From: mobius101@aol.compactpika (Maria Rocket) Subject: [PW!] Causing Chaos in Cerulean! Date: 26 Jun 1999 00:00:00 GMT >A sigh alerted those present to another presence. Where the Zubat had >been, a young man who could have passed for James now stood. "And I >thought I only had to keep an eye on Aerie," he grumbled. "C'mon, >Mimic." He looped an arm arond the still-in-Jenny-form Ditto, >dragging him towards the combat where another Jenny-form Ditto was >crouching, covering her ears against the supersonic assault of a Zubat >who was staying too high to attack. "*And* you." The youth snatched >the Zubat out of the air - it looked, for just a second, like his arm >*streched*, but maybe that was just an illusion - and dragged both of >them off. "Sorry about this." > >Marvin, Alyssa, Aislynn, and the non-transforming pokemon looked on, not >quite understanding what had just happened. The Persian summed up the >group's thoughts with a shrug and a "Sian" before trotting off after >Seth. > *** "Mimic, you okay?" Sitting under the shade of a tree, Seth looked up at where Mimic had perched as a Pidgeotto. Aerie sat nearby, combing through Slasher's fur, to the Persian's delight. They had come to take a break from the midday sun there in Cerulean's central park, but Mimic had been silent since they'd left the magician and his Ditto. A moment passed, and Seth could hear children playing in the park over the sound of Slasher's purring. Mimic appeared to be spacing out. "Mimic?" Finally, the Ditto looked back down at Seth and dropped down to the grass. After folding his wings, he turned one eye to look at his son. "Mimic.....just disappointed. Thought Mimic found someone who'd understand Mimic.....what Mimic gone through....where Mimic come from. Maybe someone to fill in the blanks. Guess Mimic was wrong." His feathered form appeared to sag against the ground. "So...that's what you were doing with that other Ditto?" Seth blinked. Mimic nodded slightly. Seth pulled off his shades and turned them in his hands. A twitch in the corner of his mind felt Mimic's pain, empathically and otherwise. A little uncomfortable, and unsure of what to say, he eventually settled on placing a hand on Mimic's back and stroking the feathers gently. Surprised, Mimic didn't move. "I...I know I didn't go through what you must have, and I know I'm not exactly from around here," Seth lowered his eyes, finding his voice at last, "but I want you to know that I kinda understand what you must have felt.....and I'll always be here for you. We're family, after all." Once again silent, Mimic just murmured a "Pidgeo." This little peace was suddenly interrupted by an excited squeal. Seth and Mimic both looked up wide eyed to see Aerie jumping up and down, pointing to a poster pinned against a nearby tree. "Look! Seth, look at this!" Gathering up Mimic, Seth walked over and leaned into Aerie's space to get a look at the poster. "Hmm.....the Cerulean Waterflowers?" It was a simple poster listing the show times and the Cerulean gym auditorium among a few tie-dye type flower illustrations. Then Aerie's beaming face swung in front of it blocking his view with her big glittering violet eyes. "Oh Seth, I've *always* wanted to see the famous Waterflowers perform a show! I hear they're good!" "Waterflowers? Aren't they the no talent sisters of Misty of the Cerulean Gym?" Seth blinked. "No....talent!? As Pokemon trainers perhaps, but they can perform!" Aerie seized a skeptical Seth by the arms and looked pleadingly into his face. "I've heard of them ever since I was a little girl, but I was never able to go see them in a show!" "Show? What do they do?" "Water ballet!" Seth sweatdropped. "Ballet?" Aerie let go of Seth and leaned against the tree. "Too bad we have to get to Sabrina's......I would love to go see the Waterflowers." Seth looked down at Mimic in his arms. "Um, Aerie......I don't think we're going to Sabrina after all." "What?" Aerie gave Seth a look. "But I have to! I can't live with Doppler's impulses biting at me Seth, I just can't!" She gave him a despairing look. "Sabrina is my only chance!" Seth closed his eyes and shook his head. "I don't believe that Aerie....there has to be another way to help you. And even if there isn't.....I don't think it's safe for you to see Sabrina." "Why?" Aerie searched his face in fearful wonder. "What do you know, Seth?" Seth met her eyes, his own filled with pain as well as fear. "Please, don't ask, Aerie. And don't look. Just trust that I'd never do anything to hurt you." Aerie looked away as they shared a moment's silence. Then she looked back up at him. "I trust you. I just hope you know what you're doing.....I might hurt you next, for all I know." "Let me worry about that," Seth smiled. "I want you get your mind off of that and relax. Let's go to that lousy water ballet you want to see so much." Aerie's eyes lit up. "Oh yes! Seth, you're a sweetie!" Seth blushed, and Mimic jumped from his arms and landed on the ground as Aerie in a tutu. "Ballet? Mimic think this might be interesting!" Aerie giggled and ran over to capture Seth in a big hug before dragging him off in the direction of the Cerulean Gym. "Purrrsian!" Slasher yowled in protest before dashing after them reluctantly. After him, Mimic transformed into an identical Persian and followed. *** In the filled auditorium, Seth sat in the far back with his arm around Aerie. Behind them, Slasher seemed preoccupied with something or other in the stands. Mimic had disappeared shortly after they'd entered the gym, but Seth suspected he was around somewhere. Soon, all the lights towards the center pool shut off. In the darkness, Aerie grabbed onto Seth's arm and cuddled against him. Seth smiled and leaned over to kiss her cheek. Then he flinched as a sudden bright spotlight burst to life below them. In the center of it were three young women in swimsuits waving to the audience. An announcer boomed out an introduction as the spotlight spread to reveal the entire pool. The three dived down into the pool and began their routine. They were good, and they were attractive, Seth decided, but he still didn't see anything all that interesting about splashing around in the water. He glanced over at Aerie who was simply spellbound. He shrugged and let his mind wander as the act continued. At least the place was air conditioned. "Eek!" One of the Waterflowers jumped out of sync and looked down. "There's something strange down there!" The entire crowd gasped as the water in the middle of the pool began to froth and bubble. The Waterflowers swam for opposite corners of the pool as a giant Wartortle emerged from the water and proceeded to Water Gun the entire audience. Seth and Aerie looked at each other. "Mimic." Amidst much screaming and panic, the entire auditorium emptied out even as the Wartortle shrunk and disappeared. As the lights popped back on one by one, they revealed an empty and drenched arena. Up in the bleachers sat Seth and Aerie, alone and sopping wet. Seth looked over at Aerie with a smirk. "Well, that was interesting. We should see this water ballet stuff more often." Aerie shoved him over with a warning grin. "Watch it, you! At least it was almost over." Standing, her entire body shook in an unnaturally fast vibration, flinging all the water off. When she was still again, she looked as if she'd never been wet to begin with. Sitting through Aerie's new water onslaught, Seth settled on the old fashioned way of wringing his hair and shirt out. He looked up to see Slasher's curled cinnamon roll-like tail bobbing towards them across the bleachers. "Hey Slash, time to go!" "Sian." The Persian leaped across the remaining bleachers and dropped a few dozen wallets and coins at his feet. "Puuurrrr." Seth blinked. "Gah! Slasher, where did you get all this? NO, don't answer, I know. Sheesh, you've really got to learn to control yourself one of these days..." He put a hand to his face. "Sian Sian!" Slasher gave Seth a disgusted look and padded off. "Well, let's go find where Mimic's gotten to," Aerie ruffled Seth's blue hair and jumped over the bleachers to the aisle. "Coming.." Seth watched her back before quickly dealing all the cash from the wallets and tucking it into his pocket. "Once a Rocket always a Rocket, and when in a tight spot...." He whispered to himself as Aerie followed Slasher outside the auditorium. Slipping his shades back on, Seth stuck his hands in his pockets and went after Aerie and Slasher. His hidden emerald eyes flicked from side to side. The walls of most of the outer gym had been converted into a huge aquarium. Although there was the obvious occasional Goldeen, Horsea, and other water Pokemon, he was surprised to find that aquariums consisted of mostly non-Pokemon aquatic creatures. Strolling over to the plexiglass, he ran a palm across the surface as a colorful Sunfish floated by. He smiled and recorded the image in his memory. He'd always had something of a photographic memory, though he never would have guessed it was a natural Ditto trait when he was only ten years old. He watched as a small shark and jellyfish swam past. Given that most of the world revolved around Pokemon, many actually didn't believe non-Pokemon creatures existed, although there were obviously trees and other plants that weren't Bulbasaur or Exeggutor. That anyone, expecially a Pokemon gym would flaunt such creatures was a bit unusual. "Oh, just wonderful!" Seth dropped his hand and straightened up, looking over at the sound of Aerie's voice. She was talking to the Waterflowers about something. They noticed him as he came over. The one Aerie called 'Daisy' frowned at him. The other two simply looked confused. "Hey, don't we know you?" Daisy put her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes at him. Seth looked skyward with a sigh. Not again.... "Yeah, it's him!" Her sister shook her head disapprovingly. "Look," Seth put his hands up in front of himself, "I'm not who you think I am! People mistake me all the time!" Aerie looked between Seth and the Waterflowers curiously. "Do we look stupid to you?" Daisy frowned. Seth took a step backwards. "Umm....Of course not, but-!" "We know who you are! You're that talent scout who bashed our performance in that article in last month's Pokemon Friend! Claiming we're only world famous because our little sister is a gym leader! How dare you!" Seth ripped off his shades. "Hold it, hold it! I didn't write any article! I don't even read the Pokemon Friend!" "A likely story! Hmmph!" With that, the Waterflowers turned their noses up and walked away. Aerie turned to Seth, her arms crossed and her eyebrows knit. "Look what you did! You got them upset! And they were almost going to let me in on one of their acts, too!" Steaming, she walked out of the gym, leaving Seth speechless and at a complete loss. "Excuse me?" A slim finger tapped Seth on the shoulder. He turned to see one of the Waterflowers standing there. He blinked at her. "Yeah?" "I....know....who....you....are." She smiled sweetly at him, glowing with a faint pink and blue aura. Though Seth really didn't think much of it for some reason. "You do?" He gave her a skeptical look. "Yes. Now follow your heart. The answer lies within you." She pulled something from behind her back and pressed it lightly into his hand. With a wink, she was gone. Seth didn't know his head had been in a cloud until it cleared again. Looking around him, he saw he was still alone up and down the corridor. Shaking his head, he looked down to see a perfect, beautiful blue rose in his hand. He brought it up and turned it between his fingers curiously. It looked exactly like one of the special blue roses James had grown back home. But of course this couldn't be one of those. Outside, he spotted Aerie standing with Slasher by a snowcone stand. Next to them was what appeared to be a ten year old version of Seth eating a rainbow colored snowcone. Behind them, the snowcone vendor seemed to be babbling incoherently about talking snowcones. *** "You were eavesdropping on my thoughts, weren't you?" Seth raised and eyebrow at his younger version as they walked through the southern end of Cerulean park. Mimic looked up innocently from his snowcone. "Mimic not pry.....just peek. Was interesting, sorry. Mimic just human after all." "Hmmph." Seth gave him an amused look. Then he turned to Aerie, who was still giving him the cold shoulder. "Hey you, don't be mad at me....how was I to know they'd react to me like that?" She turned those violet eyes on him still looking upset at him. Seth shook his head and stopped her. Before she could speak, he pulled her into a sheltered grove of bushes in the park. Looking out, he saw Slasher and Mimic continuing along as if they were still there. "Seth, what are you doing?" She asked as he looked back. Seth just smiled and flipped a blue rose up before her face. Aerie's eyes softened. "Why, where did you..." Before she could finish her question, Seth leaned over and kissed her passionately, closing his eyes as his arms went around her. Still holding onto the rose, Aerie fell against Seth one of her hands caressing up into his hair. Lost in her lips, Seth suddenly became aware of a strange sensation as his arms strayed towards her hips. He pulled away from her face with a smile, then glanced now. He did a double take. Aerie just stared in shock. Where their bodies had pressed together, they were now molded together with a faint shimmering light that faded into each of them. It looked bizarre...but wasn't all that unpleasant. They smiled at each other before falling back into another deep kiss. TBC? ~Maria R "Psy yie yie..." ----- Tha webber: http://hamstergirl.cjb.net/ ----- "Taking Pokemon straight from your pockets, With the power of the stars, it's Maria Rocket!" -My corny PW! motto ^.^; --- Rocketshipper Forever! --- TEOTWAWKI