Episode 20: Hypno's Naptime
After winning four badges and heading off to win four more, Sora, Kairi, Pikachu, and Angel had stopped by in the suburb of Celadon City, called Hop-Hop-Hop Town.
After leaving the Pokémon Center, Sora, Kairi, Pikachu, and Angel quickly became surrounded by the giant buildings. Sora was glad that he came from a small town, and Kairi was fortunate that she didn't come from a city so big, that it'll be easy to get lost in.
"Man, look at all these buildings," Sora said.
"It feels like they're ganging up on us. And they're so tall, you can hardly see the sky," Kairi said. "What exactly is this place?"
"I think you might laugh, but the name of the place is Hop-Hop-Hop Town," Sora said. Kairi did her best not to laugh at the name as did Sora.
"It does sound funny, don't you think?" Kairi asked.
"Yeah, it does," Sora agreed. He began to imagine chibi versions of him and his friends hopping around in the city and chanting "hop hop hop" over and over again. His trail of thought was interrupted by a random woman running up to Sora.
"Arnold! Arnold!" The woman called out, taking Sora in her arms. Sora felt suffocated by her breasts as she hugged him. "Mommy's been so worried! Where have you been?"
Kairi was a bit confused by the sight. They gathered that the woman mistook Sora for a boy who is obviously her son. Sora managed to pull his face off the woman's chest as he breathed.
"Lady! My name's Sora; not Arnold!" Sora said.
The woman looked at Sora and realized her mistake.
"Oh my! I'm so sorry!" She apologized. "It's just that you look a lot like my son Arnold!"
"What happened to him?" Kairi asked.
"My son has disappeared and I don't know where he is!" Arnold's mother answered, breaking into tears. A few minutes later, Sora, Kairi, Pikachu, and Angel made their way in the city's square as she explained to the group that the last time she saw him was when he left for school but never came home. "I was so upset when he just disappeared just three days ago. I can't find him anywhere."
"And you haven't heard a word from him?" Kairi asked.
"Not a word," Arnold's mother answered.
"Is there any reason that he just vanished without anyone knowing?" Sora asked.
"Arnold would never just run away from home," she answered.
"And I'd believe that," Sora said. "But he didn't say anything about being a Pokémon Trainer, did he?"
"He does like Pokémon of course," Arnold's mother said. "But he never said anything about becoming a Trainer."
"Guess that's not it either," Sora said.
"Is there some way that he could just come home?" Kairi asked.
"No," Arnold's mother shook her head. "My son's isn't the only child to vanish."
"What do you mean?" Sora asked.
"Look over there," she said, pointing to her right. Sora, Kairi, Pikachu, and Angel looked at what she was pointing at and saw posters with mugshots of the local kids.
"Are they-?" Kairi didn't finish her question.
"Yes, those are posters of all the children who have disappeared just recently," Arnold's mother said.
"And you said this happened just three days ago?" Kairi asked. Arnold's mother sadly nodded.
"I just can't believe it was just so many at once," Kairi said.
"Me neither," Sora agreed. "This must be a dangerous town. Makes me glad I grew up in a small town."
"But they look like nice kids," Kairi said.
"Eevee," Angel said.
"You don't think they've been kidnapped, do you?" Kairi whispered to Sora. Sora quickly covered her mouth and shushed her.
"Don't say that," Sora whispered. "It'll only make it worse!"
Kairi understood as Sora lets go of her mouth. And they spotted Officer Jenny putting up another poster.
"They were really nice kids," Officer Jenny said. "I just can't understand why they would just disappear one by one."
Sora, Kairi, Pikachu, and Angel went up to her.
"Would you happen to be a sister or cousin of the Officer Jenny in Lavender Town, right?" Sora asked.
"I'm her second cousin," Officer Jenny answered. She looked right at Sora and Kairi, and then, right at Pikachu and Angel. "Oh, it's you," Officer Jenny said. "You were the two kids that busted those Team Rocket operations back in Celadon City and in Lavender Town."
"You know about that, too?" Kairi asked.
"Are you kidding? Everyone is talking about it. Not just anyone would have done that," Officer Jenny said.
"Just how widespread is it going around?" Sora asked.
"Pretty much, all of Kanto knows by now. Same with Johto," Officer Jenny said.
"Ask a dumb question," Sora said.
"It's my opinion that you must be professional crime solvers," Officer Jenny said.
"We were just at the right place at the right time," Kairi said.
"Eevee," Angel said.
"It may sound irregular, but I think we should join forces and solve this mystery," Officer Jenny said.
"You sure about that?" Sora asked.
"If you took on Team Rocket, then you should be able to help," Officer Jenny said. "Provided that you don't get in the way."
"We might as well get started," Sora said. "What did they all have in common?"
"The only thing they have in common is the fact they all disappeared just three days ago," Officer Jenny said.
"And nothing else?" Sora asked.
"Not a thing else," Officer Jenny said.
"Figures," Sora said. He felt like he hit a snag, and it was just the first clue.
"There's gotta be something though," Kairi said.
"You're right," Officer Jenny agreed. "I think some of the local kids might know something about them."
"That's as good a start as any. Right, Sora?" Kairi asked. She quickly noticed he didn't answer. "Sora?" She turned to Sora who was looking at the woman. "Sora, are you okay?" Sora turned to her.
"I'm fine," Sora said. "It's just that lady reminds me a lot of my mom." Kairi placed her hand on his shoulder, understanding what he meant. She knew very well she would worry about Sora and Karen if they had vanished. She still remembered when her parents worried about her when she was kidnapped by two Pokémon Hunters. "And I know she's really worried about him," Sora said.
"Pikachu," Pikachu jumped on Sora's head.
"Yeah I know," Kairi said. "Your mom would worry about you and your sister if you just disappear like that."
"Yeah," Sora said.
Officer Jenny handed each of them a poster and headed off in random directions hoping that they'd find a clue.
They went into the local Pokémon Center and asked the kids inside.
Kairi walks up to two younger boys and bends down to knee level and holds a poster of one of the missing boys.
"Have you ever seen this little boy before?" Kairi asked.
"I haven't," one of the boys answered.
"Yeah, I play with him all the time," another boy answered.
"When was the last time that you saw him?" Kairi asked.
"I don't know," the second boy answered.
"But do you know where he likes to do?" Kairi asked. "And try to remember."
"Well he likes to play at the park," the second boy said. "And he likes to eat ice cream. Strawberry is his favorite."
Over to Sora; he holds a poster of one of the girls two other girls. The little girls both looked at him and blushed at the sight of a cute older boy.
"Have you two ever seen this little girl before?" Sora asked.
"No," one of the girls said, shaking her head.
"I didn't see her either," the other girl said.
"Well, thanks anyway," Sora said. Sora spotted a little boy and walked up to him. "Hey there." He held a poster of one of the missing boys. "You ever seen this little boy before?"
"Yeah, I know him," the boy said.
"Great. When was the last time you saw him?" Sora asked.
"About five days ago," the boy said.
"Okay, good. And what were you doing just five days ago?" Sora asked.
"We were playing tag at school until it was time for class," the boy said.
"Great. Now let's go to the day after the next. You anything else?" Sora asked.
"No," the boy said. Sora sighed.
"'Kay, thanks anyway," Sora said. Sora and Kairi walked up to Nurse Joy. "Excuse me, Nurse Joy," Sora said.
"May I help you?" Nurse Joy asked.
"We're here looking for the kids who went missing just recently," Kairi said, holding up a poster.
"You mean the kids who vanished just recently," Nurse Joy said. "I would like to tell you what I know, but I'm afraid that we're having a crisis of our own."
"What kind of crisis?" Sora asked.
"Most of the Pokémon here are acting very strangely," Nurse Joy said.
"Pika?" Pikachu asked.
"Ee?" Angel also asked.
Sora and Kairi looked at each other, worried and not liking where this was going. Sora and Kairi looked at each other while Pikachu and Angel looked between them. They gathered the others as they all saw what she meant. None of the Pokémon there was responding to anything.
"I see what you mean," Sora said.
"What could have happened?" Kairi asked concerned.
"I honestly don't know," Nurse Joy said. "It only happened just three days ago."
"Three days ago?!" Kairi exclaimed.
"Anyone sensing a pattern here?" Sora asked.
"I am," Officer Jenny said. "First the local kids all disappear, and then the Pokémon turning out this way. It's definitely not a coincidence; I know that now."
Suddenly, a ringing came from a machine the young policewoman is carrying.
"Is that your radio?" Kairi asked.
"No," Officer Jenny said. "It's picking up something."
"What is that gizmo, anyway?" Sora asked.
"It's a sleep wave detector," Officer Jenny answered.
"Sleep wave detector?" Sora asked.
"Lately, I've been picking up sleep waves," Officer Jenny explained.
"And what are sleep waves?" Sora asked.
"Sleep waves are wavelengths," the policewoman said. "They induce sleep."
"Well, it couldn't come from any of the Pokémon in this center," Nurse Joy said.
"It's not coming from in here," Officer Jenny said. "It's coming from outside."
"Pika..." Pikachu fell as he was asleep. Angel did the same thing.
"Pikachu!" Sora gasped. "Can you hear me?" Sora shook Pikachu. No response came from Pikachu. "Come on, buddy! Answer me!"
"Chu..." Pikachu responded in his sleep.
"Vee..." Angel responded in her sleep.
"Angel, what's wrong with you? Wake up, please!" Kairi said. No answer came from Angel either.
"What's going on here?" Sora asked.
"Their energy is being sapped, that's what," a new voice spoke. They turned to see a young man wearing a detective overcoat. He has black hair and reddish-brown eyes. Officer Jenny groaned in annoyance.
"Not you again, Beams," Officer Jenny said.
"Who are you?" Sora asked.
"Allow me to introduce myself. Rocky Beams, Master Detective," the young man introduced himself. "At your service."
"Dammit, Beams, can't you keep your nose out of my business? I was assigned to this case," Officer Jenny said.
"I was hired by one of the children's parents, so, therefore, technically, it's my case, too," Rocky said. "So, I suggest that you take it up with them."
"Um, Rocky, isn't it?" Sora asked, separating the two of them before a fight could break out. "What brings you here?"
"I'm on the same trail as her," Rocky said, pulling out a similar device. "And it led me here."
"The sleep waves?" Sora asked.
"Yes. Now if you excuse me," Rocky said, tracking the sleep waves.
"You're not going to outshine me," Officer Jenny said, getting right beside him.
"This is not going to end well," Sora said, holding Pikachu.
Meanwhile, Team Rocket is monitoring the sleep waves from their current hideout.
"Sleep wave detected!" James said.
"Yes! Only Psychic-type Pokémon can give off waves like that. The boss will be tickled with delight to bring back the Pokémon giving them off," Meowth said.
"We will make double the fortune when we throw in Pikachu," Jessie said.
Team Rocket's laughter is echoed in the warehouse he is currently occupying.
Sora, Kairi, the Rocky, and Officer Jenny follows the sleep waves right to their source. They stop at a tall building in front of them.
"They seem to be coming from this building," Officer Jenny said.
"So tall," Sora said awestruck.
"Where on the building?" Kairi asked.
"The roof," Officer Jenny and Rocky said at once.
The group heads inside the building and takes the elevator. The signal was getting stronger the further they went. Once out of the elevator, they came across a door. Officer Jenny opened the door to find a mansion on top of the building. The symbol above the door is a faded pale peach heart that is fading to a deep hot pink with a dark purple border, the tail at the bottom of the heart-shaped is bowl-shaped. Its wings are shaped swirls.
"A mansion?" Sora asked. "On top of the skyscraper?"
"The signal's coming from in there," Rocky said.
"Let's go!" Sora said as he and Rocky ran towards the mansion.
"Sora, wait!" Kairi said. Sora and Rocky both placed their ears on the door of the mansion.
"What's going on?" Kairi asked.
"Someone's inside," Rocky said. "You ready, Sora?"
"Yeah," Sora nodded. "On the count of three."
Sora and Rocky counted at once.
"One. Two. THREE!" Sora and Rocky counted.
Sora and Rocky barge through the door. This caught everyone inside as they were all people of high society. Sora and Rocky all looked around as the rest of the group entered the mansion. A Drowzee and another Pokémon with them. The other Pokémon is a human-like Pokémon with yellow skin. On the top of its head are large, cat-like ears. Its eyes are usually squinted, and lower down. It also has a large nose. On its neck, it has a large white mane, which stretches completely around. It also has human-like arms and hands, which both have five digits. It is also carrying a small pendulum. This Pokémon is Hypno.
"What the?" Sora asked.
"I thought as much," Rocky said.
"Excuse me," one of the patrons said. "But are you new members?"
"Members of what?" Sora asked, not understanding.
"No, sir," Officer Jenny said. "We've been picking up sleep waves coming from this building."
"Sleep waves, you say?" The same man stroked his chin. With a burst of realization. "Oh, I do believe this Hypno was emitting them."
"Hypno?" Kairi asked. He and Sora each took out their Pokédexes and scanned them.
Kairi's Pokédex:
Drowzee, the Hypnosis Pokémon
Type: Psychic
If your nose becomes itchy while you are sleeping, it's a sure sign that one of these Pokémon is standing above your pillow and trying to eat your dream through your nostrils.
Sora's Pokédex:
Hypno, the Hypnosis Pokémon
The evolved form of Drowzee
Type: Psychic
Hypno holds a pendulum in its hand. The arcing movement and glitter of the pendulum lull the foe into a deep state of hypnosis. While this Pokémon searches for prey, it polishes the pendulum.
"A Drowzee and a Hyno," Kairi muttered. "These are the evolution line of Hypnosis Pokémon, right?"
"That is correct, young lady," the man nodded. "We used to have two Drowzee; and as you can see one of our Drowzee evolved into a Hypno just three days ago."
"Three days ago?!" Sora and Kairi exclaimed.
"I knew it!" Officer Jenny said. "I knew this was connected to the children disappearing and the Pokémon losing energy."
"We've been using the Pokémon instead of using sleeping medicine," one of the patrons said.
"And what do you mean we?" Sora asked.
"Why the members of the Pokémon Lovers Club," the man said. "And I am the president of the club."
"Pokémon Lovers Club?" Sora asked.
"Precisely," the president said. "All of our members absolutely adore Pokémon. Both Drowzee and Hypno have become our favorite Pokémon. We all work hard in the city that we all suffer from insomnia, so all of our efforts had paid off when our Drowzee evolved. And we've been using Hypno's hypnotic powers to help us sleep at night."
Rocky didn't like how that came out.
One of the club's members sat in the chair in front of Hypno as it swung its pendulum emitting sleep waves.
"No, you mustn't do that!" Rocky said. "Hypno is only supposed to be emitting sleep waves by sapping energy from other Pokémon, not people!"
"What do you mean?" The club's president asked.
"Yeah, Rocky, fill us in," Officer Jenny said.
"All of a sudden you care about what he thinks?" Sora asked.
"Well, he's usually right about these things, so it's hard to argue with him," Officer Jenny said.
"As I was saying, Hypno's hypnotic powers made a side-effect," Rocky said. "Hypno's Hypnosis is usually used on only other Pokémon. But because it was altered to affect humans, it's making a side-effect on the other Pokémon."
Sora and Kairi took off their backpacks and showed Pikachu and Angel to everyone. The club's president and the other members gasped at the sight.
"Oh dear," the club's president said. "If I had known that would happen, I would never have put this to practice. I assure you it was purely an accident."
"You don't think maybe that it affected some kids who might be sensitive to it, too?" Kairi guessed.
"It's possible," Rocky said.
Sora and Kairi placed Pikachu and Angel down next to Drowzee. Sora leaned towards Hypno, letting his curiosity get the better of him.
"Let's see," Sora said. Hypno waved its pendulum on Sora. Sora became influenced by its hypnosis and went on all fours. "Pika! Pika! Pikachu!"
"Sora, what are you doing?" Kairi asked.
"He's being controlled by the hypnosis," Rocky said. "He's going through Pokémon Gaeri."
"What the heck is that?!" Kairi asked.
"It's what Sora's going through, making him behave like a Pikachu," Rocky explained.
"He thinks he's a Pokémon?" Kairi gasped.
"Pikachu! Pika, Pika! Pika!" Sora said in a trance. Sora got up and ran out of the mansion.
"Sora! Come back!" Kairi called to him.
"This might be the lead we need! After him!" Rocky said.
Everyone agreed to that.
Kairi, Rocky, Officer Jenny, and the club's president followed Sora blindly into the park. They caught up with Sora who accidentally led them to a lake where the missing kids were under the same influence as Sora, but they all thought they were different Pokémon.
"The missing kids!" Kairi said. "Sora led us right to them."
"How on earth could this have happened?" The club's president asked in disbelief.
Officer Jenny went up to the kids clapping her hands, trying to snap them out of it.
"Alright everyone, it's time to go home," Officer Jenny said. She grabbed a little girl thinking that she's a Magikarp by the hand out of the puddle. "Come on! Wake up! Your mothers and fathers are worried sick about you."
"It's not going work," Rocky said to the policewoman. "No matter what we do, we can't snap them out of it."
"How are going to get them back to normal?" Kairi asked.
"I'm afraid I don't know, but I think he does," Rocky said, pointing to the club's president.
"He's right. I know a way to break the hypnosis over the children. And that would be Drowzee," the club's president said.
"You think that's a good idea?" Kairi asked with concern. "What if something goes wrong?"
"Kairi could be right," Officer Jenny said. "There could be some severe consequences done to them."
"You have nothing to fear," the club's president said. "Sleep waves interacts with dream wavelengths. Our Drowzee may counteract Hypno's wavelengths."
Kairi and Officer Jenny looked at Rocky for an opinion.
"That'll work," Rocky said. "Whenever there is sleep, there are also dreams. So if we use that on Sora, he might snap out of it."
"It's worth a try," Kairi said.
Everyone brought Sora back to the Pokémon Lovers Club and sat him down in a chair.
"Now Drowzee, if you use your dream wavelengths and focus them on this boy," the club's president said.
"Drowzee," Drowzee emits its dream waves into Sora. He stops acting like a Pikachu. Drowzee claps its hands.
"Huh?" Sora looked around the room and turned to Kairi. "Hey, Kairi, you wouldn't believe the weirdest dream I just had."
"Well, what you've been through was no dream," Kairi said. Sora looked quite puzzled.
"Did I miss something?" Sora asked. Kairi explained that he was under the influence of Hypno's Hypnosis, and thought he was a Pikachu, and led them to the park where the missing kids are located. "I thought it seemed rather real."
"It real alright, and it was thanks to you that the kids are found safe and sound," Kairi said.
"Okay, since I found them, and don't remember it exactly, let's get right to saving those kids," Sora said.
With that said, Sora, Kairi, Officer Jenny, and Rocky started to take Drowzee to the park and carried Pikachu and Angel with them. And then, out in the distance, Kairi saw three sets of figures gliding towards them.
"Look!" Kairi said, pointing forward. Sora saw the figures as well as Officer Jenny and Rocky.
"No, not now. Not those idiots," Sora groaned to himself.
"To protect the world from devastation!"
"To unite all peoples within our nation!"
"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"
"To extend our reach to the stars above!"
They jump off the tree doing a stance.
"Jessie!"
"James!"
"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!"
"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"
"Meowth! That's right!"
"Mime, Mime, Mime!"
"Get lost, morons!" Sora called out to them.
"What do you three want?" Kairi asked.
"It should be obvious, twerps. We have come to acquire both Drowzee and Hypno!" Jessie said.
"Along with Pikachu when we got time," Meowth said.
"James, you handle Hypno!" Jessie said.
"Right!" James said, taking out a mirror. He shook nervously. "Don't hypnotize, okay?" He held the mirror in front of Hypno. Hypno swings its pendulum around, thinking it was another Hypno. Hypno started to hypnotize itself, making it drowsy.
"No, you don't!" Sora said, taking a rock and threw it at the mirror, shattering it into pieces. Hypno was wide awake now.
"Ooh, you're always foiling our plans, you do-good brat!" Jessie growled. "Plan B!" Jessie took out a whip and used it to wrap around Drowzee. James did the same thing and wrapped around Hypno.
"Got ya!" James said.
"We need Drowzee to cure the missing kids!" Kairi said.
"Not our problem, little girl, so-" Jessie stuck her tongue at them. Just then, the whip comes undone. This confuses Team Rocket.
"What's going on?" Meowth asked.
"They didn't do that, did they?" James asked.
Just then, light vibrant colors started to glow all around. Then several creatures resembling real-world animals all appeared. They all had the same symbol as the one on the mansion. Kairi was amazed to see what she was seeing.
"What are they?" Meowth asked.
"You're asking us?" Jessie asked.
"Are they what I think they are?" Kairi asked.
"What are they?" Sora asked.
"Dream Eaters, that's what they are," the club's president said.
"Dream Eaters?" Sora asked.
"Dream Eaters are creatures of the dream world. They rarely ever appear in the real world. These Dream Eaters are known as Spirit Dream Eaters. They help protect us from those with evil intent," the president said.
"I always thought they were a fairy tale my parents used to tell me," Kairi said.
"No, they're very real," the club's president said.
The Dream Eaters all went after Team Rocket, feeling scared out of their lives. The Dream Eaters quickly gathered around Team Rocket and sent them flying.
"Team Rocket's blasting off again!" Team Rocket exclaimed.
The Dream Eaters all vanished as the vibrant colors all vanished.
"Thank you, Dream Eaters! You saved the day!" Kairi said.
With that said, Sora, Kairi, Officer Jenny, and Rocky returned to the park and Drowzee uses its psychic powers to undo the mess that was accidentally made. Drowzee clapped its hands, making the kids all wake up all at once.
"Hey! How did I get to the middle of the park?" One of the missing boys asked.
"Yeah! I should be working on being a Pokémon Trainer," another boy said.
All the kids went off home like nothing happened. Sora and Kairi were relieved to see that everything was now okay. Pikachu and Angel both woke up.
"Pika," Pikachu said woke up. "Pikachu."
"Eevee, vee," Angel said.
"Good to see that you're okay, Pikachu," Sora said.
"You too, Angel," Kairi said.
"Pikachu," Pikachu said.
"Arnold!" The woman from before said, running in the park. As luck would have it, one of the missing boys, a boy with Sora's exact hairstyle but with blonde hair ran up to his mother and embraced her. And Judging by his appearance, he was younger than Sora just by a few years.
"Mama!" Arnold said, hugging his mom. "I don't know what happened. I'm sorry I worried you."
"That doesn't matter," Arnold's mother said. "All that matters is that you're safe."
With that over and done with, the group made it to the Pokémon Center and cured the Pokémon there. The Pokémon were just dreaming much to their relief.
"I cannot thank you enough," Nurse Joy said.
"Can't take all the credit. It was Officer Jenny and Rocky who did the real work," Sora said.
"Respectfully, I'll have to disagree. It was your quick thinking that helped prevent Team Rocket from taking them," Rocky said.
"He's right, Sora. You acted faster than any of us, and if they had succeeded in taking Drowzee and Hypno, any chance of curing the kids would have been lost," Officer Jenny said. That made Sora feel better. He nodded, confirming that he understands.
A little later, Sora, Kairi, Pikachu, and Angel took their leave of the town.
"What do you think Pikachu and Angel were dreaming about, Kairi?" Sora asked.
"To be honest, I don't know, but I'm sure it was like the other Pokémon inside," Kairi said. They looked at Pikachu and Angel as they walked side-by-side. They smiled at their partners and then at each other. They turn away for a moment while blushing.
"Say, Kairi, I wanna ask you something," Sora asked.
"What?" Kairi asked.
"I didn't do anything nuts while I thought I was a Pikachu, did I?" Sora asked.
"All you did was run really fast. Nothing else happened," Kairi assured.
"Just asking. And it's a good thing Karen wasn't with us, otherwise, I would never hear the end of it," Sora said.
"Don't worry, Sora. I won't tell your sister a thing," Kairi said. Sora appreciated her honesty.
As they continued on, they didn't know how lucky they were to have some unexpected help from the most unlikely of friends. But these friends could be a lot closer than they seem to realize.