The Misdreavus Menace

Chapter Twenty-Four — The Boys are Back

Matthew fiddled with his game boy as he sat in bed, thoroughly disinterested and thoroughly bored. The sun's rays coming through the half-open window were inviting him outside where he could hear the joyful laughter of Timmy and Tommy at play. He felt fine now after enduring four days of bedrest. Why did the doctor have to order a week?

He unplugged the Orange Islands Adventure cartridge from his game boy and fumbled through the top drawer next to his bed. He was debating whether Elite Four Poké Challenge or Mew's Mystery Maze would bore him less, when a voice startled him.

"Matt! Hey, Matt! Did you hear?"

Matt turned and was surprised to see a boy's face in the window. He shot out of bed and ran up to him.

"Phil! What's up?"

"Your brother Brock just rang my Dad. I think they found the spaceship you saw."

Matt's eyes lit up. "Where?"

"Your Dad's quarry. John's gone to get Trav. Said to meet up there."

"I'm stuck in bed for a week. So's Trav."

"Aw, come on," pleaded Phil. "I really wanna know if it's the one you told us about."

Matt leaned outside the window and saw his brothers kicking a ball around the yard. No, he couldn't sneak out the window undetected.

"Is Brock there now?" Matt asked.

"I think so."

"Wait, I'll ask my Dad. If I plead real nice, I think I can talk him into letting me go for a walk to the quarry."

"That's incredible," Dan exclaimed. "And you're telling me Clefairy built that, on another planet!?"

"I haven't any reason do doubt it," replied Brock.

"Well there's no way something like that could've been made on Earth. Can I take a look inside?"

"Just ask Kadabra here," said Brock, gesturing towards the vermiform Pokémon.

Dan turned to Kadabra. "Urrh... Can you understand me?"

I've been informed that I have excellent telepathic skills.

Dan jumped. "May I—"

I have sensed that your intentions are benevolent. You may enter.

Brock, Ash, Misty, Pikachu and a stunned Dan followed Kadabra into the transporter. They proceeded single file through the short passage-way and into the brightly-lit control room. The room was spacious enough for the party, but awkward due to its low ceiling.

Dan looked around. There was one large window and two porthole-sized ones, and two doors appeared to lead into the rear of the craft. He noticed the amazing array of control panels sporting lights and levers, knobs and indicators, with an order about them, yet remaining incomprehensible to the untrained. Two Clefairy were standing at the controls and turned around to see their visitors.

"Clefairy," I'd like to introduce my friend Dan Brown," announced Brock. "He's willing to help you in any way he can."

"Clefairy?" asked one of the Clefairy. Kadabra obliged to convey Brock's sentiments.

"Clefairy, fairy. Clefairy. Clefairy, fairy," said the Clefairy and pointed to some sort of indicator on one of the panels.

The Clefairy are looking for a missing transporter. Your friends fear that it has been apprehended by Team Rocket, who, I may add, also appear to have attacked the Clefairy's world. The indicator you see alerts us if the missing transporter is in operation.

"Clefairy, clefairy," the Clefairy continued.

Do you have any clue as to where they may have hidden it?

"How can you be sure it's on this planet?" replied Dan.

We cannot. But we checked the indicator on our own planet while we were waiting for you to arrive.

"What!? How long—?"

Teleportation between worlds takes only a moment.

Dan had to compose himself before he could reply. "Your machine's large, so if they're hiding it, it'd probably be in a secluded area, somewhere away from roads, and flight routes too. Have you got a map?"

What do you want?

"We'll need a map of Kanto and surrounding areas," replied Dan.

"He means a diagram that shows where towns and roads and other places are," explained Ash.

What an interesting idea!

"I've got one at home," said Brock. "I'll go and get it later."

"If we're going to track down one of these machines," said Dan, "it'd be helpful to know how they work."

I'll set up a telepathic link between you and the Clefairy. It'll be faster to explain things that way.

"How does that indicator work?" asked Misty, pointing to the panel that the Clefairy showed earlier.

It's very simple. A transporter in operation emits a signal. Each transporter also has a receiver to pick up the signal.

"Hey Pikachu," said Ash, "it must be like the transmitter the police put on you to track down Team Rocket, remember?"

"Piikaa...," said Pikachu miserably. The memory of allowing itself to be kidnapped by Jessie and James was not a pleasant one.

"So you were the kid with the Pikachu?" asked Dan, surprised. "The story was all over the news, but they never said who it was."

"His identity was kept quiet for his protection," explained Brock.

Mr Brown, are you ready?

"Oh sorry. Let's get started," replied Dan.

"Hey Misty, it's cramped in here," said Ash. "Let's step outside and give Dan a break."

"Sure," she answered. Ash took her hand and led her out.

Ash stepped out and around to the side of the transporter that was away from the control room. While the others had impossible technical issues to think about, he thought it would be more useful to concentrate on personal matters.

He stopped and gazed into Misty's blue eyes.

"Misty," he said, "while we've got a few minutes alone, I thought... maybe we could talk about... us."

Misty smiled back. "What did you want to say?"

The sparkle in her eyes, the delight in her smile, the warmth of her hand in his... how could he express it. He wanted to make her happy, be romantic. "I... I haven't told you how much... Misty, I really like you a lot." There. Was that romantic enough?

Misty let go of his hand and rested her arms on Ash's shoulders.

"So?" she queried.

"Well... how do you feel about me?"

She cocked her head. Her face seemed to glow.

"Depends," she replied.

"On what?"

"Do you just like me?"

Ash gently placed his hands on her hips. Everything about her seemed to radiate pleasure, from the sensation of the curvature of her hips beneath his fingers, to the way she laughed and smiled. But he knew his feelings were deeper. He wanted to make this moment right for her. He would tell her that he loved her, that she meant the world to him.

Her lips were mere inches away from his. They drew his lips closer, leaving him speechless, thinking only of the pleasure they would share in their first embrace.

An exclamation tore through the air. "Great Gengar!"

Then another one. "Awesome!"

"This is the same thing we saw the other night, right Trav?" asked a child's voice.

Just then, four boys circumnavigating the large vehicle stopped in their tracks. The last thing they had expected to see was a pair of teenagers in each other's arms, looking like they were about to smooch.

"Hey, I know you," said one boy, looking at Misty. "You're Misty, the Cerulean City Gym Leader, aren't you?"

"Hey! You're right," said the eldest boy.

"You're my brother's friend, aren't you? I'm Matt," said another.

"Is that your boyfriend?" aksed the youngest.

Ash and Misty stood still since the first shout. Misty recovered quickly and thought to make the best of it. She turned to Ash, and asked, "Well, Ash. What would you say to that?"

Ash hadn't yet had the chance to think of a word to define their relationship. It was too soon to think of each other as boyfriend and girlfriend, yet he wanted to be more than a friend.

"Well... maybe not yet, but—"

The change in Misty was instant. She pulled away from him.

"He's nice," she replied to the youngest boy's question with an idle shrug. "What are you kids doing here?"

"Brock called my Dad and said a spaceship was here," said the eldest boy. "We came to have a look."

"Can we see inside?" asked Matt.

"Are there any Clefairy inside?" asked another boy.

"Alright," said Misty, "come with me and let's see what we can do."

After a moment, Ash followed, confused at the sudden change in Misty. Is that what girls are like, he wondered.