Part 3 of 3.  Please direct all C&C to dangermouse42@yahoo.com

Jennifer

jcaliff@nsai-petro.com       http://www.topher.net/~jcaliff/iserlohn.htm

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Dangermouse's Response to the 1999 March Challenge, Pt. 3

WHAT HAS GONE BEFORE: Howdy, folks!  In case you're just tuning in, I'll
sum up quickly what happened in the first two parts (although I suggest
you read them!).  It is St. Patrick's Day.  Ash and co. have been
walking in circles and accidentally ended up back in Viridian City
(Viridian=Green.  Get the pun?).  They end up going to the pok�mon
center and meeting a strange looking man who tells Ash about a special,
rare pok�mon that grants wishes.  After finding the pok�mon, they
discover it is not a pok�mon after all, but some kind of fairy.  Ash
only has three wishes - he's already used two!  What will the last one
be?  (Consequently, Team Rocket has been enjoying their day off - at the
Viridian City St. Patrick's Day Festival.)  Anyway - On With The Show!

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"Two, please."

The vendor handed James two hotdogs on green buns.  James studied them
carefully.  "This isn't mold, is it?"

The vendor shook his head.  "It's on account it's St. Patrick's Day.
Can I get you two mugs of green beer to go with that?"  James considered
carefully.  The beer was tempting, but... he looked over at Jessie, who
was resting on a bench nearby.  She didn't have a very good tolerance
for alcohol.  When she was drunk, she had a tendency to do some strange
things.  She lost most of her inhibitions, i.e. she smiled more, worried
less, and relaxed a lot.  Not to mention the fact that James had never
once seen her hung over.  James smiled.  At least she wasn't a mean
drunk.

"I'll take 'em."

*    *    *    *    *

Brock watched the fairy float around.  So far, every wish they tried got
twisted into a joke.  Ash was clearly apprehensive about making another
wish.  Brock shuddered, remembering the short time he had gone into
limbo.  It was like floating in a sea of Jell-O.  He'd felt nothing, not
even his own presence.  He couldn't breath, but he hadn't needed to.
He'd lost all ability to think and couldn't remember anything about
himself.  It seemed dark, but he didn't think he had any eyes at the
time anyway.  Or ears for that matter - it had been complete and total
silence.  The expression on Misty's face told him she was thinking about
the same thing.

"Ash, let's let it go and get out of here," she said, gesturing to the
fairy.  "It's just messing with our minds, anyway.  We don't need the
last wish.  Let's just go enjoy the fair, okay?"

When Ash didn't respond, she turned to him, her anger boiling.
*Arrogant, self-centered...* she thought angrily.  But all anger dropped
from her countenance when she saw the look on Ash's face.

He had been quiet these past couple of minutes - a feat Misty thought
she'd never see him manage.  His hat was pulled over his eyes as he
rubbed his chin with his hand.  He looked thoughtful and a little sad.
It made Misty extremely nervous.  Ash was thinking.

"You can grant any wish at all, correct?" Ash asked the fairy, looking
up to make eye contact.  The fairy flipped its long green hair off its
shoulder and smiled that evil smile, causing everyone to cringe.  It
rubbed its hands together and nodded vigorously.

"Yep!  I sure can.  Anything you want.  Just say the word."

Ash nodded and pulled his hat back over his eyes.  He took a deep
breath.  Pikachu, sensing his friend's distress, hopped up into Ash's
arms.  He smiled at the little electric mouse and hugged him close for a
moment.  He took another deep breath and looked up.

"I want to talk to my father."

*    *    *    *    *

Jessie sipped her beer slowly.  She and James were watching a small
performing group practice for their part in the Annual St. Patrick's Day
Parade that would take place tonight.  She winced as a juggler dropped
his clubs for the sixth or seventh time.  She made eye contact with
James as the poor juggler scrambled to pick up the wooden clubs.  He
shrugged.

"What do you think, Jess.  We could do better, ne?"

"I think Ekans could do better," she said with a chuckle.  This poor sap
was going to make a fool of himself.  Oh, well.  At least it was
entertaining to watch.  The juggler gave up on clubs and decided to try
rubber balls for a while instead.  He was doing okay for a few minutes,
but then they came tumbling down, bouncing in all directions across the
field.  One bounced straight towards them and rolled gently to a stop
against James' foot.  A call of apology rang out to them.  

"Want me to shoot them?" asked Jessie with a smile.  James just shook
his head and bent down to retrieve the ball.  As his hand passed over
it, he blinked in amazement.  Picking up the ball and plucking something
from the ground, he sat up and tossed the ball to the juggler, who gave
him a cheerful wave and went back to practicing.  

"Close your eyes," said James as he stood up and walked around the table
to where Jessie was sitting.  "Hold out your hand."  Jessie eyes
narrowed as she regarded him and his odd request.  There was a sparkle
in his eyes that told of mischief.  She sighed and complied with his
wish, figuring if he did something bad to her, she could get back at him
tonight.  Jessie felt him press something into her hands.  

"You can open your eyes now."

She did and smiled brightly when she saw what he had given her.  It was
so like James to notice the little things.  Between this and the toy
pikachu?

"Trying to get lucky?" she asked with an evil grin.  She closed her hand
around the small four-leaf clover he had given her, grabbed the front of
his shirt with her other hand, and pulled a surprised James down into a
rather passionate kiss.  Somewhere behind them, they heard the juggler
drop the implements of his trade again, as well as some whistling and
hooting.  

Neither one of them cared.

*    *    *    *    *

The fairy looked carefully at the boy.  It was starting to like this
motley little group.  They had been a lot of fun - heck, the most fun
it'd had in a long while.  They were pretty good sports.  The boy looked
serious in his request.  He was waiting with dread for the trick it was
going to play on him.  It smiled again, but this time, it was a warm
smile.  *Never think you know a trickster,* it thought.  The fairy
thought carefully and nodded once.

"Granted."

Ash closed his eyes, expecting something horrible.  He wasn't sure how
the fairy was going to react to a wish like this.  Nothing else had been
really serious. 

"Ashton?"

Ash froze, his eyes going wide.  His father had passed away when he was
little, but he never forgot his voice.  Besides, nobody else would ever
call him 'Ashton.'  He turned around slowly and saw...

"DAD!"  Ash ran to the man who suddenly appeared on the other side of
the field.  His hair was spiked out in all directions and he wore
clothes that seemed a little out of date.  Above his head floated a
golden ring.  But, he had a warm smile and got down on one knee,
scooping the little pok�mon trainer in training into his arms.  Ash was
sobbing gratefully.

"Oh, Dad.  I've missed you so much.  There is so much I want to tell
you."  He held his father in a vice-like grip, afraid that if he let him
go, he would lose him again forever.

"My little Ashton.  I'm always watching over you.  I'm so proud of you
and all you've accomplished."  He took off Ash's hat and ruffled his
hair.  His father looked at him in the eye.  "Oh, you look so much like
I did when I was younger - but you have your mother's eyes.  I'll always
be there for you, Ash, if you only look into your heart."

Brock began to feel tears coming to his own eyes.  It was all so...
beautiful.  He felt a light hand on his shoulder as he continued to
watch Ash and his father talk.

"Sweet, ain't it," murmured the floating trickster.  Misty had tears
coming down her face.  Brock could only nod.  Everyone was so absorbed
in the drama unfolding before them that no one noticed as the fairy
started to dissipate into a puff of smoke, giving a 'thumbs up' before
vanishing completely.

*    *    *    *    *

Jessie held James' arm tight as the world lurched around them.  The
chair they were on swung wildly a few times before coming to rest.
Jessie had tucked the four-leaf clover into her bright, red hair, a
physical reminder of how pleasant the day had been.  She sighed happily
and leaned back, causing the chair to swing even more crazily.  She
laughed to herself as she heard James gasp in surprise.

"Jess, I think I just remembered why I don't go on Ferris Wheels."
Jessie sat up and looked at James.  He was obviously nervous - he could
never hide anything from Jessie.  He was clutching her arm tightly and
gazing at the ground far, far below.

"Don't look down, silly," chastised Jessie.  As she leaned forward, the
seat rocked again.  The ground got a few inches closer and the two
passengers were leaning down towards it at a precarious angle.  Well,
James felt it was precarious, anyway.  He gasped again and tightened his
grip on Jessie.

"Where do you expect me to look?"  he asked franticly.  "Down seems to
be the dominant feature in this situation!"

Jessie sighed and rolled her eyes.  She leaned back, the chair once
again reacting to her movements.  James gave up on her arm and put both
of his arms around her waist in an attempt to get her to stay still.
Jessie giggled.

"Look out there," she said, pointing forward.  James forced his eyes
away from the ground followed Jessie's suggestion.  In front of them was
the most beautiful sunset James had ever seen.  He relaxed slowly and
loosened his grip a little, mesmerized by the sight.  The sky was a
bright mixture of oranges, reds, blues, and purples.  A warm wind blew
across fair, bringing a little relief to the chill evening.  He tore his
eyes away from the beautiful sight and focused on another - Jessie
sitting next to him.  She was staring at the sunset with a child-like
wonder, holding him tight and leaning her head against his chest.  James
sighed; maybe he could get used to the Ferris Wheel thing after all.  He
changed his mind instantly as the chair lurched backwards, putting them
at the top of the wheel.  He let out a cry and pulled Jessie close to
him in fear, nuzzling his head against her neck to block out any sight
of the ground below them.

"Just tell me when it's over, Jess!"

Jessie smiled as she looked down at her partner who had thrown himself
into her arms.  She suddenly remembered why she liked Ferris Wheels so
much.

*    *    *    *    *

The trio headed back to Viridian City.  They were hungry and emotionally
and physically exhausted.  Ash had had a long talk with his father, who
had vanished again only a short while ago.  They had tried looking for
the fairy, but he was no where to be found.  When Ash had looked in the
manual to call him again, he discovered all the pages were blank.

"Maybe next year we can come back and you can have a talk with your mom,
Brock," said Misty, turning her head to look at the pok�mon breeder
wannabe.  Brock shook his head.

"That's alright, Misty," he replied cheerfully.  "I talk to my mom all
the time, in here."  Brock put his hand over his heart.  Misty patted
him on the back. 

"Well, at least we still have time to go to the fair, right Ash?"

Ash nodded.  He had been quiet since his talk with his father.  He
jogged in front of Misty and Brock, giving them both a 'victory' sign.
Pikachu jumped on his shoulder.

"Come on!  I'll race you there!"

The three kids ran towards the fair ground laughing and joking.  It was
almost time for the parade.  They dodged through a group of bad jugglers
and nearly ran over a small troop of Irish step-dancers ("No big loss
there," murmured Misty).  

"HEY!  YOU THREE!! GET OVER HERE AND LINE UP!"

Misty, Brock and Ash all stopped short.  They looked around and saw a
man waving franticly for them to come over.  With a shrug, they
complied.  What they saw amazed them.

There were two large lines of very green people.  They were, in a sense,
the color guard of the parade.  The trio looked confused for a minute
until they looked down at themselves.  Misty groaned.  They were still
wearing those stupid robes and the body paint Robin had sold them.  

"Oh, we're not supposed to be in the para -" Misty was cut off by Ash
clamping his hand over her mouth.

"Sorry we're late!" exclaimed Ash, winking at Brock and Misty.  "We got
lost."

"Whatever," said the man, pushing them over to the hoard of green
people.  "Just get in line."

"What are you doing Ash?" asked Misty once they had been lined up.

"Well, I figure we're probably too late to get a good seat to see the
parade, so we might as well be in it!"  Ash flashed a smile at his
friends and got an enthusiastic "Pika-pi!" from his little mouse.  Brock
just shrugged.

"Why not?"

*    *    *    *    *

James winced as Jessie finished singing the bawdy drinking song along
with about thirty people sitting on the hill around them.  She clapped
enthusiastically along with the rest of the group.  James took a long
pull from his mug.

"Isn't this great, James, dear?" asked Jessie, throwing her arms around
her partner's shoulders (and nearly missing).  James steadied her with
his own arms and watched as she took another drink from the cheap
plastic mug they'd received from the vendors.  Noting that it was empty,
she shook it up and down a few times as if expecting it to refill.  She
looked down at James' glass.

"Are you going to finish that?"

James held his mug close to himself and chugged its entire contents
before answering, "Yesh."

Jessie groaned and stood up, thrusting her glass into they air and
yelling "REFILL!"  James grabbed her by the waist and forced her back
onto the ground.  They wrestled for a few minutes before James, being
the more sober of the two, heard the trumpets heralding the start of the
parade.  Struggling to a sitting position, they watched the entourage of
badly costumed people, badly tuned instruments, and gaudy floats.  James
felt there was simply too much green for his own comfort.  Of course,
the parade was helped along significantly because of the fact that most
of the people watching it were totally wasted.  Jessie and James were no
exception, watching it all through a dim, drunken haze.  Suddenly,
Jessie sat up straight and pointed at a group of green people.

"Pi-pi-ka-shu and, and those ba-brats!" she stuttered, trying to stand
up.  She reached for her gun, only dimly remembering that she had left
it at home.  James squinted at the crowd.  Everything seemed to be
blending together, so he really couldn't tell if they were there or not.
 Instead, he grabbed Jessie's flannel and yanked her to the ground.

"Shcrew it, Jess.  Itsh our vacation, dammit," he slurred, the chugging
of the beer having finally hit his brain.  Jessie looked at him for a
moment then nodded.  She reached into her pocket and pulled out the
hotel key.  She threw up in the air and (miraculously) caught it.  She
pulled on James' arm and dragged him to his feet.

"Come on, James.  Let's blow 'dis joint."  She smiled.  "Looksh like
Team Rocket's blashting off again," they said somewhat together.  They
threw their arms around each other and walked away, happy beyond
anything that they were together.  

THE END


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DangerMouse, The Great Immortal.
http://members.xoom.com/Starsong/home.html
"We were once so close to heaven,
Peter came out and gave us medals,
Declaring us the nicest of the damned."
- They Might Be Giants, "Road Movie to Berlin"