Chapter 36
Interlude 3
Meanwhile, in royal woods, at the loud house, morning,
Luna wakes up first, as she climbs down her top bunk bed and heads to the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash her face until she noticed something.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAH," Luna screamed, as she ran to her and Luan's room.
"KEEP IT DOWN, SOME OF US ARE TRYING TO HAVE THEIR BEAUTY SLEEP!" Lola yelled, as Lana rolled her eyes as she was getting dressed.' sleep all you want it won't get rid of your ugly, bratty personality', she thought.
Luan wakes up rubbing her eyes," what's up Luna, it's too early in the morning to work on your vocal cords," she said.
"No dude, it's this," Luna said, as she showed Luan that her chest as gotten a bit bigger.
"What the heck!" Luan said, as she noticed her chest has grown a bit too.
"Luna, do you think this is because of the milk Lincoln sent us?" Luan asked.
"Maybe," Luna replied.
Rita comes in after hearing Luna scream," Luna what's wrong?" she asked. until she noticed both Luna and Luan's chest.
"Girls, what happened?!" she asked.
"Well, while we were helping pops put away the milk Lincoln sent us, Luan and I decided to taste it since he told us how good it was," Luna replied.
Rita was speechless," well, milk does help you grow," Rita said.
"Not just that, we might be bigger than Leni and Lori, "Luan said.
"We might be size C," Luna said.
"Ok, ok, after breakfast we'll go to the mall get you some new bras, but for now get dress," Rita said, as the girls nodded and started getting dressed for breakfast.
meanwhile, Lisa was getting things ready in the garage for the conference call with professor oak and the parents of Clyde and Ronnie Anne," ok, that should do it," she said, looking over everything," now, all I have to do is wait," she said, as she went back into the house, where her family was sitting down to breakfast, all the while noticing Lori, Lynn and Lola looking worse than ever, with Lori scratching her head from the wig she has to where after shaving her head, Lynn's face was still injured from her attempt to reseal Lincoln's room, and Lola forced to wear Lana's cloths and trying to not laugh at them.
'Great, we can't even start the day without stinkcoln's bad luck causing trouble for us. we have to get that bedroom of his sealed back up again somehow, before thing get worse,' Lynn thought, as she turned to Lori," Lori?"
"What, Lynn?" Lori asked.
"I know it failed before, but we can at least give sealing Lincoln's room off another go?" Lynn suggested.
"No, absolutely not!" Rita quickly and harshly replied.
"I was talking to Lori," Lynn grumbled.
"You want MORE time added to your grounding, then keep acting out like that! otherwise, keep a lid on it!" Rita ordered.
"As for sealing it off. junior, that case is already closed. it stays unsealed," Lynn sr. added.
"But our own safety is at stake! you two traitors are really going to let all of this keep happening to us, just to appease that traitorous son of your?!" Lynn exclaimed.
"That's another six weeks added to your grounding," Rita stated, sounding like they, both were really losing their patience.
"What makes you certain that Lincoln's bedroom is the source of this streak of misfortune?" Lisa questioned.
"Because it is! it's infested with that rotten jinx's bad luck! Lynn snapped.
"Junior, haven't I told you NOT to talk about your brother that way?" Lynn sr. asked.
"Well, yeah, but..."
"But nothing! if I hear you talking about him like that one more time, then your mother and I will talk to your other coaches and have you kicked off your other sports teams," Lynn sr. declared. Lynn only groaned in irritation.
"Fine!" she said, crossing her arms.
"Returning back to Lisa's question, what makes you girls so certain that Lincoln's room is the cause of what's going on?" Rita asked.
"Well, we don't have any conclusive proof yet, but..." Lori trailed off. Rita quirked her eyebrow at her eldest daughter.
"But...?"
"Well, we had a sister meeting misusing Luna, Luan, lucy, Lana, and Lisa the other night, and we may have come up with a solution to see if Lincoln's room really is the source," Lori said.
"I doubt you'll change my mind, but proceed," Rita said, giving Lori her full attention.
"A trial run. we seal off the room for a limited amount of time, like say, a month. if things start turning up for us, then it'll prove our hypothesis," Lori explained.
"I see where you're going with this, but tell me something," Rita said, as all eyes fell on her," what do you intend to do if... whatever is happening to you all doesn't get any better?"
"Then we'll unseal the room after the month is up, and we drop the whole discussion," Lori replied.
"An interesting idea, Lori. but tell me something; why should I go along with such a plan?" Rita asked. Lori was quick to speak up before Lynn.
"Because it's a win-win. we seal it off, the... bizarre circumstances plaguing us stops, then we know Lincoln's room is the source. if things don't get better by the time the one-month limit is up, then it'll be unsealed again, and the matter is dropped entirely. either way, the topic of Lincoln's room will be dismissed," Lori explained.
"An excellent argument, Lori, but what will you do AFTER this trial run proves nothing? after all, if it turns out your brother's room isn't the cause of this mess, then you won't have anything left to blame," Rita asked. Lori froze in her seat, as did Lola. what would they do if their experiment didn't work? if Lincoln's room wasn't causing their bad luck, then what was?
even Lynn was contemplating the possibility that she was wrong about the whole ordeal, and about her brother. she shook her head clean of those thoughts,' what am I thinking? of course he's the cause of this! he has to be!' she thought, before turning to her mother. as much as she held disdain for her and her father betraying her, she still had a point to make.
"Well, things didn't start going bad for us until AFTER you guys decided to unseal his room!" Lynn accused.
"Highly unlikely, Lynn," Lisa said, as all eyes fell on her," the sting of misfortune didn't start until AFTER you foolishly thought it was a good idea to upset our brother during the call from cerulean city. and we all remember how that ended up, right?"
"That was when Lynn said all those awful things to Lincoln and made him run off, right?" Leni asked.
"Correct. the misfortune BEFORE was hardly anything compared to what's happening now, and back then, it was just affecting Lynn," Lisa replied, casting a predatory smile over to the jock," why, if I didn't know any better, I'd say that Lynn is the true source of this misfortune."
"Are you really accusing ME of being a jinx, nerd?" Lynn sounded like her temper was flaring up again.
"Not at all. I'm just saying that's just a possibility," Lisa replied, adjusting her glasses," what i truly believe, despite my position as a woman of science, is that what's going on is really karma giving you your just desserts."
"I'm calling bull on that! we didn't do anything wrong!" Lynn retorted.
"Oh sure, that makes sense. just forget about the fact that you were the who accused Lincoln of being bad luck, which is only because you can't stand the thought of losing," Luna replied, rolling her eyes," and there was the fact that you tried to tee off his head after the game, pop-pop suggested we send Lincoln to kanto."
"Yeah," Luan added.
"Luna, Luan, why are you two trying to defend him!? are you really going to side with the rest of these traitors?!" Lynn demanded.
"Luan and I are taking the side of what IS right, not what's popular. besides, Lincoln wasn't even at your game, remember?" Luna replied.
"How do you know he wasn't? can any of you attest to this?" Lynn demanded. when no replies came up, Lynn looked rather smug," you see, what I'm saying is..."
"Completely and totally impossible," Lisa interrupted.
"WHAT?!
"If what you're saying is true, then Lincoln would've had to have run all the way to ballpark, stayed out of site for entirety of the game, then run all the way back home before we could. the marathon he ran a few months back should be proof enough that he isn't that fast a runner," Lisa explained.
"You never know, he could've just hitched a ride," Lynn retorted, intent on winning this argument.
"Another improbability. if Lincoln had, as you said, hitched a ride, then he would've no doubt been asked about his attire, given the fact that we made him sleep for days in nothing but his pajamas. and if he had told the truth, then child protection services would've been on our backs, and have taken Lincoln into protective custody. and that would just be the tip of the proverbial iceberg of how much trouble we would've been in," Lisa explained.
"Pfft, child protection services only exist to break up families. anyone with half a brain should know that family matters are for family to deal with," Lori stated.
"Maybe so, but all families have to follow the laws of the government without question, including laws against what we did to Lincoln. no one and nothing is above the law," Lisa replied.
"Alright, I'll humor you. lets say that there is actually a law against what we did, and that your theory about Lincoln not ruining my game is true, which it isn't. how could i have my game otherwise?" Lynn demanded. this time, Leni chimed in.
"Actually, I may have one idea," she said.
"You? have an idea? oh, this should be good," Lynn rolled her eyes.
"Another four weeks of grounding," Lynn sr. scolded, before turning back to Leni," now Leni proceed."
"Well, I've noticed something during all of Lynn's games that may not actually have to do with luck," Leni replied.
"Is it those tacky uniforms?" Lola asked, gagging at the thought of the softball uniforms.
"Lola, wait your turn to speak. go on Leni," Rita urged.
"it's not the uniforms, tacky as they are, but I noticed that Lynn's played every one of her games the same exact way, without ever changing," Leni said.
"Seriously? that's what you noticed? of course, I play the same way every time! they're my lucky maneuvers, and they always helped me win my games before the one Lincoln ruined. after all, if something isn't broken, don't fix it. what does that have to do with anything?" Lynn questioned.
"A lot, actually," Luan chimed in, as all eyes fell on her," if you play your games the same way every single time, then the opposing teams would've caught on to the pattern and worked with one another to gather enough info to form a counter strategy," she explained.
"Precisely. because Lynn refuses to change the way she plays her games, she's become stagnant and predictable, which is not a good thing. being flexible in your strategies and adapting to new situations are always the best way to win," Lisa replied.
"You mean like how Lincoln won those two gym badges?" Leni asked.
"An excellent way of thinking of it, Leni. his first bout was against rock type Pokémon, so he went in with his poliwag and pidgeotto, who knew a steel type attack. then, in his battle with misty at cerulean city, he used two bug types and an electric type Pokémon, being butterfree, beedrill, and Pikachu," Lisa replied.
"So he uses different strategies, and manages to get a couple of fluke wins, big whoop! if he had any kind of REAL talent, then he should stick with one strategy," Lynn hissed.
"If he did that, then he'd be just like you; a self-absorbed egomaniac who's even more stiff than a metal pipe in terms of strategic thinking," Lisa replied.
"Hey! I'll have you know that I'm an actual winner! I just haven't had my mojo flowing yet because of this mess he and his room are causing!" Lynn slammed her fist on the table.
"Junior, that's enough!" Lynn sr. yelled.
"But it's not fair, dad! why does he get a bunch of fluke wins when I can't even get a real one? it...it's totally unnatural that he isn't even losing!" Lynn argued.
"Then perhaps I should bring up one more point that proves Lincoln is better than you at being a competitor, Lynn. last night, he called us from vermillion city, right after he faced another trainer, then challenged the gym there," Lisa replied.
"And let me guess, ANOTHER fluke win on both?" Lynn asked. to her surprise and delight, Lisa shook her head.
"no. apparently he got overpowered by both the trainer and the gym leader there and lost, he even got hurt protecting his Pokémon," Lisa replied. Lynn began laughing uproariously.
"Took him long enough to start losing! not only that but protecting his weak Pokémon! let me guess, he got so upset that he was bawling like a baby?!" she laughed.
"Which brings me to the point I have to make!" Lisa yelled over the obnoxious laughing of the jock, who did her best to calm down," in truth, after we talked for a bit, I gave him some advice on how he can try again in a rematch, then he'll call in the morning from there while it'll be nighttime here, also he challenged Cross to a rematch," she said.
"Why is he bothering to try again? he already knows he can't win," Lynn questioned, still feeling better from hearing about Lincoln's loss.
"He lost because he wasn't prepared for the power of the gym leader and facing a strong trainer like Cross. so, he's spending the next few hours training so that he can be ready for his rematch," Lisa replied.
"Pfft, yeah right. I'd pay good money to see that happened," Lynn retorted sarcastically.
"Now that she mentions it, I'd kind of like to see how a live gym battle plays out. seeing a recording on a computer screen doesn't really do much justice," Luan commented.
"Yeah, I want to see more of those awesome Pokémon on the big screen!" Lana said.
"Well, you happen to be in luck. during our last, live call with professor oak, he said that he would see about sending over some equipment so that we can view kanto broadcasting, also we can probably see his previous gym battles," Lisa replied making Lana grin.
"That's all well and good, but with the TV being shot, it hardly helps us out," Lola replied.
"Well, as it just so happens, our jobs job gave your father and I a big, fat bonus the other day, so we can see about getting a replacement TV," Rita reassured the little princess wannabe. her daughters cheered upon hearing this.
"As much as I want to continue this conversation, I must finish my breakfast, and await the arrival of some guest," Lisa said.
"Guest? what guest are you talking about?" Rita asked.
"As you recall, Lincoln's friends Ronnie Anne and Clyde have all made it clear that they are interested in becoming Pokémon trainers as well, but their parents want to meet with professor oak before they commit to anything. which is why I commandeered the garage as a means to make a conference call," Lisa replied.
"Oh, is that why you asked dad to move the video phone to the garage?" Leni asked.
"Precisely. but as soon as the call is over, I plan to move it back into my room, so there's nothing to worry about there," Lisa replied.
"Well, I need to get ready for today. I have to meet up with bobby so that I can tell him OUR side of the story," Lori said, finishing her breakfast.
"Worried that he might dump you after the cerulean city call?" Lola teased. Lori shot an icy glare at the bratty twin.
"I'm not the slightest bit worried. after all, Ronnie Anne is just a kid who doesn't know what's best for her. once I explain things to bobby, he'll be sure to help me get his sister and Lincoln together," Lori replied, getting up from her seat.
Rita rolled her eyes' you don't know what's best for that girl Lori, you're not her mother', she thought as she got up from her seat.
"I have to go out too. I need to drop off some prank materials to fanny's prank emporium," Luan added. 'And get me and Luna some new bras', she thought.
"Very well then. your mother and I have some errands to run besides picking up a new TV, so we'll go ahead and take you girls," Lynn sr. said.
"I can come and help you out with the TV, mom and pops," Luna volunteered.
"Same here," Lucy said.
"Thank you, girls. what about you, Leni?" Rita asked.
"No thanks, I have my own things to do here," Leni replied.
"I need to go out too. even if I'm stuck wearing Lana's disgusting clothes, there's a pageant i want to enter, and I heard through the rumor mill that the entry table is at the store," Lola piped up.
"Hey, my duds aren't THAT gross! I know have them washed at least once a month, for whatever reason," Lana argued. Lynn was grinning slightly all the while.
'If those two traitors are out of the house, no one can stop me from going to hang out with my friends and getting some sports play in,' she thought.
"Oh! that reminds me! Lisa, have you finished what I asked of you?" Rita asked.
"Indeed," Lisa replied, handing her mother a tablet like device," it was a bit trickier than anticipated, but it'll work."
"what's that mom?" Luna asked.
"I had Lisa set up something in order to keep junior inside. remember, she's still grounded for all the nasty things she's been doing," Rita replied. Lynn's face fell in disbelief.
"You can't do this to me! I'm the actual victim in this!" Lynn exclaimed.
"I have to disagree. after all, you don't ever hear your brother or sisters say the kinds of awful things you've been saying about them, have you?" Rita asked.
"The sisters, I can understand, even if it means I have to get back at them for it, but Lincoln knows better than to talk smack about ANY of us!" Lynn retorted.
"Well, I do agree that no one should be smack talking anyone, however, it didn't stop you from saying all those terrible things to him," Rita replied.
"Oh come on! its Lincoln! we can treat him as badly as we want and never get in trouble with anyone for it!" Lynn exclaimed.
"Junior, that is NOT true! your brother keeps the chaos in this house under control, try putting yourself in your brother's position, where you're the only boy in the family. if what you're saying is true, then, given that scenario, Lincoln could treat you badly alongside the others," Lynn sr. argued.
"No, he couldn't! even if he was a girl, which isn't really that difficult to believe, given he's hardly worth being called a boy, he would still have to respect ME!" Lynn argued.
"We'll discuss this later, young lady. but for now, the rest of us have errands to run," Rita said, as she and the others got up from their seats.
"Just try and stop me from leaving!" Lynn said, bolting for the door, only to get stopped by a guard robot, who quickly restrained her," hey, what the...?!"
"Looks like my sentry drone works perfectly. it'll keep Lynn inside during her grounding period," Lisa said, as she got up.
"Excellent work, Lisa. now, we'll be back in a little bit," Rita said, as she, her husband and the daughters who were going with her left. the drone carried Lynn upstairs," Lana, are you coming along?"
"Not today, mom. I want to look at the data Lincoln sent over last night," Lana replied.
"I'll set it up for you to browse at your leisure," Lisa replied, as both of them made their way upstairs.
"So, apart from the store, bobby's house, and the prank emporium, what else is there?" Lynn sr. asked.
"Well, I was about to swing by elementary school to drop off these forms, but I was gonna ask you to do it because I also have to help Luna and Luan," Rita replied, pulling out a pair of envelopes with important looking emblems on them.
"What are those?" Lynn sr. asked.
"One is a letter of introduction from professor oak, which also includes several of Lincoln's records. the second is from the US government, which contains forms that validate the records form the first envelope. basically, they're meant to not only inform the school system of Lincoln's emancipation in kanto, but to also legally excuse him from school," Rita replied.
"Wait, the US government knows about the Pokémon?" Luan asked. Rita shrugged.
"I guess. anyhow, I need to drop these off before the school year starts," Rita replied.
"Does that mean WE get to be excused from school too?" Lola asked innocently. much to her annoyance and her sister's, Rita shook her head.
"Sorry sweetie, but these documents only to your brother," Rita replied.
"What!? that's not fair!" Lola exclaimed.
"One more outburst like that, and you'll be grounded for the rest of the week," Rita warned, causing Lola to quiet down. Rita then turned back to her husband," can you deliver them for me?"
"Sure thing," Lynn sr. replied. grabbing the envelopes and putting them in his pocket.
Later, at the Santiago household,
Rita had pulled up to the Santiago residence and dropped off Lori," alright Lori, we'll be back a little later. call and let me know when you're done."
"Ok mom," Lori said, as Rita drove off. Lori turned her attention to her boyfriend's household," ok, time to tell my side of the story," she said, walking up to the front door, and ringing the doorbell. in minutes, Carlota answered.
"Whoa, what happened to you?!" she exclaimed, seeing Lori's battered up state.
"Just a few incidents, here and there involving Luan. nothing major," Lori lied. she figured blaming Luan wasn't too far from the truth, since everyone in town knows of the young comedian's reputation," so, is bobby home?"
"He is. and he's expecting you," Carlota replied, inviting the eldest loud sister in. Lori didn't know why, but she picked up on a tone of disdain in Carlota's voice. as she walked through the house, she saw Carlota's three brothers playing, but could tell they were trying to ignore her. soon, she arrived in the dining room, where she saw bobby making a list of some kind.
"Boo-boo bear! it's so good to see you again!" Lori went in for a kiss, only to be stopped by a hand," bobby?" now Lori was very confused. bobby looked up from his list.
"Lori, we need to talk," bobby said, standing up, a stern look in his eyes.
"Uh, sure. what about?" Lori asked.
"Well, a little birdie told me about some stuff going on at your house," bobby replied.
"Let me guess, that little birdie happens to be your sister?" Lori said in a joking manner. however, bobby didn't snicker.
"Never mind that now. I want to know if you actually locked out your brother on the notion of bad luck and sold his stuff," bobby demanded, crossing his arms.
"Well, you see, it's like this..."
"Yes or no!" bobby demanded.
"Ok, fine, so we did! but it was for the best. we couldn't risk his bad luck ruining things for any of us. not for Luna's concerts, or Lola's pageants, or my dates with you. besides, it was Lynn's fault. she's the one who suggested we sell his stuff," Lori replied.
"And why didn't you stop her?" bobby asked.
"Because things started to turnout better for us when we kicked him out," Lori replied. bobby simply replied. bobby sighed.
"Alright. second question: why am I suddenly more important than your own family?" he asked.
"What kind of a question is that? you're always there for me when I need someone to talk about my issues, and I can always rely on you to give me good advice without asking for something in return every time," Lori replied.
"And what makes you think your family can't do that?" bobby asked.
"As I said, they would ask for something in return every time. you hardly ever do that," Lori replied.
"Well, what's wrong with doing a favor in return for your siblings?" bobby asked.
"Because they would always ask for something ridiculous, like being a test dummy, helping them move stuff, or styling Lola's hair," Lori replied. once again, bobby sighed.
"And what about Lincoln? he might've been willing to listen to your problems out of the goodness of his heart," bobby questioned.
"Because then he would think he could hold it over me, that I owe him a favor, like taking him to the comic shop," Lori replied.
"So, you just go along with whatever you or the rest of your family does, even if it comes at the expense of your brother, including forcing him in a relationship with my sister?" bobby asked. Lori didn't know why, but she didn't like the direction of where this conversation was going.
"Bobby, you have to understand that I'm doing it not only for them, but for us as well. I'm sure you force Ronnie Anne into dating Lincoln, right" Lori asked. to her shock, bobby shook his head.
"Nope."
"WHAT?! bobby, don't you even care about OUR relationship?! about me?!" Lori asked.
"I do care about you and our relationship Lori, and I do so independently of who nie-nie wants to date. I never do something as ludicrous as forcing her to date someone she has no romantic feeling for," bobby replied.' even though I know those two are dating in secret because of you,' he thought.
"But, they're literally meant to be together!" Lori exclaimed.
"That's not your decision, don't you get it Lori, you only want to be with my sister just to help our relationship without thinking of their feelings just because they're 11-year-olds, and assume they don't know anything about love," bobby explained.
"But...but I..." Lori got cut off.
"And another thing! I don't know where you get off with treating your siblings in the abysmal way you've been doing, but..."
"Abysmal?! how dare you! I'm a great sister to my brother and sisters!" Lori exclaimed.
"Alright, then tell me something; when you told me about the sister fight protocol you and your family set up, did any of you even bother to tell Lincoln about it?" bobby asked.
"Pfft, no, it's called the 'sister fight protocol' for a reason," Lori scoffed.
"So what do you do if Lincoln gets into a fight with you or the rest of your sisters?" bobby asked.
"Simple. we stand by the sister he's fighting with until HE admits he was wrong," Lori replied. bobby look disgusted by how she said that so casually.
"So what, would standing up for myself against you or your family makes ME wrong?"
"No bobby. unlike Lincoln, you are a man. you actually act mature," Lori replied. bobby then scratched his chin in a mock thinking manner.
"So, going by logic, based on what I've been hearing during this conversation, that must mean that you're a girl and NOT a woman," he said. Lori looked deeply hurt.
"Bobby, I do act mature because I AM mature!"
"Not from what I've been picking up on. you say you're mature, but it's clear from how you treat your brother and the rest of your family that you're as FAR from being mature as a person can get. I mean, come on, who relies on two kids to keep their relationship afloat? you may not know this, but nie-nie like girls instead of boys," bobby ranted.
"Bobby, same-sex couples only exist in fiction! they're not real!"
"Of course, they're real, Lori! you see them all the time on the news, Leni's friend Migel has a boyfriend now! and what about Clyde's dads, hmm?" bobby snapped back. Lori attempted to counter, but realized she couldn't find any rational way of doing so," uh huh, I thought so. now going back to the original topic, why was telling ME about the protocol top priority and not telling your brother?"
"W-well, I just didn't want you getting caught up in our fights is all," Lori innocently replied.
"And I just take priority over your brother? did ever once occur to you that if he had known about the protocol, he could've steered clear of the house until resolved...whatever your petty fight was about. but no, you just told him to 'butt out', which ended up causing him to make to make matters worse," bobby chewed out.
"He always makes thing worse," Lori crossed her arms. bobby shook his head in disappointment.
"I can't believe you, Lori. I thought you cared about your family the same way I care about my own," bobby said.
"But I do care about them, every bit as I care about you!" Lori exclaimed.
"And I care about you too, but I was raised with the belief that family is priority number one," bobby replied. Lori knew she was losing ground fast, but bobby wasn't done," and another thing; why do you think Ronnie Anne has ANY romantic feelings for Lincoln?"
"Because of the way she was picking on him! when a girl picks on a boy, it means she likes him. it was HER way of showing affection!"
"No Lori, it was bullying, plain and simple. if nie-nie had any feelings for Lincoln, she would've done so in a more acceptable way, nearby Ronnie Anne blushed in embarrassment, but knew her brother was right," I mean if I did all of that to you would you consider it me liking you or just bulling you, and besides, what difference should it make to you who he dates? it's HIS choice, not yours."
"But...but..."
"On that note, what makes you think you have the right to make decisions for him without even considering his feelings?"
"Because I'm the oldest! I know what's best for my siblings!" Lori replied.
"I doubt that highly. from what I've been hearing, you're focusing more on what's best for YOU, and not for anyone else," bobby then inhaled sharply," don't hold it against me for saying this, but you're NOT the same girl I fell in love with. you're not the cool sister you SHOULD be to your brother and sisters. No, all I see in you now is..." bobby fought back the tears as he looked at Lori with a fiery glare in his eyes," an inconsiderate, selfish brat who prioritizes her own needs over others. and that's NOT the kind of girlfriend I want." Lori was unable to fight back the tears rolling from her eyes as bobby said this.
"Bobby, I..."
"And until you go back to being the Lori I fell in love with and am happy to call my girlfriend, then maybe its best we don't see each other."
"Bobby, please, we can work this out! don't do this!"
"Sorry Lori, but this is for your own good. and this isn't about you and me. it's about how you think that I'm somehow more important than your family. but let me tell you something; I'm NOT more important than your family. and it works both ways. if I had to pick between you and my sister, or my mother, or my father, or cousins and grandparents, then I would always pick my family. every, single, time. and if it turns out that we CAN'T get back together the way we SHOULD be, then we can always try seeing new people." Lori couldn't say anything against that, and just ran out of the house," oh boy, that was way harder than it needed to be. I just hope this doesn't come back to haunt me," bobby commented.
"You did the right thing, bobby. that girl needs to get her priorities straight," Carlota reassured, coming into view, as did Ronnie Anne.
"Though I think breaking up with her might've been a little overkill," Ronnie Anne commented, emphasizing the word 'little'.
"Maybe so, but Carlota has a point. Lori needs to be a better sister to all of her siblings, including her brother. this has to be the type of wake-up call she needs," bobby replied.
Meanwhile, at Fanny's Prank Emporium,
"Alright Luan, we'll be right here, once you get back, we'll get the new TV. after that I'll help you and Luna get new bras," Rita said.
"Don't worry mom. I'm only returning some stuff," Luan replied, as Luan got out of the van with a box of gags and props, looking up at the emporium," ah, the prank emporium. the holy grounds for all great pranksters," she said, as she made her way to the front door," morning, fanny! I'm here to return some gags," she said to the clerk, who looked to be a rather lanky, middle-aged woman.
"Upon seeing Luan with her props and gags," you're returning your stuff? what kind of joke are you playing?" she asked confused.
"I saw that I used these gags for my April fools' pranks and not realizing that I almost got my brother, and family killed, so I'm taking a break from pranking for a while until I learned self-control when it comes to April fools," Luan replied.
"What do you mean almost got your brother killed," fanny asked, until Luan showed her the footage from April fools' rules and fools Paradice.
"Wow, you weren't kidding, these aren't even funny," fanny said, as Luan puts her box of props on fanny's counter.
"I know, after relooking at them I realize I became a crazy person that my family fears, so I'm taking a break for a while," Luan said.
"Even your gigs?" fanny asked.
"Yup, I already informed all my clients," Luan replied.
"Well, if that's what you want, I'll keep your stuff with me just in case you're ready to go back to pranking," fanny said.
"Thanks fanny, I'll keep that in mind," Luan said, as she leaves the store and heads back into vanzilla and drove off," how did it go sweetie?" Rita asked.
"It went ok, and fanny was ok with my decision," Luan replied, as fanny looked worried about Luan as she puts Luan's props in the back of the store.' I hope Luan redeems herself to her family' she thought.
At the mall,
"Alright girls, we'll get the TV first, then we'll see about having Lola sign for this pageant, after that Luna and Luan will go get new bras," Rita said, as she, Lynn sr., Luna, Luan, lucy, and Lola got out of the van, and made their way into the mall. they immediately made their way to the electronics store.
"Hello there. how can we be of assistance?" a worker asked the loud matriarch.
"we're looking for TVs," Lynn sr. replied.
"Ah yes. you'll find them over here," the worker said, showing the Louds over to the TV section.
"Thank you so much," Rita said, as she, her husband, and daughters went to the TV section.
"So, which one should we get?" lucy asked.
"I vote we get the best one that's reasonably affordable," Lola commented.
"Well, it'll all depend on the prices, sweetie," Rita reminded, as they browsed through the various TVs.
"How about this one?" Luna suggested, pointing to a TV set. it looked fairly similar to the one they had before, but a little bigger.
"Hmm, it could work," Lynn sr. replied, taking a look at the price tag," and it IS well within the budget."
"So, we have a winner?" Luan asked.
"I'd say so," Rita replied, as she and Luna picked up the TV box, and placed it into the kart. they then proceeded to the checkout and paid for it.
"Would you like a 2-year warranty for an additional nine dollars?" the clerk asked.
"It would be a good idea, just in case something happens to it," Luan advised.
"Yeah, you're probably right. sure, I'll take the warranty," Lynn sr. complied, as he paid for the TV.
"Not necessary. thank you though," Rita replied, as she wheeled the kart out of the store and the mall. they arrived at vanzilla, where they loaded the TV into the back," alright, I'll return the kart. Lola, you can go with your father to get signed up for the pageant, while I help Luna and Luan."
"Ok mom," Lola replied, as she went with her father.
"I'll go with mom as well," lucy said.
Back inside the mall,
Rita was taking Luna, Luan and lucy to a certain store in one direction, while Lynn sr. was heading in the opposite direction with Lola and returning the kart.
Having returned the kart, Lynn sr. and Lola tracked down the pageant entry desk, where a fairly short line was already formed," looks like I've got quite a bit of competition," Lola mused, as it was finally her turn," excuse me, I'd like to enter into this contest."
"Upon seeing the loud daughter in question, the people immediately pulled away the entry form," sorry Lola, but you aren't allowed to enter this pageant," one of the workers said. Lola was flabbergasted by this. but then, she thought of something.
"Oh, I get it. I must have not met some kind of requirement to enter, right?" Lola asked.
"Wrong. we heard from an anonymous tipper about a large number of unacceptable deeds you've done to your fellow pageant goers. such behavior is NOT tolerated in this pageant division," the worker replied.
"Well, what sort of 'unacceptable deeds' has Lola done?" Lynn sr. asked.
"Well, for starters, she blackmailed her fellow contestants into throwing each and every pageant, as well as sabotage various acts, and the list goes on," the worker replied. Lynn sr. couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"Lola...is all this true?" Lynn sr. asked, glaring sternly down at his daughter, who became very intimidated by her father's gaze. truthfully, she didn't want to suffer the same fate that Lynn was going through with being grounded and banned from her favorite hobbies, but she could tell that there's no way around this.
"Yes...it's all true," Lola admitted. Lynn sr. sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"I can't believe this. first junior acts out of line, now THIS!? your mother and I are going to have some serious words when we get home, young lady," Lynn sr. declared.
"Furthermore, Mr. loud, some pageant committee personnel will be by your house later to confiscate ALL of the tiaras and trophies your daughter had won from when this behavior began," the worker said.
"By all means," Lynn sr. replied, taking Lola's hand," now come on, Lola! we're leaving!" and with that, both father and daughter left. nearby, several of Lola's former fellow pageant contestants saw the scene unfold. some looked sympathetic to Lola, but the majority of them looked rather smug, and pleased with seeing the former pageant powerhouse being put in her place. none looked more smug than Lola's only REAL rival, Lindsey sweetwater.
"About time she got knocked down a peg," she commented.
After Rita helped Luna and Luan, they met up with Lynn sr. and a depressed Lola, after Lynn sr. told Rita what happened she was just as mad as Lynn sr., telling Lola the same thing Lynn sr. told her. on their way back Lynn sr. made a quick stop at the school to drop off the envelope to principal Huggins, aftre that they picked up lori from bobby's house depressed.
Meanwhile, back at the loud house, in the garage,
Lisa had everything set up as her guest had arrived," welcome, everyone. now I assume you know why you're all here?"
"it's to meet this professor oak, person, correct? about sending our kids to this 'kanto' place where your brother is located?" Harold asked.
"Correct. I have set up a video conference where you can all engage in a conversation with the professor and his colleague about what this adventure across seas will entail," Lisa replied. as she began to punch in the keys on the videophone. she then turned on the projector while the phone was dialing. in seconds, the visage of professor oak appeared on screen," hello professor."
"Ah Lisa. so good to hear from you again," professor oak greeted, taking note of a group with the young prodigy," my word, quite a gathering you have here."
"Indeed. these are the Casagrande's and the McBride's families of Lincoln's friends. they wanted to have a word with you in regard to sending their own children to kanto," Lisa replied.
"I see," professor oak replied, before turning his attention to the parents," well, I believe formal introductions are in order." my name is Professor Samuel oak. I'm a Pokémon researcher stationed in the kanto region," he said, introducing himself. one by one, the families introduced themselves.
"Our kids gave us something of a run down on what you're offering entails, but we'd like to hear from a professional, if that's alright," Maria said.
"Quite right. you see, in various corners of the world, there exist creatures that are unlike normal animals that you're probably accustomed to. these creatures are called 'Pokémon'. they only exist in certain regions of the world, but they can be found just about anywhere one can look in these regions, such as in forest, grassy plains, oceans and rivers, and high up in the skies and mountains," professor oak explained, showing various pictures of different species of Pokémon.
"Fascinating," Carols commented.
"Indeed. for some, Pokémon are merely pets, but human trainers, like what your children want to be, catch and raise Pokémon in battle against other trainers. now before you get all up in arms, Pokémon battles are perfectly legal in these regions, and it's no different than how regular animal behave and defend themselves in the wild. now, that being said, there are some, like myself, who dedicate ourselves to studying these mysterious creatures."
"I see. so can you sponsor Clyde and Ronnie Anne?" rosa asked.
"Bad news, I can't because I'm already sponsoring four trainers, but i got good news my college professor ivy offered to sponsor them," professor oak replied.
"Really, does she live in kanto?" howard asked.
"Close, she lives in the orange islands, its south of kanto, your children will need to take a boat to get to the closes city in kanto and that's vermillion city," professor oak replied.
"Good news, Lincoln is still in vermillion city since his last call, also Luna and Luan made amends with him," Lisa said.
"that's good to hear lisa, only three of your sisters are left," professor oak said.
"Be that as it may, the kids will have chaperones," Frida said.
"Well, bobby volunteered to go with Ronnie Anne and Clyde," maria said.
"Is it because he needs a break from Lori?" Leni said, popping her head into the garage.
"How did you know Leni?" maria asked.
"Well, I just have a feeling that's Ronnie Anne told you guys about our problem, and he wants a break from Lori." Leni replied.
"I see, well thanks for be supportive," maria said.
"Well, in any case, I have two study guides that two of your kids will want to study up on before they arrive in kanto. shall I send them over?" professor oak asked.
"Please do. I like to look at them then make copies just in case," Lisa replied.
"Very well then. so, is there anything else you'd like to ask me?" professor oak asked.
"Yes, what time would work best for this professor ivy?" hector asked.
After thinking a little bit professor oak made a decision "How about 10 o clock, tomorrow morning at the Detroit airport?" professor oak replied.
"That would do perfectly. in that case we look forward to meeting this professor ivy in person," Harold said.
"And I'll let ivy know as well, professor oak said, as the families got up from their seats.
"And I'll have the study guides ready for their trip to kanto tomorrow," Lisa said.
"Please do so, Lisa," maria requested, as they all left.
"I'll send over the study guides, Lisa," professor oak said.
"Thanks professor," Lisa replied, by the way, when do you think we can hear Lincoln's next progress report?"
"Hmm, hard to say. as I know, he still only has two badges. how about every two badges he earns," I'll deliver a progress report?" professor suggested.
"Sounds acceptable," Lisa replied, just a ping came from her end," I got the study guides, professor," she said.
"Excellent. it's rather late over here, so I'm going to hang up now," professor oak replied.
"Very good, professor. I look forward to hearing from you again," Lisa said, as they hung up, just as vanzilla pulled into the driveway. from the side door, Lori leapt out, and bolted for the house, tears streaming from her eyes, just as the others excited from the van themselves," dare I ask what's wrong with Lori?"
"We don't know. she won't talk about it with us, and when we tried pressing for info, she practically bit our heads off," Luan replied.
"She probably got into a fight with bobby, and she ended up getting a little TOO emotional. let's just give her some space, and let her talk to us at her own pace," Rita suggested.
"On an unrelated note, how did things go at the store?" Lisa asked.
"Good. now all we need is the cable box from kanto, and we'll be able to watch the kanto broadcast," Lisa said.
"In the meantime, the conference call with professor oak and Lincoln's peer's parents went well," Lisa added as Lana came downstairs seeing the new TV in vanzilla." awesome TV," she said.
"That's good to hear. Luna, Luan, Lana, could you three help me out with this?" Lynn sr. asked, as they proceeded to get the TV out of vanzilla, just as a dragonite, wearing a delivery cap and satchel landed in front of the house.
"Excuse me, but is the loud residence?" it asked, pulling out a package. needless to say, the louds were not expecting something like this.
"Wow, a big dragon," Lana said looking at drogonite with stars in her eyes.
"If you're looking for the louds this is the place," Lynn sr. replied. taking the package and signing it, once that's done dragonite flies away.
That's chapter 35, happy days for Ronnie Anne and Clyde, they're on their way to kanto.
will Lori, reflect on what bobby said or will she just blame Lincoln as always.
who do you think tipped of the pageant workers about Lola.
how will Luan learn to control herself when April fools comes.
Lincoln's team
Pikachu (male)
moves: thunderbolt, iron tail, quick attack, electroball.
Fearow (female)
moves: drill peck, wing attack, gust, brave bird.
poliwhirl (male) at loud house
moves: hypnosis, water sport, and water gun.
pidgeotto (female)
Moves: gust, whirlwind, sand attack, tackle, brave bird, steel wing, and quick attack.
butterfree (male) at loud house
moves: sleep powder, stun spore, confusion, quick attack, and psybeam.
beedrill (shiny) (male) at loud house
poison sting, string shot, bug bite, harden, pin missile, poison jab, and whirlwind.
riolu (male)
moves: quick attack, endure, counter, metal claw, and egg move vacuum wave
Kirila (male)
moves: confusion, double team, thunder punch, disarming voice, teleport, and egg move misty terrain.
Flapple (male)
moves: dragon rage, grassnot, razor leaf, and whirlwind.
Appletun (female)
moves: dragon rage, grassnot, razor leaf, and energyball.
zubat (male) at the louds
moves: absorb, supersonic, bite, wing attack, astonish, and giga drain.
paras (male) at the louds
moves: scratch, stun spore, poison powder, absorb, and fell stinger.
Sandslash(female) (Andrea)
moves: poison sting, defence curl, rapid spin, fury cutter, magnitude, and metal claw
clefable (male)
moves: metronome, minimize, double slap, disarming voice, sing, and wake up slap.
steenee (female)
moves: sweet scent, razor leaf, rapid spin, splash, play nice, and grass whistle.
rockruff (male) at the louds
moves: rock throw, crunch, sand attack, roar, dig, stone edge, and counter.
goomy (female)
moves: tackle, bubble, bubble beam, absorb, bide, protect, dragon breath, and poison tail.
Ivysaur (male) (bruteroot)
moves: vine whip, tackle, sleep powder leech seed, and razor leaf.
Charmelon (male) (firestorm)
moves: flamethrower, cratch, sand attack metal claw, and ember.
Squirtle (male) (shell shocker)
moves: tackle, bite, withdraw, water gun, rapid spin and aqua jet.
krabby (male)
moves: water gun, harden, leer, metal claw, mud shot, protect, and the egg move ancient power.