Well it certainly has been a while hasn't it? Well, to all my loyal readers, I extend a hearty and sincere Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all! This chapter was kinda rough for me when I started it I'll admit, but thanks to a little advice from my friend Texas Longhorn (and I hope he thinks of me as a friend too ^_^U), I was able to get through it. And also, with the addition of this chapter, I will have passed the 400,000 word mark! Yayz for me! xD Anyways, before we get started, it's time for review replies!
Aditya Shukla: Thanks! ^^
lightningblade49: Maybe, maybe not. Haunter needs to get broken in first. xD
darky/Darkness Shadow: Yeah D, now everyone who read this knows who you are. =P And btw, thanks for reviewing! Here's to many more future appearences by the guardian of Sonzonia City. xD
Trayton125: Thanks for the compliments, I'm glad you liked it. And you're welcome about Max. ^^
Airoh: So you figured it out eh? lol. I was wondering how many people were able to figure it out ahead of time. xD
pidgeotexpress: Well we'll see. A lot can happen before then. ^^
Anyways, it is now 12:00 A.M. here in Florida, which makes it officially Wednesday! Which means I updated on the right day this time! xD Enjoy everyone! I own nothing except the story.
_
Chapter 39
Misty's POV
It seems that every day I'm out here in Sinnoh; things get more and more stressful. After going to the Canalave Gym, we found that the Gym Leader had ironically, no pun intended, gone to Iron Island to train his Pokémon, and we had gone all that way for nothing.
We also found a strange phenomenon where everyone in town was having nightmares thanks to Team Rocket's stupid plan to make money. Little did we know that their weird machine would attract a Darkrai that showed up once every year. And it picked me as its victim!
Me and Ash had had a fight before bed, and we were both upset. Darkrai trapped me in a nightmare and convinced me that Ash didn't love me anymore! But then the unimaginable happened, the Haunter from Lavender Town appeared in my mind! And it brought Ash with him!
Haunter had taken Ash's soul out of his body and placed him into my nightmare so he could help me. I couldn't see his soul, but I could feel it. Ash's soul grabbed my hand and held it tightly, and I could actually hear him, faint as he was.
In my mind I put together the pieces of the puzzle that back in Lavender Town, Ash was the one that lifted me into the sky. But what I couldn't figure out was why I heard Ash when Brock didn't. I figured that I'd figure that out later.
When Haunter miraculously made Darkrai leave my mind, it and Ash left next, and the next thing I knew I was waking up with Ash's arms tightly wrapped around me. I loved, loved, LOVED the feeling. More so than ever since we had just gone through our first real fight as a couple. It only further proved to me that Ash and I were truly meant to be.
Then Cresselia appeared and chased Darkrai away from the island, and then we got a well needed night's sleep. And boy, did it feel good to be able to close my eyes and feel Ash's love wash over me again.
Normal POV
Misty woke up in her bunk and found herself still secure in Ash's arms. After the terrifying ideal from the night before, she found herself enjoying her time with Ash even more than usual. Being the romantic she was, she imagined Ash as her knight in shining armor over and over again, with love conquering all in the end.
Of course, love never would've been able to predict what was about to happen. "Rise and shine kids! It's a beautiful d – ASH KETCHUM!"
The entire group woke up to see a furious Delia staring down into Ash and Misty's bunk. The key word being "and".
"Uh…h-hi Mom. Had a good night's sleep?" Ash stammered, his face tomato red with blush.
"Ashton, come with me please." Delia said, trying with all her might to keep her voice level.
Ash quickly got up from under the covers and stepped outside, with his mother closely trailing him. When the door closed, Misty got up as well and looked at the two other humans who were also watching in shock. "Who told her?" Misty asked.
The two humans shook their heads in confusion, until they heard a laughing coming from nowhere. "Haunter! Come out wherever you are!" Misty screamed.
Haunter came out of hiding, laughing uncontrollably at its joke. "Why would you do that? Because of you I may have just lost my boyfriend!" Misty screamed angrily.
Haunter stopped laughing and looked at Misty's face, which was threatening to let loose hot tears of anger. "Haunt haunt." (It was just a joke.) Haunter replied.
"Look, Misty, I'll talk to Ash's mom, maybe I can cool her off a little after she's done with Ash." Brock said reassuringly.
Outside, Delia was having a discussion with Ash. "Ashton Ketchum, did all the things I told you when you told me she was your girlfriend go in one ear and out the other?"
"Mom, we didn't do anything! And we've been sleeping together for a while now anyway! We're not doing…THAT…we just enjoy…you know…being close to each other." Ash said awkwardly.
Delia put her head in her hand and sighed. "Ash, I understand your wanting to be close to Misty, you're growing up and you have those urges now, but there are some things that can be considered inappropriate. Sleeping together in the same bed is one of them."
"But Mom!" Ash was cut-off before he could protest.
"No buts Ash. Either you and Misty separate your sleeping arrangement, or I'm ending your journey early." Delia walked out of the room, leaving a very sad and disappointed Ash behind. "What am I gonna do?"
As Delia went to pack up her things and head out, Brock came walking into her room. "Oh, hello Brock."
"Hello Mrs. Ketchum. Um, listen…correct me if I'm wrong, but the reason you were so upset earlier was because you caught Ash and Misty in the same bed, right?" Brock asked.
Bringing up the subject brought a frown to Delia's face. She turned her back to Brock and started packing again. "Ash is only fourteen, it isn't right for them to be sleeping together, and come to think of it, you knew they were sleeping together, did you not?" Delia said, suddenly turning back to Brock.
Brock sweat-dropped nervously, having Delia getting mad at him wasn't part of the plan. "Well…yeah…but see, I knew that Ash and Misty would never do anything that you'd really disapprove of, and I consider them to be trustworthy." Brock said hesitantly.
"Well I do disapprove of them being in the same bed." Delia huffed.
"But Mrs. Ketchum, don't you trust Ash? After all, you raised him yourself, didn't you? I'm sure deep down you know that Ash would never do…THAT…with anyone until after he got married." Brock said.
Delia's anger simmered down, but her face still bore a frown. "Of course I trust Ash, he's my son, how can I not? But he has to learn that he can't just do whatever he feels like doing. Especially with a young lady."
"But Mrs. Ketchum, Misty wasn't exactly upset about it. You know, if you had been here with us while we were travelling, you may not think it was so bad." Brock said.
Delia started to boil up again. "Do moral standards lower on the road Brock?"
"N-No! That's not what I meant. You see, we've gone through a lot lately, that includes last night. Ever since Ash and Misty became a couple, things have been getting a lot rougher out on the road, and at the same time, a little easier. They don't fight nearly as often as they do, but with more people comes more drama. Ash and Misty have gone through quarrels, misunderstandings, and most commonly, hurt and angst." Brock said.
"You're very eloquent Brock, but is there a point in all this?" Delia asked, growing rather impatient with the breeder who was rebelling against her parental decision.
"I'm saying that…well…Ash and Misty have been so much happier ever since they got together. Splitting them up like that might make them sad again. Think of it this way, if Ash was in emotional pain and he needed comforting, would you be willing to lie down and comfort him?" Brock said.
"Yes of course, he's my son." Delia replied.
"Well…what makes Misty any different? The only difference is that Misty's the one doing it and not you. They find love and comfort sleeping in each other's arms that…certain people would absolutely envy to the point of torment!" Brock exclaimed dramatically.
Delia silently chuckled at Brock's outburst. "You're one of those people aren't you Brock?"
"…Yes…yes I am. Please Mrs. Ketchum, in the name of true love! Let them stay with each other." Brock practically begged.
Delia pondered it for a moment. She did trust Ash, and her job in raising him, and she practically considered Misty her daughter, she trusted her as well. "Very well Brock, on one VERY SPECIAL condition."
"Name it!" Brock exclaimed.
"If Ash OR Misty do ANYTHING that I would frown upon while they're…together…YOU will take full responsibility for their actions, and you will personally tell me if they do, you're the responsible adult of the group, and you will be expected to act as chaperone. Is that understood?" Delia said.
"It's a done deal! Thank you Mrs. Ketchum! So…do you wanna tell them the news, or should I?" Brock asked.
"You're the one responsible for them now. You go tell them, I'll be there soon to say goodbye." Delia replied.
Brock grinned and ran out the door, leaving Delia to finish packing. "(Sigh) I suppose Ash needs a little bit of leash. Choking him with it certainly won't help…besides, it's not like he's the first one to do it." Delia continued her packing as replays of her past played in her mind, boyfriends of old that she had never admitted taking a peaceful nap with.
"I guess that's it Mist. Mom won't budge on this." Ash groaned sadly.
"I guess it's to be expected. Moms generally have that maternal instinct. I just can't believe Haunter pulled such a 'joke' and ruined everything!" Misty hissed at the ghost/poison-type.
Haunter's face drooped as Misty spat at it furiously. Ash understood Misty's rage, but Haunter was already feeling genuine guilt, Misty didn't have to make it feel worse.
Ash stood up and walked over to Haunter, who seemed ashamed to meet Ash's gaze. "Hey Haunter, I know you didn't mean any harm. But you've gotta know when it's time to stop joking around and be serious."
Haunter groaned and fell to the floor. It felt just awful for what it had done. None of the jokes it had ever played on anyone had any lasting damage, but it was now responsible for ruining its new master's relationship.
"Brock's talking to Ash's mom now? Dawn asked. "Yeah, but I wouldn't get my hopes up." Misty sighed.
Just then, Brock came into the room. "Well Brock, what's the verdict?" Misty asked, somehow already knowing the answer by the frown he was wearing.
"You two can be together." Brock said. Upon hearing that, Ash and Misty leapt from their respective seats and hugged each other gleefully. "It's a miracle!" Misty squealed.
"However there is one condition." Brock said. The mention of a condition quickly brought their tender celebration to an abrupt halt. "What's the condition?" Ash asked somewhat nervously.
"I will have to take full responsibility should you two do anything bad. In other words, I am now your appointed chaperone." Brock said.
Ash and Misty smiled at the breeder. "There's no problem then! You know you can trust us Brock." Misty said.
"I sure hope so; I really don't wanna take the fall if you two do something stupid." Brock said seriously. "Brock, you can trust us, I swear it." Ash reassured.
"That's good to hear." Brock nodded.
"Well Haunter, looks like you're off the hook this time." Ash said. Haunter floated back into the air and cheerfully flew around the room.
"Alright Haunter, return." Ash sent the ghost/poison-type back to its Pokéball, and turned to Misty for yet another hug.
"You know what I just realized? You should probably give Sabrina a call since you caught Haunter officially, she'd like to know don't you think?" Brock suggested.
Ash was disappointed that Brock interrupted his tender moment with Misty, but then realized that he was right. "Yeah, I guess I should give her a call."
"I'll go with you Ash. You'll need to know the number of her gym anyway." Misty said. The couple walked out of the room with Brock's eyes watching them until they turned the corner.
"That was a close call." Dawn sighed with relief. "Why were you worried?" Brock asked. "Well, they would've been impossible to live with!" Dawn replied.
Brock chuckled and nodded as he packed up his stuff to get back on the road.
"Ok Mist…you ready?" Ash asked, slightly nervous. "Not really. But let's do it anyway." Misty replied.
The couple dialed the number to the Saffron City gym, and a few moments later, there was Sabrina. "Ahh, Ash and Misty, the happy couple. It's been quite some time indeed."
"Hey Sabrina. Man, I'll never get used to how you can tell who it is before you answer." Ash said, "Hey wait, how'd you know about…" Ash was cut off.
"When the Cerulean City gym's rating went down, I called and found out that Misty had gone travelling with her boyfriend, who I predicted would be you Ash. I also predict that you called about Haunter." Sabrina said.
"Uh, as a matter of fact, yeah. Um, I hope you don't mind that Haunter's…officially my Pokémon…I mean, he came all the way to Sinnoh after all…" Ash began growing nervous that Sabrina would do something bad to them.
"I have no problem with it. Haunter was a free roamer and would come and go as it pleased. It wasn't reliable as a Pokémon, so if you captured it, I am pleased that Haunter finally found someone who would take care of it." Sabrina said.
"So…you're not mad?" Misty asked.
"I owe my sanity and my life to Haunter, and I shall never forget it for that. As long as Haunter is happy, I wish it the best." Sabrina relinquished a small smile, and Ash and Misty were more than happy to smile back.
"Well Sabrina, thanks a lot, and good luck in your gym!" Ash said. "And good luck to you on your journey." Sabrina replied.
Sabrina was about to hang up, when Misty spoke up. "Wait Sabrina! Remember you said that the gym's rating went down when I left? Well…has it gone up any since then?"
"I suppose I could check." Sabrina closed her eyes and concentrated, "Yes. It has gone up one slot. It has passed the Erika and the Celadon City gym, but it has a long way to go before it once again reaches the level of Lt. Surge and of course mine."
"Way to go Daisy." Misty whispered proudly. "Alright Sabrina, thanks a lot!" Ash exclaimed.
Sabrina nodded and hung up the phone, leaving Ash and Misty to themselves. Out of nowhere, Misty embraced a very surprised Ash. "What's this for?" Ash asked with a chuckle.
"Oh Ash, it's just that…everything finally seems to be going right! Your mom is ok with our relationship, WE'RE happy in our relationship again, Daisy's doing an awesome job running the gym, I just feel like I'm on top of the world!" Misty exclaimed happily.
Ash hugged Misty tightly, invoking a happy squeal from the red head. After a few moments, they moved their faces in for a blissful kiss, but they were suddenly interrupted by Brock and Dawn. "Break it up! Here comes Mrs. Ketchum!" Dawn exclaimed in a hushed tone.
Ash and Misty quickly broke apart, and sure enough, Mrs. Ketchum came in carrying her suitcase. "Well, I suppose Brock told you the news." Delia said.
"Uh…yeah Mrs. Ketchum. Listen, I just wanted you to know how much I appreciate you letting me stay with Ash, and…you can trust me, ok?" Misty said.
"You can trust me too Mom, and it goes double for me!" Ash exclaimed.
"Oh yeah? You can trust me triple!" Misty quipped back.
"Quadruple!" Ash yelled.
"Octuple!" Misty exclaimed, "Top that Ash Ketchum!"
"Uh…shoot! I can't think of anything else!" Ash grumbled.
The entire group, including Delia laughed at Ash's misfortune. "Ahh, now this is how I remember my two favorite kids! Arguing!" Delia laughed.
"Don't worry Mom; we just do this for fun now." Ash chuckled. "Yeah, I'd much rather do this now." Misty kissed Ash's cheek, causing Ash to blush out of embarrassment.
"How sweet." Delia gushed.
"Yeah…" Ash chuckled sheepishly. "Hey Mom, I just realized, when are you gonna get me those clothes?"
"Oh, you'll get them when I get home to send them to you. But for now, I have to go and visit my friend on another island. That reminds me, Misty may I talk to you for a moment?" Delia asked.
Misty nodded and walked over with Delia to a corner. "I got you some brand new clothes too, I wanted to surprise you, but as long as I was here I wanted to tell you." Delia said.
"Um, thanks Mrs. Ketchum, but I didn't ask for any new clothes." Misty said, adjusting her yellow top and suspenders.
"Well…just between us girls, I thought it'd be nice if you had something to 'grow' into, you get it?" Delia said with a wink.
Misty blushed with embarrassment as she realized exactly what Delia was referring to. "Right…well…I guess I…could use something for…that." Misty stammered awkwardly.
"Oh don't worry Misty; all girls go through the same thing around your age. I actually have some clothes on standby for Dawn in case she goes through a growth spurt of her own. Her clothes seem rather tight as it is." Delia noticed.
"Well…actually, her mom bought her clothes that way; she has this thing for really short clothing." Misty snickered.
"I noticed. If that skirt were any shorter…well, never mind. Maybe I should call Dawn's mom and ask her if it would be ok for me to give her clothing." Delia said with a sweat-drop.
Misty nodded and rejoined the group, leaving them wondering what they had talked about. "What was that all about?" Ash asked.
"Nothing you need to hear." Misty snickered. "Aww, why not?" Dawn whined.
"YOU I'll tell later." Misty said with a wink. Ash's jaw dropped when he heard that. "Not again Mist! Geez!" Ash grumbled.
"Trust me when you hear this Ashton Ketchum, you don't need to hear what we said." Delia warned with an eerie smile.
The smile plus the use of his full name discouraged Ash from questioning further. "I think I'll go pack up my stuff."
Before Ash could walk away, the videophone began ringing again. "You think it's Sabrina again?" Ash asked.
"I sure hope so!" Brock exclaimed excitedly. "Brock, calm yourself." Misty warned. Brock cooled off after realizing that Delia was still there.
They answered the phone and there stood Prof. Oak and Tracey. "Hey guys!" Tracey exclaimed.
"Hi Tracey!" Ash, Misty, and Brock exclaimed. "And this must be Dawn. Nice to meet you." Tracey said.
"Now I remember! You're the drawing guy that they keep talking about! It's nice to meet you too!" Dawn exclaimed.
"Now that we've all been introduced, I called to check on you all since last night's ordeal was very stressful for all of us." Prof. Oak said.
"Oh yeah! Professor Oak told me all about what happened to you guys. Are you two alright?" Tracey asked.
"Yeah Trace, we're cool." Ash said. "Ash and his new Haunter came and rescued me from Darkrai's nightmare, and that was that." Misty added.
"Well that's nice to hear. But I was actually referring to you two and your relationship." Tracey said with a smirk.
Misty rolled her eyes and huffed. "Everybody knows about us Ash! Why don't we just put it on the internet and get it over with?"
"Hey relax; it's just me, your faithful drawing pal." Tracey chuckled.
"Well as long as you're here Tracey, how's Daisy doing as the gym leader?" Misty asked. "What would make you think I know what your sister's are up to?" Tracey asked back.
"Don't play dumb Tracey. Daisy told me how you asked her to pose for one of your sketches. How long have you two been going out huh?" Misty asked with a sly grin.
"…Two weeks." Tracey mumbled, "And to answer your question, I went over there yesterday and battled her. She beat me. But I would've won if your Horsea hadn't evolved right before the match ended."
"Horsea evolved into Seadra?" Misty squealed, "Oh wow! Daisy must be doing an awesome job! I've gotta give her a call and thank her!"
"If you all don't mind, I'd like to get a word in myself." Prof. Oak said, growing impatient with the teens. "Sorry Professor, it's all yours." Tracey stepped back and let the Professor take the screen again.
"So, you all are alright right?" Prof. Oak asked. "Yeah Professor, we're great, and so are our Pokémon." Ash replied.
To agree with that statement, Grotle popped out of his Pokéball and tackled Ash playfully. "Well, Grotle looks especially healthy!" Prof. Oak said.
"Yeah, ever since Grotle evolved we've been working on a brand new battling style." Ash said, trying to coax Grotle off of him and Pikachu. "Ok Grotle, return." Ash grabbed Grotle's Pokéball and returned the large turtle.
"Delia you should be very proud of this boy, every Pokémon he's ever sent me simply love Ash!" Prof. Oak said.
"I am proud Samuel. If Pikachu is any proof of my boy's training skills, he'll be the greatest trainer to ever train Pokémon!" Delia said. Pikachu hopped into Delia's arms to thank her for the compliment.
"As long as we're talking about Pokémon, my Swinub evolved into Piloswine too!" Once again to agree with the statement, Piloswine popped out of its Pokéball and tackled Dawn to the floor. "Hey! Come on Piloswine! Get off please!"
"Say, Piloswine looks as healthy as Grotle! I think it's time for a poem." Prof. Oak said, "A toast…may good health be a sign of great success with Piloswine."
With strength gained by fan girlish enthusiasm, Dawn got up with Piloswine still hanging on top of her. "Wow! I can't believe you came up with a poem about my Piloswine just like that!" she squealed.
"Mhmm. After a bit of poetry, there's nothing like a bite of Gateau." Prof. Oak took a piece of a pastry on a toothpick and ate it. "Hey, as long as you all are in Canalave City, you should try some Old Gateau at the Old Château!"
"The Old Château?" Ash asked.
"It's where they make a special type of Gateau that's out of this world! I'll tell you I've eaten just about every kind of Gateau there is. Gateau aficionados call it the Mirage Gateau!" Prof. Oak explained.
"Whoa, I've GOTTA try that!" Ash said, practically drooling. "Typical Ash, his stomach talks louder than his brain." Misty teased.
"Oh yeah, because you NEVER get hungry. I haven't eaten all morning!" Ash exclaimed. "I gotta side with Ash on this one, I really wanna try that the stuff!" Dawn added.
"You said it's made at the Old Château?" Brock asked. "Old Gateau at the Old Château. You see, the plain and simple fact is that they make Old Gateau at the Old Château in Canalave City." Prof. Oak said.
"You said that already Professor." Misty said with a sweat-drop, "But will we have time? We don't wanna get too far away from the gym, and we do have some training to do."
"Hold on, let me check something." Brock pulled out his Sinnoh tour book, "Here it is, check this out!" Brock showed the group a piece of paper with a picture of what Old Gateau looked like, and needless to say, it made them all the hungrier. "Wow, that looks delicious!" Dawn squealed.
"I gotta admit, that does look tasty." Misty said admittedly. "I say we head over there and taste this stuff!" Ash exclaimed excitedly.
"I second that!" Dawn squealed. "Very well then, please let me know what you think of it!" Prof. Oak said.
"Alright Professor, thanks for the tip!" Ash said. "Nice talking to you guys again!" Tracey exclaimed from behind the Professor. "Bye Tracey!" the group exclaimed.
Prof. Oak and Tracey hung up, leaving the group by themselves. "Well Mom, you wanna come with us?" Ash asked.
"I'd like to Ash, but I did have a previous engagement, and I have to get there." Delia planted a kiss on her son's head and said farewell to everyone. "Well at least she forgot to…" Ash was suddenly cut-off.
"I almost forgot! Don't forget to wear…" Delia was cut-off next. "MOM!" Ash yelled embarrassedly. Delia giggled and left the Center, leaving the others by themselves.
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get going!" Ash exclaimed excitedly. "Cool your jets Ash; we still gotta pack up our stuff too." Misty said.
"Aww, well how long will that take?" Ash whined. "What do you think Dawn? An hour or two?" Misty asked jokingly. "Well I was thinking more along the lines of three hours. After all, we have to fix our hair too." Dawn joked.
Ash groaned loudly. "Look, you both look great! In fact, Dawn, if I weren't dating Misty, I'd wanna date you! I-I mean, not that I don't wanna stop dating you Misty, but what I mean to say is…" Ash was suddenly cut-off by a stinging sensation in his side.
"Hey…what'd you do it to me for? (Groan)" Ash was dragged by Brock's Croagunk, leaving the other three to laugh at his expense. "Poor Ash is talking through his stomach." Misty laughed.
"Seriously though, how long will it take for you two to pack?" Brock asked. "Ten minutes tops." Misty reassured.
The two girls rushed to the bedroom while Brock tended to Ash. "Not so funny when it's you getting jabbed, is it?" Brock snickered.
Ash was lying down on the Pokémon Center couch, clutching his side. "Pikachu, how about a small shock to ol' Brock's toes?" he whispered.
Pikachu smirked as its cheeks sparked playfully. "Uh oh." Brock turned and ran, but Pikachu aimed a perfect 'Thundershock' at the breeder, and he fell to the floor as well. "So there Brock." Ash stuck his tongue out at Brock, who was too crippled to retaliate.
After the girls packed up, they walked to the island that had the Old Chateau, and it wasn't long before they reached their destination. "Well guys, feast your eyes on the lovely Old Chateau!" Brock said.
"Wow, it's so stately and pretty!" Dawn said in awe. "I suppose it has a certain…appeal to it." Misty said with a sweat-drop.
"Well whaddya say we go check it out?" Ash suggested. Before the group could continue, a man in a hard hat came up to them. "Hey you kids! You young people aren't planning a visit to the Chateau are you?"
"Yeah, that was the plan actually." Ash said. "Well, it's closed. There was a storm that came through about a week ago that took out all the power lines." the man explained.
"You've gotta be kidding." Misty said in disbelief. "Nope, I'm dead serious. Although I do think we'll get the power up and running sometime today, there are these rumors." the man said.
"What kind of rumors?" Dawn asked.
"The rumors of a ghost haunting the empty halls of the Chateau!" the man said eerily, "They're alive with shadows that seem to moan 'Give me more Gateau!'" the man made his voice normal again after he got the result he was looking for, "Of course, that's just a silly old rumor. Take it easy!" the man walked away and went back to work, leaving the group to just stand there in a petrified state.
"Of for – not another ghost story!" Misty said in exasperation. "It seems that everywhere we go we run into some creepy legend." Dawn added.
"I guess that Gateau is so good that even ghosts can't get enough of it." Brock said. "Yeah, that makes loads of sense Brock." Misty said sarcastically.
"So what do we do then? Turn back?" Dawn asked. Ash's stomach growled. "Since we've come all this way, I say we ignore the rumor and eat some of that Gateau ourselves!" Ash exclaimed.
"The hunger is mightier than the fear." Misty laughed. "I haven't eaten anything all day! I'm starving!" Ash whined.
"Well the sooner we get inside, the sooner we eat, so let's go." Brock said. The group walked up to the Old Chateau, only to find that not even a housekeeper was walking around the lawn. "I guess it really is closed." Dawn said.
"That means we all just made a really long trip for nothing." Brock said. "Man, and I'm starving!" Ash whined.
"Quit your bellyaching Ash! It's not like you're the only who's hungry." Misty grumbled. "I can't quit my bellyaching! My belly IS aching!" Ash retaliated.
Just then, the door of the Chateau opened in front of them, seemingly all by itself. The group nervously walked up to the door and peeked inside. "If no one's here, who opened the door?" Brock asked nervously.
"Y-You don't think a ghost did it, do ya?" Ash asked. "D-Don't be silly." Dawn replied.
Just then, a purple figure appeared, screaming like a banshee at the group, utterly terrifying them. "Haunt haunt haunt!" (I got you!) Haunter laughed.
"Haunter? YOU opened the door?" Ash asked. Haunter snickered and flew around the room. "Yeah, great Haunter, you're hilarious." Misty said sarcastically.
Now regaining their cool, the group walked inside with Haunter still laughing at them. But suddenly, the door behind them closed with a loud slam, and the group tried opening it to no avail. "Very funny Haunter, now open the door." Misty said with frustration.
But Misty's frustrated expression changed when she noticed that Haunter had stopped laughing when the door closed. "Haunter haunt." (It wasn't me.)
"Well if it wasn't Haunter then…who was it?" Ash asked nervously. Pikachu looked around, and noticed a strange looking object walking down a stairway. Curious, Pikachu ran down the stairway and looked around for the object, but it had somehow vanished.
Pikachu crossed his arms and looked around, but found nothing. The humans, Piplup, and Haunter followed Pikachu down. "Pikachu, you can't just go rushing into rooms like that." Ash scolded.
"Pika pika chu!" (But I saw something!) Pikachu made the shape of what he saw with his body, trying to get the message through to the humans. "Did you see something Pikachu?" Ash asked.
Just then, Haunter piped up, as if he had felt something. "What's up Haunter?" Ash asked. Haunter quickly turned around, and there on the floor, was a microwave. "Pika pika… (That can't be it) Pikachu hopped over to examine the object, confused as can be.
"Is that what you saw Pikachu?" Misty asked. "Pika pika pika chu." (I'm not sure anymore.) Pikachu replied. "Just be careful not to break it." Ash said.
The group looked around the room, and noticed a large machine against the back wall of the room. "Check that out." Ash said. "Looks like a generator. So they could make electricity when the power goes out." Brock said, as they walked over to examine the machine.
"But if that's the case, why didn't they fire this thing up to begin with?" Misty wondered. "Well it's real dusty down here, maybe they forgot about this room." Dawn suggested.
As Pikachu continued to rattle the microwave, Haunter again felt that same feeling, this time it went unnoticed by the humans who were too busy examining the generator. Haunter looked down and saw that Pikachu had stuck his head inside the microwave in curiosity, and the microwave had suddenly changed shape. "Haunter haunt haunt!" (Get out of there!) Haunter warned.
"Pika?" (Why?) Pikachu replied. Pikachu would get the painful answer after the microwave somehow tried to trap Pikachu inside of it. However the electric mouse was too big to fit completely inside, so Pikachu instead instinctively launched a 'Thunderbolt' that barely missed the humans and wound up hitting the generator instead.
Pikachu was suddenly released from the rogue microwave, which was now crackling with electricity from the 'Thunderbolt', and Haunter noticed that it was back to normal. "Pikachu!" Ash ran to check on his Pokémon partner, "You ok buddy? What just happened?"
Pikachu hopped back to his feet, angrily pointing at the microwave that had just been fried by his 'Thunderbolt'. "Pika?" (Huh?)
"Pikachu, it's just a regular old microwave." Ash said. "Haunter, you didn't pull another prank did you?" Misty asked accusingly. Haunter waved its hands back and forth in defense. "Haunt haunter haunt!" (It wasn't me!)
Pikachu added onto that by mimicking Haunter's hand movements. "Pika pika chu pi pika!" (Haunter tried to warn me!)
"Oh, sorry Haunter." Misty said somewhat shamefully. Haunter nodded at the red head. It could understand that for a while at least, the group would have trouble trusting it because of its past practical jokes.
"But if it wasn't Haunter, then does that mean that Pikachu's paranoid or something?" Dawn wondered. Ash didn't take kindly to Pikachu being tagged as paranoid, but before he could retaliate, the 'Thunderbolt' that had previously hit the generator powered the machine up, and the Old Chateau once again was up to power.
"The power's back on!" Dawn exclaimed. "Looks like Pikachu's 'Thunderbolt' gave the generator a jumpstart." Misty added.
Then a bell chimed, and a voice started speaking over the intercom. "Sounds like an automated voice message that must've kicked in when the power came back on." Brock said.
The message continued, and explained that they could try and make Old Gateau on their own. "You hear that? We get to try and make the Gateau ourselves!" Ash exclaimed excitedly.
"What's so exciting about that Ash? Anything YOU make will make us sick." Misty teased. "Oh yeah? What about your lame poffins?" Ash countered.
"I seem to recall you eating one of YOUR disgusting poffins and then passing out on the floor. Who's the worse chef, you or me?" Misty asked.
Ash grumbled in defeat, he knew the answer to that one. "That's more like it." Misty said with satisfaction.
"Well if anyone has the recipe, they do. I say we do it!" Brock exclaimed. "So let's find the kitchen and get started!" Dawn added.
The group began to walk back up the stairs, but they stopped when they noticed that Haunter was staying back. "Hey Haunter, you coming?" Ash asked.
Haunter stayed floating in place, it was slowly scanning the area with its eyes, as if it was looking for something. "Haunter, everything alright?" Ash asked.
Haunter finally snapped out of its trance and looked down at Ash. "Haunt haunt haunt!" (Yeah I'm fine!) it cackled. "Well let's go then." Ash replied.
Haunter shook its head at Ash, and used its hands to ask if it could go and explore on its own. Ash thought about it for a moment, and nodded. "Just don't pull any jokes on us ok? You promise?" Ash asked.
Haunter gave a thumbs-up and floated through the ceiling. "Wonder what was up with Haunter." Ash wondered. "It's a ghost-type Ash, who knows what was on its mind?" Misty replied.
"As long as it's not another prank, after all that nighttime joking around, I've had enough." Dawn said. The group looked around the Chateau, until they finally found two doors that needed to be pulled open. "Looks like a kitchen to me." Dawn said.
Ash went up and pulled the doors open, and they gasped in awe at the amazing kitchen. "Gateau Corner! What a kitchen!" Brock exclaimed.
Everywhere they looked there was equipment that a master chef would feel right at home with. Whisks and measuring cups of the finest quality, Teflon stick-free pans, stainless steel pots, a huge kitchen sink with one side for clean and one side for dirty dishes, A dual fridge and freezer that held food to make anything imaginable, a marble countertop, and an oven that had every setting a chef could think of. Brock's second favorite fantasy come true. His number one favorite fantasy being him surrounded by girls who liked him.
As they walked into the kitchen, another automated voice came on, "You'll find everything you need to make your Gateau!" There was a hole on the countertop where the ingredients to make Old Gateau rose up from inside, and Chef Brock was starting to get really pumped.
"Wow! Now we've got the ingredients AND the recipe! They're begging us to make the stuff!" Brock exclaimed excitedly. "And that means we'll all get to try the Old Gateau after all!" Dawn squealed.
"Great! Let's get started!" Ash rolled up his sleeves and headed for the ingredients, when Brock got in his way. "Why don't you leave the preparation to ol' Brocko? I'll take care of everything." he said.
"That's ok Brock; I wanna try and help you." Ash replied. "Hey Ash, we have to go and do a little training for your gym match, whaddya say we go out to the backyard?" Misty suggested.
"Oh yeah! Thanks Misty, we could use a little workout." Ash said. Ash walked out with Misty following him, but before she walked out, she turned her head and gave a thumbs-up to Brock. "Thanks Misty." Brock mouthed.
"So what do you want me to do Brock?" Dawn asked. "Well I can handle things here, if you wanna train for your next contest you can." Brock replied. "I guess. It has been a while since we did any real training." Dawn said.
"Then go and do what you gotta do. And I'll go and get you when the Gateau is ready to eat!" Brock said.
Dawn nodded and left the kitchen as well, leaving Brock by himself. He cracked his knuckles and eagerly grabbed the ingredients. "This will be my greatest dish ever!"
Out in the backyard, Ash and Misty were getting ready for a training session. Misty called out Vaporeon and Staryu to face off whoever Ash chose. "Alright, Chimchar, Charizard, let's go!" Ash threw out two Pokéballs, and the two fire-types stood ready for battle.
"Since we'll be up against steel-type Pokémon at the Canalave Gym, this is your time to shine!" Ash exclaimed. The two fire-types announced their approval with determined battle cries.
"You ready for us Misty?" Ash yelled. "Bring it on!" Misty replied. "Alright, Chimchar, Charizard, use 'Flamethrower'!" The two fire-types fired a blazing inferno at the two water-types.
"Dodge it!" Staryu managed to spin out of the way with its impressive speed; however the slower Vaporeon wasn't so lucky and got nailed by Charizard's blast.
"Way to go Charizard!" Ash cheered, "Ok, Chimchar, make sure to watch how your opponent's moving so you can nail it this time!" Chimchar fired again, and the speedy Staryu managed to dodge each one. "Keep trying Chimchar!" Ash encouraged.
Chimchar fired one more blast from its mouth, and this time Chimchar's attack did make contact. However, it wasn't Staryu that it hit. "Aah! Chimchar, timeout!"
"Nice shot, wrong target." Misty said. Ash, Misty, and their Pokémon walked over to the lawn mower that had been the unlucky recipient of Chimchar's flame. "Oh man, what did we do now?" Ash groaned.
"Well hold on, hold on, maybe it's ok. Try to start it." Misty said. Ash walked over and pulled on the cord a few times, and then it finally got started. "Phew, that was lucky." Ash sighed, wiping nervous sweat off his forehead.
But then something strange started happening. The lawn mower suddenly changed shape, and it turned orange with green eyes and sharp teeth. "What's going on here?" Misty asked nervously.
The living mower charged, and the group took off running away from it. "How do ya upset a lawn mower?" Ash shouted. "Quick! Let's head inside!" Misty screamed.
They charged for the chateau, but the mower cut them off and looked ready to attack again. Just then, the lawn mower backed off when a flame blasted towards it. "Thanks Charizard! Let's go, quick!" Ash exclaimed. With the lawn mower caught off guard, they ran inside the chateau and left the freaky machine outside.
"What the heck just happened?" Ash ran for the nearby window and looked outside, but what he saw shocked him even further. "It's just a normal lawn mower!"
"We couldn't have been imagining it. It was too real to be fake if that makes any sense." Misty said. "At this point, I'm not sure what's real or fake anymore. That was way spooky." Ash replied.
"Spooky…hey Ash, have you seen Haunter lately?" Misty asked. "No, why?" Ash replied. "You don't suppose Haunter pulled that off somehow do you?" Misty suggested.
"Maybe…but Haunter promised not to pull any jokes, you don't suppose it broke its promise?" Ash asked. "I say we find Haunter." Misty replied. Ash nodded and returned the giant dragon to its Pokéball to speed up the search a little.
Meanwhile, Dawn was practicing with Piplup and Buneary in some sort of music hall. "Buneary, use 'Dizzy Punch'!" The small rabbit softly punched the air using its ears, making small little stars with its graceful movements. "Awesome! Looking good!" Dawn exclaimed.
But then, Dawn felt a strange breeze that seemingly came from nowhere. She turned and saw an electric fan blowing, which puzzled her. "I don't remember a fan being there." Dawn walked over to the machine and switched it off. "Conserve energy. Alright, let's keep it going! Piplup, use 'Bubblebeam'!"
Piplup fired into the air, and at first the bubbles were forming into a shape, but the bubbles suddenly popped as a strong wind blew them around. Dawn turned around and shrieked when she saw that the fan she had just turned off had not only turned itself back on, but it had changed shape and was moaning like a banshee.
"Aah! I'm sure I turned that fan off! I KNOW it!" Dawn and her two terrified Pokémon took off running, as the floating fan chased them around the chateau. "AAAH!"
"Haunt?" (Huh?) The ghost/poison-type heard a shriek on the floor below, and looked down through the floor to see what was up. "Hey Dawn, what's wrong?" Ash yelled.
Ash and Misty had heard the poor girl shriek as well, and were running towards her to check and see what was up. "Ash! Misty! There's this crazy fan!" Dawn turned around and looked on the floor, and there was the fan, but it was inanimate as before. "B-B-But…it wasn't a regular fan a second ago!" Dawn said.
"It's true then Ash, we weren't imagining things." Misty said. "What do you mean?" Dawn asked. "We were just being chased around by a lawn mower." Ash replied.
"You don't suppose what that construction worker said was true, do you?" Dawn asked fearfully. "You mean that ghost story? Maybe. Or it might be Haunter playing a joke on us, either way, it's not funny." Misty replied.
"But it didn't look anything Haunter…wait a minute…where's Brock?" Dawn asked. "Oh man, we gotta warn him!" Ash exclaimed. The trio took off towards the kitchen to find their eldest friend, while Haunter floated back up to its floor.
"Haunter haunt…" (Something's up…) Haunter looked around and caught a glimpse of something small zipping around the corridors, snickering mischievously as it went. "Haunter." (Gotcha.)
Haunter stealthily followed the strange creature, making sure to not be detected by whatever it was. And the more Haunter thought about it, the more this creature felt like exactly what it had sensed from the very beginning of their Old Chateau visit.
The strange creature turned a corner, and just when Haunter turned the same corner, the sneaky little monster had disappeared, forcing Haunter to once again track it down.
Ash, Misty, and Dawn were running for the kitchen, when suddenly a lawn mower appeared in front of them. "What's a lawn mower doing in here?" Dawn asked nervously. "No…it can't be…" Ash said. The lawn mower changed shape and started chasing them. "IT IS!"
As the lawn mower chased them, Misty spotted a stairwell. "Quick! Up there!" Ash and Dawn followed the red head up the stairs, and caught their breath as the lawn mower kept going since it couldn't climb up.
"I guess we're safe for now." Dawn panted. "The more I think about it, the less I think it's Haunter." Misty admitted. "Then if it isn't Haunter, then we really need to get to Brock, he's down on the first floor all by himself!" Ash exclaimed.
"Well why don't we go out the back w-…" Dawn cut herself off. "Where'd a washing machine come from?" she screamed fearfully. The mysterious machine changed shape and came alive, and blasted a spray of water at the group.
"Let's get out of here!" Ash yelled. The group took off running once again, as the living washing machine hopped after them. "That settles it! Haunter definitely isn't behind this!" Misty cried.
"Guys look! An elevator!" Dawn exclaimed. Ash practically smashed the elevator button with his palm, and the door immediately opened for them. They looked back to see if the washing machine was still following them, it was. "Come on!" Ash shoved the two girls into the elevator and closed the door behind them, just before the washing machine reached them and wound up smashing into the closed door.
They took a moment to catch their breath as the elevator slowly carried them to the first floor. "Anyone hurt?" Misty asked. The Pokémon shook their heads, but Buneary was the most frightened by the ordeal. The small rabbit leaned into Pikachu for comfort, which Pikachu tried to provide with a soft embrace.
As they finally reached the first floor, the group braced themselves. "Alright, it'll be looking for us." Ash said. "Be careful everyone." Dawn added. The Pokémon nodded, but needless to say they were still a little nervous, Buneary more than the others.
Pikachu made sure to stand in front of Buneary to protect her in case the thing was there, but for the moment it seemed that they were safe. "Looks like the coast is clear." Ash said. "For the moment at least." Misty added.
"We've gotta get to Brock and quick!" Dawn exclaimed in a hushed tone. But just before they got moving again, a fan appeared and started chasing them down the corridor. "We've gotta lose this thing somehow!" Misty cried. "Look, it's the kitchen, hurry!" Ash yelled.
They poured on the speed to try and escape, as the fan was quickly gaining ground on them. Luckily they made it into the kitchen in time. Misty and Dawn shut the door behind them, but Ash had unfortunately tripped over his own feet and slid across the waxed kitchen floor and slammed his head into a cabinet. "Ouch."
"You ok Ash?" Brock asked. "For the most part." Ash replied. "Hey, what's up with you guys? You look like you've seen a ghost." Brock said.
"Y-Y-You don't know how right you are!" Ash exclaimed. "That's just what we saw!" Dawn added. The Pokémon hopped onto the counter to fortify this statement, and the still frightened Buneary was still hiding behind Pikachu in fear. "Sounds to me like your imagination's at work." Brock said with a sweat-drop.
Misty grabbed Brock by the collar, pulled him down to her level and stared him down. "Look me in the eyes Brock; does it look like I'm kidding?" Misty stared at him with the most serious expression she could muster. "No. But still, it seems a bit farfetched." Brock replied.
"We're serious Brock! We were being chased by a ghost fan and a ghost washing machine!" Dawn exclaimed. "We gotta get out of here fast!" Ash added.
"This is no time to leave, especially when the Gateau's almost ready to eat." Brock opened up the fridge and pulled out the French pastry he had worked so hard to make. "Done. Presenting the famous Old Gateau."
When Brock turned his back to the fridge, the trio facing him cried out in fear. Brock turned around to see what they were scared of, but all he saw was the fridge. He turned back to them and raised an eyebrow at them. "Hey, what's wrong?"
The fridge behind Brock transformed again, causing the trio to once again cry out in fear. "Look behind you Brock!" Ash exclaimed fearfully.
Brock turned back again, and again he saw a regular fridge. "It's a fridge, what's your point?" he asked. "Brock look! Quick!" Misty cried.
Annoyed, Brock refused for a moment, but when he eventually did look, he caught a glimpse of a weird glow. Brock turned back to the trio and their Pokémon, they were shuddering in fear. "Ok, I must be missing something."
Brock looked back and forth a few times, and then finally decided to try and trick the weird thing that he wasn't even sure was there. He waited a second, and then looked. "Ah ha!" Brock indeed caught the thing that was scaring his friends, but now he regretted even noticing. "Eh…" Brock sweat-dropped at the fact that the fridge had grown a face.
"You believe us now?" Misty whimpered. The jig was up on the freaky fridge, so since it couldn't hide anymore, it advanced to attack, causing the group to take off running while the fridge chasing it blasted a freezing wind towards them.
"W-What is that?" Brock yelled fearfully. "I dunno, but whatever it is it ain't friendly!" Ash replied. Seeing that it wouldn't be able to chase them, the fridge lumbered through the kitchen and came through the door as a microwave, blasting a flame at the group of teens and Pokémon.
"AAAH!"
"Haunt?" (Huh?) Haunter had been looking for the strange creature that had eluded it, and judging by the screams coming from the first floor, Haunter knew now where it was. Haunter slipped through the floors with its ghostly powers, and saw a microwave attacking its new master and his friends.
Before the microwave could fire another blast of flame, Haunter formed a 'Shadow Ball' and blasted it at the fridge. "It's Haunter!" Ash exclaimed. "Then that means Haunter really is innocent!" Misty added.
Haunter blasted another 'Shadow Ball', and knocked the strange creature out of the microwave. "Haunter haunter haunt haunt haunter!" (I like jokes too but you're going too far!)
When the humans saw exactly what was chasing them, they gasped in shock. "That doesn't look like any ghost I've ever seen." Misty said. "Maybe it isn't one, hold on." Ash pulled out his Pokédex and scanned the creature. The Pokédex's explanation confirmed their suspicion. "Rotom, the Plasma Pokémon. Rotom plays practical jokes, which it carries out by embedding its plasma body in electronic devices."
"Devices? Like…appliances?" Dawn asked. "That means everything that's been happening has been the work of that one Rotom." Ash added.
Its cover may have been blown, but Rotom was determined to get all the fun it could out of Ash and his friends. It zipped around the corner and came back as a lawn mower, and once again the group took off running and screaming as Rotom chased them. Haunter had stayed back; it was snickering a little at the whole thing. But while it admitted to itself that Rotom was indeed a master at practical jokes, it was taking the joke too far by actually doing something that could hurt them.
Haunter regained its composure and took off after them. Meanwhile, Ash and Co. had reached another staircase. "Quick! Up the stairs!" Ash yelled. The group followed Ash up the stairs, Ash figured that going upstairs helped them dodge the lawn mower Rotom once, maybe it would help again.
Unfortunately this time, Rotom knew that they knew what it was, so it felt no huge need to hide anymore. It came out of the lawn mower, zipped up the stairs and came back as a washing machine. "U turn!" Misty screamed.
The group ran back down the stairs as the washing machine Rotom lumbered after them. "Quick! Outside!" Brock yelled. The group ran for the doors, and they did indeed make it outside, however it wasn't a graceful trip as they were blasted outside by a high-pressured blast of water from Rotom.
They hit the ground with a thud. "At least the Old Gateau is safe." Brock sighed. Rotom bounced outside still inside the washing machine it had possessed, snickering at them as it enjoyed its practical joke. "Now what'll we do?" Dawn asked fearfully.
Haunter was once again laughing at the joke which it admitted to itself was funny. "But you've gotta know when it's time to stop joking around and be serious." Haunter remembered what Ash had told him earlier, and forced itself to stop laughing at the joke and start helping its friends.
"What's it gonna do now?" Misty asked fearfully. Rotom readied another blast of water and aimed it at the group, but just then Haunter appeared and merged with the washing machine to try and chase Rotom out of it. "W-What's Haunter doing?" Ash asked. "I think he's trying to force Rotom out of the washing machine!" Brock replied.
Haunter came out a moment later with Rotom in its firm grasp. Rotom struggled to get free of Haunter's grasp. Since they were both part ghost-type, Rotom couldn't simply float out of Haunter's disembodied fist.
"Way to go Haunter!" Ash cheered. But Rotom wasn't finished yet. It readied a 'Discharge' in hopes of getting free of Haunter's grip, but the ghost/poison-type was prepared and threatened to use 'Shadow Ball' at point blank range if Rotom tried any tricks.
Seeing that the joke was indeed over, Rotom submitted to Haunter's will and settled down. Haunter released Rotom and allowed it to be interrogated by Ash and Co.
Ash saw the frightened expression on Rotom's face, and slowly approached it to try and calm it. "Hey Rotom, why were you trying to scare us like that?" he asked gently. Piplup jumped on top of the washing machine and started chirping off at Rotom, which made the Plasma Pokémon feel a little guilty as it sweat-dropped and wrung its electric limbs together.
"Maybe Rotom was just trying to play with us." Dawn suggested. Rotom nodded at the coordinator. "Really? That's all it was?" Ash asked. Rotom nodded again, and then Haunter had something to say to the Plasma Pokémon. "Haunt haunt, haunter haunt haunt haunter haunter." (It's ok to joke, but you have to know how far is too far.)
Rotom just floated there for a moment, but eventually nodded at its fellow practical joker. Rotom then faced Ash and Co. and drooped its head as if to apologize. "It's ok Rotom, we're not angry. You were just trying to make friends, right?" Ash said.
Rotom nodded again, and zipped over onto Dawn's head and laid there. "You know, you're actually kinda cute." Dawn giggled. Dawn didn't think so for long, as Rotom gently zapped Dawn and frizzed her hair up into a big puffy mess. "Rotom, what are you doing?" Dawn screamed. Rotom then shifted over to Misty and did the same with her hair, and followed up with Ash and Brock's.
Rotom zipped back over to Haunter, and asked it what it had just done was "going too far". Haunter laughed heartily at the humans, and that gave Rotom its answer as it too laughed along with Haunter.
"Looks like Rotom doesn't know when to quit." Brock said. "Ohhh! What am I gonna do about my hair?" Dawn whined. "You? Your hair's almost always a mess! MY hair is gonna have a huge problem!" Misty replied.
The Pokémon below laughed at their masters, and that made the humans also start laughing at each other. "You look awful too Ash." Misty giggled. "Oh yeah? Well I happen to like that hairstyle you've got." Ash said.
That caught Misty off guard. "Y-You do?" she asked with a sweat-drop. "Sure." Ash grabbed his Pokéballs off his belt and placed them in Misty's hair. "Awesome, you look like a decoration now." Ash laughed.
Naturally, Misty didn't find that amusing, and Ash immediately understood what he needed to do now. Run. "Get back here Ash Ketchum!" Misty chased after her boyfriend with mallet in hand, forcing the others to laugh as well. "Unfortunately, Rotom messed up the Gateau with that last shock, so I'll have to make another one." Brock said.
Rotom suddenly looked guilty again. "Hey, don't worry. Shouldn't take too long. Why don't you and Haunter go and play around the Chateau for a while? Just make sure you leave us alone, ok?" Brock said.
Rotom excitedly nodded and went off with Haunter to zip around the Chateau. "Jokers stick together I guess." Dawn sighed.
So after the group cooled off and fixed their hair, Dawn and Brock went off to the kitchen and started on another batch of Gateau. Meanwhile, Ash and Misty watched as Haunter and Rotom zipped around the large lobby, while Pikachu tried to keep up with them by hopping up on top of things.
"They sure look like they're having fun." Ash said. "Well how many practical joking Pokémon can it have known? Haunter and Rotom are probably telling each other about all the jokes they've pulled." Misty replied.
"Hey Ash, I know you just caught Haunter and all, but I was wondering if…maybe you should leave it behind to keep Rotom company." Misty said.
Ash pondered it for a moment. "Well Mist, I was kinda already thinking something similar. I was thinking maybe I would ask Rotom if it would like to be my Pokémon, maybe if it met my other Pokémon it would know how to make friends easier."
"Ash, I love the way you give sympathy to Pokémon of all kinds, but may I say something?" Misty asked. "Sure thing Mist, what's up?" Ash replied.
"If you let BOTH those practical jokers travel with us, NONE of us will get any sleep until we get so sick of them that we release them." Misty said.
Ash chuckled at that. "Way ahead of ya Mist. I was thinking I would send Haunter to Professor Oak so it could keep Rotom company until it made friends with all my other Pokémon. Plus, I bet Professor Oak would love to do some research on Rotom. And best of all, Bulbasaur will be able to keep them in check until they settle down." Ash said.
"That's smart Ash. I'm impressed." Misty said. "Hey, I do have my moments." Ash chuckled. Ash got up from his spot next to Misty. "Hey Rotom, Haunter, come down here a minute!" Ash called.
The two Pokémon floated down to where Ash was, while Pikachu hopped down from a banister and into Misty's waiting arms for a rest. "Looks like you two have become fast friends." Ash said. Haunter and Rotom glanced at each other with smiles.
"Say, Rotom, how'd you like to become my Pokémon?" Ash asked. Rotom's smile quickly vanished and it backed off shyly. "What's wrong Rotom?" Ash asked.
Rotom rubbed its electric limbs together nervously at Ash's proposition. "Come on Rotom, you'll get to stick with Haunter and make all sorts of new friends! Isn't that a lot better than being all alone in the Chateau?" Ash said.
Rotom glanced back and forth between Ash and Haunter, it was kind of lonely in the Old Chateau, and it had indeed become friends with Haunter. Then Pikachu and Haunter spoke up and talked to Rotom, and immediately the smile it was previously wearing returned.
Rotom turned back to Ash and agreed to become his Pokémon, which made a smile appear on Ash's face. "Awesome!" Ash pulled out an empty Pokéball and gently touched the Plasma Pokémon's body with it, making the capture official. "Alright! I just caught…a Rotom!"
Ash's celebration was cut short when the Pokéball containing Rotom vanished into thin air. "Oops, I forgot I already had eight Pokémon." Ash sweat-dropped. Misty and Pikachu laughed at that.
"Haunt haunter haunt?" (What about me?) the ghost/poison-type asked. "Don't worry Haunter, as soon as we find a phone in this place, I'll send you to Professor Oak's so you can join Rotom." Ash said.
The search took a while, but Ash, Misty, Pikachu, and Haunter eventually found a videophone within the Old Chateau. Ash dialed the familiar laboratory, and an even more familiar face answered it. "Hey guys! Two calls in one day? You must be really bored." Tracey joked.
"Very funny Trace. Where's Professor Oak?" Ash asked. "The Professor had to um…he went to the little researcher's room." Tracey replied with a sweat-drop.
"Oh, well I had a Pokémon I'd like to send over there, can you do it?" Ash asked. "I think I've messed with this machine enough to know how to use it the right way, sure." Tracey replied.
Ash smiled and returned Haunter to its Pokéball, and then placed it in a socket next to the videophone, and in a flash, the Pokéball reached Prof. Oak's laboratory. "Awesome. You want one of your Pokémon back?" Tracey asked.
"Nah, I'm alright with these guys for now. But if I do need another one I'll let you know." Ash said. "Good. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got a hot date with a current Gym Leader." Tracey said.
Misty finally piped up at that comment, "You've got another date with Daisy? Wow, I think you've got the record for her steadiest boyfriend."
"But, we've only been going out for two weeks." Tracey said. "I know." Misty replied simply. "Wow…that doesn't exactly fill me with confidence you know." Tracey groaned.
"Don't worry Tracey, as long as you keep your cool and draw a picture of her every now and then," Misty rolled her eyes as she said that, "I'm sure Daisy will consider you as more than just 'another guy' in no time."
"I'm glad you're on my side." Tracey sighed. The couple said goodbye and good luck to the Pokémon Watcher, as he hung up the phone and got ready for what would hopefully be a great night. "Who was that Tracey?" Prof. Oak asked, coming out of the bathroom.
"Oh, it was Ash; he wanted to send me this Pokémon." Tracey replied. "Oh? Well let's see what he sent us." Prof. Oak moved forward to examine the Pokéball, but then he noticed a Pokéball lying in his retrieval machine. "Ash must've caught another Pokémon." Prof. Oak said.
"Sorry Professor, I'd love to stay and chat, but I've got a date. Seeya later!" Tracey bolted from the lab to make his date on time, but the sudden departure caught the Professor off guard. "Well, farewell, I suppose."
The Professor grabbed the Pokéball in the retrieval machine and the Pokéball Tracey was previously holding, and examined them for a moment before tossing them into the air. "Let's see what we've got here!"
Back at the Old Chateau, Brock and Dawn had just finished making a second batch of Old Gateau, and they went outside where the sun was setting to enjoy it. They had all agreed that they had had enough of ghost stories, so they decided to eat outside just to make themselves feel better.
They found a bench near the island's Pokémon Center and sat down to rest and finally put something in their stomachs after a long and hard day. "So this is the Old Gateau huh?" Ash said.
"Yup. And this one's gonna stay in one piece." Brock replied. "It looks delicious! And on that note, let's dig in!" Dawn was the first to take a bite of her Gateau, and the rest followed suit.
They moaned ecstatically as the cake hit their taste buds, and they blushed from the amount of happiness the Gateau made them have. "It's delicious! With just the perfect touch of sweetness!" Brock exclaimed.
"It's awesome! With perfect texture!" Dawn squealed. "It tastes like everything good in this world all rolled into one!" Misty added. "Wow, this stuff could make a grown man cry!" Ash also added.
"You know what? We should probably send some of this stuff to Professor Oak, after all, he told us about it." Misty said.
"Good idea Mist." Ash took a small piece of Gateau and gave to his yellow friend, who happily gobbled it up. "Eat up Pikachu, because tomorrow our training begins in a big way."
Pikachu acknowledged, and after the group finished enjoying their meal, they headed to the Pokémon Center to get some rest. "Think we should send the Gateau now?" Ash asked.
"Nah, it's getting late, it'll keep until tomorrow." Misty said. Just then, Nurse Joy approached them. "Excuse me, which of you is Ash Ketchum?"
"That's me, what's up?" Ash asked. "There's a request from THE Professor Oak for you to call his laboratory. You actually know Professor Oak?" Nurse Joy asked.
"Yeah, didn't you see him last night?" Ash asked. "Ash, we're on a different island, she doesn't know anything that happened." Misty reminded.
"Oh yeah, sorry." Ash sweat-dropped. "You two go. Dawn and I will get our room for the night." Brock said.
Ash was about to walk away, when he suddenly turned around and took the Gateau from Brock. "As long as I have to call him I might as well send him the Gateau." Ash said. Brock couldn't argue with that, and the group split into two as they went their separate ways.
Ash reached the videophones and dialed the lab once again. After a few rings, the phone still hadn't answered. "That's weird." Misty had commented. But what came next was even weirder, the phone DID pick up, but it wasn't Professor Oak or even Tracey that answered.
"Daisy? What are you doing at Professor Oak's?" Misty asked. "Well me and Tracey USED TO like, have a date, but then your Professor dude called right in the middle about an emergency!" Daisy replied, rather irritated.
"Well what's wrong?" Ash asked. Daisy looked about ready to make a long diatribe when Professor Oak rushed onto the screen. "Thank you Daisy, please, go help Tracey now!"
Daisy sighed and rushed off with what looked like Starmie by her side. "Ash, what did I ever do to you to deserve this?" the Professor exclaimed almost desperately. "You didn't do anything, what are you talking about?" Ash asked.
"I mean sending me those two monsters you captured! They're running amuck!" Professor Oak exclaimed.
"Oh no." Ash face-palmed. "Lemme talk to them Professor."
"I'd like to oblige, but we don't have them right now, they're out of control!" Prof. Oak said. "Well, where's Bulbasaur?" Ash asked.
"Both Bulbasaur AND Bayleef are outside trying to corral all your Tauros that they stampeded!" Prof. Oak said.
"Oh boy. Was anyone hurt?" Ash asked. "No, there was no one outside at the time; it seems to me that it was just a practical joke gone bad." Prof. Oak replied.
Ash sighed. "Do you have any idea where they are?"
"Yes I do! Sceptile and Tracey's Scyther are trying to catch them before they cause any more trouble!" Prof. Oak said.
Just then, Haunter and Rotom rushed by the screen, cackling mischievously as they went by. A few moments later, Tracey and Scyther ran by. Tracey stopped when he noticed Ash and Misty on the videophone. "Thanks a lot guys!" Tracey said bitterly.
Ash and Misty shrunk back with guilt. Both Daisy and Tracey were bitter at them for ruining their date. "Hey, get back here!" Tracey ran off the screen just as Daisy came back on. "Hey Daisy! You evolved Horsea into Seadra?" Misty asked.
Daisy turned to the screen and nodded with a temporary smile as she was reminded of her newest achievement as a Gym Leader. But the smile quickly vanished when Rotom zoomed over her head and forced her to duck. "Like, you ruin my hair and I'll put you in a rubber glove!" she threatened.
"Um, Professor, I know it's a bad time, but I'd like to send you…" Ash was cut-off. "Don't send me anything else unless it's something to keep these two in check." Prof. Oak said.
Just then, Haunter and Rotom zipped in front of the screen and greeted Ash and Misty excitedly. "Guys, behave ok?" Ash exclaimed.
Haunter and Rotom suddenly vanished as the Professor sent them back to their Pokéballs. "(Sigh) Finally. Alright everyone, you can relax."
Tracey and his Scyther, Daisy and Starmie, Sceptile, and then even Bulbasaur and Bayleef all crowded the screen, glaring at Ash angrily. "Aww Bayleef, even YOU'RE mad at me?" Ash asked.
Bayleef nodded at Ash, which made him feel awful. "Well hey, I know this probably won't make up for it, but I have some Old Gateau here for you guys if you want it." Ash said.
The Professor quickly cleared the screen with excitement. "You actually have some Old Gateau? Well send it then!"
Ash did just that, and a few moments later the Old Gateau was in the laboratory. "You're forgiven Ash." Prof. Oak said. "Speak for yourself!" the rest of the group exclaimed, the Pokémon shouting in their own language.
"Well, gotta go! Bye!" Ash quickly hung up the phone to avoid his friends' diatribe. "You think the Gateau will cool them off?" Misty asked. "If it doesn't, I better find a way to buy a house here in Sinnoh." Ash replied with a sigh.
So with two new additions to Ash's team hanging at Prof. Oak's lab, the group would continue on tomorrow for Ash's next gym battle.
_
A/N: So who was expecting that huh? I bet a few of you as you read on. But I betcha you weren't expecting for Haunter to get sent back to Prof. Oak. Guess what that means? Haunter was NOT meant to fill the eighth slot on Ash's team. That's right, the REAL Pokemon in waiting is still out there somewhere, and it's up to you guys to guess who it'll be. ^^ As will be the custom from this point on. All signed reviews will recieve messages from me saying when the next update will be. I want my readers to know exactly when to expect the next chapter after all. ^^ But if you don't want a message, lemme know ok? I wanna try and make everyone happy. Anyways, keep an eye out for updates!