From: Perfect Chaos (regulus@webzone.net) Subject: [PW!] [Final post] Toy Soldiers Newsgroups: alt.games.nintendo.pokemon Date: 2000/04/01 Step by step Heart to heart Left right left We all fall down Like Toy Soldiers - - - - - Spec had ventured off on his own again. He wasn't quite sure why, and at the moment, he didn't really care. He was alone again. Scyther and Ditto both in pokeballs now. In some odd twist of fate, it was raining. That figured. It always rained when he was alone and trying to think. Kat apparently didn't want to be around him anymore...and he didn't really trust who she was with. He had no real purpose anymore to be around. With a sigh, he headed for the lights of Viridian. A good hour later, and he was in town...on a roof, gazing off towards the gym. The final badge was all he needed. But...then what? He'd return to Indigo Plateau, fight the Elite 4...and then what? He'd lose or he'd win. Either way, he'd wind up the same. A pokemon trainer without a purpose. He smiled to himself faintly, and decided to return home. - - - - - It was nearly morning when he arrived home. He had taken things slow, letting himself take in the sights of the forest for the first time. It was beautiful there. A place he might spent a great deal of time in the future, perhaps. He took the two pokeballs that held his friends, and released them. Scyther stretched out briefly, as did the Ditto. Spec gave them a bit of a forced smile. "You're free." The two pokemon blinked at each other, then at their trainer. Scyther protested a bit, but Spec shook his head. "Go find another guy to be your friend. I'm giving it up. There's no reason for me to continue on. There's nothing out there for me to see anymore." He turned back towards his house, and entered the front door, not giving his friends the time they needed to try and talk him out of it. With a sad expression, Scyther picked up the Ditto, put it on his head, and headed back for the forest. - - - - - Spec sat down on the edge of his bed. His father was out, apparently. Better that way. At least for now. He let his trenchcoat slump off his shoulders. Sitting beside it, he began removing objects from his pockets. A solid gold pokeball, a silver feather, his 7 badges, a picture of himself and Kat, taken somewhere along the way, a happy-faced mask, a few scales from a Gyarados, a snow globe, and a pendant. All things he'd picked up at one point or another...all things he'd keep forever. With another forced smile, he placed the items in a drawer on his nightstand, and hung his trenchcoat up in the closet. He looked out of his window briefly...and whispered a goodbye. - - - - - Somewhere, two sad pokemon walked alone for the first time. Somewhere, a girl was asking where the friend she had recently reuinted with was. Somewhere, Giovanni was looking for him. Somewhere, an old friend was gazing out of a window, a frown across his face. He knew the game was over, and there was nothing he could do. He stood up straight, and simply nodded to the skies. And somewhere, someone was crying. - - - - - O w a r i - - - - - I wish this were only an April Fools joke...but it isn't. I gave this a lot of hard thought. I didn't last as long as I had hoped I would. But it's better this way. I've dealt with a lot of things this week, none of which I'll bother any of you with. Suffice to say, I lost a very important person this week, and it's taking it's toll on me. I hope PW! continues on...and I know it'll get revived in a way when Gold and Silver come out in english. I'll come back around and see how things get handled then, maybe. Thanks to everyone who's participated, and made PW! what it is. And thanks to everyone who made my life a little brighter. -- Reg December 1, 1999 - April 1, 2000