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Omega: *Flips page* And now … Jigglypuff?
Nuevo: What the **** is that? Some kind of marshmallow?
Seishin: HA! Snake codec reference! *raised hand to Nuevo* Nice!
Nuevo: *raised brow* What about a snake?
Seishin: 😑
I don't own Pokémon or Ben 10.
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Viva Neon City
(Faux: Neon Town
Ohirume: *points thumb at screen* Does that look like a town to you?)
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"Alright," Ash said with his forepaws crossed as he looked at the other Mouse Pokémon, "Like before, we're going to be starting out in pikachu form."
Misty raised a brow, "Because we'll be doing a lot of running?"
Soot snickered, "Yes, but that's not the main reason."
Ash pointed at Misty, "You've had more time in this form than you've had in the vaporeon one. Your mind has grown accustomed to it. At least to the point that it's not out of the ordinary anymore." He smiled, "And I can tell because your tail hasn't wacked you once since the first day."
Misty perked up in realization, 'That's right.' She glanced back at the lightning shaped appendage and started moving it curiously, 'I didn't even notice.'
"To start," Ash said with a smile; catching Misty's attention again, "we're gonna do some endurance training." His smile saddened and his ears drooped, "Which will involve getting hit. A lot."
Misty tensed up slightly before taking a deep breath, "Alright." She looked back and forth between Ash and Soot in confusion, "But, if that's how we're starting out, does it really matter what form I'm in?"
Soot shrugged, "Not a lot. You'll mainly be using this form because only one type can do Super Effective damage to it." She pointed a paw at her, "The only real requirement is that you can't be in human form. Your kinds' bodies can't withstand the kind of training and stress you'll be going through. Whereas a Pokémon's body -even a hatchling's- can without a problem."
Misty looked at her in surprise, "Wait, what?" She put a paw to her chest, "But- Dark City, I- I was knocked out like it was nothing."
"Well, think about it." Ash said with a smirk, "Pokémon faint when they receive too much damage in a battle. That's an instinctual trigger that's hardwired into a Pokémon's DNA. In other words, it even applies to us when we transform." He raised a digit on his paw, "But that damage cap increases as a Pokémon trains and battles. Why do you think that is?"
Misty raised a brow, "Um … because their bodies have gotten stronger?"
Soot smiled slyly, "But then, why were you knocked out with only one, normal effective hit? Your current form's physical attributes are no different from dad's."
Misty perked up and blinked in surprise. She looked down thoughtfully and her ears drooped, "Hmm." After a moment, her ears shot back up as her eyes widened in realization, "My mind!"
Ash smirked and he put a digit to his temple, "Yup. Our minds are still one-hundred percent human. The base mental damage cap isn't even on par with a hatchling magikarp's."
Misty took a step forward, "So this training won't be to build up my body or endurance! It's to get my mind used to the strain of a real battle!"
Soot smirked, "Look who's catching on."
Ash smiled and nodded, "This'll be the first and probably hardest hurdle. But it'll help a lot in the long run."
Misty grinned and clenched her paws, "Well then, let's get started right away!"
Ash raised a paw, "First, there's something I should warn you about." He frowned and crossed his forepaws, "While this training will help you power through a battle, it can dull your reaction to pain to way below the human standard."
Misty looked at him in confusion, "That doesn't sound bad."
Ash sighed, "Trust me, it is. It can get to the point that you could break your ankle and not notice until you try to walk. And you'd find out because you fell over."
Misty flinched and her eyes widened in shock. The viridian-eyed pikachu gulped, "N- noted." She took a breath, "Okay." She flinched slightly before she looked at the pair warily; ears drooping, "Wait. The two of you aren't training me, right?"
Soot snickered, "Nah. We're a little out of your league."
Ash smiled, "I had something a little more … ironic in mind." He looked back.
Misty blinked in surprise and followed his gaze. Her eyes widened in surprise, "Wait, you mean-"
"Yup." Soot said happily with a nod, "We thought we'd start you off slow with some not very effective moves."
Misty glanced at Soot before looking back at her team and sweat dropping, "Well at least I know they're not holding any grudges."
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*Brock, Electra, and Vulpix
The breeder, Electric-type, and Fire-type sat around the picnic table as they taste tested Brock's newest recipe. Onix, Geodude, and Zubat were sparring with Ash's team in the clearing.
Vulpix smiled happily as her tails wagged wildly. She swallowed and looked at the Mouse Pokémon with a bright smile, "Brock, you've outdone yourself on this one. I don't think Suzie has ever made something this good."
Brock swallowed as well, "hmm." He put a paw to his chin, "Definitely an improvement." He smirked, "But it could still be better."
Vulpix jerked and blinked in surprise, "I'm sorry, what?" She deadpanned and sweat dropped, "You did hear what I said, right? Suzie hasn't made something as good as this. And that's coming from me."
Brock looked down thoughtfully; paw still to his chin, "Even so, there's room for improvement. Maybe if I-" He started mumbling wildly about countless spices, berry mixtures, and even about changing the way he cleans the utensils.
Mizuro: *eyes widen in realization* Oh, ****. He's gone Deku.
Vulpix sweat dropped, 'And he's lost it.' She glanced at the other Electric-type with them, "Electra, back me up here."
"uh huh." Electra muttered as she stared off into space.
The Fox Pokémon perked up and looked at her in surprise, "Electra?"
Brock snapped out of it and looked at her as well. He jumped to his hind paws, moved closer, and shook her shoulder, "Hey. Electra."
Electra jerked slightly and blinked before looking at her trainer, "Huh?"
Brock frowned, "Are you alright? You looked like you were zoning out."
The Mouse Pokémon chuckled nervously, "Oh, sorry." She smiled sadly, "Just … about that show we were in. I kind of, uh … well…"
Vulpix frowned worriedly, "You're not actually saying you miss that Melvin person you all told us about. Are you?"
Electra jerked and shook her head before glaring, "No way! That crazy guy almost hurt one of my friends!" She looked down and put a paw on her chest, "But, I think I miss that costume I got to wear during the show. It felt kind of nice to wear something." She looked at Brock with her ears drooping, "Is that weird?"
Brock smiled softly and shook his head, "Not at all. Some Pokémon do like to get dressed up like that. Heck, there are entire shopping districts dedicated to all kinds of Pokémon fashion."
Vulpix smiled, "I can vouch for that. Brock just described where I grew up."
Electra looked at the Fox Pokémon in surprise, "Wait, really? Does that mean you've gotten dressed up before?"
The Fire-type sweat dropped and chuckled nervously, "Well, uh, once. Not a fan, personally. But that's probably more the fault of the experience than anything."
Brock looked at her in confusion, "What happened?"
Vulpix sighed in annoyance, "All I'm gonna say is, Suzie's distant nieces made me play 'house'. I was the baby."
Brock snorted as he tried to hold back a laugh. Vulpix shot him a glare immediately.
Brock chuckled nervously, "Sorry. Just the thought of you in a-"
The Fire-type's eyes narrowed as her muzzle started smoking, "In a what?!"
Brock flinched, "N- nothing."
Vulpix huffed before looking back at Electra with a smile, "But, that's just me. You won't talk me into wearing any kind of clothes, but I'm sure as Yvel not gonna tell you to do the same."
Brock smiled, "We could probably find a store that sells costumes for Pokémon. We could even get you a few outfits."
Electra smiled brightly. She perked up upon remembering something and looked down for a moment. The Electric-type waved her paws while smiling softly, "Actually, it's fine. You don't have to do that."
Vulpix blinked in surprise, "Really?"
Electra nodded, "Yeah. Soot told me about that money stuff you used for those tickets and how important it can be. I think clothes will cost more than a little of it." She looked at the umbrella handle poking out of Brock's backpack, "Besides, I still have a lot of fabric from my old umbrella and the soldering iron. Maybe I could make something out of that."
Brock and Vulpix frowned and their ears drooped. They shared a sad look.
Electra looked back at her bowl, grabbed a piece of food, and ate it. Her eyes lit up immediately, "CHAAA!"
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*Soot
The Bite Pokémon sat near the pool as she supervised Misty's training. The Cerulean girl was on her second to last Lens for the day and could not wait for this to be over.
Starmie was currently helping her back up after Staryu knocked her out for the fifth time. Horsea was calling out moral support from the pool.
Goldeen swam over to a basket sitting on a tall rock next to the pool, grabbed a Sitrus berry, and flung it over to Misty, "Heads up!"
Misty caught the berry without looking and shot Goldeen a thumbs up before biting into the fruit. Her twelfth one since starting.
Soot smirked, "Alright. You're getting better at tanking those Water Guns. Maybe we can move on to Ice Beam."
Misty glared at the Dark-type and gave a weak hiss.
Soot snickered, "Swift it is."
Misty grumbled and went back to tearing into the berry. Starmie patted her on the back.
"Hey, Soot!"
Soot perked up and looked over at Squirtle, Charmeleon, and Primeape as they ran over to her. She smiled, "Hey, what's up?"
Primeape glared determinedly, "We heard you were training a trainer."
Squirtle smirked and glanced at Misty, "So, we thought we'd lend a helping hand."
Charmeleon jerked and looked at them in surprise, "Wait, what? I thought we were coming over to spar."
Squirtle shrugged with a grin, "Why can't it be both?"
Starmie and Staryu tensed up. Goldeen frowned as she and Horsea shared a worried look.
Misty swallowed and stared at the guys warily, "Uhhh-"
Soot chuckled nervously, "Um, maybe some other time. I think Misty's team knows her limits a little better than the rest of us." She glanced back at the Water-types.
Starmie perked up and pointed a spike at them, "Yes! Exactly. We'll take care of it."
Misty nodded and pointed at her Mysterious Pokémon, "Yeah. What they said." She scarfed down the rest of the yellow berry, ran over to Staryu, and held out her forepaws, "Whenever you're ready."
Staryu immediately fired a Water Gun at Misty. The female pikachu blinked in surprise when the attack stopped and looked over her soaking form curiously, "huh." 'It didn't feel as bad that time.'
Primeape grumbled and crossed his arms, and Squirtle deadpanned.
Soot snickered before looking at Charmeleon, "I still haven't really asked. How's the new form feel?"
Charmeleon glanced at her before staring down at one of his claws, "Bigger." He clenched a fist, "Stronger, too." He looked at Soot with a determined smile, "I never even dreamed that I could feel this much power in me. And to think I still have another evolution to go through."
Soot smirked and raised a brow, "Well don't let it go to your head. We can't have you going power crazy or get all full of yourself."
Charmeleon chuckled, "Hey, don't worry. Ash would probably go dragonite and pin me to the ground until I started listening, anyway." His smile softened, "Besides. I doubt I could've gotten to this point without Ash's help. Not after-" He cut himself off and shook his head, "No." He smiled, "I'm grateful to Ash for everything he's done for me. That's it."
Soot smiled softly, "Good to hear."
Squirtle smiled and patted the now larger Fire-type on the back, "Yeah."
Primeape raised a brow, "Hey, speaking of Ash." He looked at the porygon currently levitating in place with his eyes closed. His wings were pointed upward and moving around slowly. The Fighting-type spoke up again, "The Yvel is he doing?"
Soot looked at the Virtual Pokémon as well, "He said he was trying to find an instructional video to help with Calm Mind. Clefairy don't learn it through experience."
Misty's ear twitched and she sighed in relief, 'Oh, thank Arceus.' She glanced at the wandering psyduck and sweat dropped, 'I'm not sure how much more of this I can-' "GAH!" She blurted out as she was pelted with Staryu's Swift and tumbled back.
Squirtle looked at Soot in surprise, "Wait, what?" He pointed a thumb back at Ash, "You mean these porygon things can access the internet from out here? In the middle of nowhere?"
Charmeleon and Primeape looked at Squirtle in confusion, "Internet?"
Soot looked at the pair, "Dad'll explain later." She looked back at Ash with an unsure expression, "Honestly Squirtle, I don't know."
Squirtle, Charmeleon, and Primeape looked at her in shock, "Huh?"
Soot looked back at them, "Well, yeah. According to Franz, the entire species is just a little over a year old. And I didn't even know they were completed until we visited him. I'm clueless for the most part."
Charmeleon blinked in surprise, "Huh." He scratched his head, "I didn't really think about it like that."
Primeape raised a brow, "So, you and Ash aren't even sure this thing he's doing will work?"
Soot tilted her head, "Well he's trying it, at least. Worst comes to worst, we get a laptop or Dad finds a way to add a wireless transceiver into his Pokédex."
Charmeleon raised a claw and was about to say something. He stopped and shook his head, "Actually, I'll wait until Ash isn't busy."
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*Lunch
Ash, Brock, Misty, and Soot sat around the picnic table as they ate. The rest of the Pokémon sat off to the side as they tore into the new food like savages. Most of them were on their second bowls. Others were on their fourth.
Ash looked at Brock with a frown, "I hate to say it, but Electra has a point. Good costumes aren't cheap, and we don't have a lot of cash to spare."
Brock frowned and propped his head up, "Right…" He perked up and looked at Ash curiously, "But, what if we started saving up?"
Ash shook his head, "That would involve rationing food and scavenging a lot more than normal. And we can't try looking for ways to make cash or sell off some of our stuff. Someone would catch on and Electra might start feeling guilty."
Brock groaned in annoyance and mumbled, "Crag."
Misty crossed her arms and looked up thoughtfully, "And it's not like any of us can sew." She perked up and looked at Ash, "Right?"
Ash sighed, "Nope." He perked up and looked at Brock, "Wait. Can't you sew?"
Brock shook his head, "Not like that. I only know how to fix tears."
The three trainers sighed.
"Weeell," Soot said with her eyes closed; catching the others' attention, "those aren't the only ways we can make some cash."
Misty blinked in surprise, "What do you mean?"
Soot glanced around the trio with a smirk, "We're heading to Neon City next, right?"
Brock raised a brow in confusion, "Yeah?"
"Well," Soot continued; still smirking, "that place does have a pretty fast and simple way to make some cash." She glanced at Ash, "Or, more specifically, a way for dad to."
Ash perked up in realization before glaring at her, "Soot, no."
Soot looked at him and frowned, "Come on. It's for a good cause."
"It's cheating." Ash said; still glaring, "You know how I feel about that."
Soot smirked and raised a brow, "Even if it's a rigged one? You'd just be cheating another cheater. Like that guy at Maiden's Peak." She glanced over at the Mouse Pokémon, "Besides, think about how happy it'd make her."
Ash followed her gaze before groaning, "Fine." He looked back at her and pointed, "But just one and only if it's rigged."
Soot grinned, "That's all I ask."
"Hey." Misty said in an annoyed tone.
Ash and Soot looked back at the Gym Leaders.
"Remember when you promised not to keep anymore secrets?" Misty asked in annoyance.
Ash chuckled nervously, "Right, sorry." He perked up, "Soot's talking about-"
"Up up up." Soot interrupted with a smirk, "I actually wanna see their reactions to when it happens." She looked at the Gym Leaders and grinned, "I promise we'll explain afterwards."
Misty deadpanned, "That's as good as we're getting for now, isn't it?"
"Pretty much." Soot said while still grinning.
Brock sweat dropped before shaking it off and looking at Misty, "So how's the training been going?"
Misty smiled, "Pretty well." She put a hand on her shoulder, "It still hurts but," She frowned; feeling unsure, "Uh."
Ash smiled, "It feels like more of an annoyance than something to get upset over?"
Misty considered that before shrugging, "Well yeah, now that you mention it." She raised a brow while smirking, "I'm guessing that's how it felt for you."
Ash smiled sadly, "I wish. Remember that I was only five when I started training. I didn't get to that point until day three. It was … horrible."
Brock frowned, "I guess that's why you were so anxious about letting us train."
Soot smiled sadly, "Pretty much." She perked up, "Though starting this much later is probably helping." She looked at Misty, "That tied with your experience as a Gym Leader probably means you had a decent pain tolerance before starting." She shrugged with a smirk, "Y'know, for a human."
Misty sweat dropped and grumbled, "You couldn't have just left out the last part?" She perked up and blinked in surprise, "'This much later'? As in our age? That actually matters that much?"
Ash nodded, "Biologically, yeah. Just like the fatigue thing, our ages carry over when we transform. If it weren't for our minds holding us back, we'd each outclass everyone on each of our teams."
Soot smirked, "Yup. Even me. And Brock would actually be the strongest among you all."
Brock and Misty stared at the pair in surprise.
Brock perked up upon realizing something and raised a brow, "Wait, what about a guy at Maiden's Peak?"
Ash, Soot, and Misty jerked slightly and looked at him in surprise.
"Have we seriously not told you about that?" Soot asked.
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*Later that same day
"whooooooooooooooa." Electra and Clefairy said as they looked around in absolute amazement.
Pikachu remain speechless as he looked around in awe.
Soot smirked, "Bright, isn't it?"
"Yeah." Clefairy muttered in awestruck shock, "Really bright."
The groups journey brought them to the bright and shining Neon City. A dazzling city with bright lights shining no matter where you looked.
Misty chuckled, "No kidding."
Brock smiled, "That's Neon City for ya. The whole place is open twenty-four seven."
Electra started hopping excitedly, "So insane." She looked at a building and her smile brightened even more, "A skyscraper! It's even bigger than I imagined."
Ash followed her gaze and smiled, "Yup. We told you you'd see one evetu-" He was cut off when a guy in leather … everything bumped into him and both stumbled.
The guy recovered, put a hand to his hip, and glared at Ash, "Hey! Watch where you're going, you jerk!"
Pikachu glared back, "You watch it! You bumped into us!"
Clefairy nodded while glaring as well, "Yeah! Ash didn't do anything wrong!"
"Sorry, sir." Ash said while holding up his hands defensively and smiling nervously; making his shoulder riders look at him in surprise, "You're right. I should've paid more attention. I'll be more careful from now on."
Misty, Brock, and Electra looked at Ash in mild surprise. Soot sighed.
The guy blinked in surprise, "I, uh … yeah. See that you do." He started walking again.
Brock watched in surprise as he left, "What was that about?"
Ash sighed, "That would be the downside to Neon City. Everything's always open and so bright that people here can barely get any sleep. A lot of them are on edge or have a short temper."
"What do you think you're doin'?!" A woman shouted; catching the group's attention
"Shut up!" A man shouted back.
Ash, Soot, Pikachu, and Electra perked up when they heard something revving and looked over as Officer Jenny rounded the corner and zipped past them.
She quickly skidded to a halt, hopped off her bike, and held out her hands to the arguing pair, "Knock it off, already!" Jenny shouted angrily, "There's no fighting here!"
Misty sweat dropped, "I guess that applies to the local Jenny, too."
Clefairy frowned, "So, that guy was just really tired?"
Soot frowned as well, "Pretty much."
Pikachu crossed his forepaws, "Great. Now I feel bad for him."
Ash smiled softly and reached up to pet the Electric-type, "I'm sure he'll be fine, buddy."
"By the way," Soot said while looking around at Pikachu, Clefairy, and Electra, "The four of us talked during lunch earlier and decided on something pretty cool we wanted to show you all."
Pikachu perked up and looked at her in surprise, "Wait, really?"
Clefairy smiled brightly, "Is it pretty?"
Electra mimicked Clefairy, "Is it human made?"
Soot smirked, "That and then some."
Pikachu smiled, "Well, now I'm kind of excited."
Ash sighed and mumbled, "Glad you are."
Pikachu and Clefairy looked at him in surprise, "Huh?"
Ash tensed up and forced a smile, "It's nothing."
Brock and Misty sweat dropped; having only understood two people in the conversation.
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**Short Skip**
Misty sweat dropped while looking up at a sign with a green '7', red diamond, and black box with the word 'BAR' in it, "A slot machine? This is seriously what you had in mind?"
Soot smirked, "Yup."
Brock sweat dropped as well, "You do realize what the odds of actually winning one are, right?"
Soot snickered, "Oh yeah. Especially if the machine is designed to never pay out."
Clefairy tilted in confusion, "I don't get it."
Ash sighed and reached back into his bag, "Let's just get this over with."
Everyone looked over as he removed his green gloves and slipped on a pair of yellow ones.
Misty blinked in surprise, "I thought you didn't need special gloves for your electricity thing."
Ash looked back at her, "Right." He held up a hand, "But these are designed to store the electricity I take in and then shock me whenever I want. In other words, they make it so that my conductivity works the way it did in Gringey City."
Misty nodded, "Oh." She raised a brow, "But, why are you using them now?"
Soot smirked, "You'll see."
"First, I'll need a quick charge." Ash said before he took a step towards Brock. "Wah!" He cried out as he stumbled and fell forward.
Pikachu and Clefairy jerked and jumped down from Ash's shoulders as he reached out frantically and grabbed Electra by the tail. The Electric-type squeaked and let out a Thunder Shock. Ash cried out in pain before letting go and flopping onto the ground.
Brock, Misty, Pikachu, and Clefairy stared in shock and confusion at what just happened. Electra held her tail defensively. Soot snickered.
A few of the surrounding civilians looked at the downed trainer in either confusion or shock.
Ash rolled over, groaned, and sat up while holding his head. "Geez." He said loud enough for the surrounding people to hear, "I need to be more careful."
A few of the people laughed mockingly before they started walking again. Others stared at Ash warily before walking away as well. Though, the latter shot him a concerned glance.
Misty continued staring in shock, "I- I'm sorry … what the Yvel?"
Ash looked at her with a smile, "Like I said, I needed a charge."
Electra frowned while still holding her tail, "Well, you could've warned me, first."
Pikachu sweat dropped, "Or just asked me to do it."
Ash chuckled nervously and stood back up, "Sorry. But I had to make it look like an accident. It's not exactly normal for a human to ask a Pokémon to attack them."
Electra pouted, "You still could've warned me."
Ash rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "Sorry." He reached into a pocket and pulled out a pair of sunglasses, "Alright." He slipped on the shades and smirked, "Let's go."
Everyone except Soot stared at him in confusion.
"Why did you put on sunglasses?" Brock asked.
Ash looked at him and pointed at the shades, "They weaken my Technopathic Clairvoyance. We found that out during the all-nighter at Kogami Laboratories."
Soot looked at the building, "And in a place like this, it'll make it so he can only see through a few things at a time."
Ash sweat dropped, "Without these or any time to get used to all the tech, I'd probably suffer a mental overload." 'And get the personal information of everyone whose used an ATM in there.'
"Oh." Everyone said while nodding.
'Laboratories?' Electra thought curiously.
With that, the group made their way through the front entrance.
Electra perked up and stared in shock when the doors slid open of their own, "The glass moved!"
Pikachu snickered, "Yeah. They're called automatic doors. A lot of other places have them too."
Electra's tail started wagging as she smiled brightly, "Cooool."
Soot and the humans glanced at her with a soft smile before looking back ahead. They all perked up in surprise. Pikachu, Clefairy, and Electra noticed, looked ahead as well, and their eyes widened in awe.
Slot machines could be seen lining every wall in the space and even more formed aisles all around. Most were a red, standard three space and had a sign above with a yellow '7', an upside down pokéball, a discolored psyduck face for some reason, and a green background. Some larger, more complex machines could be seen poking out of the corners of the room.
"Okay, wow." Misty said in surprise.
Brock followed suit, "I never thought I'd see so many in one place."
Electra started trembling excitedly, "So insane!"
Everyone approached the front counter when-
"Hold it, kids." The man behind the counter said with a raised hand, "I can't let you in."
Misty frowned, "Oh, sorry. Does this place have an age limit like a casino?"
The man shook his head, "Nah. It's not that. So long as you have a trainer license, age doesn't matter here." He pointed out the door, "Also, the nearest casino is about three blocks away." He pointed at Pikachu, "That is the problem."
Pikachu glared at him, "What?!"
Ash put a hand on the Mouse Pokémon's head, "Calm down, Pikachu." He looked at the guy, "Sorry. But I'm not sure I understand."
The man behind the counter groaned, "Do I really have to spell it out for you? No Electric-types allowed. They could short circuit one of the machines. Either return them to their pokéballs or have them wait outside."
Pikachu continued glaring, "I wouldn't-" He stopped and perked up when he felt his cheeks spark out of anger. He sweat dropped, "Oh."
Electra frowned as her ears drooped and whined, "And I was so excited."
Brock looked at his Electric-type sadly before looking back at the man, "Is there another way, by chance? Our pikachus don't like going into pokéballs and they were really excited to see this place."
The man frowned and glanced back and forth between the Mouse Pokémon. He groaned and ducked under the counter, "You're lucky those are rodent Pokémon." He reappeared and place two pairs of stickers on the counter, "If they want in, you need to cover their electric sacks with these rubber seals."
The group looked over the seals curiously. They were all a light shade of red with one in each set having a green 7 with the other having 'BAR' on it. Much like the sign out front.
Pikachu glared at the seals, "Are you kidding me?"
Soot snickered, "Seriously glad I'm not an Electric-type."
The man behind the counter looked at Soot in surprise, "Woah." He looked around the trainers, "Where the Yvel did you get a-" He was cut off by a phone ringing and answered it immediately, "What is it?" He perked up and glanced at Soot in confusion, "A Phantom what?"
The group's eyes widened in surprise.
"Seriously?" The man asked in surprise, "Huh. Alright, I'll take care of it." He glared at the phone, "No, I am not asking for an autograph." He hung up before looking at Ash, "Just got a call from someone in security who recognized your mighty-ette or baney-yena or whatever you call it."
Ash's eyes narrowed, "Her name is Soot. She's a banette inherent mightyena."
"Yeah. I don't care." The man said monotonously before he reached under the counter again, pulled out a large, thin sheet of paper with red symbols stretching across, and placed it in front of them, "Whatever it is, it's gotta wear this."
Soot stared at the sticker in shock, "Why do you have specter seals?"
"It's a lot easier to cheat with a Ghost-type than an Electric-type." The man stated, "We learned that the hard way when some guy brought in a duskull. Jenny got him out of here real fast."
Clefairy looked at Ash worriedly, "I don't have to wear anything, right?"
.
*Seven minutes later
After everything was sorted out, the group made their way through the 'Slot Machine Center.' Though, three of them could not have been more upset about it.
Pikachu grumbled and his eye twitched, "This is SO embarrassing."
Electra frowned uncomfortably as she scratched at one of the seals on her cheeks, "And these are really uncomfortable."
"Well, how do you think I feel?" Soot said sourly as the seal stuck to her forehead. She grumbled, "I forgot how much I hated these things."
Misty looked at Soot in surprise, "You've had one on before?"
Ash glanced back at the Water trainer, "When Soot was still a poochyena, mom bought a whole box to make timeouts … possible. Soot phased her way out of everything she tried before that." He smirked slyly, "They also kept her from getting out of being cuddled in public."
Soot grumbled angrily. Brock, Misty, Pikachu, Clefairy, and Electra chuckled.
"DOH!" Someone cried out.
The group looked over. A brown-haired man held his head while angrily staring at a slot machine with two vulpix faces and a psyduck face on the panel, "What rotten luck!"
Misty glanced at Ash, "Is that one rigged?"
Ash stared at the machine for a moment before shaking his head, "Nope. It's fair game." He frowned sympathetically, "And I hate to say it, but his luck really is rotten. The random number generator's only been off by one on his last thirteen attempts."
"Wow." Misty, Brock, and Soot said in surprise. Pikachu, Clefairy, and Electra shared a confused look and shrugged.
Brock looked at Ash, "So, which one of them actually is rigged?"
Ash looked around the room, "Hm." After a moment, he perked up and pointed ahead with a frown, "That one."
Everyone else looked where he pointed and flinched.
The target machine was a massive, five slot, blue and red machine with a sign that read 'The Druddigon.' The letters were even painted to look like they were scratched in. The machine had a large model of a druddigon head attached above the slot panel, a pair of matching arms, and the Cave Pokémon's jagged wing patterns painted down the side. One of the arms also seemed to be the lever. The eyes and claws were all aiming at whoever would be standing in front of the machine to play it.
Misty gulped, "Are- are you sure about that one?"
"Yeah." Ash stated before he started walking over to the game.
As they approached it, they overheard a few not-so-subtle whispers.
"Wait. Is that kid actually heading for The Druddigon?"
Someone snickered, "Must be new around here. Everyone knows that one's impossible."
"Dear Arc, that's rich."
"I kinda feel bad for him."
"What a novice."
Pikachu frowned, "It sounds like this thing has a really bad reputation." He looked at Ash worriedly, "These slot things aren't dangerous, are they?"
Soot shook her head, "Not at all. They're a kind of 'try your luck' game. After inserting some money and pulling the lever, the panels spin and stop one-by-one. If all of them hit the same thing, you win a lot more money than what you put in."
Electra looked at the surrounding machines and smiled brightly, "Insane."
Clefairy frowned, "But, why does everyone seem to not like it so much?"
Ash's eyes narrowed, "Because nobody's ever won on it."
The group made their way up to the machine and looked at it warily.
Misty frowned and sweat dropped, "Yup. It's even more intimidating up close."
Soot shrugged, "Eh. Seen scarier."
Brock looked at the sign next to the game and read aloud, "Defeat The Druddigon. Hit five Fairy-types for the jackpot." He looked at the machine and raised a brow, "It sounds simple enough."
Ash frowned and whispered, "Yeah. But the programming is about as rigged as it can get. The chance of hitting a jackpot is literally zero."
Misty looked at the large machine worriedly, "If it's really that bad, why did we come over to it?"
Soot smirked, "Well, dad may have misspoken. The odds are zero when you play fairly." She glanced at Ash slyly, "Am I right?"
Ash groaned in annoyance, "Yeah." He pulled out and inserted a bill into the machine.
The Druddigon's eye lit up, Druuuuuuuuuud! The machine roared.
Brock, Misty, and the shoulder riders flinched.
Soot pouted sourly, "Show off."
Ash looked up at the druddigon face, gulped, and clenched a fist. He took a deep breath, reached out to grab the lever/arm, and pulled. Most of the surrounding players smirked slyly as the panels started spinning wildly. Everyone in the group -except Soot and Ash- and some of the other onlookers watched the machine warily.
After a few seconds, the first panel jerked to a stop and revealed in wigglytuff's face.
Wigglytuff! An electronic voice rang out.
Clefairy smiled brightly, "A Fairy-type!" She looked around excitedly, "That means we're close, right?!"
Pikachu frowned, "I'm not so sure." He looked back into the crowd, "Ash did say that one guy was only one off a bunch of times." The Electric-type looked at her worriedly, "Getting just one might not be that special."
Clefairy frowned, "Oh."
Clefable!
The pair looked back at the machine as it revealed the fully evolved Fairy Pokémon.
Soot smirked, "Pikachu, under normal circumstances, you'd be completely right."
Mawile! The game announced again.
Some of the viewers perked up and stared in surprise.
Gardevoir!
A handful of people stood up from their seats immediately; knocking them over in the process. Brock and Misty perked up in surprise and looked at Ash. Ash sighed.
"You're joking." Someone muttered.
"Is he actually about to beat it?"
"N- no way." Someone else stuttered, "It's just a fluke that he's made it this far. There's no way he'll hit the last one."
Soot smirked slyly, 'This'll be good.'
Everyone -again, except Ash and Soot- stared in stunned anticipation as the final panel continued spinning. It stopped a moment later to reveal-
Xerneas! The machine called out loudly.
Everyone in the building stared in total shock as the druddigon head shot up and roared in defeat. The head drooped as the eyes went blank.
Congratulations. An electronic voice said before a small piece of paper slid out of the dragon's mouth, Please present this receipt to the award desk to collect your winnings.
Soot sweat dropped as her eye twitched, "It doesn't even pay out on its own. Of course."
Ash sighed before snatching the receipt and walking towards the counter. Soot followed. Brock and Misty jerked and ran after him. Everyone else in the room just stared at Ash in pure shock as he left.
"Did-" Someone stuttered, "Did that actually just happen?"
.
**Time Skip**
After collecting their winnings, the group moved over to the local Pokémon Center, got everyone checked up, rented a few rooms for the night, and gathered up in one of them for a much-needed explanation.
Brock and Misty sat on one bed as Ash and Soot sat across from them on another one. Pikachu and Clefairy sat on a nearby desk as they listened in. Electra sat with the pair but was looking around the room in awe as she held Ash's shades to her face.
"Okay! Talk Ketchums!" Misty demanded while looking at the pair, "How the Yvel did you do that?!"
Soot smirked, "Put simply, a controlled shock. Likely another reason Electric-types weren't allowed in that place."
Ash put a finger to his temple, "I was able to figure out the exact charges required to rig a jackpot and where to send each of them through." He brought up his other hand and clenched a fist. His hands started sparking, "This was the trigger I set for the gloves." He put his hands together and the sparks ceased.
Pikachu and Clefairy stared at the pair in awe, "Wow."
Electra snapped out of it and looked around in confusion, "Huh?"
Misty blinked in surprise, "Huh."
Brock frowned and gave Ash a wary look, "So, have you done that before? To cheat at other machines?"
Ash shook his head, "Actually, no. I didn't have my electric conductivity until the day I left home and you both know how long I've had Technopathic Clairvoyance." He smiled, "Besides, you know I don't like senseless cheating."
The Gym Leaders jerked and stared at the pair in shock.
"Wait …" Brock said in shock before pointing, "So you and Soot came up with something you've never done before involving abilities you've only had for a few months. And you pulled that off with absolutely no past experience."
Soot grinned, "Yup."
"You scare us sometimes," Misty stated; still shocked, "y'know that?"
Soot shifted her eyes to their inherent state, blinked in surprise, and tilted her head in confusion, "Did we not already?"
Misty deadpanned.
Brock frowned, "Something's still bugging me. Even if that game was rigged, it still feels like we scammed a lot of money out of that place. That's just … low."
Ash rested his head against his fist, "Well maybe this'll ease your conscience. They ripped us off on the jackpot."
Brock, Misty, Pikachu, Clefairy, Electra, and even Soot perked up and looked at him in wide eyed shock, "what?"
"Yup." Ash said, "I saw it in the system's computer. That guy knowingly and shamelessly ripped us off."
Misty blinked as she continued staring in shock, "Ash, y- you're kidding, right? We just won fifty million Poké."
Mizuro: SAY WHAT NOW?!
Ohirume: *deadpanned* Do you not remember the currency change? 100 Poké is worth a dollar.
Mizuro: *perks up and looks at Ohirume* Really? So, it's similar to Yen?
Ohirume: In this story, yes.
Nuevo: *sweat drops* If that's the case, they won the equivalent of $500,000.
Ash sat up straight and nodded, "Yeah. And the prize was supposed to be three hundred million."
Nuevo: *dumbfound stare*
The human talkers' jaws all dropped.
Electra frowned, "That sounds like a lot."
Ash looked at her, "Trust me, it is."
"Wait, what?!" Misty blurted out, "It was supposed to be that much?!"
Brock leaned forwards, "Why didn't you say anything before?!"
Ash shrugged, "Because I had no proof that I could use to accuse them. The information was on their secure network and there's no way I should've been able to know about it. They could've accused me of hacking if I argued."
Soot glared at Ash, "Okay! But, seriously dad?! How are you this okay with getting scammed?!"
Ash looked at her, "Well, I scammed them first. They were just sore losers who scammed us back. Besides," He reached into his bag and pulled out a metal box with a keyhole, "they paid us in cash. I would've gotten a printed check if they played fair. Overall, this was more convenient."
Soot huffed, "Fine. But I'm sneaking back in later tonight."
Ash glared at the Bite Pokémon, "You are not robbing that place, young lady!"
Soot snickered and raised a brow, "Young lady? You're starting to sound like grandma." She smirked, "And I wasn't gonna rob them. I was gonna clog all of their toilets with their specter seals."
Pikachu raised a paw while glaring in annoyance, "Do me a favor and do the same with those rubber seals."
Electra pulled down the sunglasses and raised a paw with a curious expression, "What's a toilet?"
Ash pointed back towards the restroom, "There's one in there."
Electra perked up in surprise and looked at the closed door curiously. The Gym Leaders looked at Ash in confusion.
Ash looked back at them, "She asked what a toilet was."
"Ah." The pair nodded.
Brock smiled softly, "Well, I guess that does ease some guilt." He raised a brow, "Although, what are we gonna do with all of that money?"
Ash smiled, "I've already got a few things in mind." He raised a finger, "First, Misty gets a hundred and fifty thousand so I'm off the hook for her bike."
Misty eyes widened slightly, "What?"
Brock, Pikachu, and Clefairy looked at Ash worriedly. Soot shot Ash a wary glance. Electra was still looking at the door curiously and started imagining what might be on the other side. She wasn't even close.
Ash smirked and raised a brow, "Well, yeah. If we're gonna be traveling together, I can't have you hold that over my head whenever you feel like."
Misty perked up before chuckling and raising a brow, "You'd like that, wouldn't you?"
Ash shrugged; still smiling, "Kind of. Though, this mainly means that you won't be able to force me into ponyta rides anymore."
Misty pouted and crossed her arms, "Aw man."
Brock smiled softly at Misty before looking at Ash, "What else?"
Soot smirked, "Pretty sure you already know part two." She shot a quick glance at Electra.
Brock and Misty followed her gaze, smiled, and nodded, "Right."
Pikachu and Clefairy blinked in confusion and looked at Electra. The female Electric-type still wasn't paying attention to the conversation.
Ash chuckled, "Then, I figure we stock up a little more than we usually do, upgrade some of our supplies, and split the rest four ways. After everything, I can guess that we'd each have eleven, if not twelve, million."
Misty smiled, "Nice." She perked up and raised a brow, "Although, not to sound greedy, but" She looked at Ash, "doesn't Soot getting a cut actually mean you get two?"
Soot pouted sourly, "Of course not. I can have my own cash. I used to babysit, remember?"
Misty looked at Soot, "Okay, sure. But, wouldn't Ash be able to get it back since he's your trainer?"
The Dark-type smirked slyly, "I'd like to see him try." She smiled normally, "Besides, I know how to manage my money."
Ash sweat dropped, "So blowing every last Poké on treats is now a form of managing?"
Soot smirked smugly, "Well I'm a trainer's Pokémon. I'll never have to worry about living on my own. Ergo, I never have to worry about learning how to take care of myself. Money or food-wise."
Ash smirked slyly, "Well then, maybe your share should actually be split up between everyone on my team."
Soot jerked and looked at Ash in shock, "What?! That's not fair!"
Ash rested his head against his fist, "Fine. But you'll have to share whatever treats you get with everyone. Brock and Misty's teams included." He smirked again, "So, make sure to buy in bulk."
Pikachu and Clefairy perked up in surprise.
Electra's ears shot up and she looked at Ash, "What about treats?"
"Aw come on!" Soot whined.
Everyone else started laughing.
"SHUT UP!" A guy in the room next door shouted; startling the group.
Misty sweat dropped and mumbled, "Cannot wait to get out of this City tomorrow."
Everyone else nodded in agreement.
.
*The following morning
Everyone stared blankly at the people arguing in the street. More could faintly be heard around the block. Officer Jenny appeared almost immediately and loudly broke up the fights. Electra and Pikachu grumbled and pulled down their ears as they stood on their trainers' backpacks. Clefairy was in Misty's arms and somehow managed to sleep through it all.
Misty sweat dropped, "They seriously don't sleep, do they?"
Pikachu sweat dropped as well, "Doesn't seem like it."
Ash sighed, "Let's just keep moving."
Everyone else nodded before making their way out of the noisy city. Though not without walking by the Slot Machine Center to see the damage Soot dealt. They had to call in a plumber. That got a good laugh out of the group.
After about an hour, they finally made it back to the forest.
Misty smiled happily, "Now this is more like it. Nice and calm."
Brock smiled sadly, "Yeah. I barely got any sleep from all that noise."
Pikachu grumbled, "Yeah. It was way too loud."
Ash sighed, "Tell me about it."
Electra yawned as she laid on Brock's backpack. Clefairy continued sleeping in Misty's arms.
Soot smiled, "I slept fine. My eardrums were intangible all last night."
Misty shot Soot a sour glance, "Good for you." She looked ahead and perked up in surprise, "Wait, is that what I think it is?"
Everyone else followed her gaze.
Soot raised a brow, "If you think it's a jigglypuff standing on a tree stump, then yes."
The Balloon Pokémon perked up and looked over at the group curiously.
Misty smiled brightly, "Alright! I've always wanted one!"
Clefairy woke up with a start, "Wah?"
Misty looked down at the Fairy Pokémon with a nervous smile, "Sorry Clefairy. I just got excited."
Ash held out a hand, "I'll take her back."
Misty nodded and passed the Fairy-type back to him. Ash moved her back to his shoulder.
Brock perked up and looked at Misty in surprise, "Wait a second. I thought you only trained Water-types."
Misty glanced at Brock with a sly smirk, "Says the Rock-type trainer with a Fire, Flying, and Electric-type."
Brock rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "Okay, fair enough." He smiled, "So, who are you gonna use to battle …"
"Her." Ash jumped in.
Brock nodded, "Thanks. Who are you gonna use to battle her?"
Misty looked back with a grin, "Actually, I wanted to take a page out of Ash's book." She started walking over to the Normal/Fairy-type.
Ash smiled softly. Jigglypuff stared in confusion as Misty crouched down in front of her.
Misty smiled kindly, "Hi there, Jigglypuff. My name's Misty."
Jigglypuff blinked in confusion, "Hi?"
"She said 'hi' back." Soot called out.
Misty waved back without looking, "Thanks."
The Balloon Pokémon jerked and looked at Soot in shock.
Misty noticed and smiled, "Yeah, that's Soot. She can speak human."
Jigglypuff looked at Misty in surprise before looking back at Soot, "Woah."
"Anyway," Misty said; catching Jigglypuff's attention again, "I wanted to ask if you'd join my team. I've heard your kind have really nice singing voices."
Jigglypuff tensed up before looking to the side sadly, "Uh…"
Ash and Soot perked up in surprise.
Misty frowned, "Hey, it's okay if you don't want to. I'm just offering."
Jigglypuff looked back at her with a frown, "No, I-" She grimaced and started coughing.
Misty flinched and held out a hand, "What's wrong?!"
Everyone else flinched and ran over.
Brock kneeled down and looked at Jigglypuff worriedly, "Are you okay?"
Jigglypuff started tearing up and put a paw below her mouth.
Ash perked up in realization, "Does your throat hurt?"
Jigglypuff looked at him with tears in her eyes and nodded.
Soot smiled sadly, "Hey, don't worry about it. We'll help you get better."
Jigglypuff perked up in surprise, "R- really?"
Misty nodded happily, "We promise. You'll be better in no time."
Clefairy and Pikachu nodded happily, "Yeah."
Jigglypuff smiled brightly, "Thank-" She flinched and stared coughing again.
Misty smiled softly and pet her, "Take it easy. We don't want your throat getting any worse."
Jigglypuff looked up at the Cerulean Gym Leader with a smile and nodded.
Ash frowned, "Still, I'm not sure we have any medicine for-"
"Greetings, you Pokémon pipsqueaks!"
Ash, Brock, Misty, Soot, Pikachu, and Clefairy perked up and groaned upon recognizing the voice. Electra tensed up fearfully. Jigglypuff jumped and blinked in surprise.
They all looked back and blinked in surprise when the found Jessie, James, and Meowth wearing white navy uniforms with red capes and holding microphones. A simple karaoke machine was set up next to James with extra speakers propped up behind Meowth.
"Why are they dressed like that?" Pikachu asked in shock.
Ash glanced at him, "It's a gimmick at some karaoke places."
Jigglypuff jerked and looked at Ash in surprise.
Soot noticed and glanced at her, "Dad can understand a few species of Pokémon. Like the pichu and cleffa evolutionary lines." She glared at the tRio, "What are you three doing here?"
James quickly moved over to the karaoke machine and spun the dial, "Pump it up to the max."
Rock music started playing on the detached speakers. Jessie and James moved closer and stood back to back.
The pair held up their microphones and sang in unison, "You know us as Team Rocket, and we fight for what is wrong.
We're tired of our motto, so we thought we'd try a song."
"Jessie!" "James!" The pair said individually.
"The speed of light." They sang in unison again, "Prepare to fight."
"Meowth, that's ri-ight."
Electra and Pikachu grimaced and pulled down their ears in response to Meowth's botched high note. Clefairy frowned uncomfortably and Jigglypuff pouted angrily.
Ash, Brock, Misty, and Soot deadpanned as Arbok and Weezing jumped out of a bush and started posing with their trainers. They all shared a glance and nodded before Misty reached down to pick up Jigglypuff.
"I am the handsome one." James continued.
"I'm the gorgeous one." Jessie followed.
"Looking good is lots of fun.
We get some things wrong,
But we keep rolling along."
The quintet started posing again; oblivious to their surroundings.
"We're here to get you, Phantom-mon. We hope to make it quick.
And when we do, we'll be the new stars of this...
Fanfiiiiiiiic!"
When the music stopped, the tRio sprang over to the machine and crowded around it. The numbers on the screen flashed wildly before abruptly stopping on a score of 54. Which, according to my research, is terrible.
Illavera: *raised brow* Meowth's part aside, that didn't seem too bad.
Seishin: *shrugs* Eh. Just another mess up on the English Dub's behalf. In Japanese, the voice actors intentionally sang poorly.
Faux: *raised brow* Voice actors?
…
Omega: *flips page before eyes widen in shock* That fourth wall break at the end was canon?
Meowth frowned, "Aw man."
Jessie stood up and put her hands on her hips, "Well, it's obviously not my fault. You two were late on the last verse."
James looked at her sadly, "Hey…"
Meowth smiled proudly, "But my pitch was poifect."
Arbok and Weezing sweat dropped and shared a glance.
Jessie turned back around with a smirk, "Now, then-" She flinched and grimaced, "WHAT THE YVEL?!"
James, Meowth, Arbok, and Weezing flinched and turned around as well. Their eyes widened in shock when the twerps were nowhere to be seen.
"What da-" Meowth blurted out, "When did dey run off?!"
James quickly pulled out his book, flipped a few pages, and frowned, "Right before the handsome and gorgeous part, apparently."
Jessie clenched her teeth and threw her hat to the ground, "Those brats!" She glared at the empty space furiously, "Do they have any idea how hard it is to improvise a song like that?!"
James crouched down into a fetal position, "They could have at least stayed until the end."
Arbok and Weezing drooped sadly.
.
*Group
Clefairy raised a brow in confusion, "What are we looking for again?"
Ash translated.
Brock continued looking around, "I've heard about a special kind of fruit that grows around here. The juice has special properties that can instantly heal a sore or tired throat."
Soot blinked in surprise, "Impressive."
"No kidding." Ash followed.
Misty sweat dropped, "And incredibly convenient, once again." She perked up and looked at Ash in surprise, "Wait. You didn't already know about it?"
Ash looked up thoughtfully, "Well I've heard about something that helps a Pokémon that's been hit with Throat Chop, but that's it. I never looked into a name or place."
Soot shrugged, "It seemed a little too close minded."
Brock smirked and put a hand to his chin, "I guess that makes me our expert, this time."
Ash looked at the Pewter Gym Leader curiously, "So you know what they're called?"
Brock tensed up slightly and sweat dropped, "W- well…"
Soot snickered, "Ah, whatever. So long as you can find them." She raised a brow, "What do they look like by the way?"
Brock perked up, smiled, and pointed ahead, "That."
The breeder ran ahead towards a tree. Everyone else followed close behind.
Brock plucked one of the light green fruits and held it out, "Here we are."
Ash blinked in surprise, "Huh." He raised a brow, "It kind of looks like a plump Lum berry."
Soot smirked, "I guess we could just call it a Plum berry, then." She sweat dropped, "On second thought, please forget I ever said that."
Brock held the fruit out to Jigglypuff, "Regardless, this should help with your throat. Wanna give it a try?"
Jigglypuff smiled and nodded happily before biting down on it.
The Normal/Fairy-type swallowed and took a deep breath before starting, "Ji-ggly-y-puff Ji-ggly-y-y-puff." Jigglypuff perked up, smiled brightly, and threw her arms up happily, "It worked!"
Clefairy raised a paw triumphantly, "Hooray!"
Ash, Brock, Soot, Pikachu, and Electra smiled.
Misty pet the Balloon Pokémon, "Good to know you're feeling better." She smiled determinedly and clenched a fist, "But let's really put it to test."
.
**Short Skip**
Misty set Jigglypuff down on another tree stump they found and smiled, "There we go. Now you can sing for us."
Jigglypuff smiled and nodded, "Alright."
Brock smiled and put a hand to his chin, "I actually wonder what a jigglypuff song sounds like when you can understand the lyrics." He looked at Ash, "Maybe we could use the Lenses to find out."
Ash smiled sadly, "I thought the same thing once. Turns out a standard jigglypuff song doesn't have a translation. It sounds the same no matter what species you are."
Soot shrugged, "Sorry."
Misty frowned and crossed her arms, "Aw man."
Jigglypuff looked around the group in surprise, "What are you talking about?"
Soot looked at her, "Don't worry about it." She sat down, "You can start whenever you're ready."
Ash and Brock sat down to join Soot and Misty around the tree stump. Pikachu, Clefairy, and Electra jumped down from their trainers' shoulders.
Jigglypuff looked around the group happily before taking a deep breath again. She closed her eyes as her song began,
"Ji-ggly-y-puff Ji-ggly-y-y-puff.
Ji-ggly-y-puff Ji-gglyyy.
Ji-ggly-y-puff Ji-ggly-y-y-puff.
Ji-ggly-y-puff Ji-gglyyy.
Ji-ggly-y-puff.
Ji-ggly-y-puff.
Ji-ggly-y-puff Ji-gglyyy."
The pink Pokémon's song came to a stop and she looked at the group.
Ash smiled and applauded, "Very nice, Jigglypuff. Looks like that fruit really did the trick."
Jigglypuff looked around a bit and puffed up with an angry pout.
Ash blinked in surprise, "Huh? What's wro-" He perked up when he heard snoring and looked around to find everyone else asleep. Ash jumped to his feet and looked around at the others in surprise, "What the Yvel?" He heard a zipper and looked over to find Jigglypuff digging through his bag.
Jigglypuff pulled out a black marker and popped off the cap. She stopped and jerked in surprise when a green flash shone from behind her and looked back to find a male mightyena with a green circle on his chest.
Ash sweat dropped, "Would you mind telling me what you're planning to do with that?"
Jigglypuff dropped the marker as she stared in shock, "Wha-"
"Yes," Ash jumped in matter-of-factly, "I'm that human from a second ago. I can turn into Pokémon, have been able to since I was five, and can let other humans do the same."
Jigglypuff blinked; still staring in shock, "I'm sorry, what was that last one?"
"Later." Ash said before his eyes narrowed, "Now, why the marker?"
Jigglypuff picked up the marker and pointed it at the sleeping group with an angry pout, "Well, why not?! They fell asleep during my song! That's just rude!"
Ash frowned, "Okay, but-" He perked up in realization before raising a brow, "Wait, were you using Sing while you were singing?"
Jigglypuff glared at him, "What kind of question is that? Of course, I was! How else would a being sing?"
The Bite Pokémon deadpanned, "Jigglypuff, humans can't use any moves and can sing."
The Balloon Pokémon pointed at him and was about to say something. She stopped and blinked in surprise, "Uhh…" She looked down thoughtfully, "Huh."
Ash smiled, "See? They're not being rude. It's just the effect of your status move."
Jigglypuff pointed at him accusingly, "If that's true, why didn't you fall asleep?"
The Dark-type raised a brow, "I'm actually not sure eith-" He perked up in surprise, looked back towards some tall grass, and ran over to it. He stuck his head through and groaned, "Are you kidding?"
Jigglypuff blinked in surprise before running over as well. She peeked through the grass to find the humans and meowth from earlier all asleep around a box with wheels on it. The blue haired one was holding a boom mic.
Ash's eye twitched, "Okay, whatever you were planning to do with the marker, you can do to them."
.
**Short Skip**
After Jigglypuff's face-doodling session and a little audio sabotage by Ash, the watch user switched himself to dragonite, switched the unconscious Gym Leaders to pikachu form -much to Jigglypuff's surprise-, gathered up everyone at once, and moved back to the tree stump they were at when they met Jigglypuff.
Ash, Brock, and Misty timed out and everyone woke up shortly after and sat around as they thought over why Ash didn't fall asleep. Jigglypuff sat on the ground and looked down thoughtfully as she thought about what Ash said about singing and using Sing. She was still struggling to understand the difference.
Brock looked at Ash with a raised brow, "Could it be that you're just immune to sleeping effects? Maybe one of your forms has a hidden power that's like Insomnia or Soundproof."
Ash frowned and shook his head, "My banette form does have Insomnia, but I've been put to sleep by sleeping moves before. Remember back at Melanie's place?"
Misty sighed, "Right."
Everyone looked down thoughtfully.
After a moment, Soot perked up and looked at Ash, "But what if it's like a selective Insomnia?"
Everyone else in the group looked at her in confusion, "What?" Jigglypuff looked at her curiously.
Soot looked around the group, "Think about it. The move Sing is a form of non-Psychic hypnosis and the only times dad's been put to sleep was because of substance-based moves." She looked at Ash again, "Factor in your mental barriers and it might come out as a primarily anti-suggestive Insomnia. You might even be immune to Grass Whistle and Yawn."
Seishin: *sly smirk at readers* How many of you yawned after reading that? … Or this?
Ash blinked in surprise before putting a hand to his chin, "It's a valid theory, at least. We can test it the next time we visit home."
Misty clapped and smiled, "Good enough! Now," She looked at Jigglypuff, "singing without using Sing." She looked at Ash and Soot, "How do we help with that?"
The father-daughter duo perked up and shared a worried look.
Misty deadpanned, "You're kidding."
Soot chuckled nervously, "Yeah, sorry. This one's pretty new to us."
Ash crossed his arms and looked up thoughtfully, "The best I can really think of is trial and error. Practice singing in front of others while changing up the process." He looked around at the others with a frown, "Which is a lot harder since Jigglypuff's Sing is audio-style. If it were a note-style, she'd be able to practice on her own."
Brock, Misty, Pikachu, Clefairy, and Electra all sighed.
Jigglypuff looked at Ash in surprise before looking down thoughtfully, 'Trial and error…'
Clefairy perked up and raised a paw, "OH! I have an idea!"
Ash translated for Brock and Misty before looking at the Fairy-type with a raised brow, "What is it?"
Clefairy jumped to her feet and smiled excitedly, "What if Jigglypuff sang for everyone in Neon City?!"
Soot raised a brow, "What?" Ash translated again.
Clefairy nodded, "Yeah! Everyone there has trouble sleeping anyway, so it'll probably be really good practice!"
Electra smiled happily, "Oh, yeah!"
Jigglypuff jumped back to her feet, "Wait, like a performance?! With a huge crowd?!" She smiled brightly, "Yeah! Let's do it!"
Soot translated this time.
Misty smiled and clenched a fist, "Yeah. I bet some people might even stay awake through it."
Pikachu looked up at Misty with a smile, "And if not, those people could probably use the shuteye anyway. It might even put them in a better mood."
Soot sweat dropped, "I wouldn't go that far." She translated again.
Brock smiled and stood back up, "Alright. Back to Neon City, it is."
.
*Rocketrio
"AHHH!" The tRio screamed as they saw each other's faces; having finally woken up. They all started wiping away at the marker immediately.
"Who did this?!" James cried out.
"How dare they!" Jessie shouted.
After a moment, Meowth perked up, "Wait! Da recordin'! We gotta see if we got dat jigglypuff on tape!"
James looked at the recorder, "Oh, right!" He moved closer and flipped a switch.
"Gra, grae na." Said a voice from the recording, "Na grae grae gra na graena na na-"
"What the Yvel is this?" Jessie asked in confusion as the recording continued.
Meowth glared at the machine angrily, "Da twoip. He's sayin' 'Hey, you three. Not sure what you were plannin' ta do with dat recordin' of Jigglypuff usin' Sing, but it's gone now. Ta cova up de resta da audio, enjoy yourselves snorin'.'" He blinked in surprise, "Wait, what?"
True to the mightyena's words, the sound of their collective snoring started coming out of the machine. James grimaced and stopped the playback.
Jessie frowned, "Well, that was a bust."
James crossed his arms and looked down disappointedly, "What are we supposed to do now?"
Meowth stood back up with a determined glare, "Plan B!"
James leaned closer to Jessie and whispered, "We have a plan B?"
Jessie shrugged, "First I'm hearing of it."
.
*Neon City
Misty looked around curiously as she held the Balloon Pokémon, "Now, where can Jigglypuff sing so that everyone will hear her?"
Ash looked around as well, "An outdoor stage would probably be best."
Soot frowned, "Yeah. If we can find one."
"Let's try asking someone." Brock suggested.
The group made their way over to a nearby music store and went straight to someone out front who was wearing a red vest. Most likely the store's uniform.
The man looked at the group incredulously, "An outdoor stage?"
Misty nodded, "Yeah. Would you happen to know where to find one in the city?"
The guy groaned and shrugged, "Hey, there's nothing like that anywhere near here." He motioned for them to leave, "Now, go bug someone else. I'm busy." He turned away and walked inside.
Clefairy pouted angrily, "Rude."
Pikachu sighed, "Just like everyone else in this city."
Electra frowned and her ears drooped, "First Dark City and now here." She looked at Brock, "Cities aren't all this bad, right?"
Soot frowned and translated.
Brock smiled softly and pet the Mouse Pokémon, "I promise that's not the case. Every city's a little different. For better or worse. I actually grew up in Pewter City and I can tell you it's a lot nicer than it is here."
Misty smiled and nodded, "And I lived in Cerulean City. You can't even compare the two."
Electra smiled softly, "Thanks." She perked up and looked at Ash, "What about you? Did you live in a city, too?"
Ash smiled sadly, "Afraid not. Pallet Town."
Soot shrugged, "Though, we have been to some cities that were much nicer than this."
Pikachu glanced to the side and mumbled, "Except for Gringey City."
Electra looked at the other Electric-type in confusion, "Gringey City?"
Clefairy raised a finger, "It's-"
"It's where we met Muk." Ash jumped in with a smile as he quickly placed a hand over Clefairy's mouth; startling the Fairy-type in the process.
Soot nodded quickly, "Yeah!"
Everyone flinched when they heard tires screeching and turned around to find a blue 18-wheeler with a massive trailer attached to it. Electra's eyes lit up at the sight of it. The window rolled down to reveal the driver. She wore a red leather jacket, orange ball earrings, purple lipstick, a star sticker on her cheek, and had giant green hair.
The driver stuck her elbow out the window and looked at the group, "Hey, we heard you're the ones who are looking for an outdoor stage."
Ash blinked in surprise, "Huh." He pointed at her, "Okay, definite points for the hair and outfit. From a distance, I legitimately wouldn't have known it was you, Jessie."
Jessie flinched and looked at him fearfully. Everyone -except Soot- looked at Ash in shock before looking at the driver.
Soot looked to the end of the truck, "And I know you're over their James! I can smell you!"
James ran out from behind the truck. He wore a leather jacket and pants, star earrings, sunglasses with red rims, and a spiked purple wig.
He removed his shades and glared, "Hey! I do not smell bad!"
Soot smirked, "Never said you did." She raised a paw to her snout, "Canine, glitch!"
Misty glared at James, "What are you up to this time?!"
James sighed before pressing a button on the back of the truck, "We were offering you this."
The side of the trailer opened to reveal a giant stage loaded with speakers, lighting, and even a disco ball. Jigglypuff's eyes lit up as she smiled brightly. Electra stared up at the roof of the stage curiously.
Brock looked across the stage in shock before looking back at Jessie, "Where the Yvel did you get this?"
"It was plan B." Jessie stated as if that explained it. She pointed back, "Do you want the stage or not?"
Misty's eye twitched before she raised a finger, "Give us a second."
The group moved back a few feet.
"Anyone else think this is a trap?" Misty asked.
Soot nodded, "Oh, without a doubt. Its probably booby trapped or something."
Ash looked back at the stage, "No, it's just a normal stage. Nice speakers too."
Misty sweat dropped, "That clairvoyance really is nuts." She shook it off and raised a brow, "That still doesn't explain why they're offering to help."
Brock glared, "I bet they just wanna use Jigglypuff's Sing to put everyone to sleep."
Pikachu raised a brow, "So, they're after the same thing as us?"
Soot sweat dropped, "Not if they're doing it to shoplift."
Ash smiled, "If that's the case, we should be fine." He pointed a thumb to himself, "I'll still be awake, so I can send them packing once everyone's asleep."
Misty frowned, "But are you sure you can handle them on your-" She stopped and deadpanned, "Actually, never mind."
Soot snickered, "Just don't go too far if they fight back."
Ash smirked, "We'll see how it goes."
.
**Short Skip**
Brock and Misty got out their sleeping bags in preparation of what was to come. Soot, Pikachu, and Clefairy were already on Ash's sleeping bag.
Ash slipped on his yellow gloves again and looked at Pikachu, "Go ahead."
Pikachu nodded before firing a quick Thunderbolt at his trainer.
After he stopped, Ash clenched his fists, lit up slightly from the electricity, and smiled, "Alright." He put his hands together and the sparks faded. He looked back at the others, "I'll go give Jigglypuff the signal. Sweet dreams."
Misty put her hands behind her head and leaned back, "Goodnight."
Brock laid back as well. Electra jumped onto his chest and curled up on top of him. Ash ran over to the control panel James pointed out, stared for a few seconds, and started messing with the controls.
The stage lights lit up to reveal Jigglypuff.
Some of the surrounding people looked over in surprise, "Huh?" "What's that?"
The Balloon Pokémon started singing almost immediately,
"Ji-ggly-y-puff Ji-ggly-y-y-puff.
Ji-ggly-y-puff Ji-gglyyy.
Ji-ggly-y-puff Ji-ggly-y-y-puff."
A crowd slowly started forming at the stage. Some started swaying in place with their eyelids drooping. Others were already lying on the ground.
"Ji-ggly-y-puff Ji-gglyyy.
Ji-ggly-y-puff.
Ji-ggly-y-puff.
Ji-ggly-y-puff Ji-gglyyy.
Jigglypuff, Jigglypuff, Jigglypuff.
Jigglypuff.
Ji-ggly-y-puff Ji-ggly-y-y-puff.
Ji-ggly-y-puff Ji-gglyyy.
Ji-ggly-y-puff Ji-ggly-y-y-puff.
Ji-ggly-y-puff Ji-gglyyy."
Ash's eyes narrowed as the song ended, 'And that's my cue.'
He ran out from the stage and looked around the street with a determined glare. Everyone around was well asleep, but Team Rocket was nowhere to be seen.
Ash gritted his teeth before breaking into a sprint. He failed to notice Jigglypuff puffing up angrily.
After a solid ten minutes, Ash finally found the tRio … asleep behind a phone booth with comically oversized plugs in their ears.
Ash deadpanned, 'Oversized earplugs? Really? They actually thought that would work?' He started yawning and flinched immediately, 'What the?! I thought I was immune to-' He perked up and looked up into the night sky, "Oh, right." He looked back at the stage and perked up in surprise, "Jigglypuff?"
.
*The next day
After a good-ish night's sleep and a very unexpected apology from the guy that bumped into Ash two nights ago, the group made their way back out of the city. Thankfully, for the final time.
Ash smiled, "That actually turned out pretty well. Everyone in town seemed to be in a better mood."
Soot snickered, "Or, at the very least, better than they were before."
Brock smiled, "I guess a lot of them really just needed a good rest."
Misty put her hands behind her head while frowning, "Still, I wish I could've gotten another chance to catch Jigglypuff." She looked at Ash, "Are you sure you didn't see her?"
Ash frowned, "Sorry. I lost track of her while I was looking for Team Rocket."
Misty sighed, "Crag. I at least hope we can meet her again someday."
Soot looked back at her with a smile, "Well with our crazy luck, that might just happen."
Everyone chuckled.
Brock perked up upon remembering something and looked at Ash, "Wait a second. Shouldn't we have looked around the city for a … y'know." He nudged his head back towards Electra.
Electra looked at Brock in confusion, "What?"
Ash smirked, "Actually, I had somewhere else in mind." He brought up the watch, popped up the dial, and spun it to reveal the dragonite silhouette.
.
**Time Skip**
A bell rang as Brock pushed through the front entrance, "Suzie? Are you still here?"
The teal haired breeder perked up in surprise before turning around. She smiled brightly, "Everyone! It's so good to see you again! What brings you all back here?"
Misty shrugged while smiling, "An errand, really. We thought we'd stop by since we were already gonna be in the area."
Ash smiled and held up the watch, "And believe it or not, we were in Neon City just last night. I had to go dragonite to get us here this soon."
Suzie blinked in surprise, "That far? Really?"
Electra blinked in surprise, "She knows about Ash's watch?"
Soot chuckled nervously, "Yeah. Our secret keeping skills have hit some snags since we left home."
Suzie finally took notice of the pikachu on Brock's shoulder, smiled, and moved closer to pet her, "Aww. Who's this?"
Brock smiled and gestured to the Mouse Pokémon, "This is Electra. She joined us after we visited her tribe a while back."
Electra smiled and raised a paw, "Pika!"
Suzie smiled, "It's nice to meet you, Electra." She perked up, blinked in surprise, and looked at Brock, "Wait, you visited a pikachu tribe?"
Brock smiled and nodded, "Yeah. Up close and personal."
Misty smiled and raised a finger, "We actually spent a few days there and got to know some of them."
The woman flinched and looked at Misty in shock, "What?! How did you manage to get so close?!" She stopped and her eyes widened in shock, "Wait, 'got to know them'? How is that possible?" She looked at Ash, "You and Soot must've translated, right?"
Ash smiled, "Not exactly. I got a new form that helped me come up with something a little more advanced." He smirked, "Something I wanted to show you, in fact."
Soot grinned, "I can say with little doubt that you'll never forget it and probably never knew you wanted it."
Brock and Misty nodded while smiling, "Yeah."
Suzie blinked in surprise, "huh?"
.
.
Mizuro: … So why was this episode banned in Turkey again?
Ohirume: *shrugs* Nobody knows. The only plausible theory I've heard is that the slot machine scenes are to blame.
Illavera: Huh. *frowns* Though, I kind of hope we see Puff again. She seemed nice … and cute.
Faux: *eye twitch* Oh, trust us. She'll be back
Pike, Gem, Gem's Pikachu, and Mewtwo: *group nodding*
Luke and Laura: *look at others in surprise* Huh?
…
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