From: RobfromVoid (RobfromVoid@prodigy.net) Subject: [PW!] Shabby Ship Shopping Newsgroups: alt.games.nintendo.pokemon Date: 2000/03/11 "The Carnival Cruiser? The Fortune Ferry? The Jolly Journeyer?" Marvin asks out loud to himself while sunken into his green bean bag chair. The caravan that houses the chair is parked at the Port of Pallet Town. Marvin scratches his head, which is currently top-hat-less, and continues to list names, "The Majestic Maiden? The Sea Voyager? No way! That's not a good name for the ship that I'm going to buy. Where's the thought? Where's the emotion? Where's the alliteration?" "Where's the ship?" Asks Darian McCain, who is lying down on a hammock that he set up across the room from where Marvin is sitting. He is idly swaying back and forth on the twine bed while Pardus the Persian, who is sprawled out just below, sways his tail to the rhythm of his trainer's lazy motions, purring contentedly. Darian continues speaking, "You haven't left the caravan since we arrived at Pallet Town, Marvin. That means you couldn't have bought a ship, unless you pre-ordered it or something, so why are you already trying to figure out a name for something you don't own yet?" A purple Ditto emerges from her corner of the caravan, "Do not question my master's logic. It can cause migraines." Marvin shrugs half-heartedly, "I don't see anything wrong with coming up with a name for my ship before buying it, Xerox." Xerox the Ditto says, "I believe that you should have some idea of the vessel's appearance before you decide upon a name." "That's where you're wrong!" Marvin makes the effort to leap out of his bean bag chair, but he's been sitting in it for so long that it takes quite a few pushes before he finally manages to stand up, "For you see - it is the name that makes the ship, not the ship that makes the name! But I guess you and Darian have got a point - I should go and see what kind of boat I can buy with the money I made as a traveling magician. I'm going to go all out and buy the best ship I can find!" "As long as the ship does not carry the odor of dead fish, I shall most likely be satisfied." Xerox states while shuddering at the memories of past experiences with boats. She then shrinks back into the corner of the caravan where she keeps her books. Before Marvin heads out the door, he pauses when an idea comes to him, "Hey! Darian, want to go ship-shopping with me?" No answer. "Darian?" Marvin heads over to the hammock where Darian is lying upon and finds that the old teenager has fallen asleep from the gentle swaying of the bed that hovers over the floor. Pardus is also snoozing, just below Darian. Marvin pulls a magic wand out of his blue tuxedo's coat pocket and prods Darian with it, "Wake up! Awaken! Arise from your slumber!" Marvin looks at the small Hypno pendulum hanging from his wand, "Maybe this is a poor choice of wand..." "Ya wansta wakes up Daree-man?" Famifax sneaks up behind Marvin, fresh out of the clothing racks where she found a new disguise, "I gots jusstha things, Marvy-man! Fersure!" The Ditto has assumed the form of a short but buxom strawberry blonde teenage young woman dressed in a blue tank-top too small for her bulging chest and navy blue shorts too tight for her bulging rear. The curvaceous female tip-toes ever so quietly up to Darian, then jumps onto the hammock and wraps her arms and legs around him, creating a Famifax and hammock sandwich with Darian McCain as the piece of meat! "WAKES UP!" Chaos ensues. The hammock spins wildly out of control, but since Famifax has dug her currently human fingers and toes into the rings of the hammock, both she and the man she is hugging don't fall off the hammock as it spins! At one point, Darian finds himself being suffocated under two large lumps of flesh, but soon after finds himself hanging from the hammock - upside down. Famifax loses her grip on the hammock and she and Darian fall - right onto Pardus, "PERRRSIAN!" The feline Pokemon awakens hissing and scratching around in self defense until he fully regains consciousness and stops, "Sian." Darian stares at Famifax's huge blinking blue eyes and he notes, "What a wake up call! That would awaken the dead!" "Speaking of which..." Marvin points over to the front end of the caravan where the many horizontal and vertical boxes that he uses to dismember people are placed. The lid of the Sawing a Lady In Half box swings open. A Mr. Mime with his eyes still closed slowly sits up in the casket-like box, his arms crossed across his chest as if he were dead. When his eyelids dart up, he swings his two large hands upwards to stretch, adding a drawn out imaginary yawn for effect. Seeing the Mr. Mime's silent yawn, Marvin yawns for real, then says, "Darian McCain, meet one of the most recent additions to the caravan crew - Bozo! He's traveling with me until he can find a home. Which reminds me..." Marvin faces Bozo, who is climbing out of the box he was sleeping in, "We left Viridian City, Bozo. We're going to take a ship to the Orange Islands soon. Maybe you'll be able to find a place to settle down on one of the many Islands in the Southern Sea!" Bozo shrugs to show his indifference, then lights a fake cigar to mimic smoking. With an imaginary stogie held between two wide fingers, Bozo approaches Darian, who is still being caressed by Famifax. The Mr. Mime circles the trainer and his Persian, ready to judge them based on their appearance alone. After taking a puff from his non-existent tobacco, Bozo crosses his arms towards Darian, shrugs, then nods his quiet approval towards Marvin. "Well, I'm glad you don't consider them enemies, but you *could* be a little more friendly." Marvin lowers his eyebrows at Bozo, disturbed by the Pokemon's bitterness, "Hey, I know! We should ALL go and pick out a ship at Pallet Port together! That way Famifax can spend time with Darian, Bozo can become Pardus' friend, I can get second opinions on the boat I choose, and Xerox can... Well, she could... The thing with her is... Xerox could always..." "Stay at the caravan to enjoy a rare moment of peace and quiet." Xerox looks up from her novel at Marvin, hoping he'll agree. Marvin nods and mumbles, "Xerox could stay here to... to protect the caravan! Yes, that's a great idea! I'm glad I came up with it." He slides open the door of the caravan, and it about to head out once more, when he pauses again. He reaches down to the floor and picks up a dark top hat that he sets on top of his head, "Okay, Famifax, Darian, Pardus, and Bozo - let's go find a Used Boat Dealership on Pallet Port!" Marvin steps out, onto Pallet Town's southern and only dock. With Famifax still clinging to his arm, Darian follows Marvin with Pardus the Persian and Bozo the Mr. Mime in tow. Whenever Pardus tries to start a conversation with Bozo, the Persian finds it to be rather one-sided since the Mr. Mime only responds to the thoughtful meowing with indifferent shrugs. Darian's a little more successful when it comes to making conversation with Marvin, "Why did you put on your top hat, Marvin? I thought you didn't want to be a magician anymore!" "I'm still going to be a magician, I'm just not going to publicly perform as much!" Marvin adjusts both his top hat and his golden bow tie, "Besides, Darian, I've got a certain sense of fashion style that goes beyond whatever profession I have!" Darian takes a good look at Marvin's tacky blue tuxedo and top hat, "Or maybe you just wanted to cover up your bald spot..." Famifax, who is still hanging off Darian's arm and off his every word, giggles and exclaims, "Fersure!" Marvin sweatdrops and quickly changes the subject, "Look, over there at the end of the pier, it's a Used Boat Dealership!" -Marvin