Subject: [PW!] Chilling Developments Date: 14 Feb 2002 23:21:34 -0800 From: bandraptor@yahoo.com (Bandraptor) Organization: http://groups.google.com/ Newsgroups: alt.games.nintendo.pokemon Andrew O'Reilly, Andy Renev, and Enimuram Yortsed are sitting outside the Ecruteak City Pokémon Center, looking bored. Anubis is sitting next to them, also looking bored; and Set is perched in his usual positioin atop Anubis' head, not looking bored at all, because he has the Gameboy Advance that he lifted from the Pokemon Center in Violet City, and a brand new video game to keep him entertained. "Hey, Set," Andy grins hopefully, "can I play the next level?" Set thinks about this, "Naah." "Please?" "Naah." "*Pretty please*?" "Naah." Andy lunges for the Gameboy, "Don't be so selfish! Let me play for a while--at least *I* have thumbs!" "Natu!" Set Teleports out of harm's way, then zaps his Gameboy back into Telekinetic Hammer Space, where nobody else can play with it. "Natooo! Natooo!" "Aww," Andy sulks, bitterly, "Well, 'Sandslash Advance' isn't supposed to be that great, anyway." But he's still eyeing the Natu with a bit of envy. "I'm back." Nori announces, clipping Cerberus' Ultra Ball to her belt as she exits the Pokémon Center. "Took you long enough." Enimuram grumbles. "What do you mean?" Nori asks, "I was in there for all of two minutes." "Seemed more like two months..." "Whatever. Let's get going." Nori licks her index finger, and holds it up in the air to determine which way the wind is blowing. This action really isn't necessary, though, because a moment later, a powerful gale blows in from the East, chilling them all. "We need to go that way," Nori says, pointing Eastward. "It's always a cinch to find Maho--livine, because it's the most frigid spot in Johto. When you're searching for it, just remember, getting colder is a sign that you're getting warmer." Sure enough, as they move eastward, the weather progressively gets colder and colder. Andy pulls a black and orange windbreaker over his yellow "Hazard" t-shirt, Enimuram casually zips his jacket all the way up, and sticks his hands in his pockets, Andrew shivers a little, since he doesn't feel like changing his clothes, and Set leaves his normal spot atop Anubis' head, to duck inside Nori's jacket. The only ones who don't appear to be cold are Anubis, whose internal flame sacks keep him a toasty temperature regardless of the outside weather, and Nori, who's probably freezing, but just won't let it show. "Uh-oh." "What's wrong?" Andrew asks. Nori frowns, "We appear to have reached an impasse." Immediately in front of them is a thirty-foot wide lake, and twin rock facings are preventing them from walking around it. Nori is staring with distaste at the pool, clearly not enthusiastic about the prospect of having to swim through the icy water. "Okay," she suggests, "who has a Water Pokémon?" "Hmmph." Enimuram snorts, opting not to tell Nori anything that might give her a tactical advantage. Not that it matters... "I have a Vaporeon, and Eni has a Tentacool," Andy explains. "But I don't think they're big enough to carry us across that lake, if that's what you mean." "Maybe we can go this way." Andrew points toward the mountain on their left. "There's a cave right over here. If I know my PokeWorld geography, it probably leads to the other side of the lake..." "No way!" Nori cries, having clearly tried that route before, "No way am I walking through a cave full of Machokes!" "You know," Enimuram states, in a voice heavy with suspicion, "I looked at a map of Johto a few days ago, and I don't recall there being any major lakes or mountains on the path to Olivine." Nori rolls her eyes, "This is a shortcut." Enimuram loses his patience, "If it's a dead end, then it isn't much of a shortcut!" "Oh, don't get all worked up." Nori reaches for her belt, "I'll just have my Dodrio Fly us across the lake." She presses the release button on Cerberus' Ultra Ball, and the battle scarred Dodrio coalesces in front of her, looking as surly as ever. "Cerberus, take Enimuram across the lake." Cerberus grabs Enimuram by the front of the shirt, spins around three times to gain momentum, and hurls him across the lake. "WAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!" Enimuram shouts, before crash landing on the opposite bank. Nori promptly takes hold of one of Cerberus' beaks, and yanks it down so the head is level with hers. "Bad, bad Cerberus!" she scolds, "You can't just go tossing people around like that. What if that had been someone I *liked*? You could've hurt him! Wasn't it obvious that I wanted you to FLY him across?" Cerberus' left two heads shriek in protest at this admonishment, because they don't think Nori should be telling them how to do their job when she hasn't offered to carry anybody across the lake herself. The right head, which has been unfailing pleasant and obedient ever since Nori equipped it with a mind-controlling headband some years ago, bows in regret, and tries to explain, "Dri." Nori blinks, "Of course." she sweatdrops, "Of course you couldn't Fly him across. You need my Thunder Badge in order to use Fly outside of battle...and since Enimuram didn't happen to be holding MY badge...sorry about that, Cerberus." She faces the two Andys, "In order for Cerberus to Fly you across, I'll have to ride with you. We can do this in two trips--who's first?" She recalls Anubis into his Pokeball, to save Cerberus the trouble of carrying him, and easily hops onto the Dodrio's back. Andy and Andrew exchange glances, not especially eager to entrust their safety to the Pokémon that just attacked their friend; but after a few seconds of silent debate, Andrew shrugs, relenting to be the first passenger. Once he's on board, Nori withdraws a Thunder Badge from a pouch on her belt, and holds it out above Cerberus' head. "Cerberus, Fly." The instant she says this, the badge begins to glow, and Cerberus begins to glow as well. The Dodrio stretches its wings, and with more power than can possibly be expected, flaps them, until it lifts vertically into the air. Before he even has a sense of flying, Andrew finds himself on the ground once again, and a few seconds later, Nori and Andrew appear beside him. Strangely enough, Cerberus is now nowhere in sight, and Anubis is sitting by Nori's feet, but Andrew can't remember Nori recalling or sending out any of her Pokémon. "Eni!" Andy runs over to Enimuram, who looks a bit dazed, but otherwise unharmed, "are you all right?" "Yeah..." Enimuram groans, holding his head. "I don't get it. I landed in some soft sand, but if anything, that made me hit harder." TBC?