Chapter 20

The day was sunny and cloudless as Summer once more fought back against the onset of Autumn, but the cool breezes off the lake as well as the shade from the ancient maple trees that filled the park kept Misty and Miranda from baking in the sun as they enjoyed their lunch on the last day of the Cerulean City End Of Summer Festival.

"There he is," Miranda commented chewing her french-fry quickly before waving her arm in a wide arc as Officer Frank came up dirt path, dodging small children on his way to meet them.

Misty glanced over her shoulder and smiled as Nezumi glanced up from the small bowl which contained the remainder of Irene's pokechow that he was sharing with Ivy and squeaked a loud greeting to the growlithe that followed on Frank's heels.

At the sound of her name, Bow let out a loud bark and Nezumi grinned broadly, once again causing Miranda to sigh warily, shaking her head at the two pokemon who seemed to enjoy teasing each other far too much.

"Hey, guys!" called Frank as walked over to the picnic table and gave the strange slumbering creature on the bench beside Misty a curious look, "Um, this yours?"

Misty glanced down at the dozing Kappa; the psyduck had had a hard morning. Umi had been trying to teach him to swim again, and he'd almost managed to master floating.

"I'm afraid so," his trainer muttered with a half a smile, scratching the defective water creature on the tummy as Frank rounded the table and sat beside his almost-niece, "He's not much to look at, but he kinda grows on ya after a while."

'Yeah, like a fungus!' Nezumi to surreptitiously to Ivy in pokespeak, causing Miranda bounce a fry off his head.

"So, I take it you two'll be heading out soon," commented Frank, grinning mischievously as he grabbed Miranda's drink and took a sip without asking.

"Not until you do," he niece replied with a knowing smile and a hint of severity.

"What?" inquired Frank helplessly, "You don't trust me?"

"Have you even CALLED Aunt Laurna yet?"

The Pokeforce Officer nodded. "Yeah," he admitted in a strangely shy tone, glancing down and pretending to be fascinated as Bow begged desperately to be helped up into his lap, "That's how I know you two are headed for Saffron."

"After a not so short trip to Neon Town, though," Miranda agreed with a sigh, stretching out her legs and half wondering how long the snow would hold off that Winter, "I got stuck doing some mail delivery not too long ago, so now I've been asked to deliver a bundle up that way. But, we'll be in Lavender in time for Halloween. I expect to see you there, you know."

Frank avoided his niece's all too knowing look by turning to Misty. "Well, the reason I mentioned that," he segued with a complete disregard for tact, causing Miranda to give him a bit of a dirty look, "Is that I hear that Saffron's Gym Leader's got a haunter. So maybe she could teach Miranda a thing or two about them, make Wraith a little more manageable."

"I seem to vaguely recall that..." said Misty thoughtfully as Miranda slid her index finger under her uncle's unshaven chin and turned his head towards her.

"If," she said imperiously, "I want advice on haunters I'll just ask the world's premier authority on spectral-parazoology. Say like... Oh, I don't know... Maybe... AUNT LAURNA!"

"Ah, Miri," mused Frank, finally helping Bow up onto his lap, "Sometimes you remind me so much of your mother."

Miranda gave him a sour look and tried not to laugh as Misty and Nezumi chuckled at her. "Don't try and change the subject, you!"