EVERYONE: - Complete First Date--London

[Barb]

The First Date: London
An SI story by Barbara LeMaster

Disclaimer:
Pokémon and its related characters are the property of Nintendo, Game Freak, TV Tokyo, and a few other conglomerates. This story is for entertainment purposes only. No profit is being made from the distribution of this story.

Author’s Notes

This insane piece of work is the result of several days’ worth of MSN Messenger conversations with Ben Russell-Gough. This fic takes place in London, England, and all the characters are based on real people.

Theoretically, this is what might happen if Ben and I went out on a ‘date’.

Chapter 1: Arrival

Barbara strode purposefully through the concourse at Heathrow airport, looking for the entire world like a traveler who had seen everything there is to be seen. In fact, she was looking for her daughter, Alexandra, who had elected to begin chasing Sparky, Barbara’s Pikachu, through the concourse towards the Baggage Claim areas.

Barbara could hear Sparky’s chirping and Alexandra’s laughter getting louder as she neared the claim area. Taking Alexandra firmly by the hand, she staked a position close to the huge conveyor belts. Her nine-year-old son, Andrew, stood close by. Sparky, on seeing his trainer, took a position directly in front of Barbara on the conveyor belt, which sat immobile.

Alexandra and Andrew stood on either side of their mother, bickering as usual.

“Mom….” Andrew’s whiny tone made Barbara sweatdrop.

“What is it, honey?” She asked calmly. After all, they had slept a little on the eight-plus-hour flight from Miami, Florida, to London, England, but the excitement was building.

“When are we gonna go and see Big Ben?”

“Soon, honey. Wouldn’t you like to get your clothes and our Pokémon before going and seeing Big Ben?”

Andrew shrugged. “I guess.” Alexandra stuck her tongue out at him in a teasing manner and Andrew pulled down his eyelid and stuck his tongue out at her. Sparky sighed. A litter of Pichus would have been less trouble—maybe. Sparky was just relaxing a little as the teasing between the trainer’s little humans diminished when he gave a cry of surprise as the conveyor belt lurched to life.

“Sparky!” Barbara cried. She made a lunge for the Pokémon but another man leaned over to grab his luggage and blocked Barbara from reaching Sparky.

“Pika-chu-pikachu-chaa! [Hey! This thing is moving!] Sparky began walking and then trotting to get back to his trainer. Unfortunately, another child saw him and picked him up.

“Hey! A Pokémon plushie! And it’s all mine now!” The child cried gleefully.

“Chaaa…” [Oh, great.] Sparky thought miserably. He could see his trainer craning her neck, searching for him, hampered by the fact that she could not and would not leave her two children alone for a second in the world’s busiest airport.

Sparky looked at the delighted child’s eyes and felt pressure as the child gave him a massive huggle. This irritated Sparky to no end, so he did what he always did when this happened: he let off a thundershock attack. Nearby passengers thought that a short-circuit had occurred on the conveyor belt as they saw yellow bolts of lighting arcing around. The boy was charred and blackened but unhurt. With a cry of surprise and pain, he dropped Sparky and ran crying to his parents.

Sparky jumped off the conveyor belt and raced through the crowd until he came to Barbara’s feet. She knelt down and he jumped onto her shoulder.

“That’s better, isn’t it?” she said.

“Chu-pika-chuu…”[It most certainly is.] Sparky agreed.

*~*~*~*~*

Luggage in hand, Barbara and her children made their way to a bank of telephones on the south wall in the concourse. She opened her traveler’s wallet and pulled out a slip of paper. Her hand shook imperceptibly as she reached for her long-distance telephone card. She found it odd dialing the eleven-digit telephone number that is common to residents of England and heard the telephone on the other end ring twice.

“Hello?” A man’s voice answered. Barbara held her breath for a second before regaining her composure.

“Hello, is Ben there?” She asked.

“Speaking,” the voice replied. She grinned.

“Ben, it’s Barbara,” she said. Silence.

“Barbara?”

“Yes, it’s me, Ben. Barbara LeMaster. Your best friend and pen-pal,” she said.

“Barbara!” She heard a strange clunking sound, as though the phone on the other end had been dropped on the floor. “Ben? You still there?”

“Yeah, I’m here. Barbara---it’s great to finally hear your voice,” Ben said. He sounded somewhat calmer.

“Yours, too,” She said. This elicited a chuckle from the other end of the phone.

“Well, I shouldn’t have you on the phone too long, then.” Ben said. “This call will be expensive.”

“Not really. I’m in Heathrow Airport right now.”

“Heathrow?” Ben repeated as though he hadn’t heard her properly.

“Yeah. My flight just got in. I’m in London with the kids, Ben.”

Silence from the other end, then a barely audible “Oh, my God,” from Ben.

“Surprise?” Barbara said, sweatdropping slightly.

Following a brief conversation, Ben placed the receiver neatly back into its cradle. Then he did a headless Doduo impression, nearly walked into a wall, and rushed past his confused mother, Sue, who was coming from the living room to ask who Ben had been speaking to on the phone. Ben shaved twice, checked his hair three times, and put on his best clothes backwards before racing out the door.

*~*~*~*~*~*

“Ben is coming to get us?” Andrew asked Barbara for the third time.

“Yes, honey. He’s promised to show us around London for a day or so.” Barbara stroked Sparky while Alexandra cuddled Dusty, her Eevee, in the chair next to hers.

“Is he bringing his Pokémon with him?” Andrew pressed. After a yearlong email correspondence, his mother was finally going to meet the man who had given him so many helpful tips for his Yellow-version game. Ben helped Barbara capture the Sudowoodo in Gold version, and had helped Andrew get through the maze of Gyms in the Kanto region in the Yellow version of the game.

“Probably, knowing Ben.” Barbara said. She wondered how much longer she’d have to stay at the airport. She was in the largest city in Western Europe and she couldn’t see anything but signs and luggage and people scurrying about. She pulled out the photograph of Ben that she’d printed from the file he’d scanned and sent to her. She smiled when she thought of the fact that they had corresponded for a year before ever seeing what each other looked like.

She looked at the photo again and then looked up. A man, wearing his clothes backwards, was walking briskly towards her. He looked exactly like the man in the photograph. She jumped to her feet and nearly unseated Sparky from his perch on her shoulder.

Barbara sweatdropped as Ben approached her, smiling. She smiled back. “Well, that’s a new look for you, isn’t it?” she said teasingly. Gee, I just got off an eight-hour flight. I must look a mess, she thought, casually running her fingers through her hair.

“With the trouble I had getting past airport security dressed like this, it’s a miracle that you got me at all!” Ben exclaimed before fainting dead away.

“Is he okay?” Both kids chorused as they looked at Ben’s prostrate body.

“Ben, wake up!” Barbara knelt beside him and subtly removed a Pokéball from her belt. She released her Gyarados (since much of the crowd had petered out by now) and ordered, “Nessie, give him a Water Gun attack—gently.”

Ben said something that sounded like “Glub” before he was blown thirty feet down the corridor by Nessie’s 2,000-psi Water Gun attack.

“Nessie, I said mild,” Barbara said as her Gyarados sweatdropped.

“Gyarrrr.” [Sorry, my bad.] Nessie rumbled softly. “Gyaraahharrraa.” [For me that is mild, Barbara. Remember that my Special Attack attribute is about 120].

“Nessie, I meant for you to splash water in his face to wake him up, not drown him at the airport!” Barbara hastily recalled Nessie as a few curious passengers turned around and looked at the woman with the Pikachu on her shoulder talking to what appeared to be a large dragon. Ben staggered back along the corridor, now fully awake. His clothes were somewhat dry (if severely shrunken) thanks to Pyro, his Typhlosion.

“Hello, Barb. It’s nice to see you in the flesh. At last…very nice…” Ben’s voice drifted off as hearts and stars and bubbles appeared in the background behind Barbara.

Barbara put her arms around Ben’s neck and hugged him tightly. “I am so glad to finally meet you!” she said. When she pulled away, she realized that she was now slightly wet as well.

“Er…sorry. Pyro, if you would?” Ben released his Typhlosion. The remaining staff and passengers scattered crazily as Pyro attempted to dry Barbara off using a Flame Wheel attack. Unfortunately, the attack worked a little too well. Pyro sat back, proud of himself, as Barbara attempted to retain her modesty by clutching onto the charred remains of her clothes.

Ben blushed and handed Barbara his long coat. “Sorry about that.”

“Thanks.” Barbara replied. “Maybe I should change…?”

Ben pointed to the women’s restroom door. “I can wait.”

Barbara grabbed a piece of luggage and went into the restroom with Alexandra and Dusty and Sparky tagging along behind her. Andrew, meanwhile, introduced himself to Ben and began asking numerous questions related to Pokémon and London and England.

Ben cut Andrew off as a scowling armed policeman approached him. The officer asked to see Ben’s license for his ‘dangerous animal’ (i.e., Pyro). The officer ignored Ben’s protests that Pyro was a ‘softie’ and in no way dangerous.

In the restroom, Barbara tossed away her charred clothing. She changed into a t-shirt, a black v-neck sweater, jeans, black boots, and her red leather car coat. She brushed her singed hair into some semblance of style.

“Pika-pika-chu, pika!” [You look nice. Now can we go?]

“In a minute, Sparky. I want to look my best.”

“Pika-chu-pika-pi-chu!” [I’m hungry!]

“I know you’re hungry and I am too. But…I just need to calm down a little.” She brushed the hair off her face and applied red lipstick. She walked out of the restroom holding Alexandra’s hand and saw Ben engaged in a discussion (or perhaps a debate) with a policeman.

The armed officer leaned away in terror as Heffalump, Ben’s Donphan, tried to lick him. “Here is my trainer’s license.” Ben presented a laminated card to the officer. “Don’t worry. I have them all under control.” Shock, Ben’s Raichu scowled. Ben sweatdropped.

“Well…if you say so,” the officer said, keeping a wary eye on the Donphan and on Shock. He turned to see Barbara and sweatdropped at seeing a Pikachu perched on her shoulder. “Um…please keep their attacks under control in the future, sir.” He addressed Ben sternly. “You’ve set off fire alarms all over the airport.”

“Is that what that loud noise was?” Alexandra asked. Barbara shushed her.

“We’ll leave you and your wife to your day.” The officer tipped his hat at Barbara, turned and left.

Wife? Barbara thought. “Er…hahaha,” she said, blushing slightly.

“Don’t argue, Barb,” Ben said as he took her by the arm. “Let’s make our escape while we can!”

To be continued....

 

[Barb]

Chapter 2

Chapter Two: An Invitation

Ben, Barbara, her kids, and their Pokémon headed for the rail terminal at Heathrow. “The road to London is pretty congested.” Ben said. “The express rail service to Paddington is quicker than taking a car or a bus.” He turned to Barbara. “Where are you staying, anyway?”

Barbara reached into her wallet and pulled out a slip of paper. “Let’s see…Quality Hotel Paddington.” They reached the terminal and Ben attempted to lift Barbara’s luggage but failed. He scowled. “What have you got in here? A subcompact car?”

“That’s where Mommy keeps her makeup,” Alexandra said helpfully. Ben grinned. Placing the luggage inside the train, Ben turned and threw a Pokéball. A white light materialized into Bruiser, his Machamp. “Bruiser, your help, please?” Ben asked politely.

“Maaa!” Ben’s Machamp, using all of its four limbs, easily lifted all the luggage onto the train.

“Hey, do you happen to have any Pokéchow with you, Ben? Sparky’s nibbling my ear right now.” Barbara leaned away slightly from her hungry Pikachu. Ben handed her a ketchup-flavored Chow Bar. “Thanks,” she replied. “And I just have clothes and some books in my suitcase. I am planning on going out in service while I’m here.”

Sparky ate the Chow Bar happily. “Pika-chu-pika-chu-chu-pika!” [Ben is my new best friend!” He chirped.

“Rai-ra-chu-RAI!” [No, you don’t! He’s MINE!] Sparks literally flew around the two electric rodents. Shock, Ben’s Raichu, glowered dangerously at Sparky.

“Cut it out, you two,” Ben said sternly. The two Pokémon glared at each other and each began sulking.

“Ben, I don’t know if you’ve met my children. This is Andrew and this is Alexandra. Say ‘hi’, kids.” The two kids shyly looked at Ben and said “hello” in barely audible voices.

“Do we have all our stuff?” Barbara asked. “I think so,” Andrew answered.

“Hello, Andrew and Alex. My gifts for your visit are…” Ben’s voice trailed off as he searched his coat for the gifts. At the sound of the word ‘gifts’ the childrens’ ears perked right up and they watched Ben attentively. They boarded the train while he continued his search.

Once aboard, Ben sat opposite Barbara and Alexandra with Andrew by his side. Ben handed Andrew his very own GBA and copies of every Pokémon game currently available. “Wow! Thanks!” Andrew said, marveling at Ben’s generosity. Then, Ben handed Alexandra her very own ‘Pokémon Trainer Barbie’ with blonde hair, a miniskirt, and a Squirtle.

“This is the Heathrow Express,” Ben said to Barbara. She was amused at the fact that after tearing open the plastic and cardboad wrappings, Alexandra had now enlisted Bruiser’s help in playing Barbies.

“Mom! I caught a Rattata!”

“Then Barbie goes to the shops!” Alexandra was saying.

“Maaa-champ!” [The significance of the plastic thing is…?]

“What did you name the Rattata, honey?”

“Ratty.” Andrew paused to save the game before addressing his mother. “Mom, where’s the toy store?”

“You just got toys from Ben!”

“I know, I’m just asking.” Andrew said smiling benignly.

“I don’t know. Let’s eat first, Andrew. It’s still early.”

“There are dozens in London, including Hamley’s, the world’s biggest toy store.” Ben replied. “We will arrange the shopping until after you’ve checked in at the hotel, okay?” Andrew nodded and returned to his game.

“Guys,” Barbara addressed her children, who looked at her. “We’re going to the hotel first and we’re going to put our stuff away. Then, we’re getting something to eat. I want both of you to listen to Ben, because he’s in the lead now.” Barbara leaned back against the chair. “After all, we don’t know where we are.” A pause. “We’re in London, Mom,” Andrew said with exaggerated gestures.

Barbara sweatdropped. Ben stuffed his hand into his mouth to hold in the laughter. “Everyone got their train tickets?” he asked.

“Uh…yeah. I have all three right here.” Barbara said.

The inspector made his way to their berth. “Two adults, two children, and…one naked Yeti?” He puzzled, looking at Bruiser. The insulted Machamp let loose a Mega Punch attack and the inspector fell over, quite unconscious. “You have no idea of the number of times this has happened,” Ben said, sweatdropping. Barbara stifled a laugh.

“Maybe we should recall our friends for the train ride?” Barbara suggested. Sparky looked aghast; Shock looked angry. “Rai-ai-chu-rai-chuu!” [You just want some alone time with my trainer!] she accused.

Ben ruffled her fur. “I’m afraid that I’ve had to move Shock’s ID transceiver to a Master Ball. It’s the only one that she can’t break out of. I do think that Bruiser can take a rest.” Ben recalled Bruiser. “Shock and Sparky look enough like ‘normal animals that the mundanes won’t raise an eyebrow.”

Just at that moment a little girl of Alexandra’s age passed by. “Look, Mummy! A Pikachu!” She exclaimed. The girl’s mother smiled apologetically and pulled her away. “Don’t be silly! They don’t exist!”

“But it’s right there on that lady’s shoulder!” The girl insisted, pointing at Sparky.

The girl’s mother eyed Sparky curiously. “It’s…” she paused. “It’s a Chihuahua dog, you silly girl. Now come on!” The mother took the girl’s hand.

“You see? People don’t want to see things that don’t fit in with their comfortable little mundane and mediocre lives.” Ben whispered. “Something strange and wonderful is automatically edited out by their brains.”

“Pika-pika-chuu!” [I’m a mouse, not a dog!] Sparky said indignantly.

“I know, Sparky, now settle down.” Barbara had barely gotten the words out before Sparky let loose a static pulse that made the woman’s hair stand on end. Barbara giggled. So did Alexandra.

“Sparky! Bad Pikachu!” Barbara said, although she was grinning broadly.

“There must be a storm on the way,” the woman thought as she hurried away.

Ben creased up with laughter. As the train ride commenced, the refreshment trolley made its way up the aisle. “I’ll have a tea and my… my…girlfriend will have a mocha,” Ben said, blushing slightly. “What about you kids?” Andrew ordered a Coke and Alexandra ordered a Sprite.

“That will be £5.50, sir,” The woman replied.

His girlfriend? Barbara thought as she sipped her mocha. Ben handed the woman the money, muttering something about profiteering. “Oh, I have some money if you want to go dutch, Ben,” Barbara offered. “No, I’ve got it,” he replied.

“Is Mommy your girlfriend?” Alexandra asked.

“I guess so, Alex,” Barbara replied, smiling at Ben.

“What do you want me to call you? I don’t think that I can find a better noun.” Ben said.

“How about ‘significant other’?” She asked. Ben frowned. “Major babe?” She suggested.

“Girlfriend is fine,” Ben said. He sipped his tea and watched as Barbara helped Andrew through a Pokémon battle on his Yellow-version game. “Be warned,” Ben said, “The food prices in London are about twice the going rate for such stuff.”

Barbara shrugged. “I wasn’t planning on eating anywhere fancy. I guess we’ll eat at the hotel.”

“Why not dine with me?” Ben asked softly.

“With you?”

“Yeah. Let me take you and the children out on the town tonight.”

Barbara considered this for a second or two before saying, “You’re on.”

*~*~*~*~*~*

“I want to go to the toy store!” The train ride had not sated Alexandra one bit. She was tired of playing with her Barbie and Dusty was inside his Pokéball, as were all the other Pokémon. This happened to be her third request in as many minutes and Barbara was growing weary.

“Alex, the Tower of London still takes prisoners, you know,” Barbara said with a wink.

“Prisoners?” Alex said in a small voice.

“Yeah!” Ben leered. “They locked up the woman who beat the Princess of Wales at her son’s sports day parent’s race there for a while!” Alexandra took this in and then began crying. Loudly. Ben sweatdropped. “I was only kidding!”

“Alex, come on, you know Ben was only kidding, right?” Barbara asked. There were sounds of muffled crying as Alexandra curled into a ball on Barbara’s lap. She refused to look at Ben, who appeared mortified at having upset his friend’s daughter just minutes after meeting her for the first time.

“Alex, please,” Ben said quietly. “I’m sorry if I scared you.”

“Meanie!” Alex turned to look at Ben and pointed her finger at him. For this defiant gesture, Alex was rewarded with a mild thundershock attack from an equally defiant (and besotted) Shock.

“Ouchies.” Barbara commented as she brushed her singed clothing and hair. She managed to extricate a comb from her purse so that Alexandra’s hair could be brushed back into place. Shock grinned.

“SHOCK! I’m not going to tell you again! No using attacks on people without me saying so!” Ben was angry. Shock looked apologetically at her trainer. Andrew, meanwhile, was laughing his head off.

“Alex, relax.” Barbara placed Alex on the seat next to her. “Ben was only kidding and I’m not locking you up anywhere.”

“Can we lock Shock up in the Tower of London?” Alex asked. Shock glared at the child and sparks flew from her cheeks. Her trainer calmly ruffled her fur and she forgot about Alexandra’s comment and simply relaxed, curling up on Ben’s shoulder.

“Andrew, you know the rules: no laughing when your sister gets electrocuted.” Barbara reminded him. He nodded and asked Alexandra if she wanted to play on the GBA. She happily accepted.

“Did you two remember to thank Ben for your toys?” A beat. “Thanks, Ben,” two voices chorused as Barbara sighed.

“Don’t mention it, Andrew. I wanted you to feel welcome.”

“We do,” Barbara said, smiling. Shock glared at her.


To be continued...

 

[Blackjack Gabbiani]

This is cute!

 

[Revolutionary Girl]

LOL!!! Barb, this is adorable! Pokemon and London = awesome! I can't wait to see how else you all paint the town! :-D

*giggles loudly at the antics of Spark, Shock, and Pyro and waits for more*

 

[Crystal Mew]

Awwww....Barb,this is such a sweet fic :')

Great job..keep it up..cant wait till the next chapter

 

[Barb]

Chapter 3

Chapter Three: Flying Taxis

As the sights of western London passed in the window, the train sped onward to its destination. Barbara wasn’t doing much sightseeing, though, since she and Ben were currently engrossed in a discussion of whether or not any episodes of the Pokémon animé labeled as “Advanced Generation” could be considered canon or not. This, naturally, led to a discussion of other animés, notably Sailor Moon. Ben was a fan and had even managed to create senshi identities for both himself and Barbara. They carried small devices called ‘henshin wands’ on their person every day, just in case a youma attack occurred.

Barbara had just broken up the third fight of that train trip between Andrew and Alexandra, and was attempting to listen to Ben’s review of “The Two Towers”.

“I saw the film and I wasn’t all that impressed, all said and done.”

“Really? I thought it was better than ‘Fellowship of the Ring.’”

“I don’t know if I saw a bad print or something but I came out, though satisfied, with a profound sense that Peter Jackson ran out of money halfway through the Helm’s Deep sequence and decided to cut it short.”

“I loved the angry trees. The Ents.”

“The Leicester Square Odeon is the finest cinematic experience one can have,” Ben was saying as the train slowly rolled to a stop. “A fifty-inch-wide screen and THS digital surround sound. The theater seats about two thousand. I saw ‘Fellowship’ there and the opening battle of Barad-Dur blew me away.”

“By the way, Ben, to avoid further embarrassment on my part, how do you pronounce ‘Leicester’?” Barbara asked. She pronounced it ‘lee-chester,’ which made Ben smile.

“Less-ter.”

“Oops.” Barbara blushed slightly. “I think we’re here, guys.” She got her kids out of their seats. Making sure they had all their toys and carry-ons, Barbara disembarked first, followed by Alexandra, Andrew, and Ben, who had Shock hanging onto his back. Sparky was curled up on Barbara’s shoulder, dozing.

“The worst pronunciation I’ve ever heard is ‘lye-cess-ter’.” Ben was saying as the rest of the passengers disembarked. The porters busily unloaded the baggage and placed it on the platform. Barbara walked over and grabbed her bags. The kids’ suitcases had rollers, so each child simply dragged the bag behind them.

Barbara grinned. “The first time I tried to pronounce it, I said lee-ster-chester-shire.” Ben laughed. They walked together towards the street and out of the station. One of the first things noticeable about large cities, aside from the skyscrapers and other buildings of varying height, is the level of noise. The noise is never-ending; it permeates the air and reaches into every nook and cranny in the city. This was something new for Barbara; her hometown of Fort Lauderdale could have fit into a portion of London.

“I really need a British language pronunciation guide.” She said.

“What we really need is transportation.” Ben replied. “Taxi!”

Several large black London taxis drive past smoothly without stopping. Ben sweatdrops. Finally he flags down a taxi and the ride to the hotel is relatively uneventful.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“Of course, madam, the reservations are in order.” The man behind the marble desk at the Quality Hotel Paddington handed Barbara her reservation form and passport. “The Bridal Suite has been prepared.” Both Ben and Shock begin sweatdropping at this announcement.

“Bridal suite?” Ben asked dumbly. “You have the wrong idea, pal. This isn’t my wife. She has kids!”

“Of course, sir, we have separate adjoining rooms for the children. With locks.” The man did a nudge-nudge, wink-wink maneuver and smiled at Ben and Barbara, who exchanged an uneasy glance. “We have many families with this arrangement.”

“Wa!” Ben exclaimed.

“But you misunderstand, sir. We aren’t married.” The man behind the desk looked puzzled at her statement and handed her the key to the bridal suite with a wink. “I’m on vacation with my kids and we’re staying here. Ben’s going back to his place.”

A couple enter the hotel lobby and walk to the counter, standing next to Barbara. As they signed the register, Ben noticed that their names were ‘Ben and Barbara Masterton.’ A lightbulb went on over Ben’s head. “Er, I think that the bridal suite is their room.” Ben took the key from Barbara’s hand and exchanged it with the double keys that had just been given to the couple.

“Okay, that’s settled. Now let’s get our luggage put away and then get something to eat.”
The kids chanted “Pizza Hut!” on the way to the elevator bay. Barbara frowned. “I brought you both five thousand miles just to eat at a Pizza Hut? I don’t think so.”

There was a pop-flash and a noise and then Buck, Ben’s Raticate, materialized. “Keep an eye on the kids, please,” Ben ordered as the kids charged off towards the elevators, arguing about whose turn it was to push which button.

“Raticate!” The large rat-like Pokémon took off after the kids.

“Ben, where is a good place to eat?”

Ben pulled out a ‘Good Food Guide’. “Well, I’m sure it’s somewhere in here.” They reached the elevators and loaded their luggage inside the car. Buck perched on Barbara’s suitcase and eyed Sparky.

“Here is one restaurant that I like: Garfunkel’s. It is one of a chain of proper restaurants in London. Or there is the Aberdeen Angus Steak House, if you prefer to eat an inch-thick slab of beef.”

“Garfunkel’s sounds good,” Barbara answered. The elevator stopped at the 10th floor. “Okay, we’re looking for Rooms 1013 and 1014.”

Ben waved a copy of the hotel’s floor plan. “This way.” Barbara and the kids followed Ben down the carpeted hallway until they reached their rooms. Barbara gave Andrew the key to his and Alexandra’s room and they busied themselves putting their things away.

Barbara walked into her room. There was a double bed, a television set, a desk, and a phone. There was also a well-equipped bathroom with a sauna.

“Wow! This is much better than that hole-in-the-wall that I had in Torquay!” Ben said, surveying the room. Barbara unpacked and released Dusty, her Eevee. She fed Dusty and Sparky. “Kids, stay away from the sauna, okay?”

“Remember, food comes first!” Ben said. The kids stampeded. Barbara turned and found Ben lying on the floor with small footprints covering his face and chest. She helped him to his feet. Checking to make sure all their Pokémon (including Shock) were safely ensconced in their respective Pokéballs, they left the hotel room.

“What is Big Ben, anyway?” Alexandra asked. Her mother had a screenshot of the famous landmark on her computer.

“Big Ben is a clock, Alex.” Ben explained as they exited the lobby. “Those bells you can hear ring every quarter of an hour.” Ben stepped boldly into the street while Barbara held her kids’ hands on the sidewalk. “TAXI!” Ben yelled. The black taxi sped past without stopping.

“Right! Don’t say I didn’t warn you!” Ben said as he pulled out his henshin wand. “Earth Eternal Power! Makeup!” There was a blinding flash of light and then colors appeared where Ben had been standing. When the light dimmed, Ben was wearing a sailor fuku with green bows (with a relatively modest knee-length skirt), white leggings, and boots. He carried a longsword, which he aimed at the next arriving taxi. “Magma Blast!” He yelled. A beam of red light emanated from the sword and blew the engine off a cab driving down the street. The car stopped and the driver got out to examine his ruined vehicle.

Ben sweatdropped. “Oopsie.”

“Um, was Ben naked, Mommy?” Andrew asked.

“Er…” Barbara started. “No, honey, he’s wearing a dress, see?”

“Er…yes!” Ben was trying to explain something to the cab driver who looked strangely at Ben. “Your engine was possessed! That’s it!”

“You’re a looney,” the cabbie muttered.

“Don’t worry, citizens of London, your city is safe once again!” Ben announced before ducking into an alley to de-transform.

“I wanna ride in one of those red buses,” Alexandra said. Andrew seconded her idea.

“They are slow, Alex,” Ben said as he sidled up to her. He was wearing his usual stylish street clothes. “It will take us ages to get there. You can ride on one of those buses tomorrow when Mommy takes you on a sightseeing tour of the city.” Alexandra nodded.

“But right now, we need a taxi,” and at Ben’s words, a taxi appeared. It was being guided by Nova, Ben’s Charizard. “All aboard!” Ben said, as they entered the taxi. “You can see that black cabs are different from your yellow ones in the States. Note that we have five seats in the back here, two rear-facing, plus a luggage platform.” Andrew and Alexandra clambered into the back of the taxi, in the rear-facing seats. Ben and Barbara sat opposite them. Ben reached his hand out the window to recall Nova.

“Where to?” the cabbie asked.

“Garfunkel’s, please.” Barbara said.

“Righto, squire. So, that Dubya guy, eh? Who does ‘e think ‘e is? The way that I see it, ‘e should just bugger off!” The cabbie said loudly.

“Er..yes,” Ben said.

Barbara considered making a rude remark about Prince Charles but held her tongue. Instead she replied simply, “Yeah, it’s tough being the leader of the free world.”

“Free?” The cabbie snorted. “So, mate, she’s American, eh?”

“Yes, and her name is Ms. LeMaster. Please do not refer to her as a pronoun or you will get my used handkerchief as a tip.” Ben said sternly. The cabbie did not take to this umbrage and dropped them all off by the side of the road. They watched the taxi recede into the distance.

“Smooth, Ben,” Barbara said. Ben sweatdropped and smiled sheepishly at her.

*~*~*~*~*

“Can we walk to the restaurant from here?” Barbara asked. Ben shook his head.

“We barely went one hundred yards in this crazy traffic. TAXI!” He yelled.

Barbara smiled as an idea popped into her head. “What are we doing?” She thought aloud, removing a Pokéball from her belt. “Ben, release Nova,” she said as she released Henna, her Charizard. Some time earlier, her (female) Charizard had mated with Ben’s (male) Charizard. A litter of Charmanders was expected someday soon by both trainers.

“Kids, you will ride on Henna and Ben and I will ride on Nova,” Barbara announced. Henna lay flat on the ground to allow Andrew and Alexandra to get on her back. Then she took to the skies with a growl. Nova followed soon thereafter, with Ben holding his neck and Barbara holding onto Ben.

“CHARRR!” The two dragons made similar sounds as they took flight, making the average citizens below scatter in fear. As they soared eastward, a rhythmic purr was heard behind them. Ben turned his head around and saw a British police helicopter following them. The helicopter gained speed and was soon flying alongside Nova.
The police were saying something through their loudspeaker but it was drowned out by the wind.

“What are they saying?” Barbara yelled to Ben.

“Probably something like ‘You’re under arrest.’ This is traffic-controlled airspace, you know!” Ben replied. He called to Barbara’s Charizard, “Henna, stay close! Nova, use Smokescreen!” A thick cloud of black smoke poured from the dragon’s mouth, obscuring the helicopter and the police forces amassing on the ground below.

“I can’t see, Mommy!” Alexandra’s terrified voice called out in the blackness.

“I know, honey, just hang on!” Barbara replied, hugging Ben tightly. Well, this is turning into a memorable vacation, she thought miserably. Within seconds (or so it seemed), the Pokémon landed safely in Leicester Square Park, scattering a few panhandlers and assorted tourists. “Nova, return!” Ben commanded. “Henna, return!” Barbara ordered as soon as she, Ben, and the children were safely off the dragons’ backs.

“Right, it’s this way, beyond the Burger King and the Cinema,” Ben said, striding forward. Barbara grabbed her kids’ hands and attempted to keep up with Ben. “Burger King!” The kids said simultaneously. “We are going to Garfunkel’s, remember?” Barbarra reminded them. They looked dejectedly at her.

“Kids, you can eat at BK all the time in the States! This is your chance to sample English cooking, which is widely held to be the best in the world…by the English.” Ben said. Andrew grinned at Ben’s comment.

“Ben, is this the Odeon Leicester theater you were telling me about?” Barbara interrupted.

“Yes, it is. Probably the biggest surviving single-screen cinema in London.” Ben remarked as they passed the theater. “As you can see, the Warner Village is a multiplex.” He gestured towards the larger square building, which was currently housing the film ‘Chicago’ in five separate screens.

“Can we see a movie, too?” asked Alexandra. “No, sweetie, not tonight,” Barbara answered. Maybe she and Ben would return to the Odeon to see The Two Towers.

“Well, we’re almost there.” Ben said, and this made everyone perk up noticeably. “See the old theater on the other side of the road? ‘The Play What We Wrote’ is probably the funniest show in London. Every night they have a new mystery guest star. The last one I heard about was Harrison Ford.”

“Really?” Barbara said. “I’d like to see that.”

“It’s a comedy based on the works of Eric Morcambe and Ernie Wise. You might have seen their works on PBS or BBC.” Ben stopped in front of a wood and brick building with the word ‘Garfunkel’s’ in gold lettering stenciled in the glass window. “Here we are.”

*~*~*~*~*

 

[BenRG]

Torn between embarrasment and pleasure

It is good to see this story published, Barb but... Oy! You had to leave that Sailor Moon bit in, didn't you? :sweat:

I enjoyed reading this story through, and I look forward to seeing more of it in the future. And, of course, there is more to come, from what we have been saying over the IM. ;-)

BenRG's Rating: 8/10

 

[Kasumi]

Awwww... this is so sweet! ^_^

Barb: this fic is great. Keep the good work. I'm looking forward to see the next chapters.

I laughed like crazy while reading how Ben transformed into a senshi XD!!!

 

[Barb]

Chapter Four

Chapter Four: Dinner & A Snowball Fight

“It looks like a nice place.” Barbara said. Ben, being the gentleman that he was, held the door for Barbara and her children. Barbara had begun perusing the menu that had been framed and hung on the wall. Ben boggled at the menu. “Yeah, and they make the most of it. Have you seen these prices?”

A slightly built man with a black moustache sidled up to Barbara. “Party of four,” she said. He nodded at her and said, “This way, sir, madam, and…children.” The last word was said with a shudder.

“Uh-oh, is this not a child-friendly place?” Barbara whispered to Ben. “Kids, be on your best behavior, okay?” She said softly to her children, just as Andrew pinched Alexandra’s arm for some imagined slight.

“Nah, he is just a prude.” Ben responded. “I’ve seen ‘em before.” As the waiter indicated their table by placing menus at all four seats, Ben gallantly held out Barbara’s chair for her. She smiled. “Get me a copy of your wine list, lackey.” Ben said. The fuming waiter strode off.

“Kids, sit down, please,” Ben said gently. Andrew and Alexandra complied easily, which amazed Barbara. “Now, I want you to let me know what you want.” Both kids said simultaneously, “A burger!”

“Would you like to try British food?” Barbara asked.

“What’s that? Like, fish and chips?” Andrew asked in reply.

“They don’t exactly do British food here, methinks. At least, it isn’t as distinct from American food, especially the East Coast, as you would think.”

“So they don’t have fish and chips?” Andrew persisted.

“No, Andrew, they don’t. They have Italian and Indian dishes. Hm….okay, how about this: the chef’s special is a grilled steak with mushrooms, onion rings, roast potatoes, and a selection of boiled vegetables. That is pretty close to traditional ‘English’ food.”

“Well, okay.” Andrew agreed. “But will you or Mommy eat my boiled vegetables?” This question made Barbara smile.

Ben shook his head in mock amusement. “No, you will eat your own boiled vegetables. It’s good for you.” This comment was met with Andrew rolling his eyes. Ben smiled. “Don’t roll your eyes. I didn’t believe it when I was your age, but it turns out that it is true.”

“Ben, what do you recommend? Italian sounds good to me.” Barbara closed the menu and placed it on the table. She winked at Ben. “Spaghetti Bolognese, maybe?” Ben grinned back at her: this was his favorite food.

“Yeah, the Italian dishes are good here. Actually, I ate here not too long ago. Eight pounds is expensive for a meal, thought, but they cook it well.” Barbara mentally calculated the currency exchange. It was about average for Florida restaurants, particularly those on the water. “The best seafood restaurant in Florida, at least in my opinion, is the Sea Watch. It’s directly on the ocean.” She smiled at Ben again. “When you come to Florida, we’ll have to eat there.”

“I can’t wait.” Ben winked at her.

“Okay, order for both of us then,” Barbara said. “Want to split a bottle of wine?”

“Absolutely.” Ben nodded. The waiter returned, ready to take their orders. “We’ll have two of your spaghetti Bolognese dinners, and the kids will share a large lasagne special. We’ll have a bottle of the house red and the kids will each have a lemon-lime soda. Is that okay?” Everyone at the table nodded.

“So, here at last.” Barbara sighed then smiled at Ben. “It is nice to finally meet you.”

“It is good to meet you, too,” Ben said as he leaned forward slightly. Alexandra noticed this exchange and immediately began singing, “Mommy and Ben, sitting in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!”

“Shh!” Barbara whispered to Alexandra, as a couple of patrons turned to smile at her. Alexandra smiled back. By this time the waiter had returned with their drinks. He also set down a selection of aperitifs including bread rolls and candies.

“I want a roll.” Alexandra demanded.

“Okay, hang on a second,” Barbara said as she distributed the rolls to everyone.

“Um, excuse me, Ben?” Andrew asked shyly. “Have you always lived in England?”

“Yes, born and bred, Andrew. I was born in a hospital not a mile from where we are sitting and have lived in London all my life.”

“Have you ever been to Paris?” Alexandra asked. Having seen ‘Rugrats in Paris’ roughly a hundred times, she was obsessed with the French capital.

“We’re taking the train to Paris this week,” Barbara explained. “We’ll be gone about a day.”

Ben shook his head. “No, never been to Paris, although my mother threatens to take me there occasionally. It is a beautiful city, though.”

“Do you have a passport to go to Paris?” Andrew asked in between bites of his roll.

“Don’t need one. As an EU citizen, I can cross any internal European border without any customs checks.” Ben replied.

“But we need passports, right, Mom?” Andrew asked.

“Yes.” Barbara nodded. “We’re Americans, remember. We can cross state borders without any problems, but we need identification if we leave the United States.”

“Ever been to Hawaii?” Ben asked with a silly grin on his face. Barbara didn’t realize that he was visualizing her in a grass skirt and bikini top.

“Yes. And I learned to do the hula and snorkeled in a sunken volcanic crater, too. It is a place of stunning beauty.”

“Wow! Such an active life.” Ben commented.

Barbara smiled. “Out of fifty states, I think I’ve only been to ten.”

“You make me feel boring and conventional.” Ben said, making Barbara blush slightly. “Seriously, you do.”

“Ben, you are anything but boring and conventional,” Barbara replied.

*~*~*~*

After finishing their dinner, Andrew turned to look out the window. “What are we going to see in London, Mommy?”

“As much as we can, Andrew. I definitely plan on visiting the British Museum and the London Zoo. Would you two like to see the Natural History Museum?”

Alexandra and Andrew both nodded. Ben also nodded in agreement. “It’s fantastic. The kids will love the hands-on displays there.”

“Can we go now?” Andrew asked impatiently.

“Well, not yet, honey. It’s getting darker and most of the museums are closed right now.” Barbara replied. “We’ll try to get there tomorrow or the next day, okay?”

“You won’t see everything,” Ben warned, waving a copy of The Idiot’s Guide to London. “There are over one thousand tourist attractions in the West End, Southwark, and the City alone.”

“Are we going to see the Queen?” Alexandra piped up.

“Well, we’re going to see where she lives,” Barbara remarked.

“Where is that?”

“Buckingham Palace, honey.” Barbara answered. “See, here’s a photo of it in Ben’s book.” By this time the dinner plates were cleared and the restaurant was beginning to slowly empty.

“Why does she live in a palace?” Alexandra queried.

“Because her distant ancestor cut off more people’s heads than anyone else,” Ben muttered under his breath. “She is the head of state, Alex, and she is also very rich in her own right. What that means is that she has lots of large houses. She uses the palace to meet other important people when they visit Britain.”

“Is she like the President of England?” Alexandra asked. Barbara blushed. This is what raising kids in a democracy does, apparently, she thought. Ben only smiled. “Almost. But the Queen isn’t elected. She is head of state because her family have been the head of state for nearly one thousand years.” This suitably impressed Alexandra and Andrew, both of whom deemed the palace in the photograph large enough to hold their toy collections, should their mother somehow become massively rich overnight.

“Tell me, Ben, what is the best part of living in London?” Barbara asked. The waiter brought her an after-dinner coffee, tea for Ben, and water for the children.

“Everything is close by. The public transport system, despite its problems, is fairly convenient, so you can get to almost anywhere within an hour.” Ben replied.

“That must be nice. In Florida, where I live, you need a car to get anywhere.”

Andrew again turned his attention to the large glass window. The weather had changed from the warmth of day to the chill of night. “Is it raining?” Andrew asked.

“No, that’s not rain. It’s…” Barbara craned her neck and glanced out the window. Then she smiled. “It’s snowing.”

“Snowing?” Andrew replied in amazement. Alexandra also craned her neck to look outside and gasped. Neither she nor Andrew had ever seen snow before.

“Hurry up and finish so we can go outside and play in the snow!” Barbara said excitedly. Ben looked at her with amusement in his eyes. She could go from seriousness to frivolity in seconds and this impressed him.

“Not here, you don’t. We’ll have to go back to the small park in Leicester Square. The snow here in the street will be trodden to mush in minutes.” Ben slid a menu across the table to Barbara. “Besides, Barb, you are forgetting the best part.” He pointed to a portion of the menu labeled ‘Desserts’.

Barbara grinned. “Can’t forget that.”

“Kids, what dessert do you want? Remember, that you don’t want Mommy to spend all her money on the first day.” Ben said.

Barbara made a face as she looked at the menu. “Want to try spotted dick?” She asked. The kids made faces.

“You’re kidding, right?” Ben said. He pointed to a menu item called ‘banana long boat.’ “Besides, I doubt that they do that quintessentially ‘northern’ stuff here. They tend to look down on regional specialities in these posh restaurants.”

“What’s a banana long boat? Is that similar to what we call a banana split in the States?” Barbara asked.

Ben nodded. “I think so. It’s a banana split lengthwise with fruit salad and ice cream on top.”

“That’s it. Sounds good to me.” Barbara said.

“What about you kids?” Ben asked. Both kids said, “Ice cream sundae,” simultaneously.

“This dinner was good, Ben,” Andrew began. “Um…my mom says that you have Pokémon games?”

“Yes, that’s right, Andrew.”

“Do you have Yellow or Gold version? Those are the ones I have.”

“I have Red, Yellow, Gold, and Silver.”

“Want to battle?” Andrew said excitedly. “I have a level 91 Meganium named Allie and a Butterfree named Sparkle. I also have a level 62 Pikachu.”

Ben sweatdropped slightly. “I left my GBC at home, Andrew. I didn’t think I’d need it. However…” Ben reached into one of his back pockets and set a red-and-white ball on the table in front of Andrew, who looked at it, puzzled. The ball had a gold disc on one side. “I discussed this with your mother, Andrew,” Ben went on as Andrew looked at Barbara who smiled back at him, “We both agree that your skill in the game makes this right. Please take it.”

“What’s this?” Andrew asked. He picked up the ball. “A Pokémon?”

“Let me see!” cried Alexandra.

“Press the button marked ‘R’ and throw the ball forwards, Andrew.” Ben said. Andrew stood up and pushed his chair back. He did as Ben instructed, and there was popping noise and a bright white light temporarily blinded them.

“Tyi-ko!” A green dinosaurian creature looked at Andrew. He was grinning from ear to ear.

“Andrew, meet Chikorita. She is one of the hatchlings of Joy, my Meganium.”

Andrew knelt on the floor and gently held out his hand. The Chikorita moved forward cautiously and sniffed Andrew’s hand before allowing him to tickle her under the chin. She rubbed against his legs as he stood back up.

“She’s so cute,” Alexandra said as she got up to look at the Pokémon. As Alexandra stroked Chikorita’s head a funny smell wafted through the air. “What’s that?” Alexandra asked.

Ben did his Professor Oak impression. “When Chikorita are happy, they make nice smells, Alex. What you can smell is a Sweet Scent attack. She can use that to attract wild Pokémon.”

“I want one! Please?” Alexandra turned pleading eyes to Barbara.

“We’ll see, Alex. I think you might be able to handle Xander the Charmander in another year or so.”

“What about Sparky?” Alexandra asked. The Pikachu stuck his head out from under the table where he’d been nibbling on Andrew’s vegetable scraps and snorted.

“Sparky’s mine, Alex.”

“Remember, Alex, that Pokémon aren’t like pets. They are as smart as we are and they are very strong. You have to learn how to treat them properly and you have to learn how to control their power, or they might hurt you or someone else.” Alex nodded soberly at Ben’s comments. “You keep studying on how to look after Xander and we will see how you’re doing when your tenth birthday comes around.”

Alexandra put on her pouty face. “It’s not fair!”

“Yes, it is. Andrew is older than you are and is more responsible. Besides, you already help me with my Pokémon.” Barbara reminded her.

Their conversation was interrupted by the waiter. They ordered dessert and he cleared the dishes off the table. Sparky curled up on Barbara’s lap. Andrew recalled Chikorita and sat down. Shock resumed her place on Ben’s lap and he stroked her fur.

“How do you help Mommy?” Ben asked Alexandra.

“I helped her give Henna a bath,” Alex replied.

“Well, that must have been an experience,” Ben chuckled. “I let my dragons more or less care for themselves. There are several lakes—well, reservoirs actually—and I let them wash themselves.”

“There are a few man-made lakes nearby. Saltwater is too corrosive on their hide and she’s too big for the swimming pool. If she wants, I bathe her with a garden hose and some mild shampoo.”

“You have to be careful not to get their tail flame wet.”

“That’s my job,” Alexandra said proudly. “I keep her flame dry by covering it.”

“Does Henna mind you hanging around her, Alex? Nova doesn’t like strangers.”

“Nah, he loves me.” Alexandra replied. “He gives me and Andrew rides sometimes.” Ben looked at Barbara and raised his eyebrows. She explained: “My Pokémon are trained to respond to commands from either myself, Andrew, or Alexandra. This is especially true of Henna, as he is the kids’ guardian if they get into trouble.”

“Ah! That explains the lack of complaints about bullies.” Ben replied breezily.

“Teasing, yes; bullying, no. And having a fire-breathing dragon definitely helps in that department.” Barbara winked.

*~*~*~*~*

After finishing dessert and paying for their dinners, all four humans walked outside into the chill London night. The city was aglow, bathed in whitish moonlight and golden lamplight. Humans scurried like ants on the cement sidewalks. Ben, Barbara, and the kids moved away from the crowded streets and into a small park.

“Now, who’s up for a snowball fight?” Barbara teased. “Me!” her kids responded. She prodded them to put their gloves on, which they did.

“Don’t worry, I have my ways to make sure they don’t get cold and wet.” Ben said with a mysterious look. Barbara arched an eyebrow at him.

“I am not used to dressing for snowy weather,” Barbara said.

“Don’t worry. Gloves, scarf, and hat are all you really need beyond normal cold weather gear.”

“Ben, we live in Florida. Do you think we even have normal cold weather gear?” Barbara replied.

“Ben, how are you gonna make sure we don’t get cold and wet?” Andrew asked.

“Allow me to demonstrate.” Ben scooped up a handful of snow and dumped it onto the back of Barbara’s neck.

“Aaahhh! Cold!” She yelled. She scooped up a handful of snow and patted it into a ball. “Take that!” She hurled it at Ben.

“Mmph!” The snowball struck Ben in the chest. “Right! This means war!” He grabbed a snowball in each hand and lobbed them at Barbara. The kids scattered. Barbara dodged the first snowball but the second smacked into her shoulder. She wiped snow off her neck and managed to cobble together another snowball, which she aimed at Ben. This one struck his lower leg. By this time, Alexandra had created her first snowball, which she also lobbed at Ben.

“Argh! Double teamed!” He said, grinning. “Well, I can take it any way you like.” He started throwing snowballs in all directions. Alex screamed and ducked. Andrew laughed. One of the snowballs struck the back of Alex’s head. Andrew tossed a snowball at Alex, who in turn tossed one at Ben. Barbara snuck up behind Ben to attempt the same maneuver he’d used earlier on her. Unfortunately she slipped and fell, taking Ben down to the ground with her.

Ben landed on top of Barbara in the snow. “Ah…er…wow…er..” was all Ben could say in this awkward situation. Meanwhile, Alexandra and Andrew made a truce and dumped snow onto the two adults.

“Ahh! More cold!” Barbara yelled. Ben attempted to stand. As he got onto one knee, Barbara leaned up and impulsively kissed his cheek. As she tried to stand, Ben pulled her down across his knee. “You’re not getting away that easily.” He smiled. Barbara offered no resistance as Ben kissed her tenderly.

Alexandra and Andrew, upon seeing this public display of affection, rolled their eyes. Then they grinned mischievously and pelted the adults with snowballs. “And another romantic moment comes to a freezing end.” Barbara said.

*~*~*~*~*

The kids were still giggling and making kissing sounds as they stood in the chilly night air. “Okay, truce, everyone,” Ben said as he got to his feet. “Now I’ll show you how to keep warm and dry.”

Ben released Nova, his Charizard. “Nova, show us your tail flame, please,” Ben asked. Nova turned so that her back was to her trainer. “Now, everyone stand close.” The tail flame waved slightly in the wind, almost touching their clothes. In moments, everyone was dry and warm.

“Thanks, Nova. It’s good to be warm.” Barbara said.

“Charrr!” [Don’t mention it, trainer’s mate!]

Barbara stopped. She understood Charizard-speak, thanks to her Pokémon Henna.

“Nova! Don’t call her that!” Ben said, blushing brightly.

“Charrr?” [Was I wrong?]

“Mate? Er….hahaha,” Barbara replied as Nova looked from her puzzled expression to Ben’s embarrassed face.

“Well, Henna and Nova are mates,” Barbara said softly.

“She knows it isn’t like that yet. She just likes winding me up. Don’t you?” Ben stepped closer to Nova and began rubbing her eye-ridges. The dragon-like Pokémon almost purred in contentment. “Charrr….” Unfortunately, Nova selected this particular moment to lie down on the ground, stretching out to her full length. Several pedestrians engaged in conversations on their cellphones merely stepped over the dragon on their way to their destinations. Others stopped and stared.

“Is that a dragon over there?”

“Are they filming a movie here?” a woman’s voice called out.

“Nova?” Ben replied, sweatdropping.

“Char?”

Ben gestured at the people walking and the cars maneuvering around the pedestrians. Nova snorted, but condescended to get up. Ben addressed the growing crowd. “Folks, this is nothing more than a mass hallucination brought on by too much coffee and watching cheap movies.” He subtly released a Pokémon. “Isn’t that right, Brainwave?”

“Kazam!” A large fox-like creature holding spoons in its front paws glowed blue and then a Confusion attack rippled out, striking most of the pedestrians and two taxicab drivers. The people looked curiously at each other and then moved away from the scene. Ben recalled all his Pokémon. “Time to leave, I think.”

“Indeed. Where to?”

“I think that the Planetarium is a good stop. It isn’t what it was, but I think the kids would like it.”

Okay. But how do we get there? Bus, taxi, or Charizard?” Barbara smiled.

“I think we’ve risked secrecy enough. I suggest that we take a bus up Baker Street. That’s the quickest way from here.”

“Baker Street? As in ‘Basil of Baker Street’?” Barbara commented.

“And yes, Alexandra, that means riding in one of those red buses.” Ben said. Alexandra grinned widely.

“It’s the only Baker Street in central London. The place you’ve certainly heard of is opposite the Planetarium: 221 Baker Street. The home of Sherlock Holmes.”

Barbara nodded. “I loved ‘The Hound of the Baskervilles.’”

“Who’s Sherlock Holmes?” Andrew piped up.

“A fictional character, Andrew. A great detective.” Ben replied.

“Fictional means he’s not real?” Andrew continued. Ben nodded. “Who created him, then?”

“A man named Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.”

“Is it a landmark now?” Barbara asked as they walked towards the bus stop. Ben shook his head. “It’s a bank now, but they have a secretary there who answers Mr. Holmes’ correspondence. Even one hundred years after the books were published, people still ask for his advice. Odd, innit?”

“I’m sure they ask. I wonder if they realize he’s only a made-up character.”

“Maybe not.”

“Of course, if you believe in someone or something, they are a little more real than they would be otherwise.” Ben concluded.

“Like Pokémon?” Andrew said with a grin.

“Yeah, that’s right.” Ben smiled at Andrew.

They made it to the bus stop and stood, waiting for the bus. Ben wrapped his arm around Barbara’s shoulders and she leaned in towards him. Sparky wrapped himself around Barbara’s neck, negating the use of her muffler. Shock clung to Ben’s back and occasionally glared at Barbara for no particular reason.


To be continued...

 

[BenRG]

Great!

You've really fleshed this part of the story out, Barb. I loved it! I wonder how you will do the bits that come next.

*Eagerly awaits next chapter*

 

[Kasumi]

I made a comment about this last chapter in the OPS forums, but I couldn't resist to do it here too. ^^ I must say this is my favorite of all the chapters, it has comedy and romance. It's great! I'm waiting to see what comes next. But I'm sure it'll be wonderful as the other chapters.

 

[Barb]

Hey! I wrote some more!

Chapter Five: The London Planetarium

Author’s Notes:
Ben did most of the writing for this piece, since he’s actually been to the Planetarium. Anyhow, if you can’t get to London, visit the Planetarium here: www.london-planetarium.com

The bus arrived and Barbara paid the fares for everyone. The ticket machine next to the driver spit out four tickets, which Ben cautioned everyone to keep. “They do have inspectors who check to make sure everyone has a ticket,” he warned.

“Can we sit upstairs?” Alexandra asked in her nicest voice.

“Okay, why not?” Barbara replied. “Go ahead, Alex, we’re behind you.” Alexandra turned towards the stairs and raced up the steps. The bus lurched ahead suddenly and Alexandra nearly lost her balance. Her mother caught her. “Hold onto the handrail next time, honey,” she said. They slowly made their way to the upper portion of the bus.

“Here we go,” Ben said. “Andrew, sit with Mommy and I’ll sit with Alexandra.” The first thing Andrew said after sitting down was, “When can I battle with Ben, Mom?”

Barbara sighed. “Later, Andrew.” She tried to engage her children in a game of sorts. “Look out the windows and tell me what you see,” she said.

“Buildings.” Andrew replied.

“Stuff.” Alexandra replied.

Barbara gave up.

“I’ll show you both the Pokémon Center and Battling Arena later. Maybe you’ll want to challenge the Gym Leader, Sue, for the Three Towers Badge. However, Andrew, since you only have your starter, I wouldn’t recommend it.”

Andrew looked quizzically at Ben. “Can’t I just use Mom’s Pokémon?”

“Why?” Ben asked in response. Andrew shrugged. “You’ll have your own soon enough. The day after your trip to Paris, I’ll take you to Epping Forest to look for wild Pokémon.”

“Do I have to bring Alexandra with me?” Andrew asked.

“No. It’ll just be us guys.” Ben winked at Andrew, who grinned. “We have Rattata, Caterpie, Weedle, Pidgey, and Spearow there. If your Mom lets us go at night, we might find Hoothoot, Oddish, or Spinarak.”

“I want a Caterpie,” Andrew replied.

“Good thing I packed extra Pokéballs,” Barbara said, smiling.

As the bus slowed down to a complete stop, Barbara noticed the green-lit dome of the London Planetarium to the right of the bus. As they disembarked and walked towards the entrance, Ben said, “We’re lucky. Looks like the queue is only five minutes today.”

“We’ve survived Disney World, Ben. Five minutes is nothing. The lines at Disney are forty-five minutes to an hour.”

“Is it very warm at Disney?” Ben asked.

“If you go in July it is. You can reasonably expect to suffer heatstroke while standing in line.” Ben looked shocked and Barbara laughed. “Ben, the average temperature in Florida in July is ninety-five degrees Fahrenheit.” As they stood in line, they chatted about how expensive Disney World had become. Ben pointed to a sign at the entrance. “Be prepared for real expense.” Barbara glanced at the sign: £10 for adults, £6 for children under 13.

She smiled. “I’m prepared.” It had helped that Ben bought dinner. “One adult and two children, please,” she said as she handed her money to the cashier.

“Would you like a souvenir program?” the cashier asked.

“Well, how much is that?” Barbara replied. But Alexandra already had the program in her hands and was eagerly turning the pages. When Andrew dared to look, she clutched it close to her chest and said, “Mine!” in a loud voice. Barbara sweatdropped.

“It’s only £4.99, ma’am,” the cashier said with a genuinely fake smile.

*~*~*~*~
“What’s in here that’s good to see?” Andrew asked.

“Well, there is information about space in the foyer,” Ben replied. “Then, there’s Star Tour.”

“What’s that?” Alexandra queried.

“You sit down in an auditorium and the projector creates a very realistic image of the night sky on the dome. They also can do laser effects. The Star Tour starts with facts about the solar system and our galaxy around an orrey—“

Andrew cut Ben off. “What’s an orrey?”

“A mechanical model of the solar system.”

“That sounds cool.” Andrew said.

Barbara took Andrew’s hand. “Hold my hand, please,” she said. Alexandra’s eyes went wide, taking in everything. The first floor of the planetarium contained a mural showing the development of astronomy over the course of human history, from Stonehenge to Einstein and his theory of relativity. There was a brilliantly lit staircase lined with wax figures of great astronomers.

Ben hoisted Alexandra onto his shoulders. “Here, Alex. Touch that glass dome gently.” Alexandra did as she was told. “See how the colored gas follows your fingers.” She nodded as she slid her fingers over the dome. “That’s called ‘cold fire’ and it all works because of electricity and magnetism.” Ben slowly lowered her to the floor. She then grabbed Barbara’s hand and said, “Mommy, look at all the rocks!”

“That’s Stonehenge, dear,” Barbara replied.

“Cool” was Alexandra’s response.

They stopped next to a familiar figure. “Who is this man with the moustache and scruffy hair?” Andrew asked, pointing to the most famous physicist in history.

“Albert Einstein. He is a very important and famous scientist.”

“What do these yellow and red lines on the wall mean?” Andrew continued.

Ben scratched his head. “Well, it’s technical, Andrew. It’s meant to illustrate how strange things get when you try to go as fast as light, which is very, very fast.”

“Faster than a cheetah?” Alexandra asked.

“Much faster.” Ben replied.

As they passed a religious picture of a woman, Alexandra exclaimed, “The lady is naked!” Andrew and Alexandra both giggled.

“The lady is supposed to be nature,” Ben said.

“A lot of people believe that nature is a god or goddess. The picture is meant to illustrate how we all depend on nature to survive the way a baby depends on its mother’s milk.”

“Oh,” Andrew replied.

“She has boobs.” Alexandra reiterated. “Mommy has boobs, too.” Barbara flushed a deep crimson.

“Yes, Alex, I noticed…” Ben said softly. Gah! I hope she didn’t hear me!

“Did you say something, Ben?” Barbara turned towards him.

“Only that you are beautiful.” Ben said, gently placing his arm around her shoulder. She smiled. They arrived in a circular ampitheater under a red-lit dome. The center of the ampitheater was dominated by an insect-shaped large mechanical device. They took their seats with Ben and Barbara seated next to each other, and Andrew seated next to Ben. Alexandra refused to sit anywhere except near her mother.

“See the four signs in green light?” Ben indicated. “When the projector—that’s the device in the center there—is on, the lights show the direction of stars in the north, south, west and east.”

“What’s that?” Alexandra pointed at the projector.

“That is a Zeiss ZX-1045 planetarium projector. Built in Germany and flown here to London at great expense.” This suitably impressed both children and they lapsed into silence.

A voice spoke: “Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, welcome to the Madame Tussaud’s London Planetarium. We remind you that there is no smoking, flash photography, or video cameras allowed during the show. If anyone here does not speak English, dubbed commentary is available through the headsets on your seats. Simply set the control to the appropriate language.” Barbara wondered how on earth anyone who didn’t speak English would understand that last statement.

The voice continued: “Now that everyone has settled down, let the show begin. As the sun sets beneath the skyline of London…” The voice drifted off and the red light of the dome dimmed into blackness. Suddenly, the stars came out, brighter, sharper, and more intense than could be visible on the darkest Earth night. The Milky Way galaxy arches overhead. Subtle ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ could be heard from the audience. The Moon and all five visible planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, and Jupiter, hung in the sky. In the darkness of the theater, Ben grabbed Barb’s hand and held on tightly.

“I don’t like the dark,” Alexandra whimpered, moving closer to her mother, who wrapped her arm around Alex’s shoulder.

The narrative began: “The stars have always fascinated mankind from the first time our pre-human ancestors first looked up at them and wondered what these campfires in the sky might be. Now, let us hear their story, told by two celestial eagles. The first is Aquila, the Eagle who was messenger and agent of Zeus, greatest of the Greek gods.”
The narrative stopped and a huge green eagle is picked out around the constellation of Aquila by a laser. The Eagle suddenly moved and looked around.

“Oh, hello,” a stern British-accented voice said. “I am Aquila and I am going to take you on a tour of our galaxy. Helping me out is…is…Neb! You lazy young eagle! Where are you?”

“Over here, Dad,” A younger voice cried.

“Oh, there you are,” Aquila said. The huge eagle took wing and soared towards the green southeastern marker light. As the eagle flew, the huge black silhouette of the projector rotated around its frame, simulating the stars of the north setting and the stars of the Southern Hemisphere rising. Soon, it had reversed position and the Southern Hemisphere stars were all visible.

“Over here, Dad,” the voice repeated.

“Is it real?” Alexandra whispered to Barbara.

“No, sweetie, it’s made with light,” she replied.

Aquila soared towards a familiar image projected on the dome by a television projector mounted on the dome wall: the Eagle Nebula. The famous ‘eagle’ in the center of the nebula was surrounded by red light shaped like a smaller eagle. “This is my son, Neb, the Eagle Nebula,” Aquila announced. “He is also lazy!”

“Dad!” Neb protested.

“Neb will also use Dexter, his guide to the galaxy to answer scientific questions.” Aquila stated. Neb took off and the laser images of the two eagles—one red, one green—soared forwards.

A surprisingly long thirty minutes later—including a meeting with the Cygnus X black hole—the harried parent Aquila is going home for a short rest. “Thank you for traveling on the Star Tour,” the narrator concludes, “Before you go, here is the night sky tonight.” Three frames are superimposed on the skyscape showing declination, right ascension, and the date. The images of the sun race around until it reaches the correct day. Then the stars come out again: high in the sky are Orion, Taurus, and the Great Bear. “Thank you for visiting the London Planetarium. We wish you all a safe journey home.”

The lights in the planetarium come on again. Ben turned to Barbara and asked, “Well, did you enjoy that? I liked the bit with the cars racing around the rings of Saturn. That was funny.”

“Hey, there’s Orion,” Andrew pointed.

“That was great. I loved it.” Barbara replied. She turned to find Alexandra asleep on the chair. Ben looked over her shoulder and smiled. “Okay, I think we’d better get these two back to the hotel.”


To be continued...

 

[Barb]

And now the exciting conclusion...

Chapter Six: Goodnights

Ben moved past Barbara and gently scooped up Alex in his arms. Barbara asked if she was too heavy for him, but he shook his head. “I’ll manage,” he replied genially. Barbara took Andrew by the hand and followed the crowd out the doors of the planetarium.

Ben whistled for a taxi and much to their surprise, a black taxi pulled up to the curb and stopped. “Everybody in,” Ben ordered. Alexandra blinked and opened her eyes once inside the cab and mumbled something about birds before drifting off to sleep again. Ben grinned. “I suspect she’ll be soaring with Neb and Aquila in her dreams tonight.”

“She’ll probably dream she’s an astronaut.”

“Where to?” the cabbie asked once everyone had seated themselves.

“Quality Hotel Paddington, please.” Barbara replied. “Right,” the cabbie replied and the taxi edged its way into traffic.

Andrew tugged on Barbara’s sleeve. “Mommy, can stars really talk?”

“No, they can’t. They’re just rock and dust.”

“Oh,” Andrew said. He seemed ready to pursue the discussion further but yawned instead and leaned against the door of the cab. “What are we doing tomorrow?” he asked.

“We’re going to the British Museum,” Barbara replied.

“What’s there?”

“A lot of artifacts and statues and other things from civilizations many centuries old.”
Barbara said.

“You’ll like that, Andrew. They even have a section of the gates of Babylon.” Ben replied.

There was a pause before Ben asked, “Andrew, what are you going to call your Chikorita?”

“Chiko,” he said.

“That’s fine. Let her spend as much time as possible outside of her Pokéball. But right now, she is a secret. Only your mom, me, and Alex can know about her.” Andrew nodded.

The cab ride was uneventful and they arrived safely at the hotel. Ben paid the cabbie and offered him a tip: “Plaid and polka dots combined are a negative fashion statement.” The cabbie frowned and drove off.

Ben carried Alexandra through the lobby to the elevator bay. Barbara was instructing Andrew, “We’ll take Chiko to the park and let her play there.” Andrew mused this as he held the Pokéball in his hand as though it were a priceless treasure. They all climbed into the elevator and Barbara let Andrew push the appropriate buttons.

“Regent’s Park is closest.” Ben offered.

“Thanks,” Barbara said. “Want me to take her?” she asked, indicating Alex.

“Nah, we’re almost there.”

The elevator doors opened. They filed out and walked down the hallway to the adjoining rooms. After unlocking the first door, Ben walked in and laid Alexandra down on the bed. “I guess I’ll let you handle the necessary changes.” Ben said to Barbara. She was removing Alex’s shoes.

“Yeah, thanks.” Alexandra rolled over in bed, mumbling something about eagles and stars. Andrew changed into his pajamas in seconds and curled up next to her in the bed with Chiko next to him. Barbara released Sparky from his Pokéball and he curled up next to Alexandra. Two kids and two Pokémon in one bed, Barbara thought. Now where will I sleep?

“Well, how did you enjoy your day?” Ben asked with a smile.

“I enjoyed every minute of it. Even the loopy parts.” Barbara responded.

“I’m glad. You deserve a good time as often as you can.”

“This is the most fun I’ve had in a while. Thanks again for everything.”

Ben stepped closer to Barbara. Instinctively she tilted her head and he kissed her gently on the lips. “And I’m glad I was here to see it.” Ben said softly.

“Me, too.” Barbara replied.

The padding of footsteps caused them both to turn their heads. Alexandra stood there, sleepy-eyed. “Can I get a drink of water?” she asked. Barbara excused herself and got Alexandra a drink from the minibar, which came fully stocked with several beverages and foodstuffs. Alexandra drank her water slowly, never taking her eyes off Ben and her mother. Finally Alexandra asked Ben, “Were you two kissing?”

Ben sweatdropped. “Er..yes, Alex, we were.”

“Oh, okay.” Alexandra responded. She finished drinking and handed the bottle of water back to Barbara, who placed it on the dresser. Alexandra looked back at Ben and said, “I’d like a good night kiss, too.” Barbara smiled as Ben knelt down and kissed Alexandra on her cheek. Alexandra toddled back to bed and crawled in beside Sparky. [About time, some of us are trying to sleep!] Sparky groused.

As the hour was getting late, Ben said a final goodbye to Barbara and they promised to contact each other the following day after she returned from the British Museum. She smiled as she shut the door and locked it, hearing Ben’s footsteps echoing down the hotel hallway.

If the first date was this good, what about the second? And the third? Barbara shook her head. As a famous heroine in one of Barbara’s favorite stories had said, Tomorrow is another day.

The End

 

[Kasumi]

Great story as always, Barb! I really enjoyed reading these last 2 chapters. Your goodnight kiss with Ben was so romantic... I loved it. ^^

I'd like to see what happens in the second and third dates. ^_~ I hope someday you write about that.

 

[BenRG]

Review

A good all-round story, Barb. But, then, I would say that, wouldn't I? ;-) I enjoyed all the parts of it. And, for some reason, I can see Alex's innocent puppy-dog expression when she asks that last question... :XD2:

BenRG's Rating: 8/10

 

[Razor Raven]

Wow, it's been awhile since I read a story of qaulity, and this is qaulity :-D

I do have a thing for romantic comedies, it was funny and sweet, and I like the addition of the Pokemon into the story, I like whole darn thing

If there's more, I'm looking forward to reading it ;-)