Kanto Gets Loud

Chapter 41: Interlude II

Meanwhile, in Royal Woods, at the Loud House, morning,

Lisa was getting things ready in the garage for the conference call with Professor Oak and the parents of Lincoln's friends, "Ok, that should do it," she said, looking over everything, "Now, all I have to do is wait," she said, as she went to go back into the house, where her family was sitting down to breakfast, all the while trying not to hurl it back up from the stench coming from the Loud patriarch.

'Great, we can't even start the day without Stinkcoln's bad luck causing trouble for us. We have to get that bedroom of his sealed back up again somehow, before things get worse,' Lynn thought, as she turned to her father, "Dad?"

"Yes, Junior?" the older Lynn asked, trying his best to ignore the stench on him.

"I know it failed before, but can we at least give sealing Lincoln's room off another go?" Lynn pleaded.

"No, absolutely not!" Rita quickly and harshly replied.

"I was asking Dad," Lynn grumbled.

"You want MORE time added to your grounding, then keep acting out like that! Otherwise, keep a lid on it!" Rita ordered.

"As for sealing it off, Junior, the case has already been closed. It stays unsealed," Lynn Sr. reluctantly replied. As much as he didn't want to upset his daughter any further, he REALLY didn't want to anger his wife.

"But our own safety is at stake! You're really going to let all of this keep happening to us, just to appease that traitorous wife of yours?!" Lynn exclaimed.

"That's another six weeks added to your grounding," Rita stated, sounding like she was really losing her patience.

"What makes you so certain that Lincoln's bedroom is the source of this streak of misfortune?" Lisa questioned.

"Because it is! It's infested with that rotten jinx's bad luck!" Lynn snapped.

"Junior, haven't I told you NOT to talk about your brother that way?" Lynn Sr. asked.

"Well, yeah, but…"

"'But' nothing! I remain to be convinced that he isn't bad luck, but that doesn't excuse such deplorable behavior. If I hear you talking about him like that one more time, then I will be enforcing punishments alongside your mother," Lynn Sr. declared. Lynn only groaned in irritation.

"Fine!" she said, crossing her arms.

"Returning back to Lisa's question, what makes you girls so certain that Lincoln's room is the cause of what's going on?" Rita asked.

"Well, we don't have any conclusive proof yet, but…" Lori trailed off. Rita quirked her eyebrow at her eldest daughter.

"But…?"

"Well, we had a sister meeting here the other night, and we may have come up with a solution to see if Lincoln's room really is the source," Lori said.

"I doubt you'll change my mind, but proceed," Rita said, giving Lori her full attention.

"A trial run. We seal off the room for a limited amount of time, like say, a month. If things start turning up for us, then it'll prove our hypothesis," Lori explained.

"I see where you're going with this, but tell me something," Rita said, as all eyes fell on her, "What do you intend to do if… whatever is happening to you all doesn't get any better?"

"Then we'll unseal the room after the allotted time is up, and we drop the whole discussion," Lori replied.

"An interesting idea, Lori. But tell me something; Why should I go along with such a plan?" Rita asked. Lori was quick to speak up before Lynn.

"Because it's what's called a win-win. We seal it off, the… bizarre circumstances plaguing us stops, then we know Lincoln's room is the source. If things don't get better by the time the one month time limit is up, then it'll be unsealed again, and the matter is dropped entirely. Either way, the topic of Lincoln's room will be dismissed," Lori explained.

"An excellent argument, Lori, but what will you do AFTER this trial run proves nothing? After all, if it turns out your brother's room isn't the cause of this mess, then you won't have anything left to blame," Rita asked. Lori froze in her seat, as did Luan and the twins. What would they do if their experiment didn't work? If Lincoln's room wasn't causing their bad luck, then what was?

Even Lynn was contemplating the possibility that she was wrong about the whole ordeal, and about her brother. She shook her head clean of those thoughts, 'What am I thinking? Of course he's the cause of this! He has to be!' she thought, before turning to her mother. As much as she held disdain for the older woman for betraying her, she still had a point to make.

"Well, things didn't start going bad for us until AFTER you guys decided to unseal his room!" Lynn accused.

"Highly unlikely, Lynn," Lisa said, as all eyes fell on her, "The sting of misfortune didn't start until AFTER you foolishly thought it was a good idea to upset our brother during the call from Cerulean City. And we all remember how that ended up, right?"

"That was when Lynn said all those awful things to Lincoln and made him run off, right?" Leni asked.

"Correct. The misfortune BEFORE was hardly anything compared to what's happening now, and back then, it was just affecting Lynn," Lisa replied, casting a predatory smile over to the jock, "Why, if I didn't know any better, I'd say that Lynn is the true source of this misfortune."

"Are you really accusing ME of being a jinx, nerd?" Lynn sounded like her temper was flaring up again.

"Not at all. I'm just saying that's just a possibility," Lisa replied, adjusting her glasses, "What I truly believe, despite my position as a woman of science, is that what's going on is really karma giving you your just desserts."

"I'm calling bull on that! We didn't do anything to warrant this!" Lynn retorted.

"Oh sure, that makes sense. Just forget about the fact that you were the one who accused Lincoln of being bad luck, which is only because you can't stand the thought of losing," Luna replied, rolling her eyes, "And there was the fact that you tried to tee off his head after the game Pop-Pop suggested we send Lincoln to Kanto."

"Luna, why are you trying to defend him!? Are you really going to side with the rest of these traitors?!" Lynn demanded.

"I'm taking the side of what IS right, not what's popular. Besides, Lincoln wasn't even at your game, remember?" Luna replied.

"How do you know he wasn't? Can any of you attest to this?" Lynn demanded. When no replies came up, Lynn looked rather smug, "You see, what I'm saying is…"

"Completely and totally impossible," Lisa interrupted.

"WHAT?!"

"If what you're saying is true, then Lincoln would've had to have run all the way to ball park, stayed out of sight for entirety of the game, then run all the way back home before we could. The marathon he ran a few months back should be proof enough that he isn't that fast a runner," Lisa explained.

"You never know, he could've just hitched a ride," Lynn retorted, intent on winning this argument.

"Another improbability. If Lincoln had, as you said, hitched a ride, then he would've no doubt been asked about his attire, given the fact that we made him sleep for days in nothing but his pajamas. And if he had told the truth, then Child Protection Services would've been on our backs, and have taken Lincoln into protective custody. And that would just be the tip of the proverbial iceberg of how much trouble we would've been in," Lisa explained.

"Pfft, Child Protection Services only exist to break up families. Anyone with half a brain should know that family matters are for family to deal with," Lori stated.

"Maybe so, but all families have to follow the laws of the government without question, including laws against what we did to Lincoln. No one and nothing is above the law," Lisa replied.

"Alright, I'll humor you. Lets say that there is actually a law against what we did, and that your theory about Lincoln not ruining my game is true, which it isn't. How could I have lost my game otherwise?" Lynn demanded. This time, Leni chimed in.

"Actually, I may have one idea," she said.

"You? Have an idea? Oh, this should be good," Lynn rolled her eyes.

"Another four weeks of grounding," Rita scolded, before turning back to Leni, "Now Leni, proceed."

"Well, I've noticed something during all of Lynn's games that may not actually have to do with luck," Leni replied.

"Is it those tacky uniforms?" Lola asked, gagging at the thought of the softball uniforms.

"Lola, wait your turn to speak. Go on Leni," Rita urged.

"It's not the uniforms, tacky as they are, but I noticed that Lynn's played every one of her games the same exact way, without ever changing," Leni said.

"Seriously? That's what you noticed? Of course, I play the same way every time! They're my lucky maneuvers, and they always helped me win my games before the one Lincoln ruined. After all, if something isn't broken, don't fix it. What does that have to do with anything?" Lynn questioned.

"A lot, actually," Luan chimed in, as all eyes fell on her, "If you play your games the same way every single time, then the opposing teams would've caught on to the pattern, and worked with one another to gather enough information to form a counter strategy," she explained.

"Precisely. Because Lynn refuses to change the way she plays her games, she's become stagnant and predictable, which is not a good thing. Being flexible in your strategies and adapting to new situations are always the best way to win," Lisa replied.

"You mean like how Lincoln won those two Gym Badges?" Leni asked.

"An excellent way of thinking of it, Leni. His first bout was against Rock Type Pokemon, so he went in with his Poliwag and Pidgeotto, who knew a Steel Type attack. Then, in his battle with Misty at Cerulean City, he used three different Pokemon, Zubat, Riolu, and Pikachu," Lisa replied.

"So he uses different strategies, and manages to get a couple of fluke wins, big whoop! If he had any kind of REAL talent, then he should stick with one strategy," Lynn hissed.

"If he did that, then he'd be just like you; a self-absorbed egomaniac who's even more stiff than a metal pipe in terms of strategic thinking," Lisa replied.

"Hey! I'll have you know that I am an actual winner! I just haven't had my mojo flowing yet because of this mess he and his room are causing!" Lynn slammed her fist on the table.

"Junior, that's enough!" Lynn Sr. yelled.

"But it's not fair, Dad! Why does he get a bunch of fluke wins when I can't even get a real one? It… it's totally unnatural that he isn't even losing!" Lynn argued.

"Then perhaps I should bring up one more point that proves Lincoln is better than you at being a competitor, Lynn. Last night, he called us from Vermillion City, right after he challenged the Gym there," Lisa replied.

"And let me guess, ANOTHER fluke win?" Lynn asked. To her surprise and delight, Lisa shook her head.

"No. Apparently he got overpowered by the Gym Leader there and lost," Lisa replied. Lynn began laughing uproariously.

"Took him long enough to start losing! Let me guess, he got so upset that he was bawling like a baby?!" she laughed.

"Which brings me to the point I have to make!" Lisa yelled over the obnoxious laughing of the jock, who did her best to calm down, "In truth, after we talked for a bit, I gave him some advice on how he can try again in a rematch that'll be held in a few days," she said.

"Why is he bothering to try again? He already knows he can't win," Lynn questioned, still feeling better from hearing about Lincoln's loss.

"He lost because he wasn't prepared for the power of the Gym Leader. So, he's spending the next few days training so that he can be ready," Lisa replied.

"Pfft, yeah right. I'd pay good money to see that happen," Lynn retorted sarcastically.

"Now that she mentions it, I'd kind of like to see how a live Gym Battle plays out. Seeing a recording on a computer screen doesn't really do much justice," Luan commented.

"I want to see more of those awesome monsters!" Lana called out.

"Well, you happen to be in luck. During our last, live call with Professor Oak, he said that he would see about sending over some equipment so that we can view Kanto broadcasting," Lisa replied.

"That's all well and good, but with the TV being shot, it hardly helps us out," Lola replied.

"Well, as it just so happens, my job gave me a big, fat bonus the other day, so we can see about getting a replacement TV," Rita reassured the little princess. Her daughters cheered upon hearing this.

"As much as I want to continue this conversation, I must finish my breakfast, and await the arrival of some guests," Lisa said.

"Guests? What guests are you talking about?" Rita asked.

"As you recall, Lincoln's friends have all made it clear that they are interesting in become Pokemon Trainers as well, but their parents want to meet with Professor Oak before they commit to anything. Which is why I commandeered the garage as a means to make a conference call," Lisa replied.

"Oh, is that why you asked Mom to move the Video Phone to the garage?" Leni asked.

"Precisely. But as soon as the call is over, I plan to move it back into my room, so there's nothing to worry about there," Lisa replied.

"Well, I need to get ready for today. I have to meet up with Bobby so that I can tell him OUR side of the story," Lori said, finishing her breakfast.

"Worried that he might dump you after the Cerulean City call?" Lola teased. Lori shot an icy glare at the bratty twin.

"I'm not the slightest bit worried. After all, Ronnie Anne is just a kid who doesn't know what's best for her. Once I explain things to Bobby, he'll be sure to help me get his sister and Lincoln together," Lori replied, getting up from her seat.

"I have to go out too. I need to pick up some more prank materials from Fanny's Prank Emporium," Luan added.

"Very well then. I have some other errands to run besides picking up a new TV, so I'll go ahead and take you girls," Rita said.

"I can come and help you out with the TV, Mom," Luna volunteered.

"Same here," Lucy said.

"Thank you, girls. What about you, Leni?" Rita asked.

"No thanks, I have my own things to do here," Leni replied.

"I need to go out too. Even if I'm stuck wearing Lana's disgusting clothes, there's a pageant I want to enter, and I heard through the rumor mill that the entry table is at the store," Lola piped up.

"Hey, my duds aren't THAT gross! I now have to have them washed at least once a month, for whatever reason," Lana argued. Lynn was grinning slightly all the while.

'If that traitor of a woman is out of the house, no one can stop me from going to hang out with my friends and getting some sports play in,' she thought.

"Oh! That reminds me! Lisa, have you finished what I asked of you?" Rita asked.

"Indeed," Lisa replied, handing her mother a tablet like device, "It was a bit trickier than anticipated, but it will work."

"What's that, Mom?" Luna asked.

"I had Lisa set up something in order to keep Junior inside. Remember, she's still grounded for all the nasty things she's been doing," Rita replied. Lynn's face fell in disbelief.

"You can't do this to me! I'm the actual victim in this!" Lynn exclaimed.

"I have to disagree. After all, you don't ever hear your brother or sisters say the kinds of awful things you've been saying about them, have you?" Rita asked.

"The sisters, I can understand, even if it means I have to get back at them for it, but Lincoln knows better than to talk smack about ANY of us!" Lynn retorted.

"Well, I do agree that no one should be smack talking anyone, however, it didn't stop you from saying all those terrible things to him," Rita replied.

"Oh come on! It's Lincoln! We can treat him as badly as we want and never get in trouble with anyone for it!" Lynn exclaimed.

"Junior, that is NOT true! Try putting yourself in your brother's position, where you're the only boy in the family. If what you're saying is true, then, given that scenario, Lincoln could treat you badly alongside the others," Lynn Sr. argued.

"No, he couldn't! Even if he was girl, which isn't really that difficult to believe, given he's hardly worth being called a boy, he would still have to respect ME!" Lynn argued.

"We will discuss this later, young lady. But for now, the rest of us have errands to run," Rita said, as she and the others got up from their seats.

"Just try and stop me from leaving!" Lynn said, bolting for the door, only to get stopped by a guard robot, who quickly restrained her, "Hey, what the…?!"

"Looks like my sentry drone works perfectly. It'll keep Lynn inside during her grounding period," Lisa said, as she got up.

"Excellent work, Lisa. Now, we'll be back in a little bit," Rita said, as she and the daughters who were going with her left. The drone carried Lynn upstairs, "Lana, are you wanting to come along?"

"Not today, Mom. I kind of want to look at the data Lincoln's been sending over," Lana replied.

"I'll set it up for you to browse at your leisure," Lisa replied, as both of them made their way upstairs.

"What should I do, honey?" Lynn Sr. asked.

"For starters, you could take a shower, because that stench is starting to get to me," Rita replied, holding her nose.

"Oh come on, it's not that bad!" Lynn Sr. replied, taking a moment to sniff himself. He immediately gagged, "Plus, it's not like I haven't tried washing it off."

"It may be a long shot, Mom, but maybe we can get some cans of tomato juice," Luna suggested.

"Well, it's better than doing nothing," Rita replied.

"So, apart from the store, Bobby's house, and the Prank Emporium, where all are you going?" Lynn Sr. asked.

"Well, I need to swing by the Middle School to drop off these forms," Rita replied, pulling out a pair of envelopes with important looking emblems on them.

"What are those?" Lynn Sr. asked.

"One is a letter of introduction from Professor Oak, which also includes several of Lincoln's records. The second is from the US Government, which contains forms that validate the records form the first envelope. Basically, they're meant to not only inform the school system of Lincoln's emancipation in Kanto, but to also legally excuse him from school," Rita replied.

"Wait, the US Government knows about the Pokemon?" Luan asked. Rita shrugged.

"I guess. Anyhow, I need to drop these off before the school year starts," Rita replied.

"Does that mean WE get to be excused from school too?" Lola asked innocently. Much to her annoyance and her sister's, Rita shook her head.

"Sorry sweetie, but these documents only apply to your brother," Rita replied.

"What!? That's so not fair!" Lola exclaimed.

"One more outburst like that, and you will be grounded for the rest of the week," Rita warned, causing Lola to quiet down. Rita then turned back to her husband, "We'll be back in a little bit," with that, Rita left the house with her daughters. Lynn Sr. sniffed himself once more.

"Ugh, I need to look up some way to get rid of this stench."

Later, at the Santiago Household,

Rita had pulled up to the Santiago residence and dropped off Lori, "Alright Lori, we'll be back a little later. Call and let me know when you're done."

"Ok Mom," Lori said, as Rita drove off. Lori turned her attention to her boyfriend's household, "Ok, time to tell my side of the story," she said, walking up to the front door, and ringing the doorbell. In minutes, Carlota answered.

"Whoa, what happened to you?!" she exclaimed, seeing Lori's battered up state.

"Just a few accidents, here and there involving Luan. Nothing major," Lori lied. She figured blaming Luan wasn't too far from true, since everyone in town knows of the young comedian's reputation, "So, is Bobby home?"

"He is. And he's been expecting you," Carlota replied, inviting the eldest Loud sister in. Lori didn't know why, but she picked up on a tone of disdain in Carlota's voice. As she walked through the house, she saw Carlota's three brothers playing, but could tell they were trying to ignore her. Soon, she arrived in the dining room, where she saw Bobby making a list of some kind.

"Boo-Boo bear! It's so good to see you again!" Lori went in for a kiss, only to be stopped by a hand, "Bobby?" now Lori was very confused. Bobby looked up from his list.

"Lori, we need to talk," Bobby said, standing up, a stern look in his eyes.

"Uh, sure. What about?" Lori asked.

"Well, a little birdie told me about some stuff going on at your house," Bobby replied.

"Let me guess, that little birdie happens to be your sister?" Lori said in a joking manner. However, Bobby didn't snicker.

"Never mind that now. I want to know if you actually locked out your brother on the notion of bad luck and sold his stuff," Bobby demanded, crossing his arms.

"Well, you see, it's like this…"

"Yes or no!" Bobby demanded.

"Ok, fine, so we did! But it was for the best. We couldn't risk his bad luck ruining things for any of us. Not for Luna's concerts, or Lola's pageants, or my dates with you. Besides, it was Lynn's fault. She's the one who suggested we sell off his stuff," Lori replied.

"And why didn't you do anything to stop her?" Bobby asked.

"Because things started to turn out better for us when we kicked him out," Lori replied. Bobby simply sighed.

"Alright. Second question: Why am I suddenly more important than your own family?" he asked.

"What kind of a question is that? You're always there for me when I need someone to talk to about my issues, and I can always rely on you to give me good advice without asking for something in return every time," Lori replied.

"And what makes you think your family can't do that?" Bobby asked.

"As I said, they would ask for something in return every time. You hardly ever do that," Lori replied.

"Well, what's wrong with doing a favor in return for your siblings?" Bobby asked.

"Because they would always ask for something ridiculous, like being a test dummy, helping them move stuff, or styling Lola's hair," Lori replied. Once again, Bobby sighed.

"And what about Lincoln? He might've been willing to listen to your problems out of the goodness of his heart," Bobby questioned.

"Because then he would think he could hold it over he that I owe him a favor, like taking him to the comic shop," Lori replied.

"So, you just go along with whatever you or the rest of your family does, even if it comes at the expense of your brother, including forcing him into a relationship with my sister?" Bobby asked. Lori didn't know why, but she didn't like the direction of where this conversation was going.

"Bobby, you have to understand that I'm doing it not only for them, but for us as well. I'm sure you force Ronnie Anne into dating Lincoln, right?" Lori asked. To her shock, Bobby shook his head.

"Nope."

"WHAT?! Bobby, don't you even care about OUR relationship?! About me?!" Lori asked.

"I do care about you and our relationship Lori, and I do so independently of who Nie-Nie wants to date. I never do something as ludicrous as forcing her to date someone she has no romantic feeling for," Bobby replied.

"But, they're literally meant to be together!" Lori exclaimed.

"If that were the actual case, then a relationship between you and I would be over. Don't you get it Lori? If you and I or Nie-Nie and Lincoln got married, then the other pair would become in-laws. I don't know the actual term for it, but I'm pretty sure dating in-laws is pretty controversial," Bobby explained.

"But… but I…" Lori got cut off.

"And another thing! I don't know where you get off with treating your siblings in the abysmal way you've been doing, but…"

"'Abysmal'?! How dare you! I am a great sister to my brother and sisters!" Lori exclaimed.

"Alright, then tell me something; When you told me about the Sister Fight Protocol you and your family set up, did any of you even bother to tell Lincoln about it?" Bobby asked.

"Pfft, no, it's called the 'Sister Fight Protocol' for a reason," Lori scoffed.

"So what do you do if Lincoln gets into a fight with you or the rest of your sisters?" Bobby asked.

"Simple. We stand by the sister he's fighting with until HE admits he was wrong," Lori replied. Bobby looked disgusted by how she said that so casually.

"So what, would standing up for myself against you or your family make ME wrong?"

"No Bobby. Unlike Lincoln, you are a man. You actually act mature," Lori replied. Bobby then scratched his chin in a mock thinking manner.

"So, going by the logic, based on what I've been hearing during this conversation, that must mean that you are a girl and NOT a woman," he said. Lori looked deeply hurt.

"Bobby, I do act mature because I AM mature!"

"Not from what I've been picking up on. You may say you're mature, but it's clear from how you treat your brother and the rest of your family that you're as FAR from being mature as a person can get. I mean, come on, who relies on two kids to keep their own relationship afloat? You may not know this, but Nie-Nie likes girls instead of boys," Bobby ranted.

"Bobby, same-sex couples only exist in fiction! They're not real!"

"Of course they're real, Lori! You see them all the time on the news! And what do you call Clyde's Dads, hmm?" Bobby snapped back. Lori attempted to counter, but realized she couldn't find any rational way of doing so, "Uh huh, I thought so. Now, going back to the original topic, why was telling ME about the protocol top priority and not telling your brother?"

"W-Well, I just didn't want you getting caught up in our fights is all," Lori innocently replied.

"And I just take priority over your brother? Did ever once occur to you that if he had known about the protocol, he could've steered clear of the house until you resolved… whatever you were fighting about. But no, you just told him to 'butt out', which ended up causing him to make matters worse," Bobby chewed out.

"He always makes things worse," Lori crossed her arms. Bobby shook his head in disappointment.

"I can't believe you, Lori. I thought you cared about your family the same way I care about my own," Bobby said.

"But I do care about them, every bit as I care about you!" Lori exclaimed.

"And I care about you too, but I was raised with the belief that family is priority number one," Bobby replied. Lori knew she was loosing ground fast, but Bobby wasn't done, "And another thing; Why do you think Ronnie Anne has ANY romantic feelings for Lincoln?"

"Because of the way she was picking on him! When a girl picks on a boy, it means she likes him. It was HER way of showing affection!"

"No Lori, it was bullying, plain and simple. If Nie-Nie had any feelings for Lincoln, she would've done so in a more acceptable way," Bobby retorted. Nearby, Ronnie Anne blushed in embarrassment, but knew her brother was right, "And besides, what difference should it make to you who he dates? It's HIS choice, not yours."

"But… but…"

"On that note, what makes you think you have the right to make decisions for him without even considering his feelings?"

"Because I'm the oldest! I know what's best for my siblings!" Lori replied.

"I doubt that highly. From what I've been hearing, you're focusing more on what's best for YOU, and not for anyone else," Bobby then inhaled sharply, "Don't hold it against me for saying this, but you are NOT the same girl I fell in love with. You're not the cool older sister you SHOULD be to your brother and sisters. No, all I see in you now is…" Bobby fought back the tears as he looked at Lori with a fiery glare in his eyes, "An inconsiderate, selfish brat who prioritizes her own needs over others. And that's NOT the kind of girlfriend I want." Lori was unable to fight back the tears rolling from her eyes as Bobby said this.

"Bobby, I…"

"And until you go back to being the Lori I fell in love with and am happy to call my girlfriend, then maybe it's best we don't see each other."

"Bobby, please, we can work this out! Don't do this!"

"Sorry Lori, but this is for your own good. And this isn't about you and me. It's about how you think that I'm somehow more important than your family. But let me tell you something; I'm NOT more important than your family. And it works both ways. If I had to pick between you and my sister, or my mother, or cousins and grandparents, then I would always pick my family. Every. Single. Time. And if it turns out that we CAN'T get back together the way we SHOULD be, then we can always try seeing new people." Lori couldn't say anything against that, and just ran out of the house, "Oh boy, that was way harder than it needed to be. I just hope this doesn't come back to haunt me," Bobby commented.

"You did the right thing, Bobby. That girl needs to get her priorities straight," Carlota reassured, coming into view, as did Ronnie Anne.

"Though I think breaking up with her might've been a little overkill," Ronnie Anne commented, emphasizing the word "little".

"Maybe so, but Carlota has a point. Lori needs to be a better sister to all of her siblings, including her brother. This has to be the type of wake-up call she needs," Bobby replied.

Meanwhile, at Fanny's Prank Emporium,

"Alright Luan, we'll be right back once we get the new TV. Don't go overboard with the pranks and gags," Rita requested sternly.

"Don't worry Mom. I'm only getting the essentials," Luan replied, as Luan got out of the van, looking up at the Emporium, "Ah, the Prank Emporium. The holy grounds for all great pranksters," she said, as she made her way to the front door, not seeing a poster on the window with her face on it with a big "no" symbol over it, "Morning, Fanny! Got any good gigs or gags for me today?" she asked the clerk, who looked to be a rather lanky, middle-aged woman.

Upon seeing Luan, the woman pointed towards the door, "Just turn around, and walk out the door, Luan. You're not allowed to shop here anymore. Didn't you see the sign?" Luan was now very confused, but passed it off as a joke.

"Ahahaha, good one, Fanny. But seriously, I need to restock my supplies," Luan replied.

"I'm not joking, Luan. You've been officially banned from shopping here," Fanny replied, sounding more irritated.

"But…. But I'm one of your best customers!" Luan exclaimed.

"And you're the reason I'm facing the threat of a shutdown!" Fanny retorted, handing over a copy of the morning paper, "Just take a look at this!"

Luan read the article, and looked skeptical, "You're being threatened with a shutdown over one little prank I pulled?"

"'One little prank' she says!" Fanny said, rubbing her temples, "It wasn't just a prank, Luan! You almost killed someone because of products you bought from me! My livelihood is in jeopardy because of your impulsiveness!" Luan paled upon hearing about this.

"'K-kill someone'? I would never go that far! Sure, I go a little overboard on April Fools Day, but…"

"'But' nothing, Luan! Do you remember those stink bombs you had bought in bulk a while back?" Fanny asked.

"Oh yeah, I remember that one. It had to be one of my best pranks! They had to end school early because of the stink," Luan chuckled. However, her humor died off upon seeing the disapproving look on Fanny's face.

"Luan, they didn't end school that day because of the stink. The stink bombs you used have a chemical in them that, when used in as large doses as you did, are highly toxic. If it weren't for the fact that the school faculty evacuated everyone, you could've been responsible for the deaths of hundreds, if not, thousands of lives!" Fanny said, slamming her fist on the counter, causing the joking Loud sister to flinch.

"B-But I swear, I thought they ended school early because of the stink!" Luan defended herself, but Fanny wasn't having it.

"Well, now you know that wasn't the case! And now I'm in hot enough water with the city council because I sold you the stink bombs without you coming here to make things potentially worse for me. You aren't allowed to shop here anymore," Fanny said, her tone sounding final. Luan couldn't believe it. She was being banned from her favorite store in town, "Now get out, and stay out! I can't have my business shutting down with you skulking about!" she demanded, pointing to the door.

"B-But what about my gigs?" Luan asked.

"You had some before, but they immediately pulled their requests. Makes sense for them not to want the psychopath who nearly killed their kids performing at birthdays," Fanny growled, "Hell, I'm lucky to even have the few customers I have to keep my business up and running. Now, I'm not going to ask you again, Luan; Get out of my store and never come back, or I will get the authorities involved!" Luan didn't need to be told twice, as she ran out of the shop, tears flowing from her eyes. She went and sat on a bench well off of the Emporium's Property line.

"How can Fanny do this to me?" she sobbed, heartbroken over being banned from ever shopping at her favorite store again. Then, it dawned on her, "Maybe what Lynn said about Lincoln's room was right, and that sealing it off might make things better for us."

"And what happens when it doesn't?" Luan looked around to find the source of the voice she heard, eventually seeing what appeared to be a lookalike of her, but her entire outfit was a much darker shade, "Again, how do you know that your brother's room is responsible for you getting booted out?"

"Wh… Who are you?" Luan asked.

"Not 'who', but 'what am I' you mean. And to answer that question, I'm the part of you who you're trying to deny. The part of you who knows that Fanny is right," the other Luan said.

"But I've pulled lots of similar pranks like that one before! What makes this one so different?" Luan asked.

"Hmm, well, let's see," the other Luan said in a mocking manner, "There's the fact that those stink bombs you used are poisonous in the large doses that you used."

"But I didn't know they were toxic!"

"And what exactly kept you from reading the instructions, hmm?" the other Luan asked. Luan knew that this other her was right. All pranks like the stink bombs would've come with a warning label, "And it's not just the stink bombs that you went too far with. Remember all the times when you pulled all kinds of life-threatening pranks on your family? And before you cut me off, let me list off some examples of these types of pranks; Dropping Lana into a pit of rhubarb pies, knowing full well she's allergic, dumping an entire bucket of bleach on Lucy, and then there's the April Fools Day where you invited Ronnie Anne over and had tricked Lincoln into setting off ALL of the pranks you had set up. I mean, come on, who uses actual racoons for a prank? Did you even stop to check if any of them were rabid?!"

"But… I… I…"

"No, of course you didn't. You just HAVE to have your sick kicks, no matter the consequences! I bet you'd think that someone dying from your pitiful excuse of a comedy pursuit is hilarious!" the other Luan accused.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, I'm willing to admit that I do go overboard, but joking about someone's death is way out of line!" Luan retorted.

"Oh yeah? Then prove that YOU actually understand that!" the other Luan dared, as she began to fade out, "Oh, and one more thing; don't even try to blame your brother for this mess. He's the one person who ISN'T entirely responsible for this mess," and with that the other Luan disappeared, leaving Luan all alone.

Meanwhile, at the mall,

"Alright girls, we'll get the TV first, then we'll see about having Lola sign up for this pageant," Rita said, as she, Luna, Lucy, and Lola got out of the van, and made their way into the mall. They immediately made their way to the electronics store.

"Hello there. How can we be of assistance?" a worker asked the Loud matriarch.

"We're looking for TVs," Rita replied.

"Ah yes. You'll find them over here," the worker said, showing the Louds over to the TV section.

"Thank you so much," Rita said, as she and her daughters went over to the TV section.

"So, which one should we get?" Lucy asked.

"I vote we get the best one that's reasonably affordable," Lola commented.

"Well, it'll all depend on the prices, sweetie," Rita reminded, as they browsed through the various TVs.

"How about this one?" Luna suggested, pointing to a TV set. It looked fairly similar to the one they had before, but a little bigger.

"Hmm, it could work," Rita replied, taking a look at the price tag, "And it IS well within the budget."

"So, we have a winner?" Lucy asked.

"I'd say so," Rita replied, as she and Luna picked up the TV box, and placed it into the cart. They then proceeded to the checkout and paid for it.

"Would you like a 2 year warranty for an additional nine dollars?" the clerk asked.

"It would be a good idea, just in case something happens to it," Luna advised.

"Yeah, you're probably right. Sure, I'll take the warranty," Rita complied, as she paid for the TV.

"Do you need help carrying it out to your car?" the clerk asked.

"Not necessary. Thank you though," Rita replied, as she wheeled the cart out of the store and the mall. They soon arrived at Vanzilla, where they loaded the TV into the back, "Alright, I need to return the cart. Lola, you come with me so we can get you signed up for the pageant."

"Ok Mom," Lola replied, as she went with her mother.

"We'll hold down the fort here!" Luna called out.

Back inside the mall,

Having returned the cart, Rita and Lola tracked down the pageant entry desk, where a fairly short line was already formed, "Looks like I've got quite a bit of competition," Lola mused, as it was finally her turn, "Excuse me, I'd like to enter into this contest."

Upon seeing the Loud daughter in question, the people immediately pulled away the entry forms, "Sorry Lola, but you aren't allowed to enter this pageant," one of the workers said. Lola was flabbergasted by this. But then, she thought of something.

"Oh, I get it. I must have not met some kind of requirement to enter, right?" Lola asked.

"Wrong. We heard from an anonymous tipper about a large number of unacceptable deeds you've done to your fellow pageant goers. Such behavior is NOT tolerated in this pageant division," the worker replied.

"Well, what sort of 'unacceptable deeds' has Lola done?" Rita asked.

"Well, for starters, she blackmailed her fellow contestants into throwing each and ever pageant, as well as sabotage various acts, and the list goes on," the worker replied. Rita couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Lola… is all this true?" Rita asked, glaring sternly down at her daughter, who became very intimidated by her mother's gaze. Truthfully, she didn't want to suffer the same fate that Lynn was going through with being grounded and barred from her favorite hobbies, but she could tell that there was no way around this.

"Yes… it's all true," Lola admitted. Rita sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"I can't believe this. First Junior acts out of line, now THIS!? We are going to have some serious words when we get home, young lady," Rita declared.

"Furthermore, Mrs. Loud, some pageant committee personnel will be by your house later to confiscate ALL of the tiaras and trophies your daughter had won from when this behavior began," the worker said.

"By all means," Rita replied, taking Lola's hand, "Now come on, Lola! We're leaving!" and with that, both mother and daughter left. Nearby, several of Lola's former fellow pageant contestants saw the scene unfold. Some looked sympathetic to Lola, but the majority of them looked rather smug, and pleased with seeing the former pageant powerhouse being put in her place. None looked more smug than Lola's only REAL rival, Lindsey Sweetwater.

"About time she got knocked down a peg," she commented.

Meanwhile, back at the Loud House, in the garage,

Lisa had everything set up just as her large group of guests had arrived, "Welcome, everyone. Now, I assume you know why you're all here?"

"It's to meet this Professor Oak, person, correct? About sending our kids to this 'Kanto' place where your brother is located?" Harold asked.

"Correct. I have set up a video conference where you can all engage in a conversation with the Professor and his colleagues about what this adventure across seas will entail," Lisa replied, as she began to punch in the keys on the Videophone. She then turned on the projector while the phone was dialing. In seconds, the visage of Professor Oak appeared on screen, "Hello Professor."

"Ah, Lisa. So good to hear from you again," Professor Oak greeted, taking note of the large group that was with the young prodigy, "My word, quite the gathering you have here."

"Indeed. These are the parents of Lincoln's peers. They wanted to have a word with you in regards to sending their own children to one of the Regions like Kanto," Lisa replied.

"I see," Professor Oak replied, before turning his attention to the parents, "Well, I believe formal introductions are in order. My name is Professor Samuel Oak. I'm a Pokemon Researcher stationed in the Kanto Region," he said, introducing himself. One by one, each of the parents introduced themselves.

"Our kids gave us something of a run down on what you're offering entails, but we'd like to hear from a professional, if that's alright," Stella's mother said.

"Quite right. You see, in various corners of the world, there exist creatures that are unlike normal animals that you're probably accustomed to. These creatures are called 'Pokemon'. They only exist in certain regions of the world, but they can be found just about anywhere one can look in these regions, such as in forests, grassy plains, oceans and rivers, and high up in the skies and mountains," Professor Oak explained, showing various pictures of different species of Pokemon.

"Fascinating," Carlos commented.

"Indeed. For some, Pokemon are merely pets, but human trainers, like what your children want to be, catch and raise Pokemon in battles against other trainers. Now, before you get all up in arms, Pokemon Battles are perfectly legal in these regions, and it's no different than how regular animals behave and defend themselves in the wild. Now, that being said, there are some, like myself, who dedicate ourselves to studying these mysterious creatures. In fact, several of my colleagues, who your children will be meeting when they arrive in Vermillion City, study many different aspects of Pokemon."

"And just what kind of aspects do they study?" Maria asked.

"Well, where to start? I suppose Professor Elm of the Johto Region is a good place to start. He studies Pokemon breeding compatibilities. Professor Birch of the Hoenn Region studies Pokemon habitats. Professor Rowan of the Sinnoh Region is a rather stern individual, but a leading expert in Pokemon evolution. Then there's Professor Juniper, stationed in the Unova Region. Despite her young age, her studies into the origins of Pokemon are second to none. Next up is Professor Sycamore of the Kalos Region, who studies a mysterious phenomenon known as 'Mega Evolution'. Professor Kukui lives in the Alola Region, where he studies Pokemon Moves, including traditional moves passed down for generations. Next is Professor Magnolia from the Galar Region. Her field of study is a phenomenon known as 'Dynamaxing', which I don't know too much about myself. Nex up, there's Professor Sada and Turo of the Paldea Region. I don't know too much about those two. And finally, there's Professor Cerise, a former protégé of mine who is opening his own research lab in Vermillion City. His studies revolve around Pokemon as a whole, to better understand them," Professor Oak explained, as images of each Professor was displayed on screen.

"Ok, that's all well and good, but why meet in this 'Vermillion City' place?" Rusty's Dad asked.

"An excellent question. As I had previously mentioned, my former protégé, Professor Cerise, has recently opened a research facility in Vermillion City, and is looking for trainers to help out with his research by going into the field of the different regions," Professor Oak replied.

"Oh, I get what you're saying! This way, our kids will have a home away from home to come back to, and they'll be able to stay in one place until they're sent out," Girl Jordan's Father said.

"In a way, yes. Plus, this would allow them to experience what being a trainer is all about BEFORE setting out on a journey like their friend, Lincoln, has," Professor Oak replied.

"Speaking of, Professor, have you heard anything from him?" Lisa asked.

"Not since he called me the other day from the Pokemon Center."

"I see," Lisa replied.

"Ok, now that we know what each Professor studies, and what this whole thing is about, the next question to ask is 'how do we send our kids to Vermillion City?' and 'Who are we going to get to be their chaperones?'" Zach's mother said.

"Well, my son and niece have already volunteered to go with the younger kids," Maria replied.

"Yeah, but two chaperones for, what, 12 kids, may not be enough," Liam's mother replied.

"I can tag along!" Leni said, popping her head into the garage.

"Are you sure, Leni? This does sound like a bit much," Maria asked.

"I know that I don't come off as very smart, but I am responsible, and I do look out for kids much younger than I am," Leni replied. Lisa thought about it for a moment, before she came up with a great idea.

"Leni, once things are wrapped up here, come and meet me in my room. I think I may have something that might benefit you and the others," Lisa requested.

"Sure thing," Leni replied, before walking off.

"Well, that's potentially three chaperones," Lisa stated.

"Indeed. Well, in any case, I have some study guides that each of your kids will want to study up on before they arrive in Kanto. Shall I send them over?" Professor Oak asked.

"Please do. I'll try to have enough copies made to hand out to the others," Lisa replied.

"Very well then. So, is there anything else you'd like to discuss with me?" Professor Oak asked.

"Apart from the time we have to meet up with you, I don't believe so," Haiku's father said.

"Ah yes, that's right. What time would work best for you?" Professor Oak asked. The parents then took a moment to discuss among themselves, before turning back to the professor.

"How about 10 o clock, tomorrow morning at the Detroit Airport?" Harold asked.

"That would do perfectly. In that case, I look forward to meeting you all in person," Professor Oak said.

"As do we, Professor," Howard replied, as they all got up from their seats.

"And as I said, I'll try to have the study guides printed off and ready for their trip to Kanto tomorrow," Lisa said.

"Please do so, Lisa," Maria requested, as they all left.

"I'm sending over the study guides, Lisa," Professor Oak said.

"Thank you, Professor," Lisa replied, "By the way, when do you think we can hear Lincoln's next progress report?"

"Hmm, hard to say. As far as I know, he still only has two badges. How about every two badges he earns, I'll deliver a progress report?" Professor Oak suggested.

"That sounds acceptable," Lisa replied, just a ping came from her end, "I got the study guides, Professor," she said.

"Excellent. It's rather late over here, so I'm going to hang up now," Professor Oak replied.

"Very good, Professor. I look forward to hearing from you again," Lisa said, as they hung up, just as Vanzilla pulled into the driveway. From the passenger side door, Lori leapt out, and bolted for the house, tears streaming from her eyes, just as the others exited from the van themselves, "Dare I ask what's wrong with Lori?"

"We don't know. She won't talk about it with us, and when we tried pressing for info she practically bit our heads off," Luan replied.

"She probably got into a fight with Bobby, and she ended up getting a little TOO emotional. Let's just give her some space, and let her talk to us at her own pace," Rita suggested.

"On an unrelated note, how did things go at the store?" Lisa asked.

"We managed to get a new TV, so there's that," Luna replied.

"Good. Now all we need is the cable box from Kanto, and we'll be able to watch Kanto broadcasts," Lisa said. Then, she just remembered, "Oh yes, Mother Unit. Once the TV is inside, could you come to my room? I have something I need to discuss with you, regarding Leni," she requested. Rita looked very surprised.

"Leni? What do you need to talk about her?" Rita asked.

"It's in regards to the conference call I just had with Professor Oak and Lincoln's peer's parents," Lisa replied.

"Well, alright then. Luna, Luan, could you two help me out with this?" Rita asked, as they proceeded to get the TV out of Vanzilla, just as a Dragonite, wearing a delivery cap and satchel landed in front of the house.

"Excuse me, but is this the Loud Residence?" it asked, pulling out a package. Needless to say, the Louds were not expecting something like this.