Chapter 31: The Love Yacht

"Oh great suggestion, Donatello!" said Raphael sarcastically. The Turtles, Trainers and Pikachu exited a new pizzeria named "PICK-O-PECK-O-PIZZA with the Turtles in disguises of Fedora hats and trench coats. They looked disappointed by their new outing.

"Yeah, dude!" added Michelangelo. "Next time you want to Pick-o-Peck-o-Pizza, include us out!" Leonardo opened a Styrofoam box, a tiny pizza inside.

"I've never seen pizzas this tiny before," he pointed out.

"My mom's homemade cookies are bigger than these things," Ash compared before scarfing his tiny pizza. He winced at the poor quality in his mouth. "Ugh! And they're not even that good!" Brock and Pikachu ate their portions with the same results.

"Tell me about it," Brock groaned. "They not big enough to fill a baby."

("Or me for that matter,") Pikachu agreed.

"I bet anything these pizzas were made in some sort of machine than by hand," Brock wagered.

"And you know how I feel about machine produced pizzas," Ash reminded. "Especially the fun factor of doing it handmade."

"Amen to that, dudes," Michelangelo acknowledged. "This must be how that McDonald Crump dude got to be a multi-bazillionaire!"

"Some claim to fame owning the chintziest chain of pizza parlors," Raphael scoffed as he and the Turtles ate their portions with disappointed reactions.

"How he became that rich with these dull pizzas is a real mystery," Brock shook. "And I doubt it's because these disappointments cost $8.99 each."

"Rip-off city," Michelangelo nicknamed. "From now on, I'm gonna stick to good ol' Vinnie's."

"I second that," Ash agreed. "At least Vinnie knows how to make a pizza right and have a fair price." Everyone else agreed, even Pikachu. However, Donatello had a counter.

"Oh, but Vinnie doesn't give away these free scratch-off prize cards," he pointed out as he scratched off his card. "Hey, I won! Let's see! His happy mood deflated instantly. "I won another puny pizza." Others scratched off their cards, the trainers with coins.

"Me too," Leonardo irked.

"Me three," Michelangelo mulled. "That's not a prize, it's a punishment!" Brock looked at what was on his card and mulled.

"Mind if I join the club?" he requested. Michelangelo seemed surprised.

"Et tu, Brocko-Dude?" he guessed. Brock nodded somberly. Raphael celebrated at seeing what was on his card.

"Not me!" he cheered. "I won a real prize: A free pass to McDonald Crump's Big Birthday Cruise!" Ash saw what was on his card and cheered as well.

"I got a free pass as well!" he cheered. "I guess there's some good with the bad!"

"Yeah!" cheered Raphael as he and Ash exchanged a high-five.

"Hold the phone, Raphael!" halted Leonardo. "You can't just mosey along with a bunch of humans!" Brock looked at Ash's winning card.

"Or maybe he can!" he noticed.

"What do you mean?" questioned Donatello.

"According to the card," Brock read. "McDonald Crump's party is a costume party." Raphael looked at his winning card.

"Well, what do you know!?" he awed. "And I have the perfect costume!" They returned to the Lair where April, Pete and Splinter saw Raphael no different.

"The natural look!" figured Pete.

"Totally righteous, dude!" agreed Michelangelo.

"A wonderful costume, Raphael!" praised April.

"Going as a Ninja Turtle is radical!" agreed Michelangelo.

"Sometimes, the simplest solution is the best," Splinter briefed.

"Maybe, but April beat me to getting a costume for Ash," Pete sighed.

"Yeah, knowing you," April scoffed. "You'd probably would've put him in some sporty attire." Pete gulped to April's call-out. Images of Ash dressed as a football player, a basketball player and a baseball player scrolled through his mind.

"I mean, he's an athlete in the making!" argued Pete. Before long, Ash emerged.

"Well?" he voiced. "How do I look?" Everyone looked to see Ash wearing a black loose shirt under a vest and black trousers with boots on. He wore black gloves with no exposed fingers, a black cape on his back and a red sash around his waist. Lastly, he wore a black eye mask and a black fedora. Everyone awed the new look of Ash.

"Nothing simplistic about that!" awed Brock. "You look suave!"

"All you need is a rapier, and you're set!" added Leonardo.

"You… look… incredible!" cooed April.

"Thanks!" accepted Ash. Pete looked at a watch on his wrist.

"Oh, look at the time!" he alerted. "April, you and Vernon are covering the event, right?" April realized the timing.

"It does bite that Burne's lifted Vernon's ban on holding the camera, but he's still got a strong leash on him," she informed.

"Hey, we'll see you at the party!" allowed Raphael. April and Pete nodded before leaving. At night, Ash and Raphael emerged to find the giant yacht. Donatello and Brock also joined.

"Well, I hope you two have fun," Brock wished.

"Relax, it'll be fine!" scoffed Raphael.

"Still, don't go too overboard," Donatello warned. Ash and Raphael nodded before they left for the yacht. Vernon held a camera aimed at the yacht and April in front.

"The city's movers and shakers are all here for McDonald Crump's spectacular birthday bash, including the man of the hour himself: McDonald Crump," she reported as a middle-aged man in a suit and orange bandanna yellow dots stood by her. April had the mic to him. "Tell us, why do you throw such lavish parties?"

"Well, April…" he started. "I can tell everyone about the lavish pizzas at Pick-o-Peck-o-Pizzas!"

"Of course," April acknowledged. "And thank you very much, Mr. Crump." McDonald walked off. Vernon lowered the camera.

"I thought we're covering a story, not a commercial," he complained.

"Hey, just be lucky Mr. Thompson's lifting your restrictions since that time in Dimension X," April retorted.

"I suppose so. After all, aren't those Pokey boys that you hang out with also in on this? I heard you found a costume for one."

"And it's that one!" She pointed to Ash as he came by.

"Did you two need me for something?" he asked.

"Just telling Vernon what's going on here," April briefed.

"He looks like a miniature Zorro from some movies I own," Vernon pointed out. "Still, you'd look better as yourself, not some suave egomaniac."

"Thanks," Ash groaned. He turned to see a green lizard with a yellow chest, a pink ascot and brown hair in a ponytail all over Raphael.

"Is that… Raphael?" wondered April.

"And what's with the lizard with gorgeous brunette hair?" questioned Vernon.

"Probably love at first sight like with Irma and Brock?" guessed Ash. Shaking his head, he turned to the news crew. "I'll see you on the yacht." He joined the rest of the party-goers onto the yacht. Ash presented his pass and came on board. The yacht left port where music played and Ash seemed out of it. He spotted April and Vernon again with McDonald dancing.

"The party is in full swing as we pull out of the harbor," she observed before eyeing McDonald. "I must admit: McDonald Crump really know how to throw a party."

"Get down, everyone!" cheered McDonald as he twisted his body in and out. "Let's do the Peck-o-Pasta- uh, Piece-of-Pesto!" A grown man wearing what looked like Donatello's mask and a cardboard box painted to look like a turtle shell found Ash.

"Hey, did you see another 'turtle' roaming around?" he wondered. "I saw you with him."

"Yeah, he disappeared from my sight," Ash shrugged.

"At least you've got something snazzy that my wife would like!" the man praised. "Listen, if you see him, let me know and I'll set things straight." Ash smiled before they proceeded onward. This party became a bore for him.

'This party sure isn't turning out to be as much fun as I thought it would be,' he minded. 'There's no one but a bunch of grown people around here. I wish Pikachu's with me instead of back with Brock and the other Turtles in the Lair.' He took a breath of the oceanic air. 'Oh well… At least I'm out here enjoying the fresh night air. Though… I wonder who was that strange girl in the lizard costume that was all over Raphael? She acted as if they met before.' He turned to find a girl wearing a pink gown and tiara. The brunette under the moon sighed, holding her head up with white elbow gloves. Ash saw her from a level below. 'Hey, there's someone as young as me!' He studied her further. 'She sure looks bored to death. I don't blame her. I can offer her some company.' He found his way to the topmost deck where he approached. "Excuse me…" The girl turned and found Ash. "Hi." The girl sighed, sounding relieved.

"Finally…" she calmed. "There's someone as young as me in this drag of a party." Ash realized the party was not something she enjoyed.

"Not turning out to be a fun night for you either, huh?"

"You have no idea. I was invited here with my grandfather just the other day. I thought it was going to be a fun night for me, only to see that it's a party of boredom with a bunch of dull grown-ups and no one young like me… at least, until you showed up."

"I don't blame ya. I came here with a friend after we won free passes at one of Crump's pizzerias." Eyes grew from the girl.

"You won a free pass instead of getting one by mail?"

"Yeah… but like you, this is not turning to be a good time." The shared claims made the girl sigh.

"Looks like we're on the same boat, figuratively and literally."

"Seems like it." Noticing Ash's mask, the brunette made a request.

"By the way, I really like your costume. You really pull off the Zorro look."

"Thanks! Your costume is gorgeous. You look like a princess."

"Thanks yourself! But… why don't you take off your mask and show your face? It's a costume party, not a masquerade."

"Oh, sure." Complying, Ash removed his face mask. His bare face made the girl awe.

"Wow, what a handsome boy!" The compliment made Ash blush and itch the back of his head.

"Well… I… Thanks…" Clearing his throat, Ash felt ready to introduce himself. "Where are my manners? Let me introduce myself. I'm Ash Ketchum."

"Nice to meet you Ash. I'm Buffy Shellhammer." They shook hands as the lizard brunette rounded the edge of the deck and spotted the two. "My grandfather's the CEO of the family-owned Shellhammer Chemicals and I'm the next in line…"

"Must be a big company if you're taking the business after your grandfather wants to step down."

"Yeah… but it's hard when I've been sheltered." The added moment made Ash gasp.

"Whoa… So your whole life, you never got to go out and have fun?"

"Yes. All I ever want is to live my life my way and have fun just like any other kid. I don't want to be bored out of my mind running some big company. I tried talking to my grandfather about it, but he won't listen, as would anyone else. It's tearing me apart!" The story made Ash and the lizard brunette look somber to Buffy.

"I can definitely understand." The reply made Buffy irk.

"You can?"

"Yeah, you wanna escape and be free from being isolated from the world. You want to have adventure and fun while you're still young. I'll be honest, running a chemical company doesn't suit you. In fact, it's not your ideal choice for a career, let alone that it's a lot of responsibility. You deserve freedom and a life, not be controlled by your grandfather and his company." The encouragement made Buffy smile.

"At last… Someone finally understands me!" The story had Ash thinking hard on Buffy's situation.

"I want to help you out. I just wish I knew how."

"Maybe one day, we'll figure it out." That's when they heard music, a soft and slow tempo that had a melody behind it. "In the meantime, would you care to dance with me?" She offered her hand to Ash as he gulped.

"Of course… though to be perfectly honest, I'm not much of a dancer." It didn't bother a giggling Buffy.

"Don't worry about it. I'll show you. Just follow my lead and once you get the hang of it, I'll follow yours."

"Well… if you insist." They walked to the dance floor where Buffy helped Ash dance with a slow trot. As they danced, they gazed in each other's eyes.

'Gosh, it's a refreshing moment that he understands my issues.' As they danced, April and Vernon watched Ash and Buffy dancing.

"For a moment, I was getting worried about him," she admitted.

"From all that we saw, he's nothing more that a nuisance to those still stuck in Dimension X," Vernon scoffed. "If there was a way he'd conquer that obscurity, that dimension will crumble at the foundation. I bet his parents know what a troublesome boy he's been." Suddenly, there was a loud humming.

"I think troublesome just found us!" gasped April. Ash and Buffy stopped dancing and looked to the noise. The yacht was aglow.

"Don't tell me…" growled Ash. The crowd on the boat were getting fearful. Ash and Buffy came to the side rail where they saw a beam striking the yacht, but not damaging it. A black submarine emerged with a skull and crossbones painted on the side.

"What's that!?" shrieked Buffy.

"I beg to inform you that there's been a slight change in the scheduled entertainment!" a man from the submarine laughed. Ash pulled the mask from his waist, ready to help the crowd.

"What do we do?" wondered Buffy. There's trouble and Ash might need help.

TO BE CONTINUED...