Chapter 7: No Need for Lessons
It's a new morning arising as Ash and Pikachu were still asleep in the virtual room created by Washu. Pikachu woke up and squealed to the good sleep he received. He exited the room and into the lab. Ash didn't stir. Pikachu wandered around the lab when Washu spotted him. "You look like you had a nice sleep," she greeted. Pikachu turned to see the scientist.
("Good morning, Washu!") he greeted. Washu hoisted Pikachu up to her.
"There might be something that can help all of us," she wished. Pikachu became curious. "Something to help us understand you without a lot of equipment." This worried the Mouse Pokémon.
"Do you think it's wise for something like that?" wondered Kiyone as she entered. Washu was a bit surprised as Kiyone brought two cups of tea.
"I do want to understand Ash's Pokémon as much as the next Juraian," she claimed as she claimed her cup.
"Maybe… but it's better to learn from him rather than from technology." Pikachu agreed with a squeak, making Washu whine.
"I hate when I'm outnumbered." That's when Kiyone became curious.
"Say, how strong is Pikachu's electricity?" The question made Washu curious.
"Why would you ask?" Recalling, Kiyone remembered seeing Pikachu for the first time.
"When Mihoshi first embraced Pikachu, he shocked her into unconsciousness. I'm starting to believe his electricity is enough to power at least one of the ships around." The memory made Washu grin.
"I have just the thing to measure." They reached a desk where Washu placed suction cups attached to mechanical arms. "Alright, this will measure the voltage you emit. The suction cups will keep the electricity from tagging any of us. Whenever you're ready, give it all you got." Agreeing, Pikachu released electricity which lit the arms. Ash woke and came out to see the screen by Washu and Kiyone climb in wattage. The number accelerated higher and higher before it started to peak.
"Pikachu, you can stop!" Hearing Kiyone, Pikachu stopped emitting. Ash, Washu and Kiyone saw the monitor with the women aghast. "Are you kidding me? That's enough to at least power two Galaxy Police Speeders!"
"And to think, Pikachu's not fully evolved!" spoke Ash. Washu, Kiyone and Pikachu turned to the trainer.
"Good morning, Ash," Kiyone greeted. "What do you mean 'not fully evolved'?" Washu spoke up to answer Kiyone's question.
"Allow me," she offered as she made her keyboard appear. A few keys pressed made Pikachu's picture appear. "See, after borrowing Ash's PokéDex, I learned that Pikachu has an evolved form…" Pikachu's picture switched into a larger orange mouse with a cream-colored abdomen, brown toes on hands and feet, a whip-like black tail with a yellow tip, black ears with yellow membrane inside and yellow cheeks to Pikachu's red cheeks. "…and its name is Raichu." Kiyone seemed interested.
"Oh wow…" she awed. After breakfast, Washu had Ash and Pikachu outside.
"I thought I'd take some easier lessons outside so that you can understand my philosophy," she started. Ash and Pikachu blinked to the information.
"You have a philosophy?" he repeated. "What are… philosophies?" Washu blinked to the lack of knowledge.
"You're kidding, right?" she gawked. "Ash shook his head. "Well, a philosophy is a study in relation to general and fundamental questions. Think of values, language, knowledge, that deal." That made Ash realize a moment of his past.
"When you say that, I might have had my own philosophy from sometime ago," Ash recalled. "See, when Brock, Misty and I were helping a trainer reclaim her Pokémon, I started to think about what it takes to be a Pokémon Trainer. For the short time I started Pokémon Training, I had believed the Pokémon's power was what helped in battle, but I soon learned that the bond between Trainer and Pokémon share that bond of what attack to use and how to use it. Just because I have some Pokémon, it doesn't make me a trainer. It's when you learn the techniques in a Pokémon Battle that you soon feel like a trainer." Washu seemed intrigued by Ash's words.
"Not bad…" she awed. "It's not that I agree with it, but there is inspiration. However, Earthling Philosophers are different than Juraian Philosophers." Ash and Pikachu blinked to Washu's claim.
("How so?") asked Pikachu.
"Juraian Philosophers are scientists who study in more than one field of science," Washu bragged. "Biology, Chemistry, Meteorology, even Economics. Basically, we're the cream of the crop, the top dogs." Ash and Pikachu seemed awed by Washu's background.
"I guess that part about being a genius has to come from somewhere," Ash joked.
"No one has offered to challenge my intellect, not that it matters to a genius like me!" yelled Washu proudly as he Washu dolls popped up.
"You are Washu, you are a genius!" the doll on the right shoulder cheered.
"You are Washu, you are the best!" the doll on the left shoulder cheered. Washu laughed as the dolls chanted the praise. Ash and Pikachu nervously laughed as Sasami and Ryo-Ohki emerged.
"Miss Washu!" shouted Sasami. Washu, Ash and Pikachu turned to the young princess and cabbit.
"Hey there!" welcomed Washu. "You're just in time. I was going to ask Ash if he could bring Bayleef out." Ash realized the reasoning for having being outside.
"I can roll with that," Ash accepted as he brought Bayleef out. Seeing how close Washu was to Ash, Bayleef wedged herself between them.
("Back away from my darling!") she claimed. Washu seemed a bit surprised at Bayleef's wishes.
"Did you want Ash's Bayleef to understand her behavior?" wondered Sasami as Bayleef nuzzled Ash's face.
"Not exactly," Washu shuttered as Ryo-Ohki jumped onto Bayleef's back. She mewed up to the Herb Pokémon, trying to point out Washu's intention.
"Bayleef, Washu wanted to understand something about what you can do," Ash informed. Bayleef seemed puzzled, unsure about believing her trainer.
"I think I get it," Washu awed. "You think I intend to love Ash and keep him away from you?" Bayleef sounded off as if to confirm Washu's question. "Don't you think it would be rude if you did that to Ash's own mother? The one who gave birth to him?" That made Bayleef irk before turning to Ash.
("Is she your mother?") she asked. Hearing Washu's point, Ash came to Bayleef's head.
"I think she wants to have a baby to raise and is using me to train for it," he whispered. Bayleef awed the idea.
("That's new,") she gulped. Seeing Bayleef calm, Washu approached.
"I noticed a spicy and sweet scent upon you," she claimed. "Is it possible to inspect that leaf on your head?" Bayleef knelt down and Washu examined the leaf on Bayleef's head. Something on the leaf caught her attention. "Oh… I'm picking up some pollen on your head… and it's got a sweet scent to it like cane sugar." She brought out a dish and a q-tip before dusting some of the pinkish pollen into the clear small dish.
"What do you suppose the pollen can do?" wondered Sasami.
"First, we need to study it," Washu briefed. Back in the lab, Washu put the dish under a microscope and observed the unique characteristics of the pollen from Bayleef's leaf. On a monitor which looked like pink scales. "Oh, this isn't pollen. This is traces of herbs." She turned to Bayleef with Ryo-Ohki pawing at the leaf. "So the particles from your leaf are in different classes like peppermint, wasabi and ironically bay leaf." Bayleef gawked to having an herb named after her.
"Is there a significance about the bay leaf on… Bayleef?" stuttered Ash before looking to Bayleef. "I know, it sounds awkward as well." Washu brought out a picture of what looked like spike balls.
"This is what I had assume Bayleef's leaf had," she started. "They're spheres of pollen magnified hundreds of times. Usually, they get into your nasal cavity which can cause sneezes and other cold-like symptoms like stuffy noses." That's when she presented football-shaped green leaves. "It looks like normal leaves, but they are Bay Leaves. They're aromatic leaves used for cooking and medicinal purposes. Just imagine if I made a medicine that would heal wounds like 'Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade' when the Holy Grail was used to heal Indy's father of his wounds." The youngest awed Washu's findings.
"That would be nice for it to happen, Bayleef!" praised Sasami. "You have these herbs that can help a lot of people!" Bayleef felt proud as Ash petted her neck. After some of the lessons, Tenchi drew a bath and Ash entered after him.
"The girls around Tenchi are pretty surprising," he admitted. "I'm surprised that he's able to handle them all." From the water below, Washu emerged. She was actually larger than before as she wrapped her arms around Ash, sending his nerves skyrocketing.
"So, how was my lessons?" she teased. Ash felt bumps on his back as Washu gently pulled him to her body.
"Washu?" he shuttered. "Is that… really you?" Washu giggled to Ash's reaction.
"I don't take this form much, but I thought I'd give you a feel of what I wanted to be alongside you: a motherly figure holding her little child in bath." One of her slender legs curled around Ash's torso while another had her toes toying Ash's toes.
"Motherly? You're not jealous of my mom, right?"
"On the contrary! I feel like I wanna embrace what motherhood's like should I take Tenchi from Ryoko and Ayeka. After all, I've been alive for 700 years and I don't have much to brag about." Understanding, Ash sighed while palming Washu's arm.
"There may be someone out there with the same wish you want." That made Washu giggle.
"Thanks…" She gave Ash a kiss to the cheek, making him blush. After the bath, Ash and Pikachu were outside as Tenchi seemed to be baking something under fallen leaves with Ryoko, Ayeka and Sasami watching.
"Hey, what are you guys cooking?" asked Ash. Tenchi showed Ash and Pikachu leaves that were roasting.
"Sweet potatoes!" he replied. "Baked in a mini campfire." He pulled a potato out before checking it. He peeled a portion of the potato, revealing an orange center instead of white. He handed it to Ash. "Try some!" Ryoko was seen scarfing on one.
"Trust us, Ash!" she called. "They're really good!" Ash and Pikachu looked to each other before Ash tore a portion off to give to his Mouse Pokémon. They had a chance to try it. With one bite, Ash and Pikachu were in awe at how it tasted.
"Wow, they are really good!" agreed Ash. Pikachu cheered to the flavoring.
("They are sweet!") added Pikachu.
"It is pretty hot after they've been baked," Ayeka warned. "But you cannot ignore the sweetness it provides."
"I'll say!" agreed Ash. They enjoyed some sweet potatoes before going back inside where Ryo-Ohki tried to tackle Ash. However, she only climbed to his free shoulder. "Ryo-Ohki? Do I have some of that on my face?" Ryo-Ohki shook no while Sasami saw the sight and giggled.
"Ryo-Ohki sure likes you a lot," she voiced. Ash had his arm out for Ryo-Ohki to crawl on.
"She's definitely a lot of fun to play with," he acknowledged as Ryo-Ohki returned to the shoulder and nuzzled his face in affection. Pikachu stood by Sasami and watched. "And Pikachu's liked you a lot." Sasami hoisted Pikachu up to hold.
"And I'm really happy that he does," she giggled. "After all, he's super cute and cuddly just like Ryo-Ohki." She hugged Pikachu, the warmth easing the Mouse Pokémon.
("And I like you too, Sasami!") he squeaked. Ash and Ryo-Ohki smiled at Sasami and Pikachu together. That's when a thought entered the young princess's mind.
"Hey, I know!" she voiced. "Why don't we switch our partners for the entire day tomorrow?" Ash and the creatures blinked to the idea.
"Switch… our partners?" repeated Ash. "Are you sure about that?"
"Of course!" encouraged Sasami. "You spend the day with Ryo-Ohki so se can help you and Tenchi out in the fields and Pikachu can spend the day with me here in the house and even help me prepare meals. It'll be fun!" Ryo-Ohki mewed excitedly to the idea. "See? Even Ryo-Ohki likes the idea!" Ash chuckled to the thought of spending the day with the cabbit while Sasami and Pikachu worked together.
"I guess it does sound like a hoot," he believed. "What do you say, Pikachu?"
("Count me in!") agreed Pikachu. Ash believed his partner's word.
"If Pikachu's on board, I'll go with it!" he finalized.
"Great!" cheered Sasami. "We can switch Ryo-Ohki and Pikachu first thing in the morning tomorrow!" A day where Ash would be with a creature that's not a Pokémon while Pikachu's joining the princess… How would they fare?
TO BE CONTINUED…
(A belated congratulations to the LSU Lady Tigers and the UConn Huskies on their NCAA Basketball championships! Way to play! Have a happy Easter Sunday!)
