It was a beautiful mid-day while the group was enjoying their lunch. The other pokemon were outside of their pokéballs playing a game of hide and seek. Jigglypuff smiled at Brock because he had made her a delicious meatball snack. Brock was cooking at a camp stove while Ash and Misty squabbled over the last riceballs.
"Hey!" Brock yelled, looking over his two friends bickering. "There's plenty of riceballs to go around!"
"SHE started it!" Ash exclaimed, glaring at Misty.
Misty gave him a cold look. Brock sighed. He took a plate, put a couple of riceballs and shoved into their hands.
Meanwhile, Jigglypuff was thinking of adding some spices to her food. She grabbed the peppershaker and starts to sprinkle some at a time. She wasn't paying attention until the cap slipped off. A large amount of pepper fell out and pilled onto her meatballs. The panicky Jigglypuff tried to dust quickly off the pepper. When she was satisfied, she put one in her hand and sank her teeth into the meatball. Jigglypuff's eyes widened and dropped the spicy meatball. Her face turned bright red and her eyes started to water.
"AIEEEE!!!!!" Jigglypuff screamed out loud, jumping into the air and covering her mouth. She landed her butt on the ground while her plate came thundering down on her head. At this point, everybody was wondering what Jigglypuff was about to do next. Jigglypuff stood up and wondered why Ash was laughing hysterically.
"Hey look! Jigglypuff looks like a meatball head!" Ash said laughing.
Jigglypuff scratched her head in confusion. She felt two lumpy balls on her head and removed them. She looked down into her hands and realized it was a pair of meatballs landed at the top of her head.
Mina was sitting quietly on the log with a cozy blanket around her. She turned her head sideways and looked at Ash strangely. "Meatball head?" She questioned. "Where did I heard that before?" She wondered. She looked down at Jigglypuff, who was trying to clean her head.
Jigglypuff looked up and saw Mina staring intently at her. "Oh, she probably wants something to eat." Jigglypuff thought. She searched through the grass for a decent-looking meatball to eat. She found a somewhat clean meatball and tried to blow off the little bits of dirt. She walked over to Mina and jumped into the log where Mina was sitting.
"Jigglypuff? (Do you want some?)" Jigglypuff inquired, trying to give the meatballs to Mina.
"Oh no, thank you!" Mina answered, shaking her head. "You're so cute! Why don't I clean you off?" She wrapped Jigglypuff in a blanket that she was using and rubbed the blanket on to the pink pokemon.
Brock walked over to them and brought Mina's lunch with him. "Here you go, I made this lunch for you. Hope you like it!" He announced, handing over her lunch. Mina looked up and gave him one of her sunniest smiles. Brock's heart jolted in surprise and couldn't help but grin back at her. He took a seat next to her.
"There you go, all nice and clean!" Mina said at last, giving Jigglypuff a last rub. She removed the blanket away from Jigglypuff and placed the blanket down before taking her lunch away from Brock.
"Puff! Puff! (Thanks!)" Jigglypuff said gratefully, resuming back to her seat.
"Huh? What did you say?" Mina asked.
"Jigglypuff!" Jigglypuff repeated again, looking up at her.
"What did she say?" She turned to ask Brock, sitting beside her.
Brock was chewing a piece of riceball and swallowed before answering her. "She's thanking you," he explained.
"Oh, what is this creature by the way?" Mina asked curiously.
"Jigglypuff!" Jigglypuff repeated her name again.
"It's a pokemon," Brock answered her. He continued eating his lunch.
Mina was trying to absorb what Brock said to her. After a moment, she asked, "What's a pookayymon?" She was still confused.
He choked on his food. He couldn't believe what just he heard. "You don't know what a pokemon is do you?" he asked her incredulously, giving her an astonished look.
"No," She shook her head, her face looking serious.
Brock's friends had been listening to their entire conversation. A dead silence filled around their campsite. Ash spitted out his orange juice while drinking. Misty stopped playing with Togepi and raised her eyebrows at Mina. "Boy, this girl is too strange!" They both thought.
Brock continued to stare at Mina with his mouth hanging open. "This girl is really different."
Pikachu became annoyed with his friends for being rude to Mina. With a sly look on his face, he decided to teach his friends a lesson.
"Pikachuuu!" Pikachu screamed. A lightning bolt electrified Ash, Misty and Brock at the same time.
Mina became stunned. She gave Pikachu a surprised look. Pikachu grinned back and waved to her nervously.
"Pikachu! What WAS that for??" Ash demanded as he stood up. He gave Pikachu a cold glare.
"Pikachu! Pika! Pi! Pika! Pi! (Be nice to the new girl ok?)" Pikachu said angrily.
"Oh, I see…" Ash said shamefully. His head dropped from embarrassment and a blush crept along his cheeks.
"What's Pikachu saying?" Misty asked. Brock dusted himself off and curiously joined his friends.
Ash turned to face his two best friends. "Pikachu said we shouldn't have been rude to that girl." He whispered so that Mina wouldn't hear him.
"Anyway, Pikachu's right!" Brock whispered, huddling closer. "We should try to help the poor girl as much as we can." He turned his back and headed over to Mina.
Mina was happily eating and sharing her lunch with Jigglypuff. She looked up and saw Brock walking towards them.
"Is everything alright?" She asked, looking concerned.
"Oh yeah, everything's cool!" He reassured her, giving her a smile.
"You're friend is absolutely amazing. I haven't seen anything like it!" She said admiringly, looking at Pikachu.
"Oh, you mean Pikachu?" Brock said, glancing at the yellow mouse. "He's quite powerful. He uses thunder for attacks. He's a pokémon too. Pokémon stands for Pocket Monsters. You can catch them in this red and white pokéball. You can either breed, raise or use pokémon for battle." He showed the pokéball to her.
"What kind of pookayymon is this?" She asked curiously, her hand caressing Jigglypuff's head.
"Po-ké-mon," He corrected her. "Jigglypuff is a balloon pokémon who loves to sing."
Mina eyes lit up. "Oh, will you sing for me, Jigglypuff, please?" She asked the pink pokémon.
Jigglypuff was delighted too. "Jigglypuff! (Sure!)" She said excitedly, taking a last bite of her lunch.
"OH NO!" Brock protested, shaking his head. "You don't really want to do that!"
Neither Mina or Jigglypuff listened. Jigglypuff stood up from the log and prepared for her grand performance. Brock groaned as soon as he saw Jigglypuff eyes' lit up and opened her mouth.
"Jigallypuf..Jigallypuff.." She sang. The effect on Jigglypuff's lullaby song put everyone to sleep. Her song was interrupted by a loud snore. She blew herself up in rage and took out her marker to draw on everyone's faces in revenge. She was angry and frustrated that no one paid attention to her song AGAIN.
"Bravo, Jigglypuff! That was a beautiful song!" A female voice cheered.
Jigglypuff turned around to see Mina applauding cheerfully.
"JIGGLYPUFFF!!" She said excitedly, her pearly eyes widened. She hid
her marker behind her as she gave Mina a huge smile. She then jumped
into Mina's lap and snuggled closer. Mina patted Jigglypuff gently and
gave the pokémon a hug.
Grim Reaper secretly hid in the shadows of an alley where he spied his enemies from there. He watched a group of girls dressed in sailor uniforms gathered around a mysterious black hole appeared on the ground that he used to escape from them.
A tall dark green girl stood in the middle, holding out her key staff pointing to the black hole. The purple orb at the top of her staff continued to generate a glowing light to prevent the black hole from closing up.
"Time is running out. I must go quickly to save Sailor Venus before it is to late." Sailor Pluto declared, examining the black hole closely.
"Then you better go now." Sailor Neptune said. "Uranus, Saturn and I will take care of the others."
"Can I come with you?" Sailor Moon asked all of a sudden, waking towards Sailor Pluto. "Please, let me go with you. I want to know if Sailor Venus is alright!" She begged, her sad blue eyes pleaded silently to Sailor Pluto.
"But Princess, you're too injured to go!" Sailor Saturn said.
"And besides, it's way too dangerous for you!" Sailor Uranus said.
"I promised that I will return with Sailor Venus as soon as I can find her." Sailor Pluto replied softly, giving Sailor Moon a sympathetic look. "Do not worry, I will not fail you. Princess Serenity!" She turned to face everyone. "Sailor Scouts I trust that you will protect the Princess while I am gone. There is no telling when Grim Reaper will strike next."
"You can count on us!" Sailor Jupiter declared. Everyone nodded their heads in agreement.
"Good luck!" Everyone exclaimed as Sailor Pluto bids farewell to her friends.
Sailor Pluto carefully lifted her legs as she stepped into the black hole. Her body sinking quickly as soon as she disappeared.
The place became a total silence when she left. The Sailor Scouts closed their eyes and offered a silent prayer for their friends' safe return.
Grim Reaper looked away and stared into the darkness. He closed his eyes and silently mumbled. Dark energy waves spread through him as he faded into the background turning into a tiny light.
It swept through the air and quickly entered the black hole undetected
as the portal slowly closes up….
Brock gave a big yawned as he sat up and stretched out his arms. Misty rubbed her eyes trying to open them. Togepi made cheerful noises. Pikachu quietly sat back, staring ahead. While Ash stood up and scratched his back.
"Hey!" Ash exclaimed. His friends turned to look at him. Ash was staring at his reflection down the puddle. He was surprised to find there was no marks on his face. "Did you guys see this! I don't have anything on my face! Neither do you!" His fingers pointing at them.
"You're right!" Both Misty and Brock agreed. They were gazing over their reflection on the puddle.
"I wonder what happened?" Misty asked. "Doesn't it usually happen with Jigglypuff sings that lullaby and we all go to sleep. We waked up and we have drawings on our faces?"
"Hmm…" Brock thought. "It does…probably Jigglypuff got to tired of it since no one else is listening to her singing. Poor Jigglypuff! I feel sorry for that pokemon. I wish there was some WAY that SOMEONE would listen to her." "Well, anyway. I guess Jigglypuff ran away from us again!" He said.
"Nope, she's right here!" A female voice startled him. Brock saw Mina sitting on the leg with Jigglypuff on her lap. Jigglypuff sat contentedly with a warm blanket around her and staring Mina admiringly.
"I'm glad that you're all awake!" Mina said, smiling brightly at them. "It's too bad that you missed out on Jigglypuff's singing debut!"
Brock, Ash, Misty and Pikachu gawked at her. "You….You heard Jigglypuff's singing?" Brock asked in disbelief. "And you didn't went to sleep?!!?"
"Nope," Mina answered. "It was the most beautiful song I've ever heard in my life! Right Jigglypuff?!" She looked down at Jigglypuff.
"Jiggly! Jiggly!" Jigglypuff exclaimed, her eyes twinkled in excitement.
"But that's impossible!" Ash exclaimed, shaking his head. "No one could have stand that song!"
"I don't know how you did it!" Misty said. "But you made Jigglypuff really happy. Well, that's answered your question, Brock?"
Brock didn't answer her. He was looking at Mina curiously.
"I hate to interrupt!" Misty declared. "But don't you think it's time we pack and leave? I don't want to stay in this creepy forest anymore!"
"Ya know! We never did find that UFO!" Ash mused aloud, busy packing his things into his backpack.
"What UFO?" Mina implored.
"Last night, the sky turned freaky. Something came out from the sky. I think it was a tiny orange light. We didn't had time to look cause there was a sudden storm. And the next morning, we had to look for Pikachu. And then Brock found you." Misty explained.
"Hmm…" Mina murmured, deeply thinking to herself. She vividly
remembered herself choking and a vicious monster held her captive as she
collapsed. She shook her head, trying to clear that disturbing memory.
She helped the others packed their things.
"Where am I?" Sailor Pluto wondered. She lifted her eyes to see darkness everywhere. She raised her staff high and her garnet orb began to glow brightly. She was surprised to find herself floating in the air. Her eyes gazed into dark and eerie void. There were many blackholes, appearing to be turbulent, swirling portals.
"Garnet Orb, reveal the sword to me!" She summoned. She released her staff and hovered in front of her. The garnet orb began to blink rapidly. At a far distance, she saw another light blinking corresponding at the same time with her garnet orb. She smiled in response.
Suddenly, a shadow flicked across the reflection of the garnet orb. Her eyes narrowed as she turned around to look suspiciously and her ears pierced into the air to hear incoming noises.
With her attention returned back to the present, she was alarmed to find the mysterious light vanished. Her heart began to race.
"Looking for this?" A deep, harsh voice asked. Sailor Venus' wink chain sword materialized in front of her.
"The sword!" She gasped in surprise. But she was soon dismayed as the sword disappeared before she can reach it. The menacing voice laughed loudly, tormenting her.
"Stop this foolishness Grim Reaper! Show yourself!" Sailor Pluto demanded.
"I'll be glad too!" He snarled. In far distance, Grim Reaper began to approach with the tremendous speed of light. He split himself into three forms, surrounding Sailor Pluto.
She held her staff high, collecting ribbons of energy. "Dead Scream!" She whispered, as she swung her staff around her and released a purple planet energy beam that has the effect of a massive sonic scream. She turned around twice attacking Grim Reaper with all her might.
"No!" Sailor Pluto yelled as she saw her enemy disappeared each time he dodged her attack.
"Pathetic!" He said angrily, grabbing Sailor Pluto behind. Her neck was squeezed tightly as she felt her being drained out of her body. She screamed as she was electrified by negative energy and her body became limp. She drops into unconsciousness and her body fell forward.
With her body floating motionlessly in the air, Grim Reaper extended his two arms towards her and his palms emitted light.
Rings of energy surrounded her body, transforming into a large crystal and trapping Sailor Pluto inside it.
Grim Reaper laughed as he took off, carrying the sword with him.
"So, Brock. How do you capture a Pokayman? I mean Pokémon." Mina corrected herself. She and the others continued on their journey to the next town as planned. They were walking along the path through the forest.
Brock answered her. "Well, first you have to think carefully which pokémon you should use against it-"
"Unlike some other people, I know!" Misty interrupted, looking over at Ash.
"Who?" Ash asked, looking confused.
Brock shook his head and continued talking. "And second, you have to weaken the pokémon you're intending to capture. For example, rock pokémon are weak against water type pokémon. But rock pokémon are strong against electric type pokémon…"
"Hey look, there's an Eevee!" Ash cut in, pointing towards an Eevee eating on the grass. "I'm gonna capture it!" Ash declared, pulling his cap down and turning it backwards. He grabbed his pokéball from his belt. He pressed the front button to enlarge the size.
He was about to throw his pokéball until a hand grasped him arm.
"Let me do this, Ash please!" Brock pleaded. "C'mon. Just this once?"
"But why?" Ash questioned. "What would you use Eevee for?"
"Um…" Brock stammered, unconsciously fidgeting with his fingers.
"Hey Brock! That's a nice look on you!" Misty pointed out. Brock's face grew even more redder.
"Oh please, Ash. I haven't captured a pokémon for so long. I'm afraid that my skills aren't sharp as they used to be. Yeah, that's it! I'm afraid that my skills aren't as sharp as they used to be! I just need some practice!" Brock nervously spat out.
"Yeah, to impress that girl!" Misty snorted.
"What did you say?!" Brock glared at her.
"Okay, Brock. You could capture it." Ash said reluctantly.
"Thanks buddy! I know I could count on you!" Brock said with sincerity.
"I still think that's a good look on you!" Misty said, looking over at Mina patting Jigglypuff. "You really like her don't you?" Before Brock could answer, Mina crept up behind them.
"Is anything wrong?" She asked innocently.
Brock quickly covered Misty's mouth. "Oh nothing…." He stammered, "We were just discussing small matters."
"Hey!" Mina exclaimed, "That or ah..whatever that thing is so cute!"
Jigglypuff followed Mina's gaze towards Evee. "Jigglypuff! (I'm much more cuter than that!)" she snorted, folding her tiny arms against her.
"And this is how you capture a pokémon," Brock announced, threw his pokéball. "Go Vulpix!"
Vulpix came out from his pokéball and waited for Brock's instruction.
"Vulpix, flamethrower!" Brock exclaimed, his fingers pointing to Eevee.
Vulpix jumped into the air and opened his mouth slightly about to spit fire. But then he stopped in mid-air and fell to the ground.
"Vulpix? (Don't you want to battle?)" Vulpix asked.
Eevee turned around and swallowed his food. "Eevee..Eeveee...(Nope, not interested. Now if you don't mind puffball, leave me alone. I'm hungry!" Eevee said flatly, turning his attention back to his food.
Vulpix turned to Brock, giving him a surprise look. Brock mirrored the same expression and Misty asked him quietly. "Hey Brock, what are you going to do now? Eevee doesn't seemed want to battle."
Brock began to laugh nervously. He took another pokéball and threw to Eevee. "Go pokéball!" He yelled.
Eevee raised his head and caught the sight of the pokéball hurling towards him. He effortlessly tailwhipped the pokéball back to Brock.
SMACK!!
"Ouch!" Brock howled in pain, his hands covering his entire face. He removed his hand and there was an imprint of a pokéball on his swollen forehead.
"Vulpix, flamethrower again and don't hesitate!" He said firmly.
Vulpix opened his mouth and a flame came out burning Eevee's tail.
Eevee yelped in surprise. He turned around and glared at Brock with an intense angered look.
"Brock, have you ever seen an Eevee with fire in its eyes?" Ash asked.
"Yeah, the type is about to kill me!" Brock replied.
Eevee takes his stance, getting ready for action. Adrenaline rushed through him as he did his agility attack. Suddenly, he leaped into the air and jumped unto Vulpix's head that caused Vulpix to lose his balance.
His eyes gazed over at Brock's leg and chose it as its target. Eevee opened his mouth wide enough to bite Brock's leg.
Brock was screaming and running around in circles trying to get Eevee off. "Adah!! Get it off! Get it off! Vulpix, do something!"
While, Vulpix was pacing back and forth, trying to think clearly. Ash, Misty, Pikachu and Jigglypuff were all laughing hysterically. Mina was covering her mouth trying to hold her laughter down.
Finally, Vulpix did his flamethrower attack again, burning his master and Eevee at the same time."
"Thanks Vulpix!" Brock gasped as he slowly sat on the ground, trying to be careful with his wounded leg. He took his pokéball and threw to Eevee who was a few inches away from him.
The pokéball opened and trapped Eevee inside. The ball shook a little and the front button flashed red. The ball became still.
"And that's how you capture a pokémon!" Brock exclaimed, turning to Mina.
Vulpix took the ball and gave it to Brock. "All thanks to Vulpix!" Brock said gratefully as he patted Vulpix's head. Vulpix blushed in embarrassment.
Mina felt suddenly guilty for causing Brock's injury. A sudden lightness inside her brushed her guilt away as she watched Brock struggled to get up. A warm, sunny smile spread across her lips, silently thanking Brock for the trouble he been through just for her.
She turned around to see Misty opening Brock's bag and taking out a first aid kit. "I have to do something!" Mina thought.
"You must be in a great pain!" Mina exclaimed, taking the first aid kit from Misty's hands quickly. She went to Brock and started to nurse him.
"There you're all done!" She said after a few moments passed. She was busy returning all the materials back inside the kit. Brock gave her a warm gratitude.
"Brock, that was really sweet of you!" Mina said sincerely, "But you didn't have to go all that trouble just to show me." She smiled at him.
"Um..well..I...just wanted too." He mumbled, his cheeks blushed.
Misty rolled her eyes. "Oh brother!" She thought, shaking her head.
"Hey there's a town right up ahead!" Brock pointed towards small houses at a distance.
"And it looks like there's a party going on too." Mina remarked hearing a festive music as they drew closer.
"Hurry up you guys! You don't want to miss out all the fun do you?" Ash shouted, waving to them. Ash, Misty and Pikachu were all standing in front of a large banner that read "Welcome to Calypso Valley! Join in the fun of the Caravanafest!"
The gang was excited as they entered the town. The atmosphere was noisy. People from different cultures flocked everywhere, dressed in their national costumes. Upbeat, loud music blared from the loudspeakers. Balloons, party streamers and other festive decorations were displayed everywhere. Food stalls, games and other forms of entertainment were set up along the streets for everyone to enjoy.
The gang admired each stall as they passed through the busy and crowded street of Calypso Valley. They stopped in front of a bakery stall. Ash and Misty wanted to buy some foods since they couldn't stop smelling the delicious aroma.
"Do you want to me to buy something?" Brock asked Mina, his hands on his pocket searching for his wallet.
"No, thank you." Mina said politely.
"Do you guys have changed for $10.00 by any chance?" Misty asked, "Ash and the vendor don't have any exact change."
Mina searched through her pocket until her hand caught an unusual object. She took it out and gazed at her forgotten black leather wallet.
She felt two pressed against her back and shoved her violently. "My wallet!" She cried as her wallet flew away from her hands and landed on the gravel, a few inches away from her. She fell to the ground.
"Watch where you're going!" Misty yelled at a teenage girl who passed them by, smirking.
"Are you ok?" Brock asked, bending down to help her.
Mina held out her right arm to grab for her wallet, but there were many scurrying feet blocking her way. A sneaky hand beat her to it and took her wallet first.
She looked up to see a rough looking-teenage boy dressed in cut-off blue denim jacket and blue jeans walking away with her wallet.
"Someone help me! He stole my wallet!" She screamed, pointing towards the teenage boy who was now running away.
Without hesitation, Pikachu quickly ran and followed the pickpocket crook.
Mina stood up with an angered look on her face. She placed her left hand near her right shoulder and she pointed her right index finger forward. "Venus Crescent Beam Smash!" She yelled. Her venus symbol suddenly appeared on her forehead, glowing.
While Ash and Misty looked away, Brock and Jigglypuff stared at Mina surprisingly.
"Was that for real or was it just a hallucination?" Brock wondered.
"Jiggly! Jiggly! (Where have I seen that sign before?)" Jigglypuff said. She stared down into her hands and saw Mina's transformation pen glowing strangely.
"Did you see that too Jigglypuff?" Brock asked.
Jigglypuff hid the transformation pen behind her. She looked up at him and smiled. "Jigglypuff!" She answered, nodding her head.
Mina froze for a moment. "What the heck am I doing?" She thought. "Why is this so familiar?" She dropped her arms and turned around to see Brock and Jigglypuff gazing curiously at her. Mina covered her mouth in embarrassment.
Pikachu did his agility attack. He was behind with the restless criminal. Pikachu screamed, "PIKACHUUU!!!" shocking the enemy with his electric attack.
"Good job Pikachu!" Ash said, running up to him. Misty, Brock, Mina and Jigglypuff followed behind. Mina patted Pikachu and gratefully thanking him.
A loud whistle startled them. They looked up to see Officer Jenny approaching them on her motorcycle.
"What's the commotion going on here?" Officer Jenny asked.
"Officer, this guy was trying to steal my wallet!" Mina informed her, pointing to the unconscious criminal on the ground. "Until Pikachu stopped him!"
Officer Jenny called through her police radio for backup. "Don't worry, we'll take care of everything from here!" She said. "Oh! You almost forgot your wallet Miss..." She picked up Mina's wallet from the ground. Mina's wallet was open and showed her school ID through the clear plastic cover. "Miss Mina Erin. Make sure he didn't take anything." She smiled at Mina.
"Who?" Mina asked, sounding confused.
"Please forgive her, she somewhat lost her memory." Brock explained.
"Oh my!" Officer Jenny said alarmingly. "I think you better come with
me!"
"I'm sorry Miss Aino I can't seemed to find your school or the town where you came from.." Officer Jenny said sadly, her sympathetic eyes gazed over to Mina's blue eyes.
Mina felt her hopes dashed away. Hiding her disappointment, she forced herself to calm and gave Officer Jenny a timid small. "I understand you've tried your best. Thank you for time helping me out." She stood up from her seat and extended her right hand to Officer Jenny.
"Jiggly! Jiggly!" Jigglypuff said urgently, tugging Brock's pants.
Brock watched as Mina and Officer Jenny exchanged goodbye as they shook their hands. He looked down to see Jigglypuff tugging his pants, trying to get his attention.
"Jiggly! Jigglypuff!!" Jigglypuff exclaimed, her tiny hand pointing to her forehead several times.
It took a few seconds for Brock to understand. "No, no. You don't want say anything about that sign. You don't want to see her upset. Now do you Jigglypuff?" He asked. His mind vividly remembering the mysterious symbol appeared on Mina's forehead earlier.
Jigglypuff shook her head in response, her eyes brimmed with tears and was about to cry.
"No, no, please don't cry!" Brock pleaded. "I can't stand when a pokémon cries. We have to be strong for her ok?"
Jigglypuff nodded and started hiccuping. She went to Mina and nuzzling her legs.
"Thanks again, Officer Jenny!" Mina said. She looked down and picked up Jigglypuff in her arms. The three of them left the police station together.
"Mina wait!" Brock placed his hand on her shoulder. She turned around and stared directly at him.
"Look, don't give up!" Brock reassured her. "I'm sure we can find a way!"
"Brock, I know you're trying to help." Mina said sadly, turning her face away and stared at the ground. "But I don't think anyone can."
Brock grasped her shoulders with his two hands. "Everything is going to be alright, Mina. I know you're scared and confused. Don't worry, Jigglypuff and I will be here for you ok?" He gently lifted her chin up and her blue eyes looked back at him. He smiled at her.
"Jigglypuff!!" Jigglypuff responded happily.
Mina only nodded in response and gave a timid smile.
"You're gonna be okay!" Brock said softly, gently squeezing her shoulders for comfort. Mina felt the tension drained away from her as he continued to massage her. They were both perfectly eased with each other and continued to gaze at one another.
"Um, we should go now." She said reluctantly after a few moments later, breaking the silence between them.
"Uh.. yeah." Brock answered, pulling his gaze away from Mina's intense blue eyes. "Ash and the others are probably waiting for us at the Pokémon Centre."
"Jigglypuff? (What's going on here?)" Jigglypuff thought, staring both
at Mina and Brock.
"I hope things work out when they returned." Misty said worriedly, looking over the window.
"It all work out you'll see," Ash said confidently, standing behind her.
"Pikachu!" Pikachu nodded in agreement.
"Poor Mina, it must be tough for her not having her memories," Misty said sympathetically. "She must be scared to be in a strange place like this."
"At least, we should try to be good friends to her," Ash pointed out. "Like Brock, he's been really nice to her."
"That's because he LIKES her a lot!" Misty said, rolling her eyes. "Didn't you notice he wasn't drooling over Office Jenny this afternoon?"
"Notice what?" Ash questioned. "I didn't see anything!"
"Oh Ash," Misty shook her head in disbelief. "What I mean is, Brock is spending a lot of time with Mina. Remember he was trying to capture Eevee? He was trying to impress her!!"
"Who can forget that?" Ash chuckled. "But Mina is just one of the pretty girls he falls in love with. He'll get it over soon!"
"Yeah but," Misty said reluctantly, "But when Brock captured Eevee, his leg got injured from the fight. Mina rushed to nurse him as if she really cared. That's never happen before any of the girls he met. There's something different about Mina. She seemed to be enjoying his company a lot."
"Why are you thinking of playing the matchmaker Misty?" Ash teased.
"Of course not!" Misty scoffed.
"What do you know about romance, Misty?" Ash teased her some more.
"F.Y.I. I KNOW plenty of it, Ash Ketchem!" Misty shouted.
They continued to argue until the creaking noise of a door opening interrupted their talk. They turned around to see Brock, Mina and Jigglypuff entered the room.
"Hi guys!" Ash greeted his friends. "So, how did it go?"
"I hope it's a good news!" Misty said, sounding optimistic.
Mina shook her head sadly.
"Oh Mina, I'm really sorry." Misty said sympathetically.
"It's okay." She answered quietly. "You know what they say, tomorrow's another day. I'm not giving up!!" She added, sounding confident and determined. Hiding her nervousness and fear inside of her.
"That's the spirit!" Brock exclaimed. "The important key is not too lose hope. You won't be alone Mina. You'll always have friends like us!"
"Thank you everyone!" Mina said gratefully, her eyes gazed over the smiling faces back at her. "Have I kept you waiting too long?" She asked, glancing over at Ash and Misty as she spoke to them.
"No, no!" Ash shook his head. "We were worried about you if everything went okay."
"We were gonna take you tonight at the Food Event." Misty explained. "But I guess you're probably tired since this afternoon."
"That's very thoughtful of you. But you didn't have to cancel your plans because of me!" Mina protested.
"It's no big deal." Misty said. "We can all order take out."
"But I want you guys to go." Mina insisted. "You don't want to be stuck here when you can be outside having fun and partying."
"But what about you?" Brock asked. "I could stay here if you want some company."
Mina shook her head. "Don't worry about me. I won't be alone though. I have Jigglypuff, Nurse Joy and Chansey with me. I'll be okay. Please go! I'm sure you don't want to miss this!" She babbled on nervously. She hoped this excuse convinced her friends. A quiet time to herself would clear her mind and ease the queasiness away inside her stomach.
"Okay," Her friends agreed reluctantly.
"Hey!" Ash exclaimed. "Why don't we let our pokémon stay with Mina so she won't have to be alone then?"
"That's not a bad idea!" Brock remarked, took out five small pokéballs from his pocket and threw them in the air. "Come on out!" He exclaimed. Ash and Misty did the same.
"Guys, we have a favor to ask you." Ash announced to a group of pokémon in front of him. "Do you mind if you could hang out with Mina for awhile? She's the girl you met this morning." He asked, pointing to Mina. She was smiling and waving to the pokémon.
All the pokémon nodded their heads in agreement.
"Evee.. (Mina? What kinda name is that?) Evee asked, smirking.
"Jiggly! Jigglypuff!! (Are you making fun of her?)" Jigglypuff asked furiously, waving her fists in the air.
"It's okay, Jigglypuff," Mina said gently, patting her head.
"Did you say something Mina?" Ash questioned.
"Oh, I was just talking to Jigglypuff, don't mind me." She said.
Ash, Misty and Brock gave each other a puzzled glance.
"You can understand Jigglypuff?" Misty asked.
"O! Oh! What have I done?" She thought. "I..Yes..I can understand Jigglypuff can't you?" She asked nervously.
"Not really," Ash replied. "I've known Pikachu in a long time so we really understood each other really well."
"I..I.." Mina stammered, not knowing what to say.
"Ash, we better go!" Brock interrupted, saving Mina from explanation. "We better go now or else it's gonna get crowded."
"Okay, Brock. Whatever you say!" Ash exclaimed. "Guys, be good to Mina okay? Bye everyone!" He headed for the door.
"Take good care of Togepi will you Mina?" Misty asked as she handed Togepi to Mina. "Are you sure you can handle a group of pokémon? They're quite a handful."
"No problem! I can pretty much handle everything!" Mina said, confidently. "I sure hope so!" She thought.
"Bye Togepi! Be good!" Misty said, patting Togepi on the head. "Thanks for taking care of Togepi Mina. See you later!" Misty waved back as she walked away.
"Chocki! Chocki! Pree!" Togepi said happily, waved goodbye to Misty.
"Thanks Brock," Mina said gratefully, leaning against the doorway. "Have fun!"
"You're welcome!" Brock smiled at her, standing outside the hallway. "I wish you could come with us. You haven't changed your mind have you?"
Mina shook her head in response.
"Oh well, can't blame a guy for trying can you?" Brock said, grinning. "Bye Mina!" He waved back and turned away.
Mina smiled to herself in spite of her depressing mood. She closed the door behind her as soon as Brock disappeared from her sight. "So, guys what do you feel like doing tonight?" She asked as she sat down on the couch beside Pikachu and Jigglypuff.
Jigglypuff, Pikachu and Togepi made cheerful noises while the rest of the other pokémon blinked their eyes blankly at her.
"Well, this is gonna be some evening." She thought.
Psychduck's eyes began to close, still asleep from his nap. His body began to sway back and forth. He crashed next to Vulpix, who in turn collapse beside Squirtle. This continued as each pokémon crashed next to each other like domino pieces.
The pokémon were piled next to each other and struggled to get up. This resulted in a vigorous tickle fight. Sounds of laughter echoed throughout the room.
"Evee..Evee..(Not fair! That's tickles!") Evee howled, his paw kicking in the air. "Evee..Evee..(Please stop!)" Evee begged once more, tears streamed down on his face.
"Bulbasaur! Bulba! (Tickle! Tickle! Do I hear someone begging for more?" Bulbasaur taunted as he tickled Evee with his vine whip.
Mina giggled hysterically as she watched them on their tickle battle. She felt more at ease and forgotten about her worries that bothered her constantly.
Pikachu and Jigglypuff quietly observed Mina unnoticed and turned to each other for their friends' happy mood. Then, a sudden idea hit their heads like lightning and had a sly look on their faces.
"Hey! That tickles!" She exclaimed in surprise. She looked down to see Jigglypuff and Pikachu in her lap with their hands placed on her knees.
"Two could play at that game!" She declared. Her sneaky hands lightly scratched their stomach. The two pokémon roared in laughter.
The room became silent again when everyone settled down to relax after the stimulating tickle battle. Mina sighed as she stretched her legs onto the floor and propped herself on one elbow. She moved Togepi beside her and contentedly glanced around the room.
"You're so cute!" She exclaimed, stroking Squirtle's head gently who was seating near beside her. "You're Squirtle right?" She asked.
"Squirtle! Squirt!" Squirtle nodded, putting on his cool back sunglasses and made a thumbs up. She smiled back and gave a small laugh.
Her eyes caught Psyduck approaching her with his two hands on his head.
"Oh you poor thing!" She said sympathetically. She sat up and placed Togepi in her arms. "Are you in pain?"
"Psy.."" Psyduck nodded miserably.
"Headache, am I right? She guessed. Psychduck nodded his head again.
"Do you want me to get some medicine from Nurse Joy then?" She asked.
"Pikachu," Pikachu shook his head.
"Oh, why not?" She asked, looking confused. "Oh yes! I remember you're a psychic pokémon. You're supposed to get headaches from what Brock told me."
"Oh, could I see some of your powers then?" She asked excitedly, her blue eyes twinkled.
"Psy..yay..yay.."Psyduck pleaded, shaking his head. His headache pounded painfully and was about to burst.
"Maybe some other time then," She said grinning. A tiny sweat drop appeared on her temples. "Maybe this will help." She bent down to kiss Psyduck's head. Psyduck blushed and his headache vanished completely.
Mina stood up and roamed around the rooms with her fingers pointing to each pokémon as she passed by. She tried to remember all of their names as she called them aloud. The pokémon were kind enough to respond to her by nodding their heads.
"Let me see if I get this straight. " She paused, thinking thoroughly. "Staryu and Squirtle are water type. Geodude and Onix are rock type. Pigeotto and Zubat are flying type. Psychduck is a psychic type. Pikachu is an electric type. Vulpix is a fire type. While, Eevee and Jigglypuff are normal type. So, what makes Togepi then?" She wondered aloud as she held the happy Togepi in the air.
The pokémon turned to each other with questioning look on their faces and echoing the same thoughts in their minds. ("What's Togepi anyway?") They asked themselves as they huddled closer. They talked and argued among themselves.
Mina felt suddenly lonely without someone to talk to. She sighed and
settled on a rocking chair near the window. She placed Togepi on her
lap while Pikachu and Jigglypuff came to her and sat in front of her.
She smiled to them and stared through the window, quietly observing the
moon and stars shining brightly in the sky. She closed her eyes for a
moment and began to rock back and forth as her mind drifted away.
"Brock, you're unbelievable!" Ash panted in exhaustion, shaking his head.
"Well, this is just great!" Misty complained. "I thought we were gonna be early for the Food Event so we won't miss anything. What gives?"
They were standing outside at the front entrance of the Pokémon Centre. They came back from the Food Event and felt very tired from running.
"Sorry guys," Brock apologized sincerely. "Look, why don't you give me a few minutes to get my stuff ok?" He grinned sheepishly. "I wonder how Mina is doing?" He thought worriedly. "Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to leave her with the pokémon." He felt a bit guilty and decided to check on her.
"Alright!" His friends answered grumpily. "But don't take to long!"
"I won't" He called back, stepping inside the automatic entrance door. He smiled to Nurse Jenny and Chansey as he passed by their counter and went towards right-hand side corner to enter another sliding door. He whistled and strolled along the hallway until he stopped 6 doors away.
As soon as he opened the door with an electronic key, Brock heard Mina's angelic voice singing a sad song. He peeked inside and saw her sitting on a rocking chair with all the pokémon surrounding her.
I waited all my life For the day when love appears Like a fairy tales from old He will rescue me from my fears
Brock became entrance listening to Mina's singing. He stayed on his spot, not moving a muscle.
And now suddenly he walks like in a dream And how can I tell him what he means to me My heart stills still stands- has he come? Oh starry night Tell me is he my own true love?
"I wonder who she's thinking of?" Brock thought after the song faded into the background.
Mina opened her eyes and sighed deeply. Her eyes turned towards the moon. "I wonder what's Brock doing right now?" She thought to herself.
"Huh? Where did that come from?" She jolted in surprise causing her eyes
to widened in amazement.
Sailor Pluto groaned and lifted her eyes opened. Blurry images passed through her vision, shaking her head to clear them away. She stretched her stiff arms until she touched a solid object. Her eyes widened in shock to discover she was trapped inside a crystal.
"Sailor Venus!" She shouted. Her screamed echoed in the dark, eerie abyss..
Mina woke up suddenly and was breathing heavily. "What was that?" She asked herself, staring through the darkness of the room. She saw all the pokémon sleeping peacefully around her with Onix's body enclosed them.
She brought her hand up to her face and was startled to find her cheeks streaked with odds tears as she examined her palms closer.
Brock was humming along to his favorite song on the radio as he took out a muffin tray from the oven and placed it on the kitchen counter.
"That certainly looks good to eat," A female voice remarked.
Brock turned around to find Mina leaning against the doorway and Jigglypuff standing beside her.
"Good morning," He smiled at them, wiping his hands on his apron. "Is there something wrong?" He asked in concern when Mina was staring at him intently.
"No, no" She shook her head in embarrassment. "It's just that I never seen you in an apron before. You look cute wearing it." She explained.
"Oh, uh... Thanks." He stuttered, blushing from her compliment. "Umm, why don't you and Jigglypuff try this then?" He removed the muffin from the tray and placed them on a large plate.
Mina took the plate from him and walked over to a rounded table with stools around it. Brock carried the cups and plates with him while Jigglypuff strolled behind. Mina bent down to pick up Jigglypuff and placed on a stool next to hers.
"Here you go!" Mina said, handing a muffin to Jigglypuff . Mina's eyes gazed over the different kinds of food laid in front of her. "There's so much food in here!" She exclaimed.
"Oh, we bought it for you last night from the Food Event." Brock smiled at her.
Mina covered her mouth and gave a big yawn. "Oh, excuse me," She said politely.
"Didn't sleep to well last night? Were the pokémon to rough on you?" He teased her.
"No, it's not that." She frowned. "I just had a strange dream last night."
"What kind of dream?" He asked her, pouring a cartoon of milk on each cups.
"It was nothing.." She shrugged her shoulders and took a bite from her muffin.
"It's okay, Mina. You can tell me anything. I won't make fun of you." He said gently.
She paused and took a deep breath. "Well, I had this strange dream about this woman in her 20s. She had this long dark green hair and was wearing this sailor suit with a mini skirt. She was trapped in this glass like a crystal and she was screaming for Sailor Venus." She explained.
"Hm.. Sailor Venus. That's unusual name." He said, thinking deeply. "As everyone knows, Venus is the second planet of the solar system and was named after the Roman Goddess of love."
Mina nodded her head. "And what worse, I feel as if I know this person and she's in trouble. And there's nothing I can do to help her. All because of this stupid deja-vu I've been having!!" She said angrily, gritting her teeth. She slammed her palm against the table. Tears of frustration ran down her cheeks. Saddened expressions appeared on Brock and Jigglypuff's faces.
"Shhh.. It's okay Mina. Don't cry." He whispered, enfolding her into his embrace.
"Jigglypuff," Jigglypuff said sadly, patting Mina on the back.
"Brock, I'm scared.." Mina whispered hoarsely. "I don't know what to do. I want my memory back."
"You will," He reassured and let her go. He wiped her tears away. "You need to stay focus right now and get strong like the doctor said." He gazed at her thoughtfully. "Maybe we should go see a doctor and have check that concussion again."
She panicked and grabbed Brock's hand. "I don't want to go back to the hospital again." She pleaded softly. "I don't want to be left alone."
"I won't." He smiled, squeezing her hand gently.
She smiled faintly without letting go of his hand and resumed eating their breakfast quietly. Simply enjoying each other's company. They were unaware their friends arrive inside the small kitchen.
Ash and Misty raised their eyebrows and grinned at each other seeing Brock and Mina holding hands together.
"I hope we're not interrupting anything." Misty said loudly.
Mina and Brock was so surprise that they nearly jumped off from their seats. They quickly removed their hands off and try to compose themselves as normal as possible. They turned around to see their friends' grinning faces.
"Good morning!" Mina said cheerfully, "Did you had a good night sleep?"
"Here you go!" Brock said, giving plates and cups to his friends.
"We overslept. Did we miss anything?" Misty said, giving Brock a mischievous look.
Brock gave her a dark look in return and ignored her completely. "So Mina." He said completely changing the subject. "Do you feel like going to the festival tonight?"
"A festival?" Mina asked.
"Yeah, there's gonna be a parade, carnival and a customs party.' Ash replied, taking a seat next to Brock. "It's gonna be a blast!" Misty declared, patting Jigglypuff's head in greeting and took a seat next to the pink pokémon.
"I don't think I'm dressed for the occasion," Mina replied sadly, looking down on her school uniform.
"So, what's stopping you?" Misty asked. "We'll go shopping then! In fact, we should go right now so we can find a nice, gorgeous dress on you." She took a muffin from her plate and stood up. "C'mon!" She urged as she dragged Mina out of her seat.
"Wanna come?" Mina asked, turning to Ash and Brock.
"You girls go ahead and have fun!" Brock said politely, declining her invitation.
"You know how it is. Shopping isn't our thing." Ash explained. "We learned it the hard way with Misty around." He laughed.
"Hmph!!" Misty snorted, "Boys." She took Mina's hands and walked towards the door. Mina helplessly shrugged her shoulders and waved goodbye to them. Jigglypuff jumped from her seat and followed them.
"Girls," Ash replied, stuck his tongue out. Brock laughed.
Sailor Pluto stared into the darkness of the abyss. Tiny sweat drops trickled down on her temples. Her frustration and anger started to built inside her as she pushed and kicked the crystal to break her free from her imprisonment.
"There has to be another way," She thought. She looked over to her shoulders to see her garnet staff beside her. "I cannot do my dead scream attack. There is not enough space in here."
A happy, vibrant Mina appeared on her thoughts suddenly. Sailor Pluto closed her eyes sadly remembering Grim Reaper throwing Sailor Venus into the black hole. "This will not end in vain! Grim Reaper will be punished for this!" She said angrily.
A dark green aura flared around her body and her hair was lifted upwards. Her tiara disappeared and it was replaced by a Pluto sign on her forehead. "Pluto Planet Power!!" She screamed. She concentrated and summon all of her strength.
A brilliant light flashed and the entire crystal shattered. Sailor Pluto opened her eyes and found herself floating in space again. "Garnet staff come forth!" She commanded. Her garnet staff flew into her hands and stared into her mysterious garnet orb. A light began to blink rapidly.
She went into the same direction where Grim Reaper was heading.
Mina, Misty, Jigglypuff and Togepi were enjoying their window shopping as they passed through the each stores. Mina and Misty were discussing about the latest fashion trend.
"So Mina, what do you think Brock?" Misty asked her curiously.
Mina gave her a surprise look before answering her. "Well," She paused, thinking carefully with her response. "He's caring, kind and smart. He's a good cook too." Misty nodded in agreement.
"Could we go in here?" Mina asked, stopping in front of a Chinese store. Her eyes caught a beautiful red Chinese silk dress in the window display.
"Sure," Misty said, opening the door for her. Mina thanked her and went inside. There were fabric stacked along the shelves and rack of clothes display everywhere. Mannequins were displayed accordingly in each section of clothes.
"Anything else you might want to add to Brock's good features?" Misty jokingly implored.
"What else can I say about Brock besides being a good friend?!" Mina said.
"True," Misty agreed, "Brock is one of the people you can depend on. But don't you find him cute?"
Mina turned her full attention to her. "Do you have a crush on him?" She asked her teasingly.
"No, I'm asking YOU." Misty said, confronting her.
Mina was speechless for a moment. Misty watched her silently.
"Of course not." Mina's voice quivered. "Why does my voice sounded funny?" She wondered. "And why should I be nervous about Brock? We're only FRIENDS."
"Brock and I are just friends nothing more. He's been really nice to me that's all." She concluded.
"I'm sorry," Misty apologized, looking regretful. "I know it's none of my business. Forget about what I said. Let's go find you a dress." She began to walk away from her.
"Misty wait!" Mina said gently, placed her hands on Misty's shoulder. "What were you going to say?"
Misty looked down in her shoes. "I wanted to find out what's going on between you and Brock because I saw the two of you holding hands this morning." She confessed, looking up into Mina's eyes.
Mina blushed from Misty's confession. "I was upset this morning. He was just trying to cheer me up." She explained.
"Oh well, that's too bad. You and Brock would make a cute couple." Misty said ddisappointingly
"What?!" Mina exclaimed. She couldn't believe what she just heard.
"Oh nothing," Misty said mischievously. "Did you find the dress you wanted to try on?"
"The red Chinese silk dress by the window display." Mina answered, pointing to the large window beside the entrance door. She watched Misty approached the window display.
"Feelings for Brock, But that's crazy!!" She thought deeply. "We're
just friends nothing more!!" Her mind replayed the scene from
yesterday. The intimate connection she felt with Brock after the
disappointing meeting with Office Jenny. Those gentle, kind eyes
staring back at her. And the way he held her hand sweetly this morning.
Mina squashed at that thought. "No, I DON'T have a crush on Brock." She
denied. But she suddenly felt an odd stirring inside her. "Or could I
be wrong then?" She asked herself.
"I wonder why the girls are taking so long?" Ash complained to Brock later that evening.
"Oh, they'll bound to show up soon. I told them to meet us here at the Community Center." Brock replied, leaning against the top counter of a juice bar. "What a great party this is!!" He commented. His eyes and ears attuned to the music and decorations around him.
"Yup," Ash agreed, drinking a can of Coke.
In the middle of the dance floor, a gang of girls stood in boredom watching the commotion around them with people dressed to their distinctive national costume. The girls were the only ones wearing plain clothes in their cut off jean jacket and faded leather jackets; blue jeans and mini-skirts and a few others had bandannas on their heads like headbands.
"This party is too boring," One redhead girl complained. "We need some major action here." She grinned mischievously.
"We can't spoil the fun without the boys here you know." The brunette gently scolded her.
"Forget them!" A girl with black hair named Dorothy spoke up. "Those idiots got arrested this morning by Office Jenny this morning."
"For what?!" Her friends exclaimed in horror.
"For stealing," Dorothy spat, "From some school girl I suppose."
"I guess we better bail them out again this time," The brunette whined, walking away.
"No," Dorothy said firmly, placing a hand on the brunette's shoulder to stop her. "Let them learn the hard way this time."
"But Dorothy." The blond girl protested. "They're part of the pack. We can't abandoned them."
"I know," Dorothy said. "Tonight, I'm just too tired playing the babysitter. I just need a break that's all. What do you say? Let's this be our girls night out then?"
"She's right," The redhead nodded her head. "The boys could look after themselves. It'll teach them a lesson they won't forget. They can't take us girls for granted."
"And besides I happen to see a hottie over there." Dorothy said, her eyes gazing over to Brock sitting at the juice bar.
"But Dorothy, what would Matt say?!" The brunette answered. "He's your boyfriend!?"
"Chill out okay?!" Dorothy said smoothly, "Matt won't know. He's not here. What's wrong with having a little fun?!" She walked over to Brock and join him in the juice bar.
Her friends stared at her in disbelief but they followed behind.
"Hey there handsome," Dorothy purred softly, sitting next to him. Brock 's head turned in surprise to find a pretty girl with a black hair sitting next to him.
"Hi there!" Brock greeted her back. "Isn't this a great party or what?"
"Well, that's certainly depends on the answer." Dorothy replied slyly. "Are you by yourself tonight?"
"No, we're just waiting here for some friends." Ash chimed in. He squirmed a little when Dorothy flashed him an irritated look.
"Well, I am waiting here for someone." Brock said, his eyes darting across the room for Mina to appear.
"I could keep you in company for awhile," Dorothy suggested, smiling flirtatiously at him. "if you don't mind."
Brock turned to face her again. "Uh.. Thanks anyway. You don't really have too." He said reluctantly.
"Oh, I don't really bite." Dorothy coaxed him. "Just ask all of my friends." She pointed to a group of girls standing behind her.
"Um.. Brock." Ash whispered, closely to his ear. "We better get outta here. These girls are giving me the creeps. They look like trouble to me."
"Oh, just relax and hang out. It'll be fun." Dorothy said. "Right girls?" Her friends nodded their heads.
"Can't you see that he's not interested or are you too blind not to see it?" A female irritated voice answered her. A collective gasps went around the juice bar.
"Who said that?" Dorothy's voice exclaimed in anger. Her cold eyes turned to see Mina and Misty standing beside Ash.
Brock's eyes lit up in joy to see Mina. His eyes lingered on her and admiring her Chinese silk dress with a long straight skirt, no sleeves and a higher collar. Her blond hair was up in a sophisticated looking swirl with two carved sticks held in place.
Dorothy's temper grew higher watching Brock ogling over this blond girl. Her friends stayed behind her, quietly observing.
"And you might you be?!" Dorothy demanded.
"That's for you to know and to find out." Mina replied sarcastically. "Now, if you don't mind my friends and I were leaving. C'mon guys!" She motioned them to follow her.
"And where do you think you're going?" Dorothy asked. "We were about to get acquainted." She flashed a sweet and fake smile to Brock making Mina want to hurl.
"Sorry to get your hopes high but he's already taken!" Mina snarled, placing a possessive hand on Brock's left arm.
"Not so fast, Blondie! I saw him first!" Dorothy shouted, gripping her hands on Brock's right arm.
"This is gonna turn out ugly if I don't do something!" He thought. "Girls, please calm down." He said gently.
"Hey, what's going on here?" A male voice demanded.
"Ash, I don't like this." Misty whispered. She saw a gang of teenage boys heading to the juice bar.
"Oh boy, Brock is gonna get pounded!" Ash said fearfully.
"Ma..Matt, what are you doing here?" Dorothy said surprisingly, looking at a boy with a punk rock hairstyle.
Matt's eyes narrowed watching his girlfriend snatching her hand away from Brock. Dorothy backed away hesitantly when he walked up to Brock and stared at him menacingly. Brock gulped nervously.
"Are you trying to hit on my girl!?" Matt demanded.
"I..I.."Brock stammered nervously. Mina suddenly stepped in between them.
"Why not ask your girlfriend then?" She suggested. "She seemed to know the answer. She can't keep her greedy hands off MY boyfriend!" She gave Dorothy an intense angry look.
"Is this true?" Matt asked turning his attention to Dorothy for an answer.
"Why don't I leave you two lovebirds alone while I deal with mine." Mina said sweetly, grabbing Brock's hands and pulled him away from Matt.
"We pity you," One of Dorothy's friend said to Mina. "I CAN'T imagine who would be crazy to go out and be seen with a total deadbeat like YOUR boyfriend." She added nastily. All of Dorothy's friends began to laugh loudly.
Mina clenched her teeth in anger and was about to open her mouth to retaliate back. Brock squeezed her hand and shook his head.
Mina nodded in understanding watching Brock's impassive face.
Once of the earshot, Misty gave a sigh of relief. "Phew! I thought for sure we'll be goners!" She exclaimed.
"That was pretty quick thinking, Mina. Thanks!" Ash said gratefully.
"Anytime!" Mina smiled. She continued watching Brock, who remained as silent as ever. "Poor Brock," She thought. "He needs some cheering up. Those nasty girls deserves some tongue lashing!" Her eyes caught some people dancing around them.
"Hey Brock, do you feel like dancing?" She asked.
"Oh,sure!" He answered, sounding surprised. Mina smiled at him as she took his hand and led him across the dance floor. "Guys, we'll be right here!" She yelled back to Ash and Misty who waved back to her. Misty gave her a secret wink making Mina blushed. Brock noticed this as well.
"What was that all about?" He asked her curiously.
"Oh nothing." Mina said innocently. "Good, a slow song is playing." She thought. "This would give me a chance to talk to him then."
They found an open spot in the middle of the dance floor. He pulled her closer and wrapped his left arm across her waist. While he placed his right hand unto hers and held both of their hands in the air to guide them through the dance.
Mina found herself feeling self-conscious being too close to him. "This is ridiculous!" She thought, scolding herself righteously. "Brock is just a friend. Why am I feeling this way whenever I'm around him? But it feel right somehow to be held this way.."
"I never had the chance to thank you for saving my hide back there." He interrupted her thoughts suddenly.
"Well, that's what friends are for," She answered. "You probably have plans tonight but it looks like you're stuck with me for a while." They watched the same groups of girls wavering through the dancing crowd. The girls made snickering comments at each other seeing Mina and Brock together.
"Oh, I don't really mind spending the evening with a pretty girl like you." He said sincerely. "You really look great in that dress of yours." He whispered huskily, leaning closer to her ear. Sending a thrilling sensation down to her body which she completely ignored.
"You don't look too bad yourself." She said calmly. She was looking over at his cowboy outfit.
"Oh this, I thought I might wear something fun and different for tonight." He ginned at her. He tipped his hat a little lower. "So little lady, how 'bout if we show this fine folks what party is all 'bout?!" He said, imitating in a cowboy's accent.
"Oh like what?" She asked, giggling a little.
"Like this." He said slyly. He gripped her firmly and swung her around twice. Then, he dipped her backwards. She was laughing again when she was pulled back up.
She moved closer to him and placed her forehead to rest on his shoulders calming her laughter down. She raised her head and her breath caught in surprise. Brock gave a serious, searching gaze.
"You really are amazing, Mina Aino." He said gently.
She didn't comment but her eyes continued to gaze at him. The atmosphere between them changed all of a sudden and it became more intense. They were no longer aware of the surroundings around them.
Mina's mind turned completely blank and her heart began to beat nervously. Brock titled his head forward. His mouth moving closer to hers.
She fluttered her eyes closed and felt her mouth lightly brushed against his. His first kiss reminded her like soft petals.
Her eyes opened again to see Brock looking afraid and hesitant. Her lips curved in a smile that brought a joyous response from him. Her eyes twinkled mischievously and he took the hint to kiss her again this time.
He titled his head again, anticipating another explosion. His back was pushed behind causing him to trip forward and bumped his forehead against Mina. She yelped in pain.
"Mina, Mina. I'm so sorry." He apologized profusely. "Are you okay?"
"I'm okay Brock, it's alright. It was just an accident." She said softly with her hand covering half of her face.
"No, it's not okay. You hurt yourself because of me." He said firmly. He turned to confront the person behind him and demand an apology for interrupting a very private moment. "What the?" He said in surprise to see many people dancing wildly around him to the hit dance remix of "Pokémon."
Mina rubbed her forehead gently to ease the pain and moved her hand away from her face. A sudden realization hit her. "Did..Did Brock just kissed me?!" She thought in shock. She remembered Brock kissing her softly causing a blush creeping up to her cheeks. "It can't be," She whispered, shaking her head. No matter how hard she tried to deny the truth. She was attracted to him all along.
"I..I..think we should go somewhere else," Mina's voice quivered. She looked around the noisy room.
"I was thinking the same thing," Brock answered, giving her a significant look.