From: RobfromVoid (RobfromVoid@prodigy.net) Subject: [PW!] Falkner's Hoothoot's A Hoot Newsgroups: alt.games.nintendo.pokemon Date: 2001-04-16 18:06:06 PST Adrian Tymes wrote: > The pokemon pointed up. > > Sarah looked where it pointed...straight at the entrance to the > Violet City Gym. Many of the trainers inside, hearing the ruckus, had > taken breaks from their duties and now observed from within the gym, > more than one leaning dangerously far out an open window. > > Then she looked down, where the smeargle was tracing something in the > dust with its currently paintless tailbrush: "Sarah and Barbie need > help. No can fight in gym, but can be friend." > > "How...how did you know our names? Who are you?" > > "Do not ask," was quickly stenciled after the previous phrase vanished > to a couple quick brushes. "For now." Sarah is sitting on the sidewalk in front of the Violet City Gym, after having been knocked down by the Smeargle before her during an unexpected tickle attack. She stares at the Pokemon, hazel eyes open wide. It creeped her out that the Smeargle knew her name and if the Mareep trembling behind Sarah's back knew how to read, she would have been even more scared than she currently is. Though Sarah is thoroughly creeped out, she thinks that the Smeargle is friendly - it did lead her to the Gym, after all. Also, when the beagle Pokemon tickled her, it reminded her of her little brother, who would sometimes tickle her feet to wake her up mornings when she absolutely refused to leave bed. Sarah smiles at the Pokemon and says, "Okay, Pokemon, I'll... I'll let you watch as I win my... my first badge!" The Smeargle makes sure not to appear doubtful about Sarah's confidence. The Pokemon simply states, as it points to the Gym entrance with its tailbrush, "Smeargle." Sarah stands up, dusts off her clothing, and grabs her wooden crook to gently pull her tremulous sheep Pokemon into the Violet City Gym. Barbie insists on resisting and Sarah doesn't want to use too much force, so a tug-of-war standstill ensues until the Smeargle helps out by sneaking up behind Barbie and tickling her tail with its tailbrush. This causes the Pokemon to squeal "Eeeeep!" and race ahead, dragging the young shepherdess who still has a crook around her neck along with her! "Halt!" A pointy-nosed bird Pokemon trainer inside the Gym shouts with one hand up to stop the Mareep. It works. The Mareep screeches to a halt and looks up at the intimidating male human before her, then quickly turns around and runs the other way - only to bump into a Smeargle, much like her trainer had moments earlier. Sarah drops her crook, and immediately reaches down to grab it and put it away, blushing because the trainer is male. While she does this, she nervously asks, "Are... are you... the Gym Leader?" She never makes eye contact with the guy, even when he speaks, "No, but you must defeat me before challenging Falkner!" Since Sarah isn't looking at the bird Pokemon trainer, she doesn't notice when he pulls out a Pokeball and releases his Pidgey until the Pokemon chirps, "Pidgey!" "Pidgey?" Sarah tilts her head slightly upwards and sees her opponent's Pokemon. She motions behind her, saying, "Mareep - use Thundershock on Pidgey!" "Mareep! Reeeeep!" Barbie is standing shocked before the Smeargle who intercepted her when she tried to escape the Gym until the Pokemon sticks its tongue out at her, terrifying her into running back towards the bird Pokemon trainer! Upon seeing the Pidgey at the trainer's feet, she releases her stored electricity, using Thundershock on the Pidgey who didn't dodge the attack since he didn't even know where his enemy was until just seconds before he is Thundershocked and faints. "Pidgey, return!" The male trainer calls his fainted Pidgey back into his Pokeball, then releases his Spearow, "Go, Spearow!" Barbie is scared when a strange looking bird Pokemon appears out of thin air before her, so she uses Thundershock again without being asked to! Spearow faints. "You may have won this match," The trainer says while calling back his fainted Spearow. He looks straight into Sarah's forehead since her eyes aren't clearly visible, "But Falkner, the Gym Leader, won't be so easy to defeat! Follow me to the roof of this Gym, where you will battle him for a chance to win a Zephyr Badge." Sarah follows the bird Pokemon trainer up the stairs of the Violet City Gym by looking at his legs as he walks, still not making eye contact, especially now that she had beaten him. She's happy that she won the match against him, but she wishes she had seen the whole thing to know why she had won. Barbie follows reluctantly behind the shepherdess, occasionally looking back to consider trying to escape the Gym again. Every time she considers escaping, she changes her mind when she sees the Smeargle who's following closely behind her holding up its tailbrush like a bank robber holding up a cashier, and she keeps on walking... "Hey, this next challenger's pretty cute..." Falkner tells the Hoothoot on his shoulder as he sees a modestly dressed girl being led up to his Gym's battle area, "...but that doesn't mean I'll go easy on her. Girls don't like losers." He then raises his voice when he says, "Welcome, trainer! Ny name's Falkner. I'm the Violet City Gym Leader and I take it you're here for a Zephyr Badge? Most people come here for that... no one ever wants to sit down and chat. They just take their badge and leave, then..." Falkner realizes how sad and pathetic he sounds, so he abruptly stops, "Nevermind. So, will you be using your Mareep and Smeargle?" "Huh?" Sarah asks sheepishly, then realizes that Falkner's talking about the Pokemon who followed her, "N-no, Smeargle's... not mine... not my Pokemon." Falkner shrugs, "Okay. I guess this'll be a one-on-one match, then, unless you've got Pokeballs." Sarah's eyes open wide in shock when she hears him say that, and she looks up at the green-haired youth to scold him, "Didn't your ma ever wash your mouth out with soap? I wish she had, because then you wouldn't be makin' such sexist remarks! I don't have more Pokemon, so I'm just gonna have to beat you with Barbie!" The bird Pokemon trainer and the Smeargle are both surprised to see Sarah speaking without stuttering. Barbie is scared, knowing how Sarah gets when she's mad. "Barbie, show this guy some manners," Sarah fumes. The terrified sheep Pokemon attempts to scurry away, but Sarah embraces her thick fleece before she can escape and gently tosses her into the battle arena. Barbie decides to stand still, waiting for something to happen, hoping that Sarah will calm down soon. Falkner is very confused about what Sarah is talking about, but he does know that he's been challenged to a match. He's amused to see another Mareep - so many trainers catch that Electric Pokemon right before battling him that he's become used to teaching people that Type doesn't matter, "Go, Hoothoot!" The Hoothoot balancing on Falkner's shoulder leaps off Falkner, switches his legs so swiftly no one notices, and lands on one claw in front of Barbie, "Hoothoot!" Falkner doesn't waste time, knowing that every move is critically important in a battle where one is at a Type disadvantage, "Hoothoot, use Hypnosis!" The Hoothoot's wide eyes open even wider than usual. Barbie is about to turn away, not to dodge the Hypnosis attack but because she can't stand being stared at, but she falls asleep before doing so. Her legs go limp and her bleating turns into snoring as the Hoothoot dances around on one leg. Sarah is taken aback when she witnesses for the first time a Pokemon putting another Pokemon to sleep against her will, "Barbie! Wake up!" "Hoothoot, Peck!" Falkner decides to go easy on the Pokemon while she's asleep by telling his Hoothoot to use a move that doesn't work well against Electric Pokemon, but he is still determined to win. His Hoothoot obeys and starts Pecking at Barbie's fleece. Sarah's shyness starts to get the better of her again as her rage subsides when she realizes that she's not winning the match, "Barbie - please... please wake up!" Falkner decides that it's time for his Hoothoot to use his patented move, which is coincidentally a Ground Type move that can hurt Electric Pokemon, "Hoothoot, Mud Slap!" Hoothoot hoots, flies over to a puddle of mud conveniently found in the middle of the arena, and grabs a chunk of it in his claw. He flies back to Barbie, and just as the sheep Pokemon opens her eyes, a pile of Mud is Slapped onto her face by Hoothoot, temporarily blinding her and weakening her at the same time! "Barbie..." Sarah looks away from Falkner since she's embarrassed that she's losing. She looks at her Mareep instead, "Now that you're awake... Thundershock!" Although weakened and unable to see, Barbie musters enough strength to send out a powerful Thundershock that manages to hit Hoothoot! The owl Pokemon looks dizzy and he wobbles around on one leg... but he reaches down, plucks a Berry off his collar, and swallows it whole! He immediately feels a surge of strength - enough to perform a Tackle attack on Barbie right after Falkner instructs him to by saying, "Hoothoot, finish her off with a Tackle attack!" The Hoothoot Tackles the weakened Mareep, who bleats one last time right before closing her eyes when she faints. Falkner smiles at his win - the first one in a while. His smile turns upside down when he hears quiet sobbing coming from across the battle arena, originating from Sarah. "Hey, don't cry!" Falkner runs over to Sarah's fainted Mareep, "Look, I'll use a Revive potion on her and she'll be fine!" He pulls a small vial from his pack and pours it into Barbie's mouth. Sarah stares at her Mareep as the Pokemon slowly recovers, standing up, "Th-thanks... I-I'm sorry for getting mad... I just... I'm not used to hearing such things..." "Uh... yeah, that's okay." Falkner walks up to the shepherdess. His Hoothoot attempts to perch on his shoulder again, but Falkner shoos him away to talk with Sarah. The Gym Leader places his hand under Sarah's chin and tilts her head up to she faces him, "You show great potential, but you need a wider variety of Pokemon. I suggest you visit Professor Elm in New Bark Town and ask him for one. It's much easier than catching them in the wild. Say, if you want, I'll give you my number and you can call me using your..." He glances at her wrist and sees that it's bare, "Oh. Uh, using a phone at a Pokemon Center." Sarah knows a little about phones, since her mom and uncle used one at the farm to sell their wool to people, but she had never used one herself. To be polite, she nods at Falkner and waits as he giddily writes a phone number on a piece of paper. After receiving Falkner's number and putting it away in her bag, Sarah waves good-bye to the Gym Leader, much to the disappointment of Falkner, who wanted a kiss on the cheek or at least a hug from Sarah. She heads back downstairs and back into the streets of Violet City, followed by her Mareep and the mysterious Smeargle who didn't want to answer her questions earlier. "I know you don't like answering questions," Sarah tells the Smeargle standing before her, feeling less shy around it now that it's been following her for a little while, "...but I also know that you like pointing me in the right direction. So could you please lead me and Barbie to New Bark Town?" -Sarah