Chapter 33, everybody! In which the group quotes Abbott and Costello and the writer apologizes for the delay—school and stocking against winter took precedence. ^^;
Misty and Brock's minor baseball discussion stems from a conversation my parents had once, where my Dad taught my Mom about football—love it when real life inspires fiction. ^^
Clow Angel, thanks for the review! I believe that is an answer best left up to viewer interpretation.
Yami-chan and Unrealistic, thanks for the review! Yes, I'm sure if it were closer or more cataclysmic, it would get more air time (consider Hurricane Harvey in Texas right now). As it is, it's a mild inconvenience working up to something worse, potentially (like how we track tropical storms crossing the Atlantic). Ah good, I'm glad it worked. :D It's amazing how blasé Brock is about everything—I guess with all those siblings, he's seen it all. :D Soon, I imagine….
IceDragonGirl36, thanks for the review! Good question….
Dragonkeeper10, thanks for the review! Tis true, tis true….
Boggie445, thanks for the review! I do too! :D
InkyTheInk, thanks for the review! This is true…oh dear….:O
Thor94, thanks for the review! Yes and oh my goodness yes. :D
Jakeroo123, thanks for the review! Oh dear….Hmm, maybe I'll give it a try. This is true. This is also true—now that I think on it, I don't think Ash keeps regular contact with his mom on his journeys, which makes no sense; I was nearly a decade older than Ash and still called my Mom every day when I attended a campus college. There must be some difference in the Pokémon world's culture….Good question….This is true—very little, but it's there. It must have made an impression on the fandom (pun not intended)—the only time I can ever remember seeing it was during the argument at the beginning of the Kids' Day episode. *shrug*
Thanks for the review, Guest! Most likely. Thank you, I'm glad you like them! :D
Thanks for the reviews, Anonymous Person! :D We'll be getting into that later in the story, but for now let's just say that he had youthful indiscretions and emotional turmoil. About the reviews—I haven't the foggiest. They appear in order of posting for me with the exception of anonymous reviews, which show up a day or two later unless I fast-approve them. I can check by chapter, I notice, but I prefer to answer them in the order that they appear. Darkrai in denial is a possible thing. As for the Magikarp, I've always heard it was based on an old legend that said a carp that jumped up a particular waterfall could turn into a dragon (which, now that I think of it, should mean that Magikarp evolves upon learning Waterfall…). I can't tell you about Feebas, unless it's what you say. To be fair, at the time all she knows is that folklore says Darkrai can cause nightmares—she hasn't seen him in action yet, just that he's scary-looking and mostly mouth. *shrug*
Cypher DS, thanks for the review! Seeing which chapter you're on, you should find out soon….
Ardtornismyname, thanks for the 400th review! This is true….
JuptileNamudori253, thanks for the review! I actually have not watched "The Ghost of Maiden's Peak" (my relationship with the show was spotty until we got cable), but I have a lot planned for Lavender Town and the Tower of Terror. :D Probably…not. ;)
CannotWrite2SaveMyLife, thanks for the review! I find it interesting that a gag I tossed in is being so well-enjoyed, thank you. :D
Pokémon © Game Freak; Nintendo
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl © 2003 Gore Verbinski ("That was for the smell")
And now, for something completely different:
This radio drama has been presented by Gold Coal! The shiny coal produced by the shiny Torkoal!
Misty released Staryu before going into the bathroom and told it to guard the door. Once it responded with a stern hyrhah! and poised itself before the door, she ducked in and locked it for good measure.
Satisfied that she wouldn't be disturbed, she set to washing the salt water from the day off of her. Just today—she had washed off the salt from that event the day before. And yet the feeling still lingered. Brock had been right during breakfast that morning—this was going to be a persistent problem for a while.
Speaking of things they had discussed—Darkrai, that pitch-black Pokémon that Ash somehow knew.
She and Brock had both agreed that they were to keep an eye on it and find out more about it, starting with what it was exactly and how Ash knew it.
Misty personally didn't think they'd come up with anything positive. That thing was mean and caustic, and was apparently the reason Ash ate like it was going out of style.
And for some reason, Ash seemed to like the stupid thing.
She didn't get that at all.
She toweled off and dressed in her pajamas, reflecting on that. Why, why, why would Ash want to be friends with that?
Well, she reflected, checking her reflection before leaving the bathroom, there was only one way to find out—
She skidded to a halt beside the bed, where Brock was sitting, and looked at Ash, Pikachu, and Darkrai sitting on the floor. Everyone in the room was currently riveted to the baseball game on the little TV.
"What is this?" she had to ask.
"Bottom of the ninth—oh come on! That was a foul!" Brock bellowed, half-getting up off the bed in his fervor.
"That didn't even hit the backstop!" Darkrai yelled at the TV.
"That thing watches baseball," Misty said.
"That thing also has ears and can hear you."
"Uh-huh. Then maybe you can tell me why you were bothering us to begin with."
"Later—more important thing going on."
Misty glared before leaning over to hiss in Brock's ear. "What happened to keeping an eye on this thing?"
"I am," Brock responded, pointing. "It's right there in front of me. I can see it."
"You're focused on a ball game."
"As is the Darkrai. Sit—watch the game."
Misty sighed, detecting that she was losing the battle, and sat on the bed next to Brock.
"So who's playing?" she asked.
"The Castellia City Cubones and the Lake Rage Gyarados," Brock said. "The Gyarados are currently winning three to two."
"Unless they call this game right and the Cubones get to use their loaded bases," Darkrai interposed.
The fact that a Pokémon even knew about that (which, granted, constituted her rudimentary knowledge of the sport in its entirety) was mind-boggling. "Is everyone in this room a baseball fan?" she had to ask.
"I am," Brock said.
"Yes," the Darkrai said.
"Pika," Pikachu noised, nodding.
"Out of necessity," Ash said. "I don't really follow the game—I just like watching them play."
Misty hadn't even gotten that far as far as baseball watching was concerned.
"I don't suppose teaching me is in the future," Misty said to Brock.
"It could be," Brock said. "How much do you know?"
"The guy on the mound is the pitcher, and the guy on home plate is supposed to hit the ball he throws so he can run around the bases. That is the extent of my knowledge."
"I've got my work cut out for me then. The guy on the mound is the pitcher, yes, and he's trying to throw the ball to the catcher, who is crouched behind the batter and is in front of the umpire—who apparently is blind, if the way this game has been called is any indication. The guys without gloves on the other bases are batters who managed to walk, which requires four balls to walk. The difference between a ball and a strike is if the ball goes out of the strike zone, which is about as wide as a batter's swing radius and as tall as his shins to his shoulders."
Brock continued on in this fashion, describing the game in detail and frequently punctuated by him leaping up and yelling at the TV, an action shared by Darkrai and Ash.
"I'm pretty sure they can't hear you," Misty said when he sat back down.
"Yeah, but it helps somewhat," Brock said. "So where were we?"
"You were getting ready to tell me who's in the outfield."
"No, no," Darkrai interrupted, one claw up. "Who is on first."
"Who is on first?"
"Exactly."
Misty blinked before deciding to give it up as a lost cause. "So who's in the outfield?" she asked Brock.
"No—Who is on first."
"'Stay outta the infield,'" Ash said, grinning.
"What is this?" Misty asked Brock, pointing.
"Abbott and Costello," Brock said.
"What is on second base," Ash supplied.
"Don't you start," Misty said, pointing at him. Satisfied he was ceasing and desisting, she turned back to Brock. "So," she said, considering her words carefully. "I don't know who's in the outfield—"
"Third base," everyone else chimed in.
"Shut up!"
Misty woke up once after falling asleep on the bed, to find that Brock and Ash were also sleeping and the Darkrai was watching TV. Well, not watching—it wasn't looking at the TV. Rather, it was focused on a spot on the floor right in front of it, practically on top of the TV as it played some old movie. Really old. Like still in black and white old. She wanted to ask what it was doing watching such an old movie, but ended up drifting off again before she could.
When she woke up again, it was morning, the Darkrai was gone, and Brock had apparently decided it was all right to use her ankles as a pillow.
She corrected this assumption by rolling Brock off the bed and onto the floor. Then, ignoring Brock's exclamation and protests, she shook Ash awake.
"Five more minutes," Ash moaned, hugging Pikachu to his chest.
"Wake up," Misty demanded. "The Darkrai's gone—where did it go?"
"Gbphnh?"
"Wake up before I have Staryu douse you."
"Mphmnn."
Misty sighed, released Staryu, and gave the order. Within moments, Ash was awake and spluttering, along with Pikachu, unfortunately.
"Sorry, Pikachu," Misty said quickly, hoping to defuse the situation. It worked, mildly—she only got a small shock.
"What was that for?" Ash demanded, wiping water off his face.
"I told you to get up," Misty countered. "Now what happened to the Darkrai?"
"No clue—Darkrai does his own thing, mostly."
"I thought you said you were friends with that thing."
"I am—but that doesn't mean I know what he's up to twenty-four-seven."
Misty couldn't help but gesture in frustration. "So it's gone again."
"He might be back soon," Ash said, squelching as he stood. "It depends on his mood."
Misty gave that some thought before signaling Staryu.
"Hey!" Ash squawked, recovering from the sudden deluge. "I'm already awake!"
"That was for the smell," Misty said matter-of-factly.
They had barely exited the hotel for their intended activities before they were suddenly accosted by a mob.
At least, that was the initial impression.
Ash started in alarm as the press of people descended upon them, screaming their names—
Wait a minute—
"Mom?" he squawked, just as the person in question squashed him in a hug.
"Ash! You're all right!" she wailed, not relinquishing her grip as she practically swung him back and forth.
"Mom—you're choking me—"
"Sorry," she said, loosening her grip but not letting go completely. "You are all right, right?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," Ash said, rubbing at his neck. "Why wouldn't I—oh."
"That was the worst call I've ever gotten!" his mother informed him, shaking him slightly. "Don't you ever do that to me again!"
"Believe me—I have no intention of ever being on a sinking ship again."
"Good," she said, putting a hand on his cheek. "I'm glad that's settled."
Misty, meanwhile, was apparently trying to make sense of her sobbing sisters.
"Now hold it!" she said finally. "I thought you all hated me!"
"That doesn't mean we want you dead!" one cried.
"That doesn't dissuade my statement."
Ash smirked a little as one of Brock's numerous siblings dodged around him to better get to his brother—trust Misty to focus on that point. He turned at the feeling of a hand on his shoulder—
"Professor Oak!" Ash greeted. "What are you doing here?"
"Being a professor has its privileges," Professor Oak said. "And having an Alakazam that knows Teleport helps. But enough about me—how on earth did you escape a sunken ship?"
"We blew a hole in the bottom. Oh hey, Mom—Lenny evolved."
"That's wonderful," his mom said. "The evolving, not the possible explosives."
"So where's Gary?"
"Not here," Professor Oak said. "Apparently, neighborly concern doesn't interest him—he's already on his way to get his fifth badge."
"What? Ah man, I'm behind—I have to go!"
"Oh no you don't," his mom said, catching him before he could bolt. "The League isn't going anywhere—you have at least some time to spend with your mother, right? Assure her that you're okay? Eat dinner with her?"
Okay, those were all valid points. "All right," Ash relented. "And you get to meet my team properly too."
"I wouldn't mind seeing that as well," Professor Oak said. "And then later we can discuss that Clefairy video you sent me."
"All right."
Walking away from the crowd with his mother, Ash's eye caught Brock—who gave him a thumbs-up. Ash returned it wholeheartedly.
Some things simply worked better than ice cream and sand castles.