Subject: [PW!] A Flowery Letter Date: Sat, 15 Sep 2001 06:51:54 GMT From: Rob <robfrompw@yahoo.com> Organization: EarthLink Inc. -- http://www.EarthLink.net Newsgroups: alt.games.nintendo.pokemon Sarah steps back into the Goldenrod City Pokemon Center, after having been teleported against her will to the Magnet Train moments ago. She raises her hands up the sides of her face and calls out to her Mareep... but since she's so shy and the Pokemon Center is full of people, the call is only slightly louder than a whisper. Fortunately, the usually-high paranoia of Barbie, the Mareep searching the other end of the Pokemon Center, is so additionally heightened by Sarah's abrupt absence that she's paying attention to all the noises around her more closely than ever, which is the reason she does hear Sarah. Barbie happily bleats, "Eeee!" She turns around, sees her blonde trainer at the Pokemon Center's entrance. She spies the tip of the wooden crook, visible behind her back, and before Sarah even has to reach for it, Barbie races, as fast as her four legs can run, over to the shepherdess, "Maa mareeeep!" Once next to Sarah, she rubs up against her legs. "Oh, Barbie, I'm happy to see you're safe too!" Sarah exclaims, leaning down to hug her loving Mareep, not really able to understand what Barbie is saying, but able to understand her emotions. She heads outside, Barbie willingly following her wherever she goes. Once outside the Pokemon Center, Sarah smiles at Bob Raiser, who waited outside for her so as to not scare Barbie, "Thanks... for comin' with m-me. D-do you happen to... to know wh-where the Department St-store is?" Bob nods, "It's just down the street." He points over to a tall building just to the east. "Would you like me to take you there? I don't mind being your tour guide..." "N-no!" Sarah, staring at the concrete sidewalk below her, shakes her head. Since she's not looking at Bob, she can't see that he's hurt by her blunt and abrupt reply, but when there's silence for a few seconds, Sarah can tell that he took what she said the wrong way, "Wh-what I mean is... I just don't want... I don't want you to have to g-go outta your way for me. Y-you were headin' to the P-Pokemon Center, and h-here we are. I won't take... take up any more of your time... Thanks for all your... your help... and thanks again for that egg. This morning, I no-noticed it was wobbling... I can't... can't wait to see what hatches!" "No prob. I hope we bump into each other again some time! Though next time, hopefully less literally." Bob thinks about patting Sarah on the shoulder as a farewell, but fears it might give her a heart attack, so he just puts his hand in Sarah's line of vision and waves it, then leads Raffy his Girafarig into the Pokemon Center. A short walk later and a pushed door later, Sarah arrives inside the lobby of the Goldenrod City Department Store. Her body begins trembling in fear when she sees a group of elevators, since she's afraid of technology, but lets out a sigh of relief when she notices there's a staircase at one corner of the building. Remembering that Nurse Joy told her she could buy Flower Mail on the second floor, she walks past shoppers, up one flight of stairs, then approaches the first counter she sees. Before anyone there can ask her if they can help her, she clears her throat and quietly asks, "C-can I pl-please have... one mail p-paper?" "Sure. That'll be 50 pokebucks." The male cashier behind the counter grunts, pulls out a colorful, mostly green, piece of paper, slaps it down on the counter, then extends an open palm towards Sarah. In such a fast paced world, he's lost all ambition for his job. Sometimes he feels like a mindless robot programmed to dispense Pokedolls, Repels, and other miscellaneous paraphernalia, such as the Flower Mail he's currently being paid for. After counting the money and depositing it in a cash register, he monotonously states, "Please come again," even though Sarah has already taken the Flower Mail and headed downstairs. Sarah sits down at a bench in the Department Store's lobby and, inspired by the red flower designs and the Oddish outlines on the Flower Mail, she writes, using a pencil she's been carrying with her from home, "Dear Family, I'm writing to you from a big city - the biggest one I've ever seen. It's called Goldenrod. I've met many nice new people and made new friends, including a very smart Ditto called Mimic. I've earned one Johto League badge so far and hope to earn more soon. I miss you all very much! Mom, I really hope you're doing fine with me gone. Teddy, I actually miss your annoying quirks. Grandma and grandpa, I'm glad you taught me all you did since it's come in handy since I left. I don't know when I'll go back home, but know that I love you all no matter where I am. -Love, Sarah." "Ma!" Barbie the Mareep bleats when she sees the lady from the service desk approaching her. She grabs onto Sarah's skirt with her mouth and tugs a few times. Sarah is startled when the secretary, who she didn't notice since she ignored Barbie's tugging, says, "I noticed you're writing a letter. There's a Rooftop Square on the sixth floor that's a much more inspirational place than this lobby. Just thought I'd let you know..." The shepherdess looks up briefly, then lowers her head again and shakes it, saying, "N-no... I just... just finished my letter, th-thank you. B-besides, I wouldn't wanna walk all the w-way up to the s-sixth floor, and there's... there's no way I'd get into... one of those elevators. There's somethin' ab-about unnatural technological th-things that b-bothers me..." "Really?" The front desk clerk asks with a smile on her face that Sarah, who isn't looking, notices in the tone of the woman's voice, "I love nature, too! I was born and raised in the city, but I'm a country girl at heart. You should really visit the National Park just north of the city. It's beautiful! I take walks there all the time." Sarah nods, "Th-thanks for the tip. I'm headin' that way, so I'll go there after sendin' this letter." She smiles, stands, and heads towards the store's exit, followed by her Mareep, who glances back at the front desk clerk with a suspicious eye, wondering if the woman has set up a trap at the National Park for them. -Sarah