Ash Ketchum: Hunt For Jade Dragon

Ch. 27 The Night Market

Over the next two days the six of us spent a lot of time together in my room, playing cards and watching whatever American television shows we could find, which consisted mostly of old Clint Eastwood movies. Marnie never came over. She was still angry about being left out of the last meeting and kept to herself.

The evening of the second day Clemont, Calem, Brock, and I watched television in the dark while Korrina read in the corner, using her finger as a book light. Serena was just staring out the window when she suddenly broke. "I've got to get out of here," she back. "I'm going."

"You're going where?" I said.

"Out," she replied. "I heard someone in the lobby say there's a night market only a few miles from here."

Korrina put down her book her. "I want to go."

"Iscan said not to leave the hotel," Clemont said.

"It's not going to hurt anyone if we go out for an hour," Serena said. "No one will know."

"Everyone will know," Clemont said. "We stand out."

"They won't know who we are," Serena said. "It's not like we're the only foreigners in this city." She crossed her arms. "I'm going." She looked at Korrina. "You with me?"

Korrina glanced apologetically at Clemont. "Sorry. I've got to get out too."

Serena looked at me. "Will you come? Please?"

I turned to Brock. "What do you think?"

He shrugged. "I don't think it's a big deal. I think Serena's right. There will probably be a lot of foreigners at the night market."

I looked at Calem. "What do you think?"

"I don't think it matters."

I knew Serena well enough to know that she wasn't going to back down, and I wasn't about to let her go without me. "All right," I said. "But only for an hour. And we stick together."

"Will you come?" Korrina asked Clemont.

"If everyone else does," he said.

"How about you?" she asked Calem.

"I'll go."

"I'm not going," Brock said.

"Why not?" Korrina asked.

"I'm not into shopping."

"It's not about the shopping," Serena said. "It's the looking."

"I can look from here."

"I would feel better if you came with us," I said. "If there's a problem, you'll see it before the rest of us."

He didn't look too happy about it, but he said, "All right."

"What about Marnie?" Korrina asked.

"We'd better at least ask her," I said. "She's still mad that we left her out last time."

"I'll ask her," Serena said.

"We'll meet you by the elevator," I said.

While Serena walked back to her room I turned off the television and the rest of us went out into the hall. A moment later Serena walked out of her room her followed by Marnie.

"You're coming," I said to Marnie.

"Thanks for the invite," she said. I couldn't tell from her tone her if she was being snarky or sincere.

As we stepped into the elevator Serena handed me her room key. "Would mind holding this for me? I don't have front pockets."

I took the key from her.