Disclaimer: I own neither Pokémon nor Love Hina. Deal with it. Author’s Note: Feel the wrath of chapter two! FEEL IT, I say! Uh...yeah... *** First Date Chapter Two Aboard the strange craft, Misty was staring at the stranger, who was controlling the vehicle with a strange joystick-like contraption that protruded from the floor. He had stopped being all mysterious and was now beginning to chat freely. “Well, I could have flown in on a helicopter, but that’s a rich rival’s entrance.” he said, flicking his hair out of his eyes and smiling dazzlingly at her. Briefly, Misty felt annoyance at the man’s apparent love of himself, but then she looked at him again and thought no more of the matter. She smiled back slightly and glanced out of the window. They were zooming through the sky about two miles off the ground, passing over what looked like Viridian Forest. The man spoke again and Misty looked back at him. “So I thought of this - an invention from my company; well, my company when it comes to me.” Misty blinked a few times and then decided to ask the question that had been plaguing her for the last ten minutes. “Um...Who are you?” she enquired tentatively. Abruptly, the man facevaulted. Misty gave him a slightly frightened look as he slumped over the controls and made the vehicle veer slightly to the left. The man quickly clambered back into his seat and jerked the controls to get them back on their original course. “Uh...It’s me! You know, Rudy? From the Orange Islands? Gym Leader? Ring any bells?” Misty studied him for a few moments before comprehension dawned in her eyes. “Ohh...Yeah, I remember you! You look really different!” she stopped and grinned sheepishly, and he smiled back, “What are you doing here?” “Well, this conference should have a lot of newly discovered information about Water Pokémon, and a thought it would help me improve my skills as a Gym Leader...” The two teenagers lapsed into a comfortable conversation about the properties of a Water Stone as the craft carried over the rooftops of Pewter City. *** “The nerve of that guy! Just showing up without any invitation and then just dragging her off without even a ‘please’! Argh!” Ash ranted as the group trooped back into the Ketchum’s Living Room where the flickering visage of Rudy was still displayed. Irritated, Ash snatched up the TV remote control and jabbed the Power button angrily. “Well, she did need to get to Cerulean quickly-“ Tracy was cut off mid- sentence by a murderous glare from Ash, “Uh...I mean, what an idiot! No woman should get a free ride to her destination by a handsome, polite, well- meaning stranger! Perish the thought!” Ash was too peeved to realise the sarcasm, while Duplica rolled her eyes and rapped Ash on the head. “Earth to Ashy-boy! That was Rudy! It’s not some maniacal stranger who’s gonna drag her off to Viridian Forest and slaughter her in an act of offering to his Gods! He’s just a Gym Leader!” Ash rubbed his head and glowered at her. “How do you know him? You’ve never met him.” Duplica raised her eyes heavenward once more. “Number one: I do have a life outside our friendship, number two: He happens to famous and I’ve seen him on TV and in magazines, and number three: WHY DO YOU CARE SO MUCH?!” Duplica finished this list in a half- yell and Ash winced as she has been standing next to him when she screamed. “That’s a good question; why are you so bothered about this?” Whitney said, setting down Togepi on the rug, where Pikachu was attempting to fall back asleep - a fruitless attempt with all of Duplica’s shouting. Ash opened his mouth indignantly but was cut short in his argument when Mrs. Ketchum came into the room. “Pardon me for interrupting, but who was that man earlier?” she asked, looking around the group. “Oh, that was Rudy.” said Brock, smiling winningly at her. Duplica whacked him over the head. “Rudy...ah yes! He was that young man who you fought over Misty with, wasn’t he?” Ash’s mouth fell open in a combination of horror and embarrassment while his friends attempted to hide their giant grins in a sudden bout of coughing, “I’ve heard about him on television...such a nice young man....” Humming, she returned to the kitchen, leaving Ash to his, decidedly crummy, fate. “So...” Duplica began, a dangerous glint in her eye (metaphorically) “THAT’S why you’re so obsessed with this...” “You’ve been fanatical about Misty for how long, exactly?” Tracy put in, a smirk being very poorly hidden behind his hand. “I’m not obsessed! Mum just didn’t understand my vidphone call! That’s all!” Ash cried, a note of pleading in his voice. “Suuure...” Brock said, winking at Ash in a very disturbing manner. The others gave him a weird look before turning back to Ash. “What did you say to her anyway?” Whitney enquired, trying to restore the peace and possibly Ash’s pride “You must have said something to make her think that you and Rudy were having this huge macho-thing over Misty.” Ash squirmed under the group’s scrutinizing gaze. “I think I only said that Rudy’s a dumb jerk, which he is, and that Misty should know better.” As one, Duplica, Brock, Tracy and Whitney all gasped and shook their heads pityingly. “What?” Ash asked indignantly, “What did I do?” “Ash, I think I speak for all of us here when I say...you stupid, ignorant, blind fool.” Tracy said, putting on a serious face, which was ruined completely by the huge grin pasted there. Ash just raised his eyebrows at them. “Ash, you realise that you basically said that you fancy Misty, don’t you?” said Brock, doing a much better job than Tracy at keeping a straight face. “Whaaat?” Ash wailed, “I did NOT!” “Face it Ashy-boy, you’re doomed to an eternal infatuation unless you do something about it before Rudy whisks her away.” Duplica said, patting Ash on the head patronizingly. Ash buried his face in his hands. “Why me?” he groaned. *** Whee! Chapter two done! I’m just churning these out, no? Well, I’d better get on with changing the format and e-mailing The Jolt Master. See you later!