Chapter 5: No Need for Questionnaires

The princesses were in their room to sleep. It was a heartwarming day as Ryoko and Ayeka noticed what looked to be romance between Ash and Sasami. Ayeka and Ryoko wanted to see if there were any feelings between the two kids. Sasami started to tuck herself in with Ryo-Ohki ready to snuggle. "Sasami?" spoke Ayeka. Sasami and Ryo-Ohki turned to Ayeka.

"What is it?" wondered Ayeka.

"I know that we're housing Ash until we find his friends… It's just that… Ryoko and I started to notice about you two being rather… Shall we say… chummy?" The hestiation made Sasami curious.

"Chummy?"

"I mean… You know about my feelings for Tenchi, right?" The reminder made Sasami nod. "I believe this is similar to you and Ash." Sasami gasped, wondering if this was a case of love.

"Me and…" Curious, Ryo-Ohki seemed to want to know about the sisters' discussion. Sasami blushed at the thought. "Oh my gosh… Was that what I felt when we saw each other?" Curious, Ayeka felt the need to question further.

"Wait, are you saying that you fell for Ash when you looked for Ryo-Ohki?" Her face beet red, Sasami tried to look away.

"I-I don't know! I just froze when I saw him the first time!" Mews from Ryo-Ohki backed Sasami's claim. Ayeka smirked to the explanation.

"So, it was love at first sight for you." Hearing Ayeka's guess, Sasami gulped.

"Wait, love at first sight?"

"Of course! Did he freeze as well?" The memory also recalled Ash's moment seeing Sasami.

"He did…" The confirmation made Ayeka giggle.

"I suppose this could be fate that you two have started to feel for. Give it time and you'll see for yourself." They turned themselves in, though Sasami wondered about Ayeka's explanation.

'Is it really love at first sight? Am I… really in love with Ash?' She closed her eyes and fell asleep. As they slept, Ryo-Ohki had a dream of her and Pikachu having fun by the lake and by a campfire. They tackled and embraced each other, shared carrot stew and even slept under the same futon. She slept peacefully with Sasami. The next morning, Sasami reached the couch with Ash and Pikachu sleeping. Sasami watched, still wondering about her and Ayeka's discussion. 'Is it really love? And with Ash?' Ryo-Ohki leaped down to nuzzle Pikachu's face. After sometime, she began to cook breakfast. The thought still weighed on her. The door to the laboratory appeared as Washu exited from there.

"Seeing all of those creatures and friends is refreshing!" she sighed with a smile. "I'm actually happy to see all of Pikachu's friends and where he stays when he's not traveling." Ash woke to hearing Washu.

"Morning, Washu…" he groaned. Pikachu started to wake himself before noticing Ryo-Ohki by him. She pawed at Pikachu's ear, watching it bounce. She mewed to greeting the Mouse Pokémon.

"Sorry to wake you up, but I grew fond of some of the Pokémon from Pikachu's memories," Washu smiled. "By the way, I started making a special room based on the same images." Ash's eyes became wide from that.

"You're recreating my room?" he guessed.

("From my memories?") gasped Pikachu.

"You'd be surprised what I can do in my lab," Washu grinned. Ash and Pikachu gulped to Washu's plotting. Awake, Ash and the creatures entered the kitchen where they saw Sasami in deep thought with the large knife held by some sliced mushrooms.

"Sasami?" he called out. Sasami jerked her head up as Ash and Pikachu approached. She turned to find the trainer.

"Ash?" she wondered. Ash stood by Sasami while Pikachu jumped on the counter.

("Is something wrong?") he asked. Sasami petted Pikachu's head.

"Sorry," she apologized. "I might not have had enough sleep after my talk with Ayeka."

"No one's mad at you," Ash understood. "What were you two talking about?" Sasami blushed, her head turned from her admirer.

"I don't want to talk about it," she refused. Ash suspected a reason from Sasami's blushing face.

"Embarrassing?" he guessed. Sasami nodded. "Gotcha…" He got into the mix and started making what seemed like some flat pancakes. Sasami saw what Ash tried to do.

"I got some extra ingredients for those crepes," she offered. Ash smiled.

"Thanks!" he accepted. "For telling me about crepes and the ingredients." Sasami giggled to the praise. After breakfast, Ash and Pikachu journeyed outside. "Let's check how the carrots are doing." They found Tenchi tending to the gardens.

"Ash!" he greeted. "Pikachu!" Ash and Pikachu reached Tenchi as he felt the stems of the carrot. "Looks like they're going to be a few more days. I know Ryo-Ohki can't wait." He looked down the field, finding more planted carrots that look ready to be plucked. "Those ones are about ready to go."

"They sure look like they are," Ash agreed. Tenchi moved to a new part of the garden. "Let me go see how the sweet potatoes are looking." Ash and Pikachu blinked to the new food.

("Sweet potatoes?") repeated Pikachu. Ash nodded before they slowly pursued Tenchi. As he felt the potatoes, he smiled.

"They're about ready to go," he believed. "Maybe tomorrow, I can show you how I roast them." Ash and Pikachu looked intrigued to the thought

"Maybe I can share them with Misty and Brock when we get back there," Ash smirked. That's when Ryo-Ohki appeared in ship form. Her loud mew alerted the boys to look up.

"Ryo-Ohki!?" gasped Tenchi. A beam struck Ash and Pikachu, but it wasn't hurting them. They were enveloped. Suddenly, they vanished. Ayeka and Sasami came out and saw the ship.

"Tenchi!" feared Ayeka. Then she growled. "Ryoko… You've gone too far!"

"Why would Ryoko do that!?" feared Sasami.

"That does it!" snarled Ayeka. "Azaka! Kamidake!" The two guardians flew to Ayeka.

"Princess!" they called back.

"Prepare the ship!" demanded Ayeka. "Ryoko is taking Lord Tenchi away!" Before Azaka and Kamidake could react, Tenchi appeared.

"I'm still down here!" he replied. Everyone turned to Tenchi who reached them.

"Tenchi?" wondered Sasami. "Ryoko didn't abduct you?"

"No, but Ryo-Ohki took Ash and Pikachu," Tenchi corrected. Ayeka, Sasami, Azaka and Kamidake were stunned to learn who Ryo-Ohki took.

"Quite peculiar behavior," Azaka pondered.

"Why would Ryoko be after Ash?" questioned Kamidake. Ryo-Ohki flew up with Ash and Pikachu inside. Inside was a large open area as Ryo-Ohki entered space. Seeing the stars so high up, Ash and Pikachu felt awed to the sight.

"This is so cool!" the trainer cheered. "Did you want to bring us up here, Ryo-Ohki?" Ryoko's laugh told Ash that it wasn't the cabbit.

"That was on my behalf," she corrected. Ash and Pikachu turned to find Ryoko approaching.

"Ryoko!?" he gasped.

("Why would you!?") complained Pikachu. Ryoko plucked Pikachu up before petting him. ("This, I don't mind…")

"Well, I didn't mean to get you," she teased. "I actually wanted Ash and ask him about a few things." A crystal came to Ryoko and Pikachu. It stopped before Ryo-Ohki's face emerged from the crystal, spooking Pikachu.

"It makes me wonder what else you can turn into," Ash teased. Ryo-Ohki mewed playfully.

"Anyway, Ayeka and I couldn't help but notice that you and Sasami getting along pretty well," she brought up. Ash blinked to the topic.

"Me and… Sasami?" he wondered.

("What do you mean?") asked Pikachu.

"See, Ayeka and I watched you and Sasami become rather close like with cooking and going around the acres," Ryoko briefed. "I'm sure Ayeka talks about Tenchi a lot." Ash nervously giggled to the topic.

"I thought she was talking to herself," he muttered.

"Though, I find it refreshing that someone has feelings for one of us," Ryoko smiled. "Maybe you've fallen for someone before? Like you may have loved a girl in the past?" Ash nodded to Ryoko's guess.

"Early on when I saw a picture of Giselle," he started. "That was when I had that 'love at first sight'. That's when I saw who Giselle really was and it dropped that quickly." Ryoko shook her laughing head. "But Sasami… I mean, she's a princess who's way out of my league. Me falling for a princess is rather expected, but one that's an alien… and that she's a second heir… I want to say just forget it."

"Now, come on… You can't just throw in the towel just like that. Besides, why would you say that when Sasami has the same feelings for you? It was love at first sight for her as well." The information made Ash and Pikachu gasp slightly. Suddenly, Ryo-Ohki roared to something approaching. Everyone turned to space to see if they could find it. "Ryo-Ohki?" A picture of the ship Mihoshi and Kiyone took to space was on the screen. "Oh jeez…" Kiyone appeared in her Galaxy Police outfit.

"Ryoko, what are you doing with Ryo-Ohki?" she asked. "You didn't kidnap Tenchi for your own pleasure-" She paused as she saw Pikachu in Ryoko's arms.

"As you can see, Pikachu's with me," Ryoko assured. "I also have Ash. I wanted to have a little heart-to-heart with him about Sasami." Kiyone blinked to the case, but Mihoshi became enthralled with the discussion.

"Is that why you're up here!?" she realized with glee. Kiyone shoved Mihoshi back.

"Let me come in and see for myself," she muttered. "Ryo-Ohki, grant me permission to board." Ryo-Ohki mewed in confirmation. A few minutes later, Kiyone was in the same area. Ryoko informed Kiyone about what they brought up. "I see… It does sound adorable like we're part of some fairy tale from our childhood."

"That's what I thought as well," Ryoko shrugged. Kiyone scoffed to the notion.

"Imagine that I'd agree with a space pirate of all people…" she muttered. Mihoshi held Pikachu while Ash, Ryoko and Kiyone talked.

"I can finally pet you without worrying about getting shocked," Mihoshi cooed. Pikachu didn't mind. Kiyone whispered to Ryoko while their backs turned toward them.

"You want a time to talk to him as well?" asked Ryoko.

"Of course," Kiyone wished. They continued for a little bit before they returned to Earth. They came to the rest as Sasami made dinner. There was a dish of grilled cod glazed with miso and bowls of Udon. Mihoshi and Kiyone couldn't stay around.

"I'm actually surprised that we're all so organized since Ash came here," Katsuhito noticed. "It's as if all hostility between each other has been put aside."

"Don't get us wrong, grandpa," Ryoko dismissed. "We're all curious about Ash and his creatures that we feel like getting into pointless babbling will turn Ash away." Ayeka eyed Ryoko with narrowing mean eyes.

"You're just asking to be disagreed upon so that we can exhaust ourselves in fighting again," she retorted.

"Now now, princess," Ryoko taunted. "Attitude like that will keep you from having Pikachu as a teddy bear for a night." Ayeka steamed at the retort while Tenchi looked with deadpan eyes to Katsuhito.

"Why did you have to bring that up, Grandpa?" he questioned. Katsuhito blinked as he turned to Tenchi.

"For whatever do you mean?" he wondered. Tenchi sighed to Katsuhito's obliviousness. "I thought the peace and quiet and little destruction would benefit us." Ash shook his head before turning to see Pikachu being held by a tanned little girl with ears like Ryo-Ohki's. She wore a blue gown with carrots printed on it. She had brunette hair split between cyan hair while she petted Pikachu.

"Ryo… Ohki?" he guessed. The girl mewed like Ryo-Ohki. "Is this another transformation?" Ryo-Ohki nodded, happy for Ash to realize her new look. "You're full of surprises, huh?" Ryo-Ohki walked to Ash before kissing his cheek, making Sasami laugh.

"At least Ryo-Ohki knows a friend!" she teased. After dinner, Ayeka, Sasami and Ryo-Ohki returned after the cabbit returned to her furry self.

"You were rather worried about Ash after Ryoko took him up to space," Ayeka realized.

"Were you?" replied Sasami.

"Well, I initially thought she took Tenchi away and we'd be fighting like always… I'm sure Azaka and Kamidake would've brought Ash down as well if it was like that."

"True… but now I'm worried that I won't see his sleeping face again. Washu said he built a room for Ash to sleep in in her lab."

"Oh, who knows what goes through that kooky mad scientist nowadays. Maybe you can ask Washu if you can see him asleep." The realization made Sasami hopeful.

"Yeah, I can do that!" Adding to the agreement was Ryo-Ohki. In another room, Washu introduced Ash and Pikachu to a room with a drawer at one end with windows, a desk before a bed and a smaller bed by the dresser. Ash and Pikachu looked on in awe.

"Whoa, this looks incredible!" gasped Ash.

"I know, right?" grinned Washu. "I made a bed for Pikachu to sleep in if he still feels tired while you're up and about."

("Why didn't Mom think of that?") wondered Pikachu.

"This is a virtual room, but you can tell how lifelike it is," Washu added. "Now, hopefully… you can sleep here instead of the couch."

"Thanks a bunch!" praised Ash. Washu giggled before closing the door. Ash and Pikachu now have a room of their own, though Washu stepped away. She stopped and turned.

"One day, Ash…" she wished. "I would like to know what it means to be a mother and snuggle with you." She headed off to do more work while Ash and Pikachu turned in for the night. If Ayeka and Ryoko got some information from Sasami and Ash, imagine what they'll learn if they trade partners.

TO BE CONTINUED...