Chapter 43: Coming out of the Shellhammer

The Turtles, Trainers, Mona Lisa and Pikachu sat watching TV where a young brunette girl was showing April around. They stopped inside a dining room. "Here's the main dining room of the Shellhammer Estate," she presented. She wore a faded yellow shirt under a light blue dress vest and blue trousers. She also wore a tiara with a ribbon in her hair.

"Do you give many dinner parties here?" asked April.

"Not since my grandfather passed away, I'm afraid. Now its main use is with charity functions. I'm rather active with 27 charities, in addition to running Shellhammer Chemicals. I believe we all should contribute in some small way to making this world a better place."

"Buffy Shellhammer. Heiress to the Shellhammer fortunes, CEO of Shellhammer Chemical, perhaps the most powerful and the most respected teenager in the world today. April O'Neil, Happy Hour News." The Turtles and Trainers saw April's interview with Michelangelo humming in awe.

"I think I'm in love!" he exclaimed. The Turtles and Trainers looked to Michelangelo with groans.

"Forget it, Michelangelo," Leonardo denied. "It would never work out."

"She's not even a turtle," Donatello pointed out.

"So?" shrugged Michelangelo. "Nobody's perfect."

"Not that you were one to begin with," Mona Lisa argued. Michelangelo scoffed to Mona Lisa's reply.

"Still, I think she deserves a chance to see myself and my handsomeness," he proclaimed. "Besides, Leonardo's got that fling with Lotus Blossom." Leonardo's face became red in embarrassment.

"We don't have a 'fling,' Michelangelo!" he argued. "Raphael has more of a fling with Mona Lisa."

"I'd prefer Brock and Irma." Raphael countered. Brock turned his head and slightly whistled, not willing to take place in the argument. "But what about her mansion? I sure could deal with that travel of luxury." Hearing the others, Splinter faced Raphael.

"Outward appearances are often deceiving, Raphael," he advised. "For all her wealth, I fear Buffy is not a happy young woman." Ash believed Splinter with a nod.

"That's not even the half of it," he finally spoke up. Everyone turned to Ash, curious to the claim.

"Oh, really?" wondered Michelangelo. "What makes you so sure?" Ash turned to a couple of witnesses.

"Pikachu, do you remember that girl at Crump's yacht for his party that I told you to protect?" he asked. Pikachu gasped to the girl Ash recalled.

("That was Buffy!?") he squeaked.

"So, that girl that was with you when we rescued the partiers was Buffy Shellhammer!?" guessed Mona Lisa.

"Yeah," Ash confirmed. "As a matter of fact, she was mainly under her grandpa's wing to take over the family company, and she didn't want that. I guess with her grandpa's death, she's got no choice." The story made the others awe and mull Buffy's situation.

"Something tells me that you want to see how she's doing," Raphael guessed. Ash seemed hesitant to answer. At the estate, Buffy helped April and Irma put the camera equipment away.

"Thanks for your help, Buffy," April praised.

"It's not a problem," Buffy smiled. "Usually, I'm a little reserved and annoying… but after the party that Captain Filch tried to ruin, and Ash saving me as well as the other partiers, I feel more at ease than anything despite my grandfather passing away." The name made Irma ponder.

"Ash?" she repeated.

"That was you at McDonald Crump's yacht that long ago?" gawked April.

"Yeah, and I saw you with Ash as I was being checked out," Buffy recalled. April knew she had nothing to hide.

"I've been trying to make sure he's okay like a mother would," she admitted.

"I can understand," Buffy giggled. "Say, is it alright if I ask for a favor?" April and Irma looked to each other, not sure what it would be.

"We do need to report back to Mr. Thompson," Irma reminded. "I mean, what is it?"

"Well, I was wanting to see if you could ask Ash to visit me at the estate," she wished. "I did want to know who he really is outside of the Zorro outfit and what he's like." April giggled to the thought.

"I can do you one better," she promised. Buffy became elated to the accepted request.

"You can!?" she replied with glee. "Oh, thank you!" She and April shook hands before April and Irma returned to the news van.

"April, are you going to use the Turtle Comm to contact Ash?" guessed Irma.

"Why not?" teased April. "I find it funny that the two met at that party." Using her Turtle Comm, April pressed a couple of buttons.

"April, is that you?" asked Ash.

"Yeah, did you see my interview?" hinted April. "Speaking of... Buffy's actually interested to see you after what happened at Crump's yacht."

"That's funny. Michelangelo suggested we visit her right now."

"Really? What a coincidence. Well, at least she'll be excited. Irma and I are heading back to the station."

"Understood." Hanging up, Ash put away his Turtle Comm.

"Hearing April," Leonardo started. "Buffy seems to miss you." Ash had a slight snicker.

"So, what happened after we shipped Filch to the police?" asked Brock.

"How should I put this?" teased Ash as Pikachu became curious. "We had a dance with the radio playing in her limo and we had a last dance and… a lip-to-lip." Michelangelo gasped while the others awed the ending of that night.

"You what!?" gawked Michelangelo. "You think you can take a sweetheart dudette like Buffy like that!?"

"It's like with Brock, Pikachu and myself about Lotus," Ash shrugged. "You guys didn't know about Buffy until now." Michelangelo irked to the comparison.

"We didn't mean to bring her up," Donatello sighed. "When we get time, we can introduce her to you. No doubt she'll enjoy your Pokémon."

"I can only imagine," Brock giggled. "What I can say is that Ash and I've known rich folk before, one being Madame Muchmoney."

"Now, that's a rich name," Raphael joked.

"And she also learned how tough it is to live in the life of luxury after her Snubbull became disobedient," Brock added.

"Much like what Master Splinter was meaning," Leonardo spoke. "Money doesn't buy you happiness."

"But we can bring that happiness to Buffy!" proclaimed Michelangelo. Ash nodded to the idea. In the Technodrome with the treads still covered in the hardened lava, an idea started to come to Krang as he paced around.

"There must be some way to get free of this lava bed!" he growled. "If we can provide the right amount of pressure in one certain point, the hardened magma will crack."

"Are you still deliberating a process to free the Technodrome?" asked Shredder.

"It's been a hobby ever since we've been trapped here!" whined Krang.

"You need a new hobby," Jessie nagged. Krang gave a hard glare to Jessie.

"The thing is that it can be done," Krang snapped. "We need fuel – oodles of rocket fuel… and I have an idea where to go for it." The others became curious.

"How so?" asked James.

"There's a business called Shellhammer Chemicals that processes formulas to concoct rocket fuel," Krang informed. "If we can get our hands on some of those formulas and create the fuel necessary, we can break free from that volcanic mess you dunderheads caused!" Shredder found a problem with the idea.

"I heard that the CEO of that company, Torrance Shellhammer, died not long ago," he reported. "And the new CEO is a teenage girl." Jessie shrugged her shoulders.

"So what?" she mulled. "We're supposed to take this twerpette back here to help with it?" Shredder sneered under his mask.

"Exactly," he confirmed. "My mutants and your Rockets will take the 'twerpette' as you've called her before bringing her back here so that we know the formulas to make the fuel needed." Meowth sighed to Jessie's mouth volunteering themselves.

"Way ta go, Jessie," he mulled. "Ya don't know when not ta start runnin' yer mouth."

"Take a chill pill, Meowth," Jessie assured. "We can get some fresh air and go after Pikachu along with the twerpette."

"You'll do no such thing!" scowled Krang. "We are after rocket fuel, not vermin!" James had an idea on why.

"Well, knowing your enemies," James pondered. "We suspect the Turtles and twerps to be running interference. It might help us if we do go." Shredder thought to James's theory.

"No doubt that they'll come after the girl," he pondered. He handed Team Rocket, Bebop and Rocksteady some devices and weapons. "I have one more device you need to take." Bebop and Rocksteady looked to the equipment provided.

"Gee, boss…" muttered Bebop. "Dis seems like overkill."

"I'm not taking chances this time," Shredder advised. "With Team Rocket helping out, you will not fail."

"But with all dis stuff," Rocksteady spoke. "How are we gonna carry da girl?"

"That can be left to me," James voiced as he showed a ray gun. "Shredder gave me this shrink ray. This way, we can take the twerpette without much of a struggle." Shredder nodded to the advice.

"Now, go!" he ordered. "Krang, open the portal!" Krang opened the portal for the group to go through. Outside of the large estate, Buffy mulled to everything happening to her.

(A little while ago…)

Buffy had her back turned on a balding man wearing glasses and a thick but small mustache while wearing a gray business suit with a red necktie. Buffy's arms were crossed. "Buffy, you're due at the board meeting in 20 minutes," he warned. Buffy turned to the balding man.

"Dad, why do I have to waste time listening to some old fogies?" she complained.

"Your grandfather left you in charge of the company. I know it looks ridiculous for someone who isn't an adult to become CEO, but this is what he wanted." He walked away while Buffy contemplated.

She sighed, her head in her hands held up by elbows on her knees. "Oh, why can't I do things I wanna do?" she whimpered. That's when out of the corner of her eye at the front gate was Ash and Pikachu.

"Is this the place?" asked Ash.

"Yeah, it's up to scale from the TV," Donatello confirmed. Seeing Pikachu, Buffy rushed to the gate.

"ASH!" she cried. Ash and Pikachu turned to the gate as Buffy arrived. Brock urged the Turtles to hide as to not attract any attention. The Turtles hid as Buffy opened the gate. She hugged Ash as Pikachu jumped onto Brock's shoulder. "April said that she'd call you and here you are!" Ash took a second before hugging her back. They started to break before they kissed, Brock and Pikachu bearing witness to it. Buffy looked to Ash's person. "Is this what you normally wear?"

"Just about," Ash teased before putting his cap on. "This is what I look like." Buffy nodded to the look.

"I'll take it over the Zorro look back at the yacht," she approved. "By the way, where's the mouse that you had?" Brock stepped up.

"He's on my shoulder," he voiced. Pikachu leaped back onto Ash's shoulder before Buffy saw him. She picked him from the perch.

"Hey, how's my little protector?" she teased.

("I'm doing great,") Pikachu replied. Buffy giggled before bringing him in with Ash and Brock following. Buffy turned to Brock, interested.

"And are you Ash's brother?" she guessed. Brock giggled to the thought.

"Not really," he denied. "I'm Brock. Ash and I have traveled together for a long time. We're pretty much best human friends compared to Pikachu." Buffy nodded to the relationship.

"Okay, I can understand that," she accepted.

"By the way, sorry about what happened to your grandpa," Ash apologized. "I know he was urging you about the business, but he's still family." Buffy mulled to the thought of Ash mentioning her grandfather.

"I never asked about taking over the business," she mentioned. "I wanted fun like with you guys. I want to see action like how you managed to stop those mutants." On cue, the portal opened. Ash, Brock and Pikachu gasped to the timing.

"Looks like you're getting your wish!" gulped Brock. Team Rocket, Bebop and Rocksteady fell onto the grass inside the walls of the estate. Upon hitting the ground, their equipment scattered.

"I guess they brought the uglies to face us," Ash mocked as he brought out his tonfas. Rocksteady got to his feet. He pointed a laser gun at the teenage CEO.

"Okay, girlie!" he grunted. "Don't move!" Ash strafed to getting in front of Buffy and Pikachu.

"There's no way you're getting Pikachu or Buffy!" he proclaimed.

"Yeah?" mocked Jessie. "You and what army?" On cue, the Turtles hopped the fence.

"COWABUNGA!" shouted Michelangelo. They reached the others facing down who Shredder sent.

"Neva ask dat question!" yelled Meowth. The Turtles and Trainers brought out their weapons.

"You creepazoids leave that dudette alone!" ordered Michelangelo.

"Besides, I saw her first!" claimed Ash.

"So what if youse did," Bebop snorted before shooting the laser. Everyone scattered as the shot struck the brick wall. It toppled and the Turtles and Trainers leaped out of its collapse. Buffy tried to run with Pikachu in her arms. However, debris struck her ankle. She fell and hit the dirt while still holding onto Pikachu.

("Buffy!") he cried. Buffy rolled to a seat before clasping her foot.

"Ow, my ankle!" she whined. Jessie saw the downed girl and turned to Bebop.

"Use that ray on the twerpette!" she commanded. Bebop aimed and fired at Buffy, but Ash scooped her from the ray's path. The ray struck a tree which caused it to shrink. Jessie took aim at Ash and Pikachu, but a Sai damaged the gun she held.

"You can be so rude," Raphael nagged. Brock and the Turtles knocked down the Rockets and mutants to escape. In Ash's arms, Buffy blushed to the hold that she was cradled in. They escaped, but now the teenage CEO was with the crush. However, Ash has a lot to answer for to a girl who fell for him.

TO BE CONTINUED...