literature

Little Mareep, Chapter 1: Rural Headache

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Brock read aloud from the guide. "Agria is a small, agricultural province that the tourist brochures call 'the shared garden of humans and Pokemon'. There's only one city, with the rest being countryside, farms and Poke-Ranches."

There was a paragraph about the vast beauty of it all, how the horizon of each hill made them wonder what lied beyond it, how the open fields were so green with life that the colour touched the very soul, how there were wild Pokemon roaming in the dense woodlands and alongside the flowing river - but why read that part aloud when our heroes Ash, Misty and Brock, standing atop a great hill, could see it all with their own eyes?

"You'll like this part, Ash." Brock continued, "Apparently there are some rare Pokemon in this place, even ones that aren't from Johto."

The boy fistpumped whilst searching the horizon for the first place to start. "Sweet."

"The PokeRanches are something else, too. Their care standards with pokemon are very high. Some ranchers make special ingredients that are used in the world's most expensive skin, hair and beauty-care products."
"The most amazing, you mean!" Misty added affably. "My sisters use that stuff all the time. Just rub its shampoo in your hair and it'll be silk-soft in no time."

"Wow," said Ash, deadpanned, "from Brock's description I thought it was something valuable." The boy rolled his eyes in disgust.

"Grr, dumb little boys like you can't appreciate anything that isn't piggish, can you?!"

"It's not my fault if girls can't do anything valuable with their free time!" Ash retorted, and the two locked glares against each other.

"I'd call 'not smelling like garbage' to be pretty important, thank you."
"Or end up smelling like a completely different kind of garbage."

"If you're going to be that narrow-minded then you shouldn't even be allowed to hear about nice things!"
"It would sure save me a lot of grief!"

"Take it easy, you two, there's enough to do here for everyone." Brock rested a hand on both their shoulders. This wasn't the first fight Ash and Misty had over something 'boyish' or 'girlish', and Brock knew it wouldn't be the last. Why couldn't they appreciate both things?

"Misty, you and I can see if we can get a discount on some of those brands in the city, and all three of us can find out first-hand some breeding techniques the ranchers use. That's something we can all enjoy."

"And then Pikachu and I can find some nice Pokemon to catch!" Ash cheered. What kind of Pokemon were there to catch? Bug types? Steel? He couldn't wait to find them.
"Let's hold on, Ash, we only just got here." Misty said, putting a pause to her friend's passion. "There are ranches out here, remember? How do we know which Pokemon are wild and which ones belong to someone?"
"What are you talking about? We can just use the pokedex to tell which--"

A great clopping sound on pebbled ground distracted Misty from whatever he was moaning about after that. Behind them was a giant carriage, being dragged by at least six spirited Ponyta moving at a breackneck pace, and the three friends were right in its way!

Panicked, they each dove out of the way to the side of the road, avoiding injury by an inch. But an angered Ash was quick to his feet, and before the carriage was far away, shouted back.

"Hey, what's the big idea?! You almost trampled all over us, you rude jerk!"

Ash had hoped whoever was inside had heard him, and when the charging carriage came to a sudden halt, he guessed so.

Out stepped from the carriage a butler, who opened the back door for a tall noblewoman, dressed in high-lifestyle clothing, wearing far too much makeup, and with her long black hair sharpened and extravagantly stylised. Ash would have been fighting back laughter at how ridiculous she looked if he wasn't so angry.

She walked over to him very closely, and it was clear how she towered over them all, even Brock. "Who are you, little child?"

Ash was a little intimidated by the gravitas in her voice, but he did not back down. "Ash Ketchum, from Pallet Town."

"And what did you just call me back there?"

"I-I thought you were really inconsiderate, the way your carriage just charged at us like that!"

With a heave so great that a shampoo bottle dropped from her pocket, the lady slapped him stingingly across the face.

"How dare you! Could you not tell that you were at fault in that situation?"

Ash would have continued the fight, but he was busy trying to fight back the tears from that slap.

"Excuse me now, but anyone would have agreed that you weren't fair then!" Misty shouted back.

"Is that so?" The noblewoman clicked her fingers, and on cue came barging out of the carriage a policeman and a pair of Growlithe.  The dogs quickly began barking and sniffing the trio, while the policeman stood dutifully beside the noblewoman.

"Police Deputy Chief Harrington, what did you think of my butler's driving there?" She asked him.

"I thought it was absolutely exemplary, Madam Thornsworth!" The policeman cheerily complimented. "I'm sorry, but you youngsters had no business being on an open highway like that."

"I thought this was a minor footpath..." Brock's wispy skepticism, however, was lost on everyone.

"Hold up, you're the Madam Janet Thornsworth?" Misty asked. "My name's Misty. My sisters run the Cerulean City Gym, and we're big fans! We use your products on us and our pokemon when we wanna look and feel extra good, it's great!"

Janet visibly relax, now that she knew one of these children was a customer. "Why, it just makes my day to meet a grateful fan. Thank you, young lady: I do so love to hear from my company's fans. If your friends behave, I might show you around my mansion. Perhaps you can show me just how much more beautiful your Pokemon are thanks to me."

Misty's eyes were wide with excitement, and Brock seemed happy about the idea himself. As everyone but Ash knew, Thornsworth's ranch was a ranch in name only - it was a massive company with factories dedicated to beauty, and its clothes lines were big hits among fashionistas.

Great, thought Ash, through a dismal stare. This woman was not only a snob who feigned concern for others, but a rich one whose friends and even the law were eating from her hands. Why couldn't it have just been an ordinary jerk, instead of someone with a lot of influence?

"Why are you looking at me so disdainfully?" Madam Thornsworth snapped him out of his thoughts. "Straighten up! Look at the person you're speaking to right in the eyes. Pleasantly!"

On the demand, Ash corrected his posture and tilted his boyish chin up at the lady.

"We rarely ever see travelers in these parts. We see spies trying to steal my ranch's secrets, and thieves, and plenty a poacher, though! What are you doing here?"

"I'm just a Pokemon trainer, ma'am. All I wanted to do today was adventure, make new friends and catch some Pokemon while I'm at it."

"Catch Pokemon, on my land?? I knew it! Thief!" She exploded with fury. "You were planning to steal from my ranch! Arrest him!"

"W-What?!" But Ash had no time to defend himself, and the Growlithe had already jumped on him and pinned him to the ground.

"Wait a minute!" Misty pleaded. "This has got to be just some big misunderstanding. Ash may be a simpleton, but he is my friend and he'd never steal a Pokemon even if his life depended on it!"

"Hm..." Madam Thornsworth mulled it over. "Perhaps you can convince me of this...at my own personal mansion."

"Really?" She gasped gleefully.

"Isn't this a wonderful treat for you all? Except for you." Thornsworth glared at Ash, "I dare not trust you near any of my prized Pokemon just yet. You will visit the premises once I tell them to call you. Is that clear?"

Ash nodded meekly, hoping it would be over with soon. That way, Misty could have her fun with all her girly stuff, and he could go exploring with Pikachu--

"And this little fellow simply must join us!" She heartily swept down and grabbed Pikachu with a titan's grip, making the poor mouse to yelp with fright.

"Wait, hey!" Ash objected, but the Growlithe pinned him down again, and he fell down on his backside.

"Don't worry Ash," said Misty. "I'll drill some sense into her head. Pikachu will be just fine." Yet as soon as she'd said that, she ran right up to Janet's luxurious carriage as though the two were best friends. "Oh man, this is so comfy!" Ash could hear her cheer inside.

"It probably won't be that much fun without you." Brock bent down and left the brochure by his side. "Good luck with those Pokemon, okay? But be careful about ranch-owned ones."

While Brock was sincere with his concern for a friend, he would also meet Janet's beautiful niece Larissa inside the carriage, and a very familiar story would ensue.

As his friends left, Janet afforded one more look at him, and smirked. "You know those Growlithe are only pups? I'd have expected a poacher, much less a man, to be able to keep on his feet against them. My own niece plays with them, and she's far less bulky than you. Or actually, now that I look at you, you're scrawny enough play dress-up with her!" The old woman laughed haughtily. "Until later, little child!"

The deputy recalled his Growlithe into their pokeballs, and by the time Ash got to his feet, the carriage was blitzing across the tiny path once again, leaving him alone.

He frowned. Some luck he had - if Misty and Brock weren't there, he wouldn't be able to stop himself going after Pikachu and causing trouble. But he could count on them, so he could wait a few days.

Right now he could get started on catching Pokemon! Perhaps a nearby rancher could give him advice on where to look. Ash just hoped that not all ranchers out there were as mad as that lady was - he'd had enough bad experiences for one day.

As he looked around him to gauge where to start first, he noticed a bottle on the ground - the one that Thornsworth had dropped when she smacked him. Holding it in his hands, it had the picture of a young girl at the back among the ingredients, and its front depicted a ranch setting with the label "Robin Ranch Hair Gel" adorned above it.

Who was this on the bottle? Was this ranch nearby somewhere? And why did Thornsworth have someone else's shampoo bottle when she made her own?
First: here
Next: [link]

Here's the first part of a fun little series I've been working on in my spare time. I hope you enjoy it!

This chapter mostly lays down part of the plot for what's to come - if you thought this chapter was a good read, then I assure you, even more fun times will be had up ahead.

I found it a bit difficult when writing to make this chapter stimulating, but Thornsworth's hammy presence helped me quite a bit. What do you think?
© 2013 - 2024 shinythrowaway
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SoraWolf7's avatar
Wow, this seems like Ash is starting off on the wrong foot with the wrong people.