The Great Pokemon Trainer Detective part 3 - Enter Ash Ketchum (Basil)

(Down below, June and Jim Crow have arrived at Pallet Town. Jim Crow knocks, and a housekeeper, opens the door, her arms full of books, blankets and pillows, as well as a teacup and medieval mace. She is an obese elderly woman with gray hair, spectacles, pink stockings, brown galoshes, a white flowered dress, and a pink coat named Widow Tweed. Jim Crow removes his hat courteously.)


 * Jim Crow/Dawson: Good evening, madam. Is this the residence of Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town?
 * Widow Tweed/Mrs. Judson: I'm afraid it is. He's not here at the moment, but you're welcome to come in and wait.
 * Jim Crow/Dawson: Oh, I-I don't want to impose. It's just...the girl.

(He gestures towards his side, but June isn't there. Jim Crow and Widow Tweed look inside, where June is already seated by the fireplace, examining a magnifying glass with interest. Her clothes are soaking wet from the rain, though; however, her headband is dry.)

(Widow Tweed thrusts her load into Jim Crow's wings and rushes to her side.)


 * Widow Tweed/Mrs. Judson: (concerned) Oh my! You poor dear! You must be chilled to the bone! (She takes off June's tutu, stockings, and ballet slippers and wrings them dry, then wraps a towel around the girl and provides her a pair of warm purple footy pajamas.) (chuckling) Oh, but I know just the thing. Let me fetch you a pot of tea and some of my fresh cheese crumpets. (She rushes to the kitchen and shuts the door.)

(As a now-dry June puts on the warm purple footy pajamas, she looks around the room, fascinated by what she sees. A small propeller is operating a bellow, and attached to that are several cigarettes and a pipe, all of which are puffing.)

(On another table, four different pairs of shoes are being turned in a circular motion, first being brushed with black paint, and then setting a print on a stack of paper. Jim Crow is distracted by a voice coming from the front door.)


 * Unknown Voice: (triumphantly) Ah-ha! The villain's slipped this time! I shall have him!

(The door bursts open to reveal a large Asian man dressed in Chinese robes. He smiles triumphantly with a gun in his hand as lightning strikes. Jim Crow is petrified as the mouse bursts inside, rushing towards one of the many tables.)


 * Unknown voice: Out of my way! Out of my way!


 * Jim Crow/Dawson: I say, who - (His question is cut short as the Chinaman's hat is thrown directly on his own beak. He takes it off and addresses him once more.) Who are you?


 * Unknown voice: (speaking more normally) What? (He pauses and turns to Jim Crow.) Oh!

(He reaches up and pulls off what turns out to be a mask to reveal a 10-year-old boy with spiky black hair, thick black eyebrows, and green eyes. He is known as the one and only Ash Ketchum.)


 * Ash Ketchum/Basil: (formally) Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town, my good fellow.

(Ash smiles at Jim Crow's confused stare. He pulls at a tab on his robe, which lets air escape to reveal his slender form, surprising Jim Crow even more. June, on the other hand, is relieved to see him and approaches eagerly.)


 * June/Olivia: Ash Ketchum! I need your help, and I-

(Ash is clearly not listening to her as he changes from his Chinaman costume to a dark blue T-shirt, a white jacket with short sleeves, blue jeans, white socks, white sneakers, and a red-and-black cap with a green arch. He tosses a dart over his shoulder, scoring a direct bullseye on the dartboard.)


 * Ash/Basil: All in good time.
 * June/Olivia: (more desperately) But-but you don't understand. I'm in terrible trouble.
 * Ash/Basil: (ignoring June) If you'll excuse me.

(Ash walks by, and June sighs.)


 * Jim Crow/Dawson: (impatiently) Here, now, now. Now see here! (He shakes a finger at Ash, who once more rushes right by the two of them. Jim Crow pauses momentarily, but soon regains his wind.) This young lady is in need of assistance. I think you ought...


 * Ash/BasiL: (interrupting him by handing him the gun) Will you hold this, please, J.C.?

Jim Crow/Dawson: (accepting disgracefully) Of course. (But with his eyes closed, he doesn't realize at first what he's holding and points the gun at his head. He opens his eyes, and then nervously holds it out at arms length until Ash retrieves it.) (puzzled) Ah, wait just a moment. How did you know my initials were J.C.?
 * Ash/Basil: (picks up a single bullet and places it in the gun, all the meanwhile answering Jim Crow without interruption.) Because your brothers call you Jim Crow. Just returned from military duty in Afghanistan. Am I right?
 * Jim Crow/Dawson: Why...(chuckles) Oh, yes. Major Jim Dandy Crow. But how could you possibly-
 * Ash/Basil: Quite simple, really. (He holds up Jim Crow's wing to reveal a bit of blood oozing from a wound on it.) You've sewn your torn clothes together with the Lambert stitch, which of course, only a surgeon uses. (He continues speaking as he gathers several pillows.) And the thread is a unique form of catgut distinguished by its (whispering to June) peculiar pungency (June is bewildered.) found only in the Afghan provinces.

(One by one, Ash tosses the three pillows at Jim Crow, who holds them against his body, his face mostly covered with one pillow in his beak.)


 * Jim Crow/Dawson: (with the pillow in his mouth) Amazing!
 * Ash/Basil: (smilingly) Actually it's...elementary, my dear Jim Crow.

(Ash spins the revolver and aims it at the pillows. Jim Crow looks around in terror, spits the pillow out, and throws it and the rest of the pillows onto an armchair. As Ash calmly readjusts his aim, Jim Crow jumps behind the opposite chair, seizing June's arm and bringing her behind it. The gun fires, and pillow feathers fly as they cautiously peek out. Ash blows smoke from the revolver. Widow Tweed rushes back out at the stentorian report.)


 * Widow Tweed/Mrs. Judson: (panicking) What in heaven's name? (Soon, she discovers her pillows are nothing but feathers.) (distraught) Oh! Oh! My... (She spits out several feathers.) MY GOOD PILLOWS!

(She glares angrily in Ash's direction. He is kneeling in the chair, tossing the feathers aside.


 * Widow Tweed/Mrs. Judson: ASHTON KETCHUM!

(He pops his head above the chair as she spits out more feathers.)


 * Widow Tweed/Mrs. Judson: How many times have I told you not to...
 * Ash/Basil: (flapping his hands in the air as if he is flying) There, there, Widow Tweed, it's quite all right. (He smells cheese crumpets from the kitchen.) Ah...(sniffs) Mmm! I believe I smell some of those delightful cheese crumpets of yours. (He gently pushes Widow Tweed back to the kitchen.) Why don't you fetch our guests some?
 * Widow Tweed/Mrs. Judson: But, ah, but, but...

(Ash shuts the door, silencing her.)


 * Ash/Basil: Now... (He gets on his hands and knees and searches on the floor) I know that bullet's here somewhere. (June has found it and is holding it up for him. He takes it.) (grudginly, like Sylvester) Thank you, Miss...
 * June/Olivia: Oak. June Oak.
 * Ash/Basil: (distracted) Whatever.
 * June/Olivia: Yes, but you don't understand--
 * Ash/Basil: Shhh!

(Ash opens a small box and pulls out another bullet. Taking the one he just fired, he puts them under a microscope and compares their markings.)

(The first reading matches...)


 * Ash/Basil: Yeah...

(...so does the second one.)


 * Ash/Basil: Yes!

(However, from the third direction, the markings go off in separate directions.)


 * Ash/Basil: (yells) NOOOOOOOOOO! Drat! (depressed) Another dead end.

(Dejected, Ash tosses the extra bullet aside and slowly walks over to his chair.)


 * Ash/Basil: He was within my grasp.

(He flops into his chair and slowly reaches for the violin sitting beside him.)