=====Chapter 5: The Trap!=====

	"So, how was the Gym?" Misty asked.
	"Sort of easy.  But I saw Ben's name up on the victors list." Ash 
answered, reclining on his bed.
	"What's next?" Misty asked.
	"Probably the Cerulean City Gym.  Pikachu should be tough enough to 
take on water pokemon." Ash commented.
	Misty sighed.
	[Can't tell him yet.] Misty thought to herself.
	"Um, I hope you don't mind me sleeping in your bed." Misty said, 
sitting down on Ash's bed.
	"Why?" Ash asked.
	Misty pointed over at Shelly, who was already sleeping on the other bed 
with her pokemon taking up the rest of the room on the mattress.
	"Uh.... I guess it would be okay." Ash said, blushing as he turned over 
and tried to huddle up on as little of the bed as he could.  Misty had 
the same idea.
	Pikachu watched this exchanged from the floor.  She rolled her eyes and 
sighed a heavy "Piiiikaaaa..."
	"Pika?" came the call from Zappy.
	"Pika?" Pikachu asked.
	"Pikachu!" Zappy said, hopping off the bed to stand in front of 
Pikachu.
	Pikachu was surprised to be caught in a hug.
	"Pika pika!" Zappy declared, releasing Pikachu.
	"Chu?" Pikachu asked.
	"Pikaaachu!  Pi pika chu pika chu pika pika!" Zappy said.
	"Chu?!" Pikachu asked.
	"Piiiikaaaaaaa!" Zappy said, before winking at Pikachu and hopping back 
up onto the bed with Shelly.
	Ash suddenly felt Pikachu cowering against him.
	"Pikachu?" Ash asked in a low tone.
	"Piiii...." Pikachu answered.
	"What's up?" Ash asked in the same low tone as before.
	Pikachu pointed at Zappy, then swirled a hand over one ear.
	"I feel the same way about her owner." Ash murmurred to Pikachu.
	"Piiii?" Pikachu asked.
	"Fine, fine.  Lay between us." Ash whispered to Pikachu.
	Pikachu climbed over Ash and laid down between Misty and Ash.  Ash 
found himself humming along to the snoring concert in the next bed.  The 
snores of the four sleeping pokemon and Shelly made for an interesting 
musical piece.  He grabbed his Pokedex out of his bag and set it to 
recording the snores.  He felt like snapping his fingers to the rhythm, 
but felt it might ruin the beat.

	In the forest outside of Pewter City, Ben, Jessie, Fox and company were 
all eating.  Hawk and Pen-Pen were busy eating a Magikarp they had 
caught together.  Shamrock was drinking the water from a nearby pond.  
Ben, Jessie, Fox, Mason, Jessy, Bambi and Flare (Jessie's new 
Charmander) were all eating soup.  HardRock and StoneMan, the Geodudes 
they had caught on the way up Mt. Moon, were snoozing.
	"So, how easy do you think defeating the next Gym will be?" Jessie 
asked.
	"Well, the Gyms that's going to be the toughest are at Fuschia and 
Celadon.  Any pokemon that can use poison is going to be trouble.  This 
next Gym'll be a cinch for my Pokemon.  Your pokemon, however, are going 
to be in a slight bit of trouble." Ben began.
	"Why my pokemon?" Jessie asked.
	"Shamrock has an advantage, being a Grass Pokemon, she'll go through 
Water Pokemon like they were made of cheap tissue paper.  None of your 
current Pokemon have that kind of advantage.  Maybe if Hawk evolved into 
a Fearow.... wait, we still have time to get you a Grass or an Electric 
Pokemon.  Once we get you one of those, the next gym'll be a cinch for 
you too." Ben commented.
	"Actually, aren't my pokemon going to be tougher?  After all, they've 
been working harder.  Your pokemon are going to get soft if you just 
keep using the advantages they have against the Gym." Jessie answered.
	"..................... Damn, you're right.  How stupid could I be?  
I've been getting too thick in the head to realize that I've been 
excercising Shamrock too much.  Bambi, Pen-Pen, HardRock, they've been 
sitting on the sidelines too long.  Man, thanks Jessie.  I don't know 
what I'd do if you hadn't been here." Ben said.
	"No problem.  What are friends for?" Jessie asked.
	"MEOWTH!  Dat's right!" Fox declared.
	"Say, how _do_ Pokemon talk to other Pokemon?" Ben asked.
	"Uh, uuuuuh, No speake Englishe! No sprechen sie deutsch! Ich bin ein 
Eggo Waffles! MEOWTH!" Fox yelped, leaping for cover as Ben gave Fox the 
"Look of Death" (tm).

	"I never noticed how incredibly dull Gray can look." Ash commented as 
he noticed that the entire room was gray.  The only thing that showed 
him what was what was the fact that somethings, such as the pillows and 
the blanket were different shades of gray.
	"You too?" Misty responded, surprising Ash as he hadn't expected her to 
be awake.
	Then, he looked to see where she was and nearly leaped out of bed.  She 
had been laying next to him and he hadn't even noticed.  Thankfully, 
they were laying on their backs and not in a more embarrassing position.  
Their hands were touching, causing Ash to blush intensely, despite the 
fact that in about six to ten years, the act would be only considered a 
romantic gesture.
	He had been around girls before, being around girls was no big deal, 
but all of the ones he knew had been a lot older than him.  Misty was 
his age.  If anyone were to see them now, they'd probably say something 
like, "Oh, what a cute couple."
	Pikachu heard the duo talking, made a disgruntled "Piiii." and rolled 
over, resettling on the blanket.  Ash noted that the yellow Pokemon was 
now on the other side of Misty.
	"Hey, have you ever noticed how the towns around here are named after 
colors?" Misty asked.
	Ash paused.  Viridian, Pewter, Cerulean, Vermilion, Fuschia, Lavender, 
Cinnabar, Saffron.  Indigo Plateau.  Even his home town was a bad pun.  
Pallet.
	"That's weird." Ash commented.

	"OOOORRT OOOORRT-OOOORRT OOOORRT-OOOORRT 
OOOORRT-OOOORRT-OOOOOOOORRRRRRRR!" Hawk cried as dawn broke.  It 
prepared to cry again, much like it's rooster ancestors.
	"OOOORRT-OOOORRT-AWWWK!" Hawk yelped as a stone struck it on the head.
	"Charrrrrmaaaaannnderrrr...." Flare growled, returning to it's slumber.
	"Good boy." Fox, Jessie and Ben murmurred in unison.

==============

        I'd like some C&C on this part.  If anyone is still reading.

        Ben McCrillis
        reply at akun15@hotmail.com
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