Subject: [PW] Scyther Scuffle! Date: Wed, 24 Oct 2001 16:37:11 -0700 From: "R. Tech Weaver - Biggest Dreamer" <nichirasu@hotmail.com> Organization: CompuServe Interactive Services Newsgroups: alt.games.nintendo.pokemon The doors to the Azalea Pokemon gym burst open. Yolei marched in with a look of intense determination on her face. "All right, bug-boy!" she called out. "You and me, right now!" Not too far behind, Lynkeru and her fairy, Indi, entered the gym casually. "You're right," Lynkeru said to her winged companion. "She scares me sometimes, too." Yolei ignored her and breezed past whatever obstacles stood in her way as she approached Bugsy, Azalea's gym leader. He looked young, perhaps school age. His interest in bug-type Pokemon was illustrated by the Butterfree net leaning on the tree next to him, as well as his dominance in the field of insect training. A Kakuna descended directly in front of Yolei. It soon found itself against the far wall. "I was wondering when you two were coming back," Bugsy said. "This is, what? The third time you've gotten here? Do you want to battle or do you have some crush on me?" Yolei's vicious look eased up a moment as she blinked, then scratched the back of her head. "Well, you are kinda cute, I guess," she admitted. Then she snapped back into her challenging posture. "But that's not why I'm here! You, me, Hive Badge! Now!" "All right, all right," Bugsy said as he reached into his pocket. Under his breath he added, "Wierdo." At Indi's proding, Lynkeru said, "Oh, uh, sorry about that hole I made in your hedgemaze earlier." "Don't worry about it," Bugsy said with some annoyance. "It'll grow back." He produced a PokeBall from his pocket. Yolei readied one of her own. "This'll be a one-on-one match," Bugsy said. "That way, I can get you out of my gym faster. Is your friend going to fight, too?" "No, I'll just watch," Lynkeru said. "I don't need Pokemon to fight my battles." "Suit yourself. Scyther, go!" Bugsy tossed his PokeBall to the ground, release the Scyther held within. "Scyther!" it screeched. Yolei smirked to herself. This was going to be easy. "Mera, go!" Yolei called out. She flung her PokeBall, causing her Cyndaquil to emerge. "Cyndaquil?" Mera said. He sniffed the air. Sensing the presence of a Scyther, his backside flared to life. "Cyndaquil!" Bugsy shook his head. "They always want to take the easy route. Scyther! Double Team!" The Scyther zipped about quickly, zig-zagging about the gym. Each time it stopped and changed direction, it left a duplicate of itself in its place. The duplicates soon began to dart about as well. "Hey!" Lynkeru protested. "I thought you said this'd be one-on-one!" "It's just Double Teaming," Yolei explained. "The copies Scyther makes are only illusions and can't harm anyone. It's a common defensive tactic. I'll just use one of my own! Mera, Smokescreen!" The flames on Mera's back immediately extinguished themselves. In their place, black smoke jetted out of his pores, filling the area around him. Indi made some twinkling sounds. "I know," Lynkeru said. "I can't see him either!" Scyther and his clones darted about the cloud aimlessly, trying to find a good angle on the Cyndaquil within. "Scyther, Slash attack!" One by one, the Scythers quickly dove through the cloud of smoke. Each one passed right through without stopping. Some even made return trips. "Mera, Ember!" Mera leapt straight out of the top of the cloud. He spun like a wheel, flinging flames everywhere. Most of the Scythers they hit dissappated. Mera then dropped back into the cloud. "All right, then," Bugsy said. "Scyther! Slash again!" "Mera, Tackle!" As the illusionary Scythers dove in to attack, a spinning ball of Cyndaquil leapt out from the cloud in attempt to slam into one of them. Mera just sailed right through the one he tried to hit and right into the waiting claws of the real Scyther. It slashed at him, sending him through the cloud and into a tree. Mera soon found himself surrounded by Scythers. "Fury Swipes!" Bugsy commanded. "Smokescreen!" Yolei called out. The combatants were soon enveloped in smoke. Various slashing and snarling sounds could be heard as Mera crawled out from the cloud. Much to his surprise and chagrin, he was dragged right back in. "Quillllll.......!" Mera whined as he was forced into the cloud. "Mera!" cried Yolei. "I thought that was kind of funny, actually," Lynkeru said. "Ember attack, Mera!" Several fireballs escaped from the cloud, flying in all directions. "Ah, man," lamented Yolei. "This isn't doing me any good. I can't see a thing!" "Slash him, Scyther." "QUIL!" Mera wailed from inside the cloud. "Mera, Tackle!" Bugsy's Scyther was thrown from the cloud and skidded across the ground. It hopped back into the air and awaited orders. "Scyther, do us all a favor and get rid of that smoke! Use Rapid Spin!" The Scyther rapidly flew in circles around the cloud of smoke. The cloud turned into a funnel and rose upward, where it was sucked into a nearby air vent. What was in the cloud's place was a shocking surprise! "Whoa!" Lynkeru gawked. "What is... What happened?" "Hey!" complained Bugsy. "I don't think that's completely called for!" "He evolved!" Yolei cheered. "Mera evolved!" "That's Mera?" Lynkeru exclaimed. "What is he?" "Quilava!" Mera responded. "I guess that answers my question," Lynkeru said. Mera's new form was much larger and longer. The long snout that was Mera's nose was now a more rodent-like muzzle and was accompanied by a crest of flame on his head. "Perfecto!" Yolei cheered. "This battle's not over yet!" Bugsy said. "Scyther, finish him off with your Fury Cutter!" The Scyther powered up one of its arm-blades and dove in for the attack. Mera quickly spun around and exhaled a gout of flame at the descending mantis. Scyther was instantly burnt to a crisp and crashed to the ground. "Okay," Bugsy admitted. "Now it's over. You win the Hive Badge and the special Fury Cutter TM." A Butterfree flew over to Yolei and handed her both items. "All right!" cheered Yolei as she accepted the items. "Excellent!" "Perfecto, even," Lynkeru added. As Yolei pinned the Hive Badge next to her Zephyr Badge, Mera trotted up to her. Without warning, Mera's jaws latched onto her collar and hoisted Yolei onto his back. Yolei had first yelped with surprise, then she laughed playfully as she realized Mera was giving her a ride. [1] "Hey, cool," Yolei remarked. "Wanna ride, Lynk?" "Okay," Lynkeru replied as she climbed onto Mera's back. "Just don't call me Lynk, okay?" "To the PokeCenter, Mera," Yolei said as Mera trotted out of the gym. "See ya, Bugsy!" "I don't train Pokemon," Lynkeru said, "But if I did, I think I'd train a Scyther." "Cool. Can I call you 'Keru?'" "No." "How about Lyn-chan?" "Nuh-uh. Lyn's good, though." "Perfecto." To be continued... [1] I imagine Quilavas are big enough to do that, yes? -- Chet "Tech" Weaver's Revised Basic Sig Now with 75% less extraneous information! "Meanwhile, the Japanese government announced that it was already well on its way to creating a three-headed soldier with wings and cybernetically implanted machine guns. They are promising to pour milllions into further human cloning projects with the hope of 'Making real life more like our really, really cool cartoons.'" --Boondocks, 8/23/01 "No ride is complete without a clown in an electric chair." -- My brother AIM: PanGatomon, Rorschach Mask, NemesisWolfHelm