Sunlight in Your Universe

Chapter Five: Tact and Hidden Facets

AN: You may have noticed I called Crystal Town Rainbow Town last chapter... Sorry, it can be hard to keep up with all this. ^^;;;;

And I don’t own the song “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia”; I just alluded that there’s a Kanto version of it. (Anyone who doesn’t know, the song is about a guy accidentally framed for murdering, oh, somebody. ^^; Turns out his little sister did it and couldn’t stop them from hanging him... I wonder who that kid reminds me of?... *grins evilly*)

Thank you, everyone; Have fun!

~*~

"Tokitokitokitoki--"

"Misty, is there _any_ way to get him to stop doing that?!"

"I don't think so," she sighed. "Heaven knows I've tried."

"Toki?"

"Togetic, settle down! Please! Now guess what we're doing?"

"Tokitokitick?" <Talking to each other?>

"Besides that, Togetic, besides that."

"Tokitoki?" <Living?>

"Besides that too."

"Toki-tick?" <Breathing?>

"No! Togetic, we're going to fly to Viridian City!"

"Tokiiiii! Toki-toki!!" <No fair! You asked what we '_are_ doing'!>

"Well, Togetic, I meant what we are _about_ to do. I apologize for any inconvenience..." She attempted to keep the sarcasm out of her voice--though Togetic probably wouldn't've noticed anyway.

"Toki!"

"Now, do you remember that move that makes you get really big?"

"Ki..." <No...>

Brock fanned Misty, taking over the line of questioning before she did something she'd regret. "It was called 'Fly', Togetic. Do you remember it?"

"Tokidoki." <Sometimes.>

Brock blinked. Had he heard 'doki'?... "Do you remember it now?"

"Ki..." <No...>

"Great!" Misty yelled. "NOW how are we going to get to Viridian?!"

"JAMES! You get off that bird THIS INSTANT! Do you hear me?!"

"You should've captured a Pidgey of your own, Jessie!"

"Nyaaa!"

Misty's eyes widened. "Are they who I think they are?"

"If...you...don't stop flying so fast...right now..."

"We're almost _there_."

The Pidgeotto soared down, right in front of Misty and Brock. Jessie, of former Team Rocket fame, came panting up and used her momentum to knock James off Pidgeotto with a frying pan.

"You could've let me on!!"

"Ow...Next time...I think I will..." James said dizzily.

"...Should've prepared for trouble," Misty commented.

"And made it double," Brock followed.

"Oh, it's the twerp's friends! How's he been doing anyway?" Meowth asked.

"He ran off," Brock said. In an offhand tone he added, "Did you know Misty has a boyfriend?"

Jessie and Meowth 'aah'ed in comprehension. James said, "No. How nice!"

Jessie whacked him with her paper fan.

"What did I do?!"

"Nothing, James, nothing..." She rolled her eyes.

"I'm getting married!" Brock blurted out.

"Ooooh!" James cried.

"Really?! Where?!" Jessie exclaimed, surprisingly starry-eyed. "I mean _when_?"

"Viridian City, about a week," Brock said. "Trouble is, Togetic can't remember how to Fly..."

"...He _forgot_ a move?" Meowth asked.

"Toki toki priiiiii!" <No, I remember it sometimes!>

"I had no idea dat was possible," Meowth said.

"Neither did I," Misty said with a huge sigh.

"Toki?"

"Nothing, Togetic..."

As suddenly as Brock had mentioned the wedding, he was on his knees. "Can you _please_ fly us there? PLEASE?! I'm begging you!! This is my one and only chance!"

"She'd _forgive_ you, Brock," Misty said, annoyed.

"_Me_?"

"Well...You might have a point..."

"Miiiissstttyyy!"

"We'll take you, if we can come too!" James chirped.

"OH THANK YOU!" Brock yelled, falling to his knees and kissing James' feet.

Misty just put a hand to her temple and sighed.

~*~

Mewtwo put a handful of popcorn into his mouth.

"Oh, Phillip, please! No one has to know that I'm not Beth!" cried the woman on the television screen.

"She isn't?" Mewtwo asked.

<Actually, she _is_ Beth, but she doesn't know it. Her name's Lorelei.> Mew smiled.

"And you haven't been sued?!"

<Huh?>

"Nevermind..." he sighed.

"Get out of my house. NOW. Get out of Winterdale and get out of my LIFE!" a man yelled.

"But what about Lizzie?"

"She'll get over it!!"

Mewtwo blinked. "Yeaaaahhh... As I said... Honorable profession... No doubt about it..."

Mew threw a pillow at him. <I'll have you know that 'Saving Grace' is a _wonderful_ soap opera!>

"Yeah... Wonderful... Certainly...."

<...I take it this is a bad time to ask about the rumors?> Pikachu quipped from the doorway.

"What rumors?" Mewtwo asked.

<The ones about Mew seeing the future,> Pikachu explained. <Or at least Ash's future. Or past. Or whatever the heck it is.>

"Oh. Well, I believe she is having dreams about Ash's future indeed. But she might not be limited to this dimension. She may see alternate dimensions, or even create them in the presence of outside stimulus. There are an infinite number of universes, you know, at least they think so. I believe it's called Renna's Theory of Alternate Universes..."

<...Huh?>

"Well, in different universes, anything can happen and does. Some universes in theory would be indiscernible from ours... Others, incredibly different."

Mewtwo was about to reply when the front door flew open. <Mewtwooo!> Lugia yelled. <It's those drunk guys who look exactly like us again!!>

"...Like that!" Mewtwo exclaimed.

<Oh, now I get it! Thanks!>

"No problem... Now, where do we send those guys to again?..."

"Ah. Thank you."

<Too bad they're always too drunk when they get here to remember never to do it again,> Mew commented.

<Okaaaaayyy... Hey, wait a sec! I have a rumor! I HAVE A RUMOR! For the first time in my life I have a RUMOR to spread!! Wheeeeee!> Pikachu cried and ran off.

<Mewtwo...Just make them leave, okay? That other me always gives me the creeps.>

<So Lugia, long time no see!> Mew chirped. <Did you know I'm the head writer of a soap opera?>

Lugia blinked. <Mewtwo? Is Mew all right?>

"Unfortunately, yes...."

<Cool!!>

"ACK!"

~*~

"Okay," Ash said, taking a deep breath. "Moment of truth. How dead am I?"

He altered his worried expression to a bright smile as the Cerulean City Joy came on the line. "Hi Nurse Joy!"

"Oh, hi Ash!" Joy chirped. "I'm so glad you're back!"

"Thanks! Just sorry I couldn't reappear sooner!"

"Shush, Pikachu."

"Oh, I hope you still have a Pokemon with Fly," Joy said, suddenly worried.

"Yeah..." Ash said. "Three, actually..."

"That's wonderful!" Joy cried. "Well, I'll see you in a week, then, Ash. Goodbye!"

The line clicked off.

<What did she _mean_ you'll see her in a week?> Pikachu asked, puzzled.

"Yo, Loser--eh--"

"Gary! You'll never believe it!" Ash cried. "Tracey has TACT!!"

"_Tact_? TRACEY?!"

"I guess everyone has hidden facets!"

"You'd know." Gary rolled his eyes. "But seriously, Tracey has tact? How can you tell?"

Ash grinned. "If he didn't, Joy would've commented on the whole Mew thing."

"You mean, Joy _knows_? Already?! I've only known for thirteen hours!"

"Didn't you know? Professor Oak's the hub of the Kanto rumor mill. Tracey only told him that I'm back, luckily. Otherwise... I'd be in pretty deep."

"Mmmm..." Gary said, sipping some orange juice. "I guess so..."

"Says the guy who's caught more Legendary Pokemon than any other trainer in the League..."

He sputtered a bit. "You've heard about that?!"

"Hey, Johto has a _great_ news program."

"Realllllyyy..."

"Yeah. Wait a sec... There's something I forgot to ask Joy..."

"What?" Gary asked cautiously.

Ash looked out of the window. The whole small population of Pallet Town was out exchanging gossip. He watched as a woman whispered something to a friend. The friend gestured to the laboratory, wide-eyed, then collapsed on the ground laughing.

"That answers it."

"Huh?"

"Remember Jenny? The girl whose Pidgey you made fun of all the time?"

"Yeah, a little."

"She's the one who _really_ hates you."

"Oh yeah!" Gary said, laughing nervously.

"And she's laughing her head off. She knows."

"Knows what?"

"You tell me. All I know is it's about you."

"Auggh..."

"ILLEGALLY ADOPTED!!!" Jenny screamed in laughter, her voice echoing throughout the town.

Ash blinked. "I'd be stunned, but I don't think anything can really stun me any more, short of maybe death. Want some pancakes?"

"Pancakes?!" Serena ran down the stairs. "Well why didn't ya say so?!"

"Y...You changed your hair," Gary commented.

"Yeah, Mom made me do it," she said, patting her bun nervously. A few shorter strands were let free of it to frame her face. "And did that crazy woman scream that you aren't even _legally_ our brother?"

Ash nodded, and Gary grinned evilly. "Yeah, and I've never been happier in my life!"

"Why YOU! Crazy--"

"Aw, kids, please don't fight!" Mrs. Ketchum cried.

"Hey, we can all vote!" Serena cried. "Well actually, I still haven't registered, but I could vote if I tried to!"

Gary chuckled. "Reaaaallllyyy?"

"Oh shuddup--er--what's your name again?"

Ash sweatdropped. "I love you, you love me, we're a great big family..."

"With a great big hug and a--" Mrs. Ketchum continued.

"Aaaaaggh!" Gary cried. "Extreme mental anguish! Aaaaah!"

Mrs. Ketchum blinked. "Oh, I'm sorry."

"Jerk," Serena muttered.

Arti-chan suddenly tossed in.

Diana said, with an evil bird grin.

"WHAT?!"

Ash blinked. "I did not hear that. I simply did not hear that. I am going to Professor Oak's to get my Pokemon, not because of something someone said, because no one said anything. Riiiiggghttt?"

"...You need help, Ketchum..."

"So do you. See ya!"

Serena sighed at the closing door. "I should ask what is the deal with you two, but I don't want to know and I'll probably find out anyways."

"Yeah, probably," Gary said. "Let's just go have some pancakes."

"Sounds like a good idea to me."

~*~

"Finally!" Mewtwo cried. "The one storyline I can _stand_!"

Mew blinked. <You _like_ Harley and Gus?>

"Who?"

"Better than this whole stupid Beth/Lorelei thing. Honestly, she _looks_ like her, _writes_ like her, even _acts_ like her to some extent. How can they be this bloody stupid?!"

"Er..."

<Well, they're _supposed_ to be stupid.>

"Yeah, you're right. And by the way--how _did_ you get away with using the name Lorelei? Isn't that one of the Elite Four people?"

"Celadon Scandal?"

<Yeah. A few years back, Lorelei was accused of running a bella-mafia scheme with Erika. Apparently, they did the _works_--stealing, importing, fraternization with Team Rocket...>

"Erika?!"

<Yep. They were acquitted--the evidence room mysteriously burned down. But Lorelei changed her name after that. I don't know how you could've missed that, it was a _huge_ scandal! There are even rumors that some song called 'The Night the Lights Went Out in Kanto" is based on something she did.>

"Whoa. I never heard of that."

<It's all been hushed up by now.>

"Then how did you hear of it?"

"Fascinating."

"Hallelujah, no more till Monday!!" Mewtwo cried. "Er, I mean, oh darn!"

<Heeeyyy! I oughta-->

"Ack!" Mewtwo yelled and ran.

~*~

"Nice to see you again, Ash... Now which Pokemon do you want back?" Professor Oak asked.

In the background, Tracey was checking the Pokeballs and marking something off on the chart he carried.

"Hmmm...Bulbasaur definitely," Ash said.

"Tracey! 4-823!" Professor Oak called.

After a second of looking, Tracey found the Pokeball and tossed it to the Professor.

"I haven't seen Kingler in a long time..."

"Tracey! 4-767!"

"Pidgeot could use some activity too..."

"Tracey! 5-002!"

"Cyndaquil would help with the balance..."

"Tracey! 4-697!"

"And...Hmmm..." Ash bit his lip. Heracross might cause a problem, with Bulbasaur along. Professor Oak was probably still observing Noctowl...And was he even allowed to have another? Pikachu, Bulbasaur, Kingler, Pidgeot, and Cyndaquil made five, but counting himself... But he couldn't count himself, now, could he?

"What do you think, Pikachu?"

Pikachu cocked his head. <Well, I don't think we can handle Chikorita right now. Or Muk, for that matter.>

"It's not like I'll be in any battles... Maybe I'll just take five," he said.

"Sounds good to me," Professor Oak said, signaling to Tracey that he could go about his work. "Nobody should challenge you at a wedding."

"What?! Wedding? What wedding? WHOSE wedding?!" Ash cried.

"Pikaaaa!"

"Didn't you hear? Your friend Brock's getting married to Nurse Joy, the one from Viridian."

"Brock's getting married?!"

Pikachu cried. <She really _was_ serious about him!>

"Gosh, _everyone's_ showing a hidden facet today!" Ash said.

"Well hey there, little fellow," Tracey said to an Eevee in a pen, reaching down to pet it. "How are you--OOOWWW!"

"You know, Ash..." Oak said. "I'm really glad to see you back. We were all really worried about you."

"AAAAHHH!" Tracey screamed, running around frantically, trying to dislodge the Eevee that was attached to his hand.

"Yeah... I know. I'm just sorry I couldn't call or something." Ash grinned sheepishly.

"Hellllllllpppp!!!!!" Tracey screamed, running behind Oak again.

"That's okay, I understand. If you could have called, you would. We all know that."

"AAAAAGGGHHH!!" Tracey screamed, running the other way.

"Tracey?" Ash asked. "Why is there an Eevee biting your hand?"

"Oh no, not again!" Oak cried. "How many times do I have to tell you, the Pokemon in the pens are undergoing therapy! They're liable to attack you if you disturb them!"

"Just get it _off_ me, pleeaaase!!"

"Oh, _fine_... Ash, this is going to be a bit messy. You might want to leave..."

"Okay," Ash said, backing toward the door. "Bye Professor, see you later."

"Now next time, don't pet it!"

"Why would I do it _again_?"

"Maybe because this has happened TWELVE TIMES?!"

"Oh yeah..."

~*~

"Okay, time to face the music," Ash said nervously, stopping in a clearing. "Again."

"You'd better be right... Pidgeot, Cyndaquil, Kingler, Bulbasaur, I choose you!"

The Pokemon emerged, blinking a bit, getting re-oriented to the outside world.

<AAASSSSHHH!!!> Pidgeot screamed.

"Aah!" Ash yelled happily as the Pokemon knocked him to the ground.

<Where the heck have you been?!> Bulbasaur demanded. <It's been...Um... WAY too long!>

<I'm so glad you're back!> Cyndaquil cried.

Kingler bubbled for a minute. <...There's something different about you. What-what?>

Ash sweatdropped. "A lot. Y'see, it's actually been two years..."

"Bulbasaur, please! There might be _kits_ in this forest!"

<Well _I_ think it was justified...> Pidgeot said.

"Probably. Anyway... Team Rocket kidnapped me."

<WHAAAAAAAAAAT?!>

"Eh heh...And it doesn't stop there..."

<Oh boy,> said Cyndaquil.

"Um... They kind of...er...turned me into a Pokemon."

<WHAAAATTT????!!!!?!?>

"I know, I know... And, eh, I'm kinda a cross between two species..."

<This sounds good...> Pidgeot commented dryly.

"Dratini..."

<WOW!> said Kingler.

"And Mew."

<WHAAAAATTT?!!!?!!>

"Eh heh...Oh by the way, Pikachu evolved and I have a sister."

At this point, everyone just stared at him.

<And Misty has a boyfriend,> Pikachu added.

Everyone stared.

There was silence for a few seconds.

"I suppose I shouldn't say anything about Mew and Mewtwo..." Ash said.

<Guys? You all right?>

"Um... Are you okay?..."

Still there was silence. Pikachu walked over and tapped Pidgeot's side. He fell over and crashed into Kingler, who crashed into Bulbasaur, who crashed into Cyndaquil.

Needless to say that woke them up.

"SAAAAUUUURRRRRRRR!" Bulbasaur screamed, running around randomly trying to put himself out.

Pidgeot shook out its wing. Cyndaquil struggled to stand up, and Kingler bubbled.

Ash blinked, turning to Kingler. "Shall you or should I?"

<Huh? Where are you? All I see are the pretty-pretty colors...>

"Guess that answers my question..." Ash said, and water-gunned Bulbasaur. Then he moved on to Kingler and Pidgeot who seemed to need it too.

<The battle's done and we kinda won so we sound our vict'ry cheer,> Pidgeot sang, <But tell me, where do we go from here?>

"I've never heard that one."

<We go to his house,> Pikachu answered. <Hey, Ash's sister has a Pidgeot. A she.>

<Oh boy,> sighed Cyndaquil.

"So now... we go home," Ash said, with a smile.

"Ready?" James asked.

"Ready!" said everyone.

"Okay, Pidgeotto, let's go back to Viridian!"

"Geooooo!" it cried, lifting off.

Joy ran out of the Pokemon Center as it was flying into the sunset. "Waaaiit! They found Ash! Misty! Brock! Ash is back!"

But it was too late. They were too far off to hear. "Oh well," she sighed. "Viridian will tell them..."

"We're leaving _now_?!" Ash cried.

"All the Joys and Jennies who can will be there, Ash," Mrs. Ketchum explained. "We want a hotel, we'll have to get there early."

"Thanks for the warning..." Ash muttered.

"Come on, you guys, get packed. Mimey will teleport us right in front of the Pokemon Center."

"Viridian... It might be a nice town..." Serena mused.

"You've never been there?" Gary asked incredulously.

"Only underneath it."

Before he could ask, she was upstairs.

~*~