Subject: [PW!] Partner from the Past Date: Sat, 20 Apr 2002 03:19:23 GMT From: Rob <robfrompw@yahoo.com> Organization: AT&T Worldnet Newsgroups: alt.games.nintendo.pokemon Marcia, dressed in a white shirt, blue jeans, and black boots, walks into the Cafeteria of Team Rocket's Underground Base in Mahogany Town. She's been staying here a couple of weeks, instructing a Team Rocket member named Allan on learning independence and waiting for Giovanni to visit the base so she can be at Allan's side when he finally confronts the Boss of Team Rocket. She grabs a tray off a stack of them and slides it down a line, eyeing the other Team Rocket members having dinner in the Cafeteria. Many of them think she came crawling back to a life of crime while others are suspicious of her intentions at the base. However, the reputation that Marcia gained during the time she spent as Minax prevents any one of those who believe she has ulterior motives to confront her about their belief. Marcia takes a banana from a basket and serves herself some fruit punch, then sits down at one of the few empty tables to eat her small dinner. She's cut down her food intake recently upon seeing how in shape other Team Rocket members in the base are. When she noticed that over the past two years of sitting in the Violet City Pokemon Center a small roll of fat has appeared on her usually flat abdomen, she began her diet - that was two weeks ago, when she first arrived at the base. After peeling her banana, but before taking her first bite of it, she rubs her abdomen - while it's not tone, the roll of fat has decreased in size. She bites her banana. Some Rocket Grunts sitting at a nearby table start laughing and pointing over at her, making suggestive comments when they see her sink her teeth into the banana. "Immature idiots." Marcia narrows her eyes, figuring that Team Rocket members by definition are immature and idiotic, then pulls out her long skinning knife, which she uses both to intimidate the Rocket Grunts glancing over at her and to cut her banana into slices. She takes a sip of her fruit punch and sighs. There have been dozens of humans inside the base in the past two weeks, and although she's recognized a bunch of them, none of them were friends. Tonight, she's thinking about just how few human friends she has - even Nurse Joy, the woman she's been working with for over a year now, is not truly her friend. She eats a banana slice. "Happy Birthday to you, Minax..." A gentle voice interrupts Marcia's meal. When Marcia turns in her chair to see who it is, she finds a bouquet of violets in front of her eyes. She blinks and looks up to see the bearer of the violet bouquet - a purple-haired man wearing an indigo shirt, dark purple jeans, and violet boots. Marcia is taken aback. She quietly gasps and says, "Purp! You... remembered?" "Of course I remembered!" Purp hands her the bouquet of violets and says, "Don't you remember we celebrated your birthday together when we were partners five years ago? Just today, when I heard you were staying here at the Mahogany Base, I came as quickly as I could. I just got here minutes ago! I'm glad I found you." A smile appears on Marcia's face - not one of malice or of cynicism, but a genuine happy smile, "I don't remember the last time someone remembered by birthday." "How could I forget?" The thirty year-old man rhetorically asks, sitting down next to Marcia, "You really opened up to me that day. You told me how you did get scared sometimes. It wasn't much, but it was more than you'd ever opened up to me before. I haven't stopped thinking about you since the day we parted ways." Marcia eyes her past partner, and sees that despite the fact that he's wearing the same outfit he's worn for years, he looks different - he looks more mature. She'd normally keep such an observation to herself, but she decides to share it by saying, "It looks like my little bitch has grown up." She sniffs out a laugh. Purp smirks and puts one arm behind his back, "Heh, yeah, I've been through a lot of strife. I guess it's aged me. I've missed you, Minax- how have you been?" "Fine." Marcia replies with her usual terse response, then pauses, puts away her knife, and looks down before saying, "Well, lately, I've been feeling lonely, but I'm guessing it's just because I've gotten used to having someone at my side for the past few months and now I'm alone again." "Oh..." Purp lightly bites his lower lip, then asks, "What happened? Did he leave you?" Marcia shakes her head and corrects Purp, "Not he - she." "She?" Purp looks disappointed and comments, "I didn't know... I should've guessed since you never-" "Recently, I met a daughter I never knew I had." Marcia slips a banana slice into her mouth, "She's off on her own now. I think it's for the best, you know, since I value my privacy so much - plus now she can soar free without me holding her back. She's very mature for her age. I can't help but feel lonely, though." "I've felt lonely lately, too..." Purp puts his hand on Marcia's shoulder, and to his surprise, she doesn't bat it away like she used to, "These new Rocket recruits are so bland - they don't have personality, the way Rockets used to have. I haven't had someone intelligent to talk with by my side since... well, since we were partners." Marcia thinks about her partnership with Purp, smiles, and looks into his sparkling violet eyes, "You know, I never told you this before, but sometimes I did have fun with you when we were partners." She sniffs the bouquet of violets she's still clutching in one hand and asks, "Where did you find these beautiful flowers?" "Violet City. It's where I'm stationed most of the time - it fits, don't you think?" Purp gestures down at his violet clothing and explains, "Team Rocket's got a base in the city, right next to the Officer Jenny Headquarters. We've even got some Double Agents who look like Jennys working for us at the Jenny HQ." Marcia gathers the rest of her banana slices in one hand and puts them in her mouth. After chewing and swallowing them, she says, "I know you're used to getting your Pokemon healed by Nurse Starrs in Rocket Bases, but next time you're in Violet, go visit the Pokemon Center. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised." She chugs down the rest of her fruit punch and stands up. When she walks past the table where the Rocket Grunts who were laughing at her earlier, they start making catcalls and suggestive gestures at her. Purp walks over and tells them to shut up, but Marcia says, "That's it. I'm leaving." She storms towards the exit. "Wait!" Purp races after Marcia and takes her hand. When Marcia turns around to face Purp, he says, "Don't let those jerks get to you - stay here for a while! You've barely eaten - I'll pay for your birthday meal, just like I did last time we celebrated your birthday. Please don't leave me again... please..." "Allan's covered my expenses, so you don't have to pay for anything. Thanks for the offer, though." Marcia looks at the pining expression on Purp's face and she smiles, "Really, thank you... for the flowers, for remembering my birthday, and most of all, for being my friend." She embraces Purp, then turns and runs off. -Marcia