Adventures in Pokesitting

[Karuta64]

Day 4: Morning

"Last time, on 'Pokeguardians'..." the TV announced. "The Black Kingdom, under the rule of the evil Queen Garnetia, has arrived on Earth! Caught in the middle of this conflict is Cathrine, a mild-mannered 13-year-old who has plenty of other things to worry about other than saving the world...but when she receives a surprise visit from Articuno, one of the advisors of the lost Pokemon Kingdom, she rediscovers her identity as Karinai, Pokeguardian of Fearow..."

"Pika pi?" Pikachu asked as he watched the various images from the previous day's episode flash on the screen.

"You thought Karinai's tiara attack looked cool?" Ash chuckled. "Well, we're about to find out what happens to Karinai and Articuno today..." With that, he leaned back in the easy chair as the TV sang the 'Pokeguardians' theme song.

Just then, Misty walked in the room carrying a camera in one hand and Ami in the other. Just as she was about to set the camera down on the table, she stepped in front of the TV...

"Pika!" Pikachu snapped as he jumped across the blanket, trying to see the screen over Misty.

"Pikachu says 'down in front!' Ash laughed.

"Well if you don't mind, I've got to find a place to set this stuff down so I can go get ready..." Misty explained as she set down her camera and a few boxes of film on the coffee table. "I'm going to test out my new camera at the scenic overlook this afternoon."

"Sounds like fun!" Ash replied.

"Can I trust you to look after my camera while I take a shower?" Misty asked as she walked off towards the bathroom.

"Sure! I can do that!" Ash smiled as he turned his attention back to the TV.

---------

After a few minutes, Ash lay sprawled in the easy chair, asleep. Pikachu, meanwhile, took the opportunity to inspect Misty's camera. Just as he finished climbing on the table...

"Azu?" Ami wandered in the room, curious as to why Pikachu was perched on the coffee table.

"Pika..." and Pikachu eased himself the rest of the way upwards, so that he was in front of the camera. "Pika pi pika..." he explained, gesturing to the camera. "Pika chu..." and he pressed the shutter, making the flash go off!

"Ril!" Ami gasped, shielding her eyes from the bright light.

"...pi pika pikachu!" Pikachu continued, picking up the picture that had slid out of the camera.

"Azu..." Ami replied, giggling at the picture. "Azu rill! Azu rill!"

"Pika!" Pikachu waited as Ami made a silly face for the camera before pressing the shutter again.

"Cynda!" Cyndaquil raced in the room, piqued by the flashing light.

"Toto toto!" Totodile agreed.

"Pika pi!" Pikachu announced. He waited as Cyndaquil hugged Totodile close, then pressed the shutter again.

"Azuri?" Ami asked, modeling a small feather boa for the camera.

Cyndaquil stuck out his tongue as the flash went off again. Totodile also made a stupid face, eager to get his picture taken.

"AH HA!" a voice called, surprising the Pokemon! Brock stood in the doorway, a confident "I-caught-you-in-the-act!" smile on his face. "Didn't Misty say not to mess with the camera?" he asked as he loaded more film in the camera...

---------

Day 4: Afternoon

"That's strange..." Ash mused as he watched Brock attempt to feed Ami some mushrooms. "She's eaten all the other veggies I've given her, but every time I feed her those, she won't eat them!"

"Have you done the dump truck act?" Brock asked.

"Yeah..." Ash explained. "I've even done the airplane and the spaceship too, and those didn't work!"

"Then I have an idea..." and Brock cleared his throat. "It's-a me, Mario!" he began in a fake Italian accent. Ami just sighed as she studied the spoonful of mushrooms in Brock's hand.

"Uh, Brock? That doesn't sound realistic enough..." Ash began. "A little more 'ee' in 'It's-a' should do it..."

"Okay..." and Brock cleared his throat again. "It's-a me, Mario!" he cried, in a VERY realistic Mario voice. Ami thought this was wildly funny, and nearly fell to the floor laughing.

Brock sighed and returned the mushrooms to the can. "She thinks it's funny, at least..."

"Well..." Ash began as he put his plate in the sink. "Maybe she'll eat them for dinner..."

Just then, the door slammed. "I'm back!"

"Misty!" Ash smiled as Misty set her camera gear down on the table. "Did you get any nice pictures?"

"Oh yes, I did..." Misty replied as she grabbed a some bread, ham, cheese, and mustard from the pantry. "Did Ami eat the veggie mix I gave her?"

"She ate everything BUT the mushrooms..." Ash sighed. "Brock even tried doing his famous Mario impression, but that only cracked her up!"

Misty laughed. "Well, at least we know what to do when she refuses to eat..."  

[Karuta64]

Day 4: Afternoon

"Okay, Ami...it's time for your nap..." Misty cooed as she pulled back the covers in the crib and set a sleepy-eyed Ami inside. "You know what to do, Brock?"

"Oh no..." Brock stammered, making a run for the door. "I'll sing for her, but I'm not going to dance..."

"Well then, sing!" With that, Misty set the Pokemonitor to 'RECORD' and left the room.

"Hmm..." Brock thought for a minute, desprate for a song. "You're probably getting tired of me singing 'Rock-a-Bye Baby' aren't you?"

"Azu." Ami yawned.

"Well..." and Brock started for the door. "Wait there, I'm gonna go find something a little more upbeat to sing..."

----------

"Are you sure you want me to play with you?" Ash asked as he followed Brock into the back room, both carrrying instruments. "I mean, I'm not that great at the saxophone...at least not yet."

Brock winced. "Yeah, I remember Misty complaining the last time you practiced..." and he spoke in a voice that sounded very similar to Misty's, "Ash! If you don't stop that noise right now, I'm going to shove your instrument down your throat!" Ami thought this was wildly funny, and burst out laughing until she caught the hiccups.

"That was pretty good, Brock!" Ash laughed. "Where do you get all your impressions? I actually thought you were Misty there for a moment!"

"Easy...lots and lots of practice." Brock replied as he settled in his chair with his guitar and tuned up. "Want to hear me do Professor Oak?"

"Yeah!" Ash laughed.

Brock cleared his throat, then spoke in Professor Oak's voice, "According to my research, one of these little guys managed to hurl themselves farther than 33 feet!" Ami laughed even more at this.

"Now do May!" Ash begged.

"Oh, I wish I had a Beautifly of my own!" Brock replied in May's voice.

"Pika pika pikachu!" Pikachu suggested.

"Do a Mightyena howl? I don't know..." Brock was unsure. "That might scare Ami."

"Pika?" Pikachu begged.

"Okay..." and Brock took a deep breath, letting loose with a loud and realistic Mightyena howl. "AROOOO-Hoo-hoo-hoo!"

"Brock! Misty called from downstairs, stopping Brock mid-howl. "Stop scaring Ami and sing!"

"Okay...I guess that means I can't yodel for her either..." Brock sighed, continuing to tune his guitar.

"Go on, Brock!" Ash begged, "Yodel for her!"

"All right then..." and Brock launched into a rollicking melody, complimented with a loud "O-del-lo-i-day, o-hi-day-i-day-i, ay-di-di, ay-i-di, o-del-lo-hi-day-hi-di..."

"A-HEM!!!!" came a voice from downstairs, stopping Brock mid-song.

"Sorry, Misty!" Brock stammered. "Got a little too carried away in my lullaby!"

"That didn't sound like a lullaby to me!" Misty yelled back. "Now, do it right this time!"

"Guess I'd better sing the song I was originally going to sing..." and Brock started a simple bluesy melody on his guitar...

I'm walkin', yes indeed and I'm talkin'...
About you and me, I'm hopin'...
That you'll come back to me, yeah-yeah...

Pikachu led the clapping as Brock continued:

I'm lonely, as I can be, I'm waitin'...
For your company, I'm hopin'...
That you'll come back to me!

What you gonna do when the well runs dry?
You gonna run away and hide?
I'm gonna run right by your side!
For you, pretty baby, I'll even die!

I'm walkin', yes indeed and I'm talkin'...
About you and me, I'm hopin'...
That you'll come back to me!


Ami started to laugh and dance to the song as Ash started his own melody on sax, complimenting Brock's guitar. After the two finished a rousing duet, Brock contued to sing:

I'm walkin', yes indeed and I'm talkin'...
About you and me, I'm hopin'...
That you'll come back to me, mm-mm...

I'm lonely, as I can be, I'm waitin'...
For your company, I'm hopin'...
That you'll come back to me!

What you gonna do when the well runs dry?
You're gonna sit right down and cry?
What you gonna do when I say bye-bye?
All you gonna do is dry your eye!

I'm walkin', yes indeed and I'm talkin'...
About you and me, I'm hopin'
That you'll come back to me!

"Azu azuri!" Ami giggled as the song continued.

"Again?" Brock laughed as he continued the simple melody. "Okay, sing along with me!" he cried as he began the song again: "I'm walkin', yes indeed and I'm talkin'...
About you and me, I'm hopin'...
That you'll come back to me...

---------

"Is Ami sleeping all right?" Misty asked when she came into the room.

"Actually..." Ash snickered. "I think Brock needs the nap more than Ami does!"

"Why?" and Misty turned to look at Brock relaxed in his chair, asleep, but still strumming the simple melody from earlier. "That must be a easy song if Brock can play it in his sleep..."

"Or he's playing it in his dream!" Ash smiled as he trooped downstairs. "If you need me, I'll be in my room."

"Okay...and Misty sat down next to the crib, where Ami lay snoozing. "You like the song Brock's playing?" she asked.

"Zu.." Ami just yawned and changed positions....  

[Karuta64]

Day 4: Afternoon

Ash sighed, content as he organized his Super NES games in preparation to play. "Now that Ami's asleep, I can FINALLY relax!" he thought as he selected a game, switched the system on, and began playing, paying no heed to the pounding of Brock's feet as he ran to the back room.

"See...we didn't leave you..." Brock assured Ami as he carried her into Ash's room and got comfortable before the TV, where Ash was busy guiding Mario and Yoshi through enemy infested waters.

Ami climbed to the top of the chair to get a better look at the TV screen. "Azu ri?" she asked, pointing out the controls Ash was gripping.

"Those are controls Ash uses to manipulate the pictures on the screen." Brock explained, reaching for the spare controller that lay next to Ash. "See? The plus makes the person move..." he explained, pointing out the D-pad.

"Zu rill?" Ami interrupted, curious to learn about the pictures dancing across the TV screen.

"Okay, I'll tell you the story of the game..." and Brock grabbed the "Super Mario World" strategy guide Ash was referring to and turned it to the page with the story on it, being careful not to lose Ash's place. "Okay...one day, Mario, Luigi, and Princess Peach traveled to a place called Dinosaur Land..." he began, gesturing to the pictures of Mario, Luigi, and Peach at the top of the page. "When they got there, Luigi found a magic feather that gave you a cape when you touched it...so he and Mario used the feathers to fly around and explore. But, when they got back several hours later, Princess Peach was nowhere to be found!"

"Azu ri Azuri?" Ami asked, anxious to know what happened next.

"And then what happened, you ask?" Brock smiled. "Mario and Luigi searched all over for Peach, but didn't find her...that only meant one thing: the evil Bowser had kidnapped Peach!" He paused to point out a picture of Bowser on the right side of the page.

"Rill..." Ami shuddered, afraid of the picture.

"So in order to win the game, you have to defeat Bowser and rescue Peach." Brock concluded, thumbing the guide back to the page Ash was on.

"Rill?" Ami asked, pointing out a spotted object on the screen that Ash was running to catch.

"That's a mushroom..." Brock explained. "If you catch it...Mario gets bigger."

"Azu..." Ami was impressed...until she saw a flower on the screen. "Ril ri?"

"That's a Fire Flower...grab that and you can shoot fire."

Just then, Misty walked in carrying the can of mushrooms from earlier. "Come on, it's time for your dinner." she whispered to Ami as she carried her into the kitchen.

"You know...maybe if you dress up as Mario and tell her the mushrooms will make her bigger, she'll eat them!" Ash suggested, pausing his game long enough to stretch his arms.

"Great idea!" and Brock raced from the room...

---------

"Now, I know I had those overalls here someplace..." Brock mused as he searched his closet. A red shirt, a pair of loafers, a pair of white gloves, a replica Mario hat, and a fake Mario mustache lay in a pile on his bed.

"Looking for these?" Ash asked, holding a pair of overalls in the air.

"Yes, thanks..." Brock took the overalls from Ash and settled in on his bed to put on his makeshift costume...

---------

Meanwhile, Team Rocket watched the house from the security of a large mecha. "There they are...that's where our target is..." James began.

"Now, da plan, again?" Meowth asked as he piloted the large turtle-like mecha into the backyard.

"We wait until the twerps come outside, then grab the Azurill using BOW 3000's tongue, and leave..." James explained. "This isn't a hard operation, you know...

"Okay den..." and Meowth motioned to Jessie. "Scorch da bushes so they can't get away!"

"Beginning Fire Cannon operation..." and Jessie pressed a button on the weapons control panel, causing the turtle mecha to open its mouth and fire a huge flame blast, scorching a small bush.

---------

Ash struggled to stand and balance Brock on his shoulders at the same time. "Gee, what did you have for breakfast today? Cement?" he complained.

"Nope, just the same thing I have for breakfast every day..." Brock replied.

"Well, did you really have go so far as making me be Yoshi?" Ash sighed as he trudged into the kitchen, where Misty was trying again to feed Ami mushrooms.

"Look, Ami..." Misty smiled, pointing in the direction of the entryway. "Mario and Yoshi are here."

"Ril?" Ami gasped in surprise.

"It's-a me, Mario!" Brock started as he climbed off of Ash. Ami just laughed with delight. "You know, those-a mushrooms will make-a you Super, like-a me!"

"Ril..." and Ami opened her mouth, allowing Misty time to shove a mushroom inside. She chewed for a while, swallowed...then cried with surprise as she bounced high into the air. "Ril ril ri!"

"You like them?" Misty asked, offering another spoonful to Ami, until she noticed some charred bushes in the yard. "Guys! There's a big turtle in the yard scorching the bushes!"

Ash suddenly realized what was going on, and who could possibly be doing such a thing as scorching bushes. "Team Rocket!" With that, he led the others outside.

---------

"Oh my..." Ash looked shocked at the large turtle-like monstrosity that was stomping through the yard, scorching any bushes in the way.

"Wha..." Misty was also just as scared. Just then, the mecha's arms reached out and grabbed Ami from Misty's arms! "HEY!"

"AMI!!!" Ash tried his hardest to grab onto the mecha and grab Ami, but was knocked aside as Ami was reeled closer and closer to capture.

"Azuriiii!" Ami cried, trying to get free from the mecha's clutches...

----------

"We've almost got it!" James smailed he reeled Ami up towards the entrance door at the mecha's head. He was about to open the door, when he felt a sudden jolt, followed by the sensation of being lifted in the air. "What was that?"

Meowth looked down at the ground below and watched Ash make a diving catch as Ami slipped from the mecha's arms. "I tink someone lifted us in the air..." Just then, the view from the mecha began to spin around, slowly at first, then getting faster. "and I'm getting dizzy!"

"We're flying off again!" all three Rockets cried as they hurtled into the sky...

---------

"So long-ee, Bowser!" Brock snickered as he watched the mecha disappear with a *ping*

Misty was shocked! "I didn't know you were that strong, Brock!" she began as she led the way inside...

"Easy..." Brock smiled as he began to take off his costume. "When you do a lot of lifting, it just comes naturally...not to mention that the mecha was pretty light to begin with."

"Well...your little princess wants to thank you..." Ash smiled as he watched Ami give Brock a kiss on the cheek...

Day 4, Evening

"I don't know about you, Ami...but I'm tired..." Brock yawned as he watched Misty tuck Ami in for the night.

"She's been through a lot today..." Ash noted. "Including almost getting caught by Team Rocket!"

"Azu azuri Ririril azu ri!" Ami laughed as Misty pulled the covers over her.

"That's right...Mario rescued you...my little princess." Brock cooed. "Now...what should we sing tonight?

"Azu ri ri azu!" Ami begged.

"You want all three of us to sing?" Ash was surprised. He thought for a moment, then asked, "Any ideas for a song we can all sing?"

"Let's do the one about the lion!" Brock suggested, fumbling for a pitch pipe. "Here's your note..." and he blew a single note in Ash's direction.

Ash hummed the note, then began singing "I-di-di-di-i-di-di-di-di, lee-um-bumba-way...i-di-di-di-i-di-di-di-di, lee-um-bumba-way..."

Brock hummed a drone as Ash sang "I-di-di-di-i-di-di-di-di, lee-um-bumba-way..." one more time, then led the others into a three part chant of
"A-wim-o-weh, a-wim-o-weh, a-wim-o-weh, a-wim-o-weh, a-wim-o-weh, a-wim-o-weh, a-wim-o-weh, a-wim-o-weh..."

Misty sang a soft backup melody as Ash began to sing over Brock's chant:

"In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight...
In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight..."

Brock continued to sing "A-wim-o-weh, a-wim-o-weh, a-wim-o-weh, a-wim-o-weh..." while Ash and Misty sang "Ooooooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, lee-um-bum-bumba-way...Ooooooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, lee-um-bum-bumba-way..."

"Near the village, the peaceful village, the lion sleeps tonight..." Ash continued.
"Near the village, the peaceful village, the lion sleeps tonight..."

"Ooooooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, lee-um-bum-bumba-way..." Misty joined in with Ash again. "Ooooooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, lee-um-bum-bumba-way..."

Ami laughed with delight as the chorus of three voices: a bass, a harmony, and a melody blended together in a three part chant of "A-wim-o-weh, a-wim-o-weh, a-wim-o-weh, a-wim-o-weh, a-wim-o-weh, a-wim-o-weh, a-wim-o-weh, a-wim-o-weh..." once again.

Ash then knelt nearby Ami and quietly sang "Hush my darling, don't cry, my darling, the lion sleeps tonight...
Hush my darling, don't fear, my darling, the lion sleeps tonight..." He waited for Misty to join him as he sang:

"Ooooooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, lee-um-bum-bumba-way...Ooooooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, lee-um-bum-bumba-way... The group sang this a few more times, then Ash slowly sang "I-di-di-di-i-di-di-di-di, lee-um-bumba-way...i-di-di-di-i-di-di-di-di, lee-um-bumba-way..." as he switched off the light, leaving Ami to sleep...  

[Karuta64]

Day 5, Morning

"Morning!" Ash called as Misty and Brock trudged down the stairs, both groggy eyed.

"Mrrgh..." was Misty's only reponse as she set Ami on the table and began feeding her.

"Unnngh..." Brock grunted in agreement.

Ash was puzzled. "Why are you guys so tired this morning?"

"Ami kept us up late crying..." Misty groaned.

"Note to self: Don't tell Ami scary stories before bedtime..." Brock sighed before lying his head on the table, using a towel as a pillow.

Ash looked over as Ami, who was happily scarfing down spoonfuls of cereal. "What kind of scary story did Brock tell you last night?"

"Ri ri rill!" and Ami threw a napkin over herself to illustrate her point. "Ooooh...."

"The one about a scary ghost?" Ash asked, pausing to remove the napkin from Ami befor she crashed into the cabinet, disoriented.

"Next time..." Misty cautioned. "Sing for her or tell her a happy story, okay?"

"Okay..." Brock yawned before changing positions.

---------

Later, Ash relaxed on the couch, watching it rain. "I wish it wasn't raining...then we could go down to the lake and rent a sailboat..." he mused...until he felt the sensation of something climbing on him. "Huh?"

"Ril azu..." Ami sighed as she climbed up onto Ash's shoulder.

"You're bored? Then what would you like to do?" Ash smiled.

"Azu azu ri..." Ami replied.

"Go outside? Well we can't go outside right now, or we'd get all wet!" Ash laughed. At that moment, Ami burst out into a full volume wail.

"What's wrong?" Misty raced into the room, anxious about Ami's cries.

"She's bored..." Ash explained, setting some paper and a box of crayons before Ami. "There you go...you could draw pictures while we wait for the rain to stop..."

"Ril..." Ami set to work scribbling away at the paper.

"Pika pi..." Pikachu grabbed a stray yellow crayon and a piece of paper for himself, then began drawing a sun in one corner.

"Azu?" Ami asked, pointing at another yellow crayon.

"Pi..." Pikachu replied, offering Ami the yellow crayon he had been using...

---------

"So, you gave them crayons and paper and that quieted her down?" Misty asked.

"Yeah...they've been coloring for the past hour now..." Ash mused. "That should've been more than enough time to give us time to relax."

"Well, Brock is in there sawing logs..." Misty laughed as she gestured to the bedroom, where some soft snoring could be heard inside.

"I would be tired too if I had to get up and check on Ami every three seconds..." Ash replied, getting up from his chair and starting towards the living room.

"I think I'll go watch TV..." Misty agreed. "Besides, the Pokemon will be busy drawing pretty pict-AUUUUUUGGGGGHHHHH!!!!"

"What?" Ash raced over and looked inside the room, where Misty stood agape at the mural of crude drawings gracing the front wall.

"Rill?" Ami smiled, proud of her's and Pikachu's masterpiece.

"Pika pi pi chu, Pikachupi, pi Pipika..." Pikachu explained, gesturing to stick figures of Ash, Misty, and Brock standing in a grassy field with flowers dotting it. "Pika chu Pipi..." A stick figure of Ami was nearby, splashing in a small puddle.

"Azu Ri!" Ami grabbed some crayons and drew a stick figure Togepi in the stick figure Misty's hands.

"Chu...pika chu Pipipi..." Pikachu giggled as he drew a hat on the stick figure Ash's head.

"What's the matter?" Brock asked as he trooped down the stairs. "What...happened...here....oh my..."

"I'll get the soap while you put those two in time out!" Misty called as she rushed out.

Day 5, Afternoon

"Hungry?" Ash cooed to Ami as he put some groceries in the pantry.

"Rill..." Ami replied...hungrily admiring the meat, cheese, and candy going on the shelves.

"Well, Brock promised us that he'd make pizza for lunch...and that it'll be ready by the time you wake up from your nap, okay?"

"Azu..." Ami yawned as Ash carried her upstairs to the back room--where Brock was waiting, guitar in hand--and tucked her in.

"Misty says no silly songs, Mightyena howls or yodeling..." Ash cautioned as he left.

"I know..." Brock assured Ash, then turned his attention to Ami. "The story I want to tell you...is about a young mermaid--we'll call her Lina--who wished to see the human world..." he began as he tuned his guitar. "Although try as she might, her father forbid her to even look upon a human..."

"Azu ri rill?" Ami asked.

"Then what happened?" Brock smiled. "One night, a great ship sailed through the mermaid's cove, just as Lina surfaced to sit upon her favorite rock. She noticed all the humans aboard the ship, and was fascinated by their songs and dancing...but before she could swim up for a closer look, a terrible storm swept through, knocking one particular boy overboard!"

"Azu?" Ami asked.

"What did Lina do? She swam out and helped the boy, saving him from a watery fate." Brock continued, beginning to play a relaxing melody as he continued the story. "However, the boy was badly wounded, and Lina wanted to do something to help him...so she took his hand in hers and sang to him...her song went something like this..." and Brock slightly quickened his tempo as he began singing:

"A rolling wind blows from the sea in so many colors...
Rolling on, towards the shore and to the sky...
The song that I hear in my heart, as the bright sun rises...
Is a song, that I've known, since my youngest days!

The birds they fly, up to the sky, the breeze guiding them on to the east...
I...will follow them...I follow them on as a guide!

Seven seas together, they are paradise,
That will grant me peace in the midst of the storm
My broken spirit will rise again and will live forever just to say "I love you!"

The songs of seven countries will unite as one
Exactly as the dark night gives way to the dawn!
Everyone will leave their cares behind
And the greatest love of all, they won't forget!...."

Amazingly, Ami had fallen asleep just as Brock concluded the song. "Sweet dreams..." he whispered as he got up and left.

----------

"...I got to the part about Lina singing, and right after I finished singing the song, Ami was out like a light!" Brock smiled as he spread sauce across the fresh pizza dough.

"Well, maybe you ought to invent more mermaid stories with a song in them!" Ash suggested. "Make up some friends for Lina!"

"Yeah, and make them sing too!" Misty agreed.

"Maybe I'll do that..." Brock mused. "But knowing Ami, she'll probably go to sleep right after the song!" With that, he set the first pizza pan in the oven.  

[Karuta64]

Day 5, Afternoon

"Hello there, Ami..." Misty cooed as Ash carried her into the kitchen. "Pizza's cooking...but why isn't she sleeping, Ash?"

"She was fussing and complaining, so I brought her in here in hopes that some food would calm her down." Ash explained.

"Azu ri ri..." Ami protested as Ash set her on the table.

"I know you're hungry, but this takes a while..." Brock assured Ami as he kneaded the dough. "In fact..." and he reached to turn on the radio, where the orchestra was playing a rousing song, with the singer singing a rendition of "Lesti! Lesti! via, montiam su la!
Lesti! Lesti! via, montiam su la!
Funiculi funicula, funiculi funicula,
Via, montiam su la, funiculi funicula...."

"Ril?" Ami was confused.

"What does that mean?" Brock asked. "Here, I'll sing the translation for you as the singer sings it." He waited until the singer began again, then sang as he worked:

Some think the world is made for fun and frolic, and so do I!
And so do I! Misty and Ash echoed as they rushed to get more supplies. The kitchen soon turned into a rush of song and activity...
Some think it well to be all melancholic,
To pine and sigh...
To pine and sigh,
But I, I love to spend my time in singing, some joyous song... Brock sang as he sprinkled cheese onto the waiting pizza.
Some joyous song, Ash chorused as he set more cheese on the counter
To set the air with music bravely ringing, is far from wrong!
Is far from wrong!

Listen! Listen! echoes sound afar! Brock sang, skipping across the floor as he returned with more pizza supplies.
Listen! Listen! echoes sound afar!
Funiculi funicula, funiculi funicula,
Echoes sound afar! funiculi, funicula.

Listen! Listen! echoes sound afar!
Listen! Listen! echoes sound afar!
Funiculi funicula, funiculi funicula,
Echoes sound afar! funiculi, funicula. everyone else joined in, including Ami.

Some think it wrong to set the feet a-dancing,
But not so I; But not so I... Brock continued as he worked.
Some think that eyes should keep from coyly glancing
Upon the sly!, Upon the sly!...
But oh! to me the mazy dance is charming,
Divinely sweet, Divinely sweet... Misty chimed in as she passed the sauce to Brock.
And surely there is nought that is alarming
In nimble feet? In nimble feet? Ash couldn't resist copying the skip dance Brock was doing as he worked.

Misty led the chorus as she kneaded her own ball of dough:
Listen! Listen! music sounds afar!
Listen! Listen! music sounds afar!
Funiculi funicula, funiculi funicula,
Music sounds afar! funiculi, funicula.

Listen! Listen! music sounds afar!
Listen! Listen! music sounds afar!
Funiculi funicula, funiculi funicula,
Music sounds afar! funiculi, funicula.

Ah me! 'tis strange that some should take to sighing,
And like it well; And like it well... Ash sang as he danced across the kitchen floor with more sauce.
For me, I have not thought it worth the trying,
So cannot tell! So cannot tell! At this, Pikachu swept Ami in his paws and tried to teach her the skipping dance the others were doing.
With laugh and dance and song the day soon passes,
Full soon is gone, Full soon is gone, Brock sang as he set one finished pizza on the cooling rack, then placed a second pan in the oven.
For mirth was made for joyous lads and lasses
To call their own! To call their own! Misty sang as she began putting toppings on her pizza.

Listen! Listen! hark! the soft guitar!
Listen! Listen! hark! the soft guitar!
Funiculi funicula, funiculi funicula,
Hark! the soft guitar! funiculi funicula. Brock continued...

Listen! Listen! hark! the soft guitar!
Listen! Listen! hark! the soft guitar!
Funiculi funicula, funiculi funicula,
Hark! the soft guitar! funiculi funicula... The others continued singing as they worked...

---------

"Okay! All done!" Misty called as she cut a slice of pizza for Ami. "Wasn't that fun?"

"Pika, pika, pika pika chu; pika, pika, pika pika chu...." Pikachu was still singing and doing the skip dance. Ami laughed with delight as she took a bite of her pizza.

"I think she liked singing 'Funiculi, Funicula', eh Brock?" Ash smiled. "How did you know the all the words to the song?"

"I heard it in a movie once..." Brock replied as he put his plate in the sink. "Speaking of movies...who wants to watch a movie with our pizza?"

"Ooh! I do!" Misty cried, hurrying over to the movie cabinet. "Let's see..." and she started thumbing through the wide array of tapes and DVDs...

"Just don't pick anything too scary, okay?" Ash called after her. Misty just selected a tape, inserted it in the VCR, and pressed 'PLAY'. Ami oohed and ahhed as a shining rainbow castle appeared on the screen, where various fairies of different colors flitted about as the opening credits to the movie rolled by.

"Relax..." Misty assured Ash as she settled onto the couch. "I don't think 'The Journey to Fairyland' is that scary...

"I don't know...Jhudora the dark fairy might scare Ami..." Brock cautioned. At that second, a great thunderbolt streaked acrossed the screen, revealing a purple and black clad fairy sitting atop a storm cloud. Ami began to shiver and whine, fearful over what the dark creature on the screen was going to do next. She covered her eyes in fear as the dark fairy cackled with delight...

"Here..." Ash reached for the remote and hit 'FAST FOWARD', causing the scene of Jhudora's lair to go racing by. After a few tense minutes, the scene switched into a grassy field, where some earth fairies were gathering flowers. "There we go..."

Brock calmly stroked the shaking Azurill lying on the couch. "It's okay, you can look now." Ami tensely uncovered her eyes for a moment, then chomped down on her pizza as she studied the TV screen.

"I have the remote handy to zip through the scary parts." Ash assured the others, waving the remote in the air to prove his point.

"Azu ri?" Ami asked, curious.

"Ash has all the buttons that control the movie." Misty explained. "so when the scary fairy comes on, all Ash has to do is hit a button, and the movie will go really fast, so you don't have to see her!"

"Ril..." Ami smiled, but gasped as Jhudora appeared on the screen before the crowd of fairies. "IIIIII!!!!!"

"Hit the 'YIPE!!!' button, quick!" Misty called. Ash calmly hit the 'FAST FOWARD' button until the scene shifted to a lagoon. "See? The movie went by fast, didn't it?"

Brock sighed. "Leave it to an Azurill to make a two hour movie last thirty minutes..."

Day 5, Evening.

Later, Ami lay on Ash's lap, watching the images of a Rapidash in a forest dance across the TV screen. "Ril?" she asked, gesturing to the remote.

"What does this do? It controls the TV." Ash explained. "Hit this button here..." and he lightly pressed the 'VOLUME +' button, making the music get louder. "and the sound gets louder."

"Azu ri?" Ami gestured to the buttons marked "CHANNEL +" and "CHANNEL -".

"Those change the picture, so if you got bored watching the Rapidash run to the pretty music..." and he changed the channel, where the news was on. "and you can listen to the news guy talk about what happened in the world today..." Ami just yawned and curled up on Ash's lap as Ash returned the TV to the previous channel....  

[Karuta64]

Day 6, Morning

"There now...Think you can behave yourselves and look after Ami while we're at the store?" Ash asked as he finished going over the grocery list.

"Pika!" Pikachu smiled, putting an arm around the still sleeping Ami.

"You know the drill, play quietly, no making lots of noise..." Misty cautioned.

"and more importantly, no crazy ideas!" Brock added as he climbed aboard Swellow.

"Pika pika!" Pikachu sighed, annoyed by the constant reminders. "Pipi pika pi chu!"

"Okay then..." Ash sighed, climbing aboard Swellow. "We better not come home to find the house destroyed, okay?"

"Pika chu!" was Pikachu's reply. He waved goodbye as Swellow took off into the sunshine...

----------

"Toto..." Totodile slumped to the floor, obviously bored.

"Cynda..." Cyndaquil agreed. "Quil cynda?" He was about to say more when he noticed Ami beginning to stir. "Cynda!"

"Ril?" Ami glaced around the empty kitchen, bewildered as to where everyone had gone. "Azu ri?"

"Pikapi, Pikachupi, pi Pipika pika pi chu..." Pikachu explained. "Pika pi chu..."

"Cynda quil!" Cyndaquil added, licking his chops at the prospect of sharing a bunch of grapes with Ami. Ami, meanwhile, had tottled over to the cabinets and gathered all the cups, pans, spoons, and any other cookware that she could find. "Ril!" she smiled as she set the towering pile on the floor.

"Pika..." At this, Pikachu grabbed several cups and began filling them with water.

c***k ka-chick, chinkety c***k-c***k... Ami had figured out how to click two spoons together.

PANG! PANG! PANG!.... Cyndaquil began banging on a pan with a wooden spoon.

Dink dank dink dinkety-dink dink dink.... Pikachu had finished filling the glasses and was now tapping them with a pencil. "Pika pi?"

"Toto!" Totodile hurried upstairs, only to return with an armload of boxes, scissors, buttons, paper plates, bells, rubber bands, plastic eggs, a bag of small rocks, and other items--not to mention a sleepy eyed Grovyle. "Toto dile!" he explained, gesturing to the pile of supplies on the floor.

"Vyle?" Grovyle studied the array of makeshift instruments scattered throughout the room, impressed. "Grovyle..." With this thought in mind, he grabbed a box and several rubber bands, and set to work stretching them across the box.

"Azu ri!" Ami laughed as she bounced about the room, clinking the spoons together.

"Grov!" Grovyle had now finished his makeshift guitar, and was now singing "Grovyle, vyle, vyle" to the accompaniment of twang, twang, twang...

Pikachu, meanwhile, emptied out the glasses and hurried upstairs. He returned several minutes later, clutching Ash's harmonica. "Pika pi!" Everyone stopped what they were doing and grabbed their makeshift instruments, awaiting Pikachu's next order. "Pika, chu!" With that, everyone started to march around the kitchen floor playing a surprisingly good sounding rendition of "Yankee Doodle". When the song concluded, applause filled the air. Pikachu whirled around, only to discover Ash, Misty, and Brock standing in the doorway, applauding the song. Flattered by the unexpected applause, he led the others in taking a bow.

"That sounded great, you guys!" Misty smiled as she set the grocereies on the countertop.

"Who knew that these guys would form a kitchen band?" Ash smiled. "Or that Pikachu could play my harmonica!"

"Say..." Brock mused. "Maybe we could show Ami the concept of a harmonica band?"

"Great idea!" Misty lead the way upstairs...

---------

"Azu ri rill?" Ami asked, piqued by what Brock had meant by a "harmonica band".

"Basically...a harmonica band is a group of three or four people--sometimes more than that--all playing harmonicas in harmony with each other." Brock explained as he settled down on the couch. Misty and Ash sat in two nearby chairs, warming up and doing some last minute practicing.

"Rill?" Ami asked, confused.

"Harmony is where you're playing different notes to blend in with each other." Misty explained.

"While we're each playing different parts, when those three parts mix together, it sounds pretty." Ash continued. "For our purposes, we're going to play in three parts: a melody, a harmony, and a bass..."

"Azu ri rill?" Ami was impressed.

"Yes, there is such a thing as a harmonica that can play very low notes..." Brock smiled as he fished his low harmonica from his pocket. "That is what it looks like..."

"Ril?" Ami asked, pointing out a small knob at one end of the small instrument.

"That's the tuning knob...when you push it in, you get extra notes...that way you can play in any key you want!" Brock smiled. "Let's do a song that Ami would like...any suggestions?"

"'When the Saints...' Ash whispered. He waited as Misty and Brock readied their instruments, then counted "and a-one, two, three four!" With that, a rousing three part harmony rendition of "Oh When the Saints Go Marching In" rang throughout the room!

"Pi pika pi....pi pika chu..." Pikachu sang along, all the while encouraging Ami to clap...  

[Karuta64]

Day 6, Afternoon

"Ash?" Misty called as she began putting groceries away and setting a piece of paper on the counter.

"Yeah?" Ash called back from the living room, where he was getting Ami ready for the day.

"Can you come help me put the groceries away?"

"Be right there!" Ash replied, setting Ami on the floor by Pikachu. "There now...play with Pikachu for a while, okay? And be sure to play nice!"

"Azu ri!" Ami assured Ash as Pikachu grabbed a deck of cards and started dealing them out.

Ash, meanwhile, hurried to the kitchen, where Misty was loading various cans and bags of food in the pantry. "I'll take the heavy stuff." He volunteered, carefully loading bags of fruit and boxes of soda in the refrigerator...at least until the paper on the table caught his interest.
"What's that?"

"A letter from Kendra...she's coming to take Ami home this evening." Misty explained. "Brock already knows about it, and I've told Ami about it...and she was thrilled."

"I would be too if I were--" Ash started, until a can slipped out from his arms and landed on his foot. "YEEEEOWWWW!"

"Are you okay?" Misty asked, stopping to tend to Ash, who was dancing around the room in pain.

Ash winced from the pain radiating from his throbbing toe. "It hurts...it hurts...it hurts..." Just then, some giggling wafted from the doorway, piquing Ash's interest. He turned towards the doorway and noticed Pikachu and Ami howling with laughter at Ash's dance of pain.

"You know, it's not nice to laugh at someone when they get hurt..." Misty started, but she was ignored as Pikachu and Ami continued to laugh.

"Pi Pipika..." Pikachu called into the living room. At that second, a guitar riff came drifting into the room, complete with the other Pokemon clapping. Pikachu, meanwhile, hurried into Ash's room and returned with one of his caps, only pausing long enough to clap twice before setting it on the floor.

Misty was puzzled. "What are they doing?"

Ash shrugged, still hopping in pain from his stubbed toe. "Beats me..." At that second, Pikachu started stomping on top of Ash's cap, apparently mocking Ash's hopping. The other Pokemon laughed and clapped along to the familiar tune of the Mexican Hat Dance drifting from the living room...

"What in the..." Misty gasped as the Pokemon continued their dance, laughing and giggling all the while.

"Don't ask me whose idea it was...but it sure looks like fun!" Ash laughed...and he joined in the dance; first imitating Pikachu, then kicking up his legs in rhythm to the beat, slowly at first, but then getting faster. "Hey, hey, hey. hey...

Misty couldn't resist laughing herself. "Careful, dance master..." Ash just pulled a triumphant pose as the music concluded.

"Azu ri!" Ami giggled.

"Again?" Ash panted, exhausted from the dance. "I'm still tired..."

---------

Poit... The sudden sound of water dripping jolted Pikachu awake from a snooze. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes, turned to look at the snoozing Ami lying next to him, then went back to sleep.

"Azu ri?" Ami wondered, curious as to why Pikachu was awake.

"Pika chu pika..." Pikachu assured the Azurill. "Pika chu..."

"Azu..." Ami yawned and returned to sleep, oblivious to the sounds of Misty on the phone, the fwip of Brock reading a book, or the patter of the rain outside.

Poit...poit...poit... came the steady dripping from the bathroom...which by now was beggining to annoy Pikachu. "Pika..." he sighed, throwing his blanket off of him and hurrying into the bathroom, where one of the faucets was dripping incessantly. "Pika chu!" he called back, causing the other Pokemon to rush in.

"Cynda?" Cyndaquil asked as Pikachu struggled to turn the faucet off.

"Chu" Pikachu replied as the water seemingly shut off. But before he could leave the room, another Poit came from the faucet. Annoyed, Pikachu stormed off to the living room...only to return with an armload of screwdrivers, wrenches and other tools.

"Azu ri?" Ami asked, piqued by all the noise coming from the bathroom.

"Pika pika pi chu..." Pikachu explained as he used the wrench to tighten the faucet.

"Ril!" and Ami grabbed another wrench, intent to help Pikachu and the others...but suddenly, there came a SNAP!...and water started to spray all over the room!

Cyndaquil gasped at the wildly spurting faucet. "Cyn...da..."

"Pi pika chu!" and Pikachu hurried downstairs....

--------

Misty sighed as she settled on the couch next to Brock and flicked on the TV. Now to relax a bit... She was about to get comfortable when she noticed Pikachu walking towards the kitchen "Pika pika chu...pi pika pikachu..." he sang as he carted some pots and pans upstairs.

"What was that all about?" Brock asked, looking up from his book.

"Oh, Pikachu was carrying some pots and pans to the bathroom." Misty replied. At that moment, Pikachu returned, this time carrying more pots and buckets. "Pika pika pi chu, pi pika chu..."

"You SURE everything's okay in there?" Brock was now a bit skeptical of Pikachu's constant trips back and forth to the bathroom.

"I think so..." Misty replied back, unaware that Pikachu was now carting even more buckets. "Pika chu pika..."

"Positive?" Brock asked again, gesturing to a suspiscious puddle of water forming at the bottom of the stairs. Misty gasped..."Your turn!" she and Brock replied at the same time...

---------

"Pika pika!" Pikachu assured the group as he arranged more buckets to catch the waves of water, but water was coming out faster than he could catch it.

"Toto!" Totodile quickly attached a stopper on the leaking faucet....right as Misty and Brock entered the room, agape at the flooded bathroom.

Misty grumbled as as she went to get cleaning supplies. "Well, you didn't need to leave another mess before you went..."

Day 6, Evening.

"There she goes...home to Pewter..." Brock began as he waved goodbye to Kendra and Ami one more time.

"I'll admit, this was one wild week..." Ash smiled. "But, making messes or not, she was still a sweetheart..."

"I'll say..." Misty agreed.

"But one thing's for sure..." Brock sighed. "If I'm asked to Poke-sit again, please make the charges a little more behaved..."

"I know..." Ash groaned. "If I have to look after an Azurill again, I'll scream!"

"Which reminds me..." and misty produced a letter from her pocket. "A letter from Lily and Daisy...they're leaving for a Gym Leader's conference, and have no one to look after their Azurills--"

"AUUUUUUUUUUGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!" Ash's scream make the whole house shake.

Brock sighed. "Well, here we go again..."

THE END!

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