From: Dryad <dryad48@aol.commoner> Subject: Re: [PW!] BUM'N HUZZAHS! Date: Saturday, January 08, 2000 1:52 AM "Sigh..." Derrick sighed. Before him stood a tinted building drowning in vines. It was a place of regretful thinking. It was a place of painful memory. It was a place of hollowing despair. It was the Bug Gym of the Viridian Forest, where all Derrick's troubles had started, and where they might end. Six days ago, Derrick had stood before this gym again, and prepared to battle for the title of gym master. It seemed that the previous gym owner had mysteriously dissapeared and the will of the gym said to hand it to the best bug trainer around. Derrick doubted he would make it, but it seemed he was wrong. Vengeful Scythers plagued his way up to the top, and now he was to face a tough decision. There was one more battle to be fought out between Derrick and a bug catcher. The leaves of depression were falling again, as Derrick had again begun to pity those who weren't with him. Beedrill and Venonat were lost to the black paved streets. One by one those leaves fell. One by one, the hopes, dreams, and admirations of Derrick were plumetting down to the ground. There, they would crumble away and dry up. There, they would be crushed by old shoes moaning, "Hurry, hurry." Derrick knew he didn't have a rake to gather the leaves up. He knew everything he had done since was an excuse to strive on without fulfillment. The world was passing by before his eyes. And Derrick was growing old before his eyes. Derrick had left Pewter city because he no longer felt at home there. He was kicked out of his apartment by the landlord. On Christmas, he gave up much to see the smiles of the unfortunate children. He gave up much and felt he recieved nothing in return. The children would have cried. They would cry because everyone forgot them. The old stone well has gone dry, with the harvest nigh. And Derrick is still thirsty for a drink. Exeggcute's first hand experience with Derrick and the others was too overwhelming. Paranoia's truth lies deep within his soul, wandering aimlessly for an answer to 'Why?' "Rush, hurry! Rush, hurry!" The pine footsteps and springing winter air bellow their weak, hollow voices into the old winter air. But rush for what? Derrick wonders. Will there be relief from here? "Hurry, hurry, rush!" They beckon as if to beware what was back then, or too rush forward for the freedom of the future. Derrick sighed again as he grabbed the video phone and dialed Erika's gym for help. The ones who answered were who he had expected. His Mom stood there trying to get the camera working as Dad and Pinsir were training. He had yet to admit to them about his failures in training, and now might be the time to go home. It was the next day and both Derrick and the bug catcher had to send out one pokemon. The bug catcher chose Scyther. Typical. Derrick nervously took out a pokeball and threw it to the ground. "I choose Pinsir." Paras, who was out was surprised. Derrick had promised himself he would not take Pinsir in order to keep safety in the lives of his parents. This was definately a big step. Derrick assumed it was like the other Scythers he had battled, but probably at a higher level. As the bell rang Scyther charged and Pinsir gripped onto it's wings with it's sharp pinsirs. It then used Seismic Toss and brought the helpless Scyther into the air, then back down again. Scyther fainted on the fall. And that was the simplicity of the matter. Derrick had achieved ownership of the gym as easily as that. However, he still wasn't sure whether or not he wanted to stop traveling around the world. Was it right for him at an early age to choose safety over freedom? Derrick immedietaly told the people of power there that he would have to be gone for some time and that no one could earn a badge until then. Just as he ran himself into the hauntingly bright presence of the sun shining through the leaved trees, he sensed something bad. Derrick immedietely took out Exeggcute and saw the horror. Exeggute seemed to have painful memories. But what he was wondering was why now? Exeggcute transfered his memory to Derrick whom recognized the voices. There was war, salvation, the fear of death in the air. One side was trying to defend what they believed in. The other side needed to push that side down to become greater. There was sorrowful pain drowning out the peacefulness. When Exeggcute's vision was over, Derrick immediately thought of the war on Ivory Island, which meant ATR was near. But where? Then Derrick remembered of the mysterious TR woman dragging an unconscious man in a helicopter back in Mount Moon. He couldn't explain it, but somehow, Derrick knew that the unconscious man had something to do with ATR one way or another. It was time to head back to the mountain. To Be Continued _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ~Dryad48: Weekly Quote: "Take calculated risks. That is quite different from being rash." -George S. Patton "Hide people from bad things and you've made them weaker." -Me