I was missing my hat. Thanks guys, you're the bests! »
It was then that Genno put something around his neck.
«Hey! What are you doing? »
«Something to prevent you from being mistaken for a wild pokemon. »
«Isn't the cap enough of a hint? »
«Nope, you might lose it. That, on the other hand… »
Ash looked down and gasped in horror. A collar? What was he? A growlithe?
«Take it back! » he ordered as he tried to reach, without success, the knot on the back of his neck.
«What's written? You changed my NAME? »
«I'm supposed to be you right now. Having a pokemon with the same name would be pretty stupid, no? »
«That's no excuse. What did you write? Ash… ashchu? »
«I mixed your name with «pikachu». It doesn't sound too bad, don't you think? »
«I think it's stupid! »
«I also have one with «Volty» on it… » said Genno with a casual voice.
«Ashchu, it is. »
«Good, now let's go. We didn't have the time to find my father's friend before coming here. »
«Okay. »
As they got out of the pokemon center under the benevolent «Come back again.» of Nurse Joy, Genno froze for a second.
«Genno? » asked both Ash and Pikachu.
He began walking again. Genno looked extremely uncomfortable.
«Hey, are you alright? » they asked.
Again, he did not answer his friends' question. Instead, he stopped at the first public bench he saw and he opened his backpack.
«Hey, we're talking to you! »
Genno got a cellphone out of his backpack and winked at Ash. He tried to look natural as he pretended to compose a number. Then, just like someone answered, he began talking.
«Oh hello James, remind me, is your sister, the blond one… Stephanie, working in a T-Bone restaurant? … oh, I was just wondering… I saw a box of those just a few minutes ago and it bugged me. Well, thank you. So, did anything interesting happen to you recently? »
What was he doing? Had he lost it? What Genno had just said made no sense.
Ash understood as he was struck by inspiration. Box!
Think outside the box.
He was trying to tell him something. What did he just say? He pretended to call a guy to talk about his sister, a blond girl, he had added.
«Pikachu! Look for a blonde woman! »
Genno smiled as he pretended to talk over the phone, mostly about insignificant things.
«There, I found her, Ash! »
Both pikachus stared for a second at an elegant lady with long blond hair. She was walking in a feline manner that matched a mannequin. She was just a few meters away from them.
«Ok, we found the one he was talking about. But what is so special about her? »
«Yeah, the first thing I'll do tomorrow will be to go get a good T-bone at that restaurant your sister is working for. » Genno loudly said.
Okay, he gave them another hint.
«Your sister is working… who could that woman be working for, Pikachu? »
«I don't know, but Genno mentioned T-bones a lot. »
«Yeah… »
What was it? Ash felt that it was really important. First thing… First letters! T and B…
Ash gasped and told Pikachu:
«That woman is working for Team Blast! »