The three stood by the school entrance, disguises in hand and the three laid on the floor behind a bush.
"Was that a little violent?" James asked, feeling a little sympathy for the unconscious children.
"Survival of the fittest." Was his answer, not really answering his question but it was all he'd get.
"Come on, we're wasting time. I'm not losing that pokemon. Who knows what'll happen should we lose"
"Aw, are you worried about this world Jessie?"
"Don't be an idiot, I'm worried about me. Who knows what the boss will do. I could lose my make-up."
"You're impossible" the only somewhat rational one muttered, throwing his disguise over his shoulder he walked into the building. "You coming? I'm sure there's a more private place to change than here."
"When did you suddenly become a man and think you can boss me around? I boss you James." Still, they followed after, smiling to themselves as they eyed their clothing. They wouldn't be too tight a fit but they would be stretched out a little. Hopefully they weren't shy, they would be walking home almost naked.
Pulling the school door close behind him Meowth grinned, this would be a piece of cake. Those humans wouldn't know what hit them.
Hours passed in monotonous boredom. May retrieved Pikachu and both seemed relieved. Ash sat at the back of every classroom staring at the slowly moving bag. The small yellow pokemon seemed more than aware that he had to be slow and quiet. Thankfully, Ash thought, he's more aware than first thought.
Laying his head on his desk Ash sighed, this was too much. The classroom door creaked open, three head's sticking through.
"Let me talk" the male whispered. They strode in, smiling. "I'm terribly sorry, we're new, I think we're in here."
"Oh, you're our missing students. That's fine, I'm new too." The teacher assured, motioning to the three spare chairs.
"That was easier than I thought" Meowth mused as he seated himself to the left of May, eyeing the bag that was close enough to brush his fingers again. Hiding a smile as the bag shook softly from his claw scraping over the undone zip.
"Thank you" James thanked the woman, giving her a small smile. Just because his friends were undignified in this world didn't mean he followed in their footsteps.
"Not at all"
Meowth couldn't take his gaze from May's bag, and thankfully the girl was oblivious to it. He could see a small glassy eye staring up at him, the black orbs showing fear. The baby was smarter than the humans it seemed.
"Are you alright?" May whispered
"Huh, what?"
"You've been staring into space for a while, are you alright?" Staring up at the girl he let out a silent breath of relief. Thank God, he'd feared she'd spotted him, recognised him despite their disguises.
"Uh yeah" he coughed, trying to disguise his voice "I'm fine" she nodded, accepting his words as the truth. Breathing yet another sigh of relief he turned back to pretending to work. All he was really doing was doodling handing over Pikachu to the boss. He was sure he'd like a Pikachu. They were a rare find in the region. Another reason why they were searching so desperately for it. When similar situations had occurred in the past the pokemon were left. They were either taken up by sellers and traded from person to person, worshiped as though they were gods. Or taken as a new species and bred.
Meowth wasn't sure what pokemon had come through in the past. Some were ladybirds, they'd devolved over the years, shrinking and becoming basic, others were animals that were now locked in zoos. But countless others were in the human world, coming from thousands of years in the past and becoming common around. The majority of common animals were derived from pokemon, and a few animals had passed through old portals too. Entering the pokemon realm and evolving to the point that they were fierce creatures.
"Pikka" the small Pikachu whispered to himself. Not too loud, just enough that Meowth heard it. Along with a few humans probably. May definitely did her eyes darting to the bag, wide in fear. The wide orbs flitted from the bag to the children surrounding her settling on Meowth. The pokemon's eyes were still trained on the bag, May's eyes, if possible, grew once more. Growing so large they'd fall from her sockets were they not restrained.
"Uh" she whispered, trying to think of an excuse.
"Forget it, just my imagination right?" Meowth smirked, she'd brought him with her. That was all they needed. Confirmation.
The bell rang signalling the end of lesson, all children springing to their feet and pouring from the room. May grasped at her bag, her heart not having recovered from the fright of earlier, the other child, the boy who'd sat beside her, had heard Pikachu. He knew something. That she was sure of, he knew something.
She ran to a quiet part of the school, somewhere that was barely frequented. Sitting on the, hopefully, clean floor she placed Pikachu onto her knee.
"That was far too close" she breathed, settling her face against the top of the bag. "Pikachu, what were you thinking?" Her heart was pounding, fear that the boy would inform someone making her panic.
"Pikka" he answered, and despite knowing he couldn't speak it sounded like an apology.
"Pikachu, do you realise what doing that's caused? What if he tells someone? What if someone finds out I've got a living creature in my bag. Do you know what'll happen then?" She knew the pokemon couldn't respond in tangible words, but it helped to vent. It let her vocalise everything and hope it made it all look a little less terrifying. It didn't. It only made her panic more.
"May?" A voice shouted, just rounding the corner in search of the missing girl. His closed eyes widened slightly at the sight of her huddled in the corner. Worry flooded him. But there was no need, he knew the girl well. She'd never cry over anything trivial. "May? What're you doing? Are you alright?" Despite being assured, by himself, that she was fine he couldn't help worrying. She was one of his closest friends.
Jumping from her skin at the sound of her name she glared up at whoever it was. Her eyes widening as she stared at Brock.
"W-what're you doing here?" She stuttered holding onto Pikachu tighter. The bag made a disgruntled noise but the corridor blocked much of it out. Brock tilted his head, trying to decide if it was a real sound or his imagination. Shaking his head as discretely as possible he sat beside her.
"Well, at least I know you're not crying. I was worried for a second there. So, tell me. What's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong Brock. Just need a few seconds to myself." She was a terrible liar, she knew that. It was as obvious as the clothes she wore. Something was wrong. And that something was a pokemon she was trying to protect potentially being taken away. And not by the three from the woods. From the government. By people she couldn't take him back from.
"I know you May, something's wrong. What?" He insisted, forcing her to stare him in the eye.
"Nothing Brock, get off. I need to go somewhere. I'll see you later." With her hastily made excuse she pushed herself from the floor and ran. Weaving in and out of children as she did. Disgruntled calls followed after her as she elbowed the children refusing to part. Brock called after her, confused as to what was happening. Why were both she and Ash behaving like children? Children who were hiding something.
"May! May!" He called, following the brunette. As he ran he apologised to the irritated students, making up excuses for her behaviour. They seemed satisfied with the answers, parting for him to catch up with the girl. He cursed the fact that she was a fast runner, cursed the fact that his taller size meant he was slow in comparison. Most of all he cursed her inability to talk.
May ran through the corridors, not really wanting to but needing to find Ash, she had to talk to him. And Brock couldn't find out. It just wouldn't do. She'd be putting Pikachu in even worse risk.
Ash was standing by the wall waiting impatiently for his friends. Where were they? It couldn't take that long to get from class to their usual meeting point. Breathing a heavy sigh he ran a hand through his hair losing all patience with the tall teen and brunette girl.
"Come on" he sighed, resorting to talking to himself.
May turned down the next hall, finally spotting the boy she desperately needed to talk to.
"Ash!"
"Finally May" he sighed as his eyes settled on the running girl. "What's wrong? You look panicked"
"Come here" she didn't give him chance to move, as soon as she was in reach she clamped onto his hand and pulled him away.
"What? May, I'm confused."
"Need to talk to you. Pikachu." She responded, not letting anything else go.
"What happened?"
"Find somewhere quiet, away from Brock and I'll tell you." Ash stared at the back of the girl's head, unsure what to say. He decided staying quiet was the best bet. He wasn't getting any more out of her anyway.
They ran for some time, neither wanting to stop. There wasn't much time before the next lesson started and they needed to talk. It was urgent.
May skidded to a halt outside a closed door, it wasn't a classroom and nothing indicated that it was in use. Pulling the handle they slipped inside, revealing a cleaning cupboard.
Pulling the door closed she fumbled for a light switch, hoping that there was one. Her hand landed on a string hanging from the ceiling. Pulling the old light switch the small room was filled with yellowish light.
"This won't look good when we leave" Ash mumbled as he leant against a shelf.
"Shut up. Do you want to listen or not?"
"I'll listen, what's gotten you in a state?"
"Someone heard Pikachu. He spoke in lesson and the kid sitting next to me heard" Ash's half smile dropped, his eyes widening as the severity of it all hit home.
"You're kidding"
"No, why would I kid?"
"I don't know, cruel joke"
"I'm not the jokey type. Ash, if he tells someone we won't just have those freaks from the woods, we'll have the government on us." Ash chewed on his lips, trying to decide what they'd do.
"I'm not sure what we can do, who's the kid? I'm sure if we talk to him we can convince him to be quiet."
"See, that's the thing. He seemed to know that he should stay quiet."
"Then what's the problem?"
"Ash, I get that you're not quite grasping this but. He could blackmail us. He doesn't know what he heard but he knows it's important. He could use it against us. Insist that he be shown Pikachu, Ash, what if he already knows what Pikachu is?" The boy scratched the back of his head as he thought.
"Who is it? We need to talk to this boy" they nodded in agreement, before pushing the door open to join the sea of children. They didn't make it a step from the room before they were halted by a taller body. Staring up their saw Brock's wide eyes.
"You know, if you two wanted to be alone you could have just said" they shared a quick glance before it dawned on them. It must have looked pretty strange for them to be leaving a cupboard together.
"W-What?" They both managed to get out, looking more than a little mortified. "W-We were just talking" not bothering to be bewildered by their simultaneous responses they kept trying to insist.
"Alright whatever you say." Brock pacified, clearly not believing a word.
"It's the truth" it was only Ash this time, May seemingly too horrified.
"Of course it is" rolling his eyes Ash grabbed her hand and stalked off, muttering to himself though Brock still caught it.
"I'm done with this. I've got far more important things to do. Like look for a rat" staring after them Brock was more than a little confused. But he stayed put, letting them search for the rat themselves. He wasn't about to get a detention.
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