Chapter 3: No Need to be Housebroken
It had been mere hours since Ash and Pikachu were thrown into a detour. They stayed at Tenchi's home full of young women, though one had caught the Pokémon Trainer's eyes. The morning rose. Sasami and Ryo-Ohki woke up to the sunrise before Sasami petted the cabbit. They left the room as Ayeka slept. As they made their way to the kitchen, they saw Ash and Pikachu asleep. Sasami came to the two with Ryo-Ohki leaping onto the couch. Sasami looked and awed the sleeping trainer and Pokémon. 'He looks so cute and handsome sleeping like this,' she thought. She lifted his hair to see more of him asleep. 'Never had I believed I found someone like him to start having feelings for. I thought it would be Tenchi I'd be fawning after.' She stepped away while Ryo-Ohki stayed with Ash and Pikachu. Sasami entered the kitchen and started making breakfast. The smell of eggs began to stir Ash suddenly. He sat up, alerting Ryo-Ohki to leap onto the back of the couch. Pikachu soon woke to the scent of eggs on the stove.
("Is Brock here?") he squeaked. Ryo-Ohki mewed while leaping onto Ash's shoulder. She nuzzled Ash's cheek to welcome.
"Good morning to you too, Ryo-Ohki," he smiled. Ryo-Ohki licked Ash's face.
("She's definitely loving,") Pikachu teased. They soon got up to where Ash saw Sasami making breakfast. Watching her use the skillet, mixing vegetables and some meat with eggs, and smiling in the midst made Ash gasp in admiration to the carefree girl she awed at first glance.
'Look at her,' he gulped. 'She looks so happy as if cooking is what brings her joy. I've only seen it with Brock and Mom… but Sasami… Why does my heart beat like this!?' He clutched his chest softly. Pikachu and Ryo-Ohki looked on, puzzled. Everyone woke up for breakfast. Ash released Noctowl and had Pikachu fly to the area they came from. Half an hour later, Pikachu and Noctowl returned. "Well?"
("No go,") Pikachu whimpered. Noctowl hooted somberly.
"I guess we're stuck here until Peitra has her new Rhydon drill us out," Ash sympathized as he petted his Pokémon. Tenchi came from behind and saw the disappointment on the faces.
"What's wrong?" he asked. Ash and the Pokémon turned to Tenchi with Noctowl flying to Tenchi's arm. He wore a blue robe with a red shirt underneath and slacks while his feet had sandals.
"Pikachu and Noctowl wanted to see if maybe there was a way to return," Ash briefed.
"And it's a no-go?" guessed Tenchi. Ash shook his head. "It does bite. At least the girls are patient with you more than me." Ash blinked to the briefing.
"What do you mean?" he questioned. Tenchi nervously giggled to the question.
"They're a handful to deal with when you find out," he shrugged. "Anyway, let me show you around." Ash and Pikachu shrugged but accepted the idea. They reached a large garden where bushes from carrots grew, and Ryo-Ohki joined. "This garden is basically where Ryo-Ohki likes to hang around." Watching Ryo-Ohki, Ash saw the cabbit dig a few spots to throw some seeds in.
"Ryo-Ohki likes to help with the garden," he smiled.
"Yeah, Ryo-Ohki would only eat carrots," Tenchi joked. Ryo-Ohki pulled up a grown carrot from the ground. She came over and offered the carrot to Ash. He giggled as he accepted the carrot.
"That's sweet of you," he praised. Ryo-Ohki happily mewed to Ash's happiness. "I only wish Misty enjoyed carrots like you." Ryo-Ohki mewed curiously.
"Misty?" repeated Tenchi.
"She travels with me," Ash started. "She was the first human friend I traveled with, though she bluntly told me she hated carrots, peppers and bugs."
"I see…" pondered Tenchi as Katsuhito approached. "She doesn't sound like the type that will get along with Ryo-Ohki right off the bat."
"But that's no excuse for rudeness," Katsuhito spoke. Ash, Tenchi and the creatures turned to Katsuhito rather surprised.
"Grandpa!" realized Tenchi. Katsuhito came to and palm Ash's head.
"Before I can train you," he offered. "I want to show you where I train Tenchi." Interested, Ash and Pikachu nodded to the idea. About half an hour later, Ash and Pikachu followed Katsuhito to some areas like a small log over wood blocks embedded in the dirt. There were a few other spots around.
"You train here?" asked Ash.
"Not me," Katsuhito denied. "Tenchi does. After he acquired the Tenchi Sword, I had him train for when real threats to our home is imminent. It's not meant for mere humans… Though Tenchi and I can't really be considered human per say." Ash and Pikachu looked confused.
"My grandfather is also from Jurai, but he ran from home," Tenchi started. "He could tell you, but we have other places."
("It's got to be a long story, huh?") guessed Pikachu. Katsuhito petted Pikachu by the ears.
"A mouse with wisdom," he awed. "Yes, maybe tonight… I'll talk to you about it." Realizing the information, Ash turned to Tenchi.
"So, does this mean that you're from Jurai?" he guessed. Tenchi giggled to the question.
"No, I'm from Earth," he corrected. "But I do have Juraian genes from my grandpa and my mom. It's that I'm part-Juraian and part-human."
"That's still pretty cool that you have this mix," Ash smiled. "Anyway, I can see use in training with my Pokémon on these." Tenchi and Katsuhito seemed interested to Ash's method.
"I would like to see what you have in mind," Katsuhito wondered. After their stop at the training ground, Tenchi guided Ash and Pikachu back to the household where Sasami waited.
"You're back!" she welcomed. Ash smiled while Pikachu leaped onto Sasami's shoulder. Sasami giggled to the acceptance. "You like being on shoulders?" Pikachu squeaked happily to the guess. "Anyway, come over here." They reached a closet door.
"Why are we here?" asked Ash.
"You'll see," she voiced as she opened the door. Sasami led Ash and Pikachu into a large laboratory. The trainer and Pokémon couldn't believe the size of the laboratory.
"I thought it was just a storage closet!"
"But Washu has used it to create an inter-dimensional area for her to do her lab work."
"I guess she does a lot of work. What, does she do a certain amount per week?"
"She says it's from spending 700 years imprisoned that she wanted to get caught up in what projects she wants to do." The information made Ash and Pikachu gawk.
("700 years!?") squeaked a panicked Pikachu. Washu arrived to see the three.
"Are you showing Ash around the household, Sasami?" she asked. Sasami, Ash and Pikachu turned to Washu, her sneer appearing.
"It is my turn, anyway," Sasami acknowledged. Looking around the lab, Ash and Pikachu awed the many tinkered and large devices and machines.
"You like?" wondered Washu.
"A lot," Ash admired. "This place is incredible!" Washu snickered to the compliment.
"It hasn't been easy since breaking out of suspended animation," she admitted. "But, I've made head ways, especially with this." Flying to Washu was a small robotic plane with a revving black halo above instead of propellers. "Introducing the Washu Sky Eye, Mark 2!" The younger ones awed the invention. Ash blinked to the name.
"What happened to the first one?" he wondered.
"The Washu Sky Eye, Mark 1 had propellers and it shredded my clothes and clipped my nails," she sighed. "Luckily, the aviation halo is propeller-free, so I can stick my hand in here and nothing happens." She demonstrated by inserting her hand into the halo. Nothing happened.
"That's pretty cool!" awed Ash. The Washu Sky Eye flew off while Ryo-Ohki joined the group.
"There have been other inventions that I wanted to show you," Washu offered. She led the kids and creatures through her lab. There were water tanks with another Washu inside. Ash and Pikachu gawked to the sight of that.
"What the heck!?" he yelped. Washu saw the other Washu and laughed.
"That's actually a Mecha Washu," she clarified. "She's my third one, but after Mihoshi and Ryo-Ohki put their minds into the first and second… Let's just say that it wasn't pretty." Ryo-Ohki mewed curiously to being called out.
"I remember the second Mecha Washu acting a lot like you," Sasami mulled. Ryo-Ohki mewed like it wasn't that bad.
"I see," Ash assumed. He began to picture a Mecha Washu with Ash's confidence and bravery. After seeing the robot doing what he does, Ash shook his head. "Believe me, I'd be unable to keep up if that Mecha Washu had my mind."
"I appreciate someone with common sense not to make unnecessary arrangements without realizing the consequences," Washu praised. "Wish the same could be said about the other two." They made it to a chair with a pair of orbs and poles with all sorts of prods at the middle. "Here is my other invention. This baby will tap into your memory banks and visually reveal it into this machine." That made Ash and Pikachu interested.
"I still remember Ryo-Ohki trying this and showing nothing but carrots," Sasami teased. Ryo-Ohki mewed happily.
"Oh, so if Pikachu and I have this on, it can show all of the Pokémon we've come across," Ash believed. Washu, Sasami and Ryo-Ohki became fascinated with the idea.
"That's something we'd like to see!" wished Sasami. Washu plucked Pikachu from Sasami's shoulder and placed him on the chair before putting a helmet on his head. As a keyboard emerged, Washu began to type on it, hitting several keys. The screen lit up.
"Everything is set to observe…" she studied. Suddenly, a picture emerged with a green caterpillar that had a pink ram-like horn on top. The caterpillar looked up to the moon.
"What is that?" gasped Sasami.
"Oh, was it that night I caught Caterpie as my first Pokémon with a Pokéball?" pondered Ash. Washu and Sasami blinked to the name.
"Caterpie?" repeated Sasami. Ash brought out a red hand-held device and opened it, bringing a few flaps to pop open. He hit a few buttons.
"CATERPIE, THE WORM POKÉMON," it computed with a man's voice. "TO PROTECT ITSELF, CATERPIE'S ANTENNAE RELEASES A REPELLING SMELL." Washu became highly interested in the device as Sasami cooed to Caterpie.
"I wonder if that has every creature in that database," she asked.
"It does," Ash confirmed. Then another image came up with Ash holding an egg similar to the patterns on Togepi's shell.
"Hey, there you are!" alerted Sasami. Ash, Washu and Ryo-Ohki looked to the monitor.
"Oh, Togepi's hatching!" figured Ash. Suddenly, Misty emerged and bumped Ash out of the way with Brock falling from the other side. Seeing Misty, Sasami became concerned.
"Wait, you have a girl, Ash?" she feared.
"Misty journeys with me after Pikachu and I destroyed her bike," Ash shrugged. "She wants me to get it replaced." To Washu, it was a snap of her fingers.
"No problem!" she offered. "I can create a bike that can get her to wherever she wants. Consider it our thanks for your help." Ash blinked to the gifting.
"Help with what, exactly?" he pointed out.
"I have a feeling that you'll be helping a lot," Washu smiled. Suddenly, Sasami watched the egg break open and Togepi emerging.
"A baby!" she cheered. The others looked to find Togepi on the monitor being embraced by Misty.
"Togepi was born in Misty's arms and became his mom," Ash giggled.
"And Togepi's a Pokémon like Pikachu?" guessed Washu.
"He is," Ash confirmed as he played the device again.
"TOGEPI, THE SPIKE BALL POKÉMON," it registered. "IT IS SAID THAT ANYONE WHO AWAKENS A SLEEPING TOGEPI WILL BE GRANTED HAPPINESS WITH THIS POKEMON." Ash looked to the device, amused.
"I guess Misty has been happy since Togepi hatched," he muttered. "Who knew?" Sasami was interested with Misty.
"So, you and Misty have nothing between each other than a bike that was destroyed?" she questioned.
"Yeah, though she did help me on some Pokémon Training after we started traveling together," Ash clarified. "She's the youngest of four sisters who run the Cerulean Gym, and beating that gym gives you the Cascade Badge." Sasami awed the added details.
"Say, is it possible to loan me that device?" she requested. Ash irked to the wish.
"My PokéDex?" he named. "Sure… but what are you gonna do with it?"
"Easy, I want to know what's over there and see about which creatures I could want for my lab," Washu plotted. "I'm sure there's one for everyone here."
"That makes sense," Ash understood. "Maybe someone who likes carrots like Ryo-Ohki." The cabbit mewed excitedly, making the girls smile.
"I also want to see what else Pikachu came across and ask for your help," Washu added. "I'm highly interested with what goes on... and don't worry, I'll make sure to keep it safe." Pikachu felt trustworthy of Washu with a few squeaks. Ash and Sasami left the lab before finding Kiyone, Mihoshi and Ayeka in the laundry room.
"You didn't leave your gun in the holster before it was thrown in the wash," Kiyone mulled. "Did you?"
"Of course not!" pleaded Mihoshi. "I made sure to leave in the ship's storage compartment! I don't wanna bring my weapons inside so someone like Sasami would hurt themselves with it!" Ayeka and Kiyone sighed.
"Not that I don't understand her thought process," the princess muttered. "But isn't there several storage compartments in the ship? How does she know which one to pull out?" Flustered, Kiyone palmed her face.
"I'm still wondering how the hell Mihoshi is a lieutenant," she murmured. Mihoshi turned to find the younger pair.
"Oh, Ash, Sasami!" she greeted.
"Is something wrong?" asked Ash.
"Well, we believe Mihoshi threw Kiyone's Galaxy Police-issued blaster into the washer," Ayeka informed. Kiyone held up the pistol-like weapon. Sweat drops formed on Ash's and Sasami's foreheads.
"Oh boy…" they gulped. Calming down, Kiyone reached Ash.
"I want to take you up and see the action that we do," she offered. "Not tonight, maybe in a few days." Ash nodded, interested to what their force does.
"Kiyone and I can't promise any excitement," Mihoshi smiled. "But seeing space should be." Ayeka shook her head.
"At least there's something she says that's correct," she hummed. After their meeting, Sasami headed to the kitchen to prepare dinner. Ryoko appeared by Ash.
"So, what do you think of the family?" she asked. Ash hopped back but cooled down.
"You guys are a huge bunch of people I can grow with," he smiled. "Still…" They watched Sasami start chopping vegetables. "Maybe she can teach me about cooking…" Ryoko looked to Ash and noticed the blushing on his face.
"Any reason?" she wondered. Ash smiled but didn't say a word. Another day in the books as dinner was about to be served.
TO BE CONTINUED...