From: Bandraptor (bandraptor@aol.com) Subject: [PW!] Double Dratini spells Double Trouble Newsgroups: alt.games.nintendo.pokemon Date: 2000-09-07 03:07:31 PST Nori doesn't stop running until she's reached a darkened alley, far from the scene of battle. She looks around quickly, to make sure no one's following her, notices that she's still holding her Wartortle in one hand, and slams him up against the wall; holding him there at eye level, so as to better take her frustrations out on him. "I can't believe it! A Wartortle who's afraid of a Fire-type! What do you have to say for yourself?" Rubix pokes his head out of his shell, "...It was bigger than me--" "*I'm* bigger than you!" "You're not a Charizard!" "And you're not fit to call yourself a Pokémon!" Nori snaps back, "You may talk big, but you're nothing more than a coward and a weakling. You humiliated me back there...in front of all those people...in front of Andrew...and all because you're a miserable excuse for a Wartortle who's doesn't have the balls to attack anything that has half a chance of fighting back! Afraid of a Charizard. You only know...how many moves that are effective against them? Water Gun? Bubblebeam? Blizzard? I guess I shouldn't be asking you, since you're too stupid to remember your own attacks! You're completely worthless!" Rubix turns away, "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Just you wait 'til I evolve--I'll kill you, and I'll kill him, too!" Nori scowls, "Then you're even worse than all that. If you're too afraid to fight him as you are, and you're too afraid to let him live, you're a coward who's too weak to come to terms with his own fears. And don't think your threats are gonna work on me anymore, because now I know exactly what you're capable of, which is absolutely nothing!" "Shut up. No, really. Shut up." Rubix glances about the alleyway, "Do you hear something?" Nori's glare hardens, "I hear a loudmouthed Wartortle who's trying to draw attention away from himself." "Then you're not listening very well! Don't tell me you can't hear that..." A voice echoes softly through the alleyway, with the same pleading intonation as that of a broken baby doll, "Maaah. Maaah. Maaah." Nori places Rubix on the ground. "Actually...now that you mention it, I do hear something." She listens again, "It sounds sorta like a Dratini..." Rubix blinks, "Really? I was gonna say it was a baby..." "Draaah. Draaah. Draaah." He shrugs, "...Dratini it is." "Hrrmm...yeah..." Nori cocks her head towards the noise, trying to figure out which one of the decrepit buildings it's coming from, "But that doesn't make any sense. What would a Dratini be doing out here? We're in the middle of nowhere...unless, maybe it was abandoned? If it's hurt, we should try to help it." Rubix narrows his eyes, "'We.' That's a strange word, 'we'. Why should I help you?" Nori does likewise, "Because, I know of a shop that specializes in turtle-skin boots." Rubix crosses his arms, "And you called MY bluff?" "Think of it this way," Nori starts towards the nearest building, "which of us has the better track record? Anyway, if there's a Dratini in one of these buildings, I want to capture it. I need to capture a good Pokémon that can utilize Water moves, seeing as my current one is completely useless--geez, whose...idea...was it...to board...up...these doors...so tightly?!?" Rubix struts over to the struggling Nori, "Too bad you don't have a good Water Pokémon now. He could use Hydro Pump to knock down that door for you." "Yes..." Nori puts one foot up against the doorframe to brace herself, and tries to yank the heavy boards off the door, "It's...too...bad..isn't...it--" she loses her grip on the piece of lumber, and falls over backwards, "GOD DAMNIT! This had better be one prize Dratini..." "Too bad you're looking in the wrong place." "What?" Rubix points to the building behind them, "The sound's coming from over there." "No way..." Nori shakes her head, "I know I heard it coming from over this way." "Well, you heard wrong. Listen, it's definitely coming from over that way." "Draaah. Draaah. Draaah." Nori leans back on the dirty pavement, and listens for a few minutes, before saying, "Well...it can't be coming from over there, because it's coming from over here." "Circular reasoning!" "You're just trying to send me in the wrong direction, so you can take my Dratini all for yourself!" "Fine! Stay here for all I care...I'm going that way!" "Fine!" "Fine! At least that building has an open door!" "So go!" "I will! ...But first I wanna see the look on your face, when you finally get in there, and realize there's no Dratini." "DRAAAH! DRAAAH! DRAAAH!" The voice sounds again, from the building directly in front of them. It's anxious and desperate. Nori looks worried, "I think it's really hurt. Rubix, help me with these boards." Rubix grabs one of the planks, "Maybe you're right...but I coulda sworn..." "DRAAAH! DRAAAH! DRAAAH!" "There! See?" Rubix points to the opposite building, "It's coming from over there!" Nori blinks, "Is it possible that..." Rubix completes the thought, "...There are two Dratini?" "DRAAH! DRAAH! DRAAH!" "DRAAH! GRAAH! DRAAH!" The two Dratini cry out imperatively, as if begging for Nori and Rubix to make the obvious decision, and split up, so as to save them both. "Okay, okay." Nori massages her temples in thought, "Rubix, you stay here, and try to break through these doors with your Blizzard attack. I'm gonna run over to the other building, to see what I can find...be right back." Nori jogs across the alleyway to the second tenement, and peeks her head inside. It's pitch black inside the building, and the dim light streaming over the alley walls is barely enough to light the doorway. Nori would have liked to send out her Magmar, to have it illuminate the house, but that's not an option, as Magmar is currently unconscious. Instead, she squints through the darkness, and makes out what she can: A wall immediately to her right, an open space somewhere to her left. A staircase directly in front of her. Nori considers which way to go, and as if in answer, the Dratini calls to her again, from the upper level of the house. "Draah. Draah. Draah." She takes two tentative steps towards the staircase, then casts a dubious glance towards the abyss that lies just to her left. She strains her eyes, but still can't make anything out. For a split second, she considers exploring the darkened area, to make sure there aren't any ax-murderers lurking in there, but then she reconsiders, "Why am I acting like a character from a bad horror movie? The only thing I have to worry about in an old building like this is wood rot. Besides, I'm sure that if there WAS an ax-murderer in here, they would've silenced that Dratini long ago. ...Right, Dratini?" The Dratini cries out to her again, to ensure her that no one has chopped its head off since they last spoke. "Okay, then." Nori fumbles around for the handrail, and starts slowly up the stairs, managing to reach the fifth step without tripping more than twice. "Don't worry, Dratini! I'll be there soon--" She stops abruptly, when she hears the sound of one of the steps creaking behind her. The girl experimentally shifts her weight from one foot to the other, in hopes of finding that she herself had unknowingly caused the noise. When she hears nothing, she decides that whatever is on the step beneath her is blocking her way down, so she should continue upwards, and at least put some distance between them. She carefully continues up the stairs, making as little noise as possible, and listening behind her, for indications that her pursuer is also ascending the steps. The stairs creak twice, and she increases her pace. Stumbling in the darkness, she runs until she's reached the first landing. Suddenly, something grabs her by the backpack, pulling her over backwards. Nori screams out loud. A bright, artificial light shines into her eyes. "Mwaah. I knew there was a flashlight in there somewhere." Rubix twirls the flashlight around so that it faces him, "A little jumpy, are we?" Nori swings at him, but misses, "No one asked you to jump me in the dark! What're you doing here, anyway? Did you even get the other Dratini?" "Ummm...I couldn't get the door open, so I figured I'd help you here!" He sweeps the area with the thin beam of light, "Tooortle, this place is a dump. Stinks, too. Someone's been messin' with Oddish leaves in here." Nori wrinkles her nose, "It smells like sulfur. We shouldn't stay in here much longer." "I have a better idea. Let's leave now." "Coward. Now I know why you didn't go into the other building by yourself. You were too afraid to be in there alone!" "I didn't go into the other building by myself, cuz it's obvious someone *wants* us to split up! Somethin' really weird is goin' on here, and I don't wanna stay to find out what it is!" "You're paranoid! Nothing 'weird' is going on. All we have here is a pair of injured Dratini that need some help. Can't you hear them crying?" "I hear 'em crying, and those ain't Dratini!" "Then what are they?" "I don't--" Rubix spins around, and fires a Water Gun up towards the top of the stairs. There comes a loud roar of pain, and the sound of something heavy crashing to the floor. This is followed by the sounds of scuffling, and many nails scraping against wood. "Oooookay..." Nori sweatdrops, "Let's leave now." Rubix blinks rapidly, "...Yes, let's." They race out of the building. Nori reaches for her belt, and easily picks out Nemesis' Pokéball just by feeling for it, because it's charred and misshapen. "Nemesis, go! Get us out of here, now!" Nemesis is hardly in better shape than its Pokéball, but it gwaks in agreement, and airlifts the pair out of the alleyway, albeit somewhat more slowly than usual. * * * The trap had been set so flawlessly. As soon as they'd scented the human, the firstborn son had raced past the open door, and leapt through a second story window of the derelict building that sat opposite their lair. The other four had positioned themselves in the upper levels of the den, and crouched down to wait. The human entered the alleyway, it was surrounded without even knowing it. As it drew nearer, they all came to the same realization: the human was not alone. Hearts soared, more creatures meant more meat--but also demanded more caution. One creature could easily be ambushed and slaughtered, but when there were two, there was always the chance that one would flee, or worse yet, fight back. They would kill both creatures, of that they were certain...but first they would need to separate them. From his hiding spot in the derelict building, the firstborn son emitted a sharp cry, small, meaningless, but certain to attract the human's attention. He heard its footsteps as it approached the building, good, it was interested. From the opposite building rose his sister's voice, mirroring his cry. The creatures reacted to that sound as well, but were too cautious, or too frightened, or too stupid to respond to it in the way that they ought to; to split up, and follow both voices. They were all becoming anxious, the youngsters were almost mad with hunger. The firstborn son threw back his head, and let his desperation be known; the sound that came out of him was very much like the wail of a baby in need. His sister did likewise, her haunting dirge echoing off the walls, and chilling him to his very bones. This was enough to prompt the creatures to action, and at last they separated. The scents of the others changed to reflect their joy at this success--once the human was safely inside the den, they would destroy it; and when the other came to investigate, they would destroy it as well. All he needed to do for now was distract the other, keep it away from its partner until his father and siblings had finished their gruesome deed. The firstborn son sensed it nearby, heard it struggling to break through the long boarded up door to the building. Little luck it would have with that! But he could not allow it to realize that, allow it to turn away even for a second. He cried out again, intent on keeping its rapt attention. ...But the menace in his voice gave him away, and the creature became suspicious. It turned away, and started after its partner. The firstborn son called after it, he called and called, but to no avail. His sister cried out again, merely guiding the human to its doom; but with her voice she told him, "Don't worry. We still outnumber them two to one. In moments, they will be dead, and we will have food." And then the unthinkable happened, as if on impulse, one of the creatures attacked. The old father fell to the floor, and the three youngsters scattered in panic. The two creatures fled, spiriting away with them precious knowledge, the knowledge of what lurked within the Celadon tenements. The youngsters were riled, their father was injured, but the same words were on everybody's lips, "They will tell others, they will tell others." Now, the three youngsters pace around nervously, unsure of what to do. Their father lies where he fell, soaked, and spasming from his injuries. There is a heavy thumping noise, as the firstborn son comes barreling up the stairs, racing over from his hiding spot in the opposite building. He stops cold when he sees his father, surely such injuries can only mean death! But perhaps that isn't a bad thing. The firstborn son is young, but he is strong, and crafty, and prepared to take over his father's role as head of the family. His three siblings sense this, and immediately turn to him for guidance, "They have murdered father! Soon they will return with others, and murder us as well. What can we do, brother? What can we do?" The firstborn son snarls, "It is not a matter of what we can do, it is a matter of what we will do. We will destroy our father's body, and then we will destroy the ones who killed him. They are small, and weak, and they cannot get far." So saying, the first-born son lunges towards his father's body, but the old father whips around, and kicks him out of the way. He rises to his feet, and raises his head up high, to prove that he is uninjured. The youngsters cheer, proud to have a strong father who can shrug off any injury; who can lead them, and tell them exactly what to do in a time of need. The old father bathes in their admiration for a few moments longer, then turns to them, and begins to speak: "We were careless today. We were careless, and now we will go hungry. We were careless, and now we will lose our home--they will surely alert others before we can move against them, and the others will storm this tenement. Very well then, this cannot be helped. We will leave this place now, and when the others do come, there will be nothing left for them to find. As for the pair responsible, they must not be allowed to live. To allow them to live is to allow them to alert others, and others still. Their mere knowledge of us marks them for death, for if it is not their death that comes to pass, it will be ours." With that, the old father turns on his heels, and cautiously slinks out the front door, into the shadows surrounding it. The four youngsters follow close behind, all stoic, all knowing exactly what they have to do, and all understanding the severity of the situation. Tomorrow, they will set about the arduous task of finding a new lair...but tonight is for the hunt. TBC.