Subject: [PW!][WC] preparations for round two, a bitter trainer, and a special Cameo Date: Tue, 10 Dec 2002 00:49:45 GMT From: Worry <Not@acceping.today> Organization: RoadRunner - Triad Newsgroups: alt.games.nintendo.pokemon [ Misty ] vs. [ Yolei ] [ Bob * ] vs. [ Becky * ] [ Rudy ] vs. [ Brome ] [ Jutta ] vs. [ Cappie * ] [ Trent * |> ] vs. [ Belle ] [ Robert ] vs. [ Travis ] [ Karen * ] vs. [ Aerie ] [ Persian * ] vs. [ Mamoru ] "Looks like my match is before yours." Becky states sadly looking at the display screen above Nurse Joy's station. "I guess I will have to rent a pokemon." "I'll let you borrow my Marill." Travis replied. "We will have to trade one of your pokemon for him, though. Sorry he isn't high level. I've only trained him up to about 15 or so. He does know some powerful water moves. Still, I would send him out first and save Waverider for mopping up." "I'll let you hold on to Nighttime, then." Becky replied. "You can send both of them back to Ivy and let them catch up while we fight in this competition." So saying, the two went to the trading post and computers to effect their trades. Soon they had their pokemon straightened out and were back in front of Nurse Joy, turning over their water types for treatment. "When you get Marill back, you should probably head over to the arena to get some training in." Travis commented. "Get him up to fighting speed and all. It has been awhile since he battled. The guy you are facing, Bob, used a rented Mantine to decent effect in his battle. You might want to come up with a stragety." "Mantine is a tough pokemon to beat, without an electric half type." Becky conceded. "I would like to have one of the fossils evolved with Ancient Power." "Hard to throw rocks in the arena." Travis replied. "Ancient Power would be a great move to have, though. Marill is a great swimmer. he should have the advantage under water. Mantine's special defense will be hard to overcome. Marill should Double Team a lot, just to make himself hard to hit, then nibble away at Mantine as best he can." "What about your match?" Becky asked. "Got any plans?" "His Slowbro worries me." Travis replied, not sounding worried at all. "Being a half Psychic gives him a great advantage over Tendril, and Slowbro is both evolved and at a level higher then Rapid." "So what is your strategy?" "He is sitting right over there." Travis replied in a low voice nodding his head over to a trainer sitting in the center with his hands over his belly. Robert seemed to be in distress and in no position to overhear, But Travis wasn't taking the chance. Just then nurse Joy returned with the pair's treated Pokemon. They went over and reclaimed them, Becky taking the chance to register Marill as her second pokemon. Then the traveling companions went into the center's cafeteria to enjoy a meal before Becky went out to get in some training with Marill. * * * After eating their fill, Becky headed down toe the arena preparation area to train with Marill. Travis decided to take a walk to help settle his meal. While the Pokecenter's cafeteria provided nutritious food, sometimes it weighed a little heavy. Taking a stroll around the city, with his hands in his pockets, Travis admired the decorations. Scarlet went all out during the Whirl Cup. banners and streamers lined every street, while the square provided a focal point with an elaborate light display. Admiring the lights, but not crazy about the loud crowd, Travis soon left the square. He hadn't gotten very far before a loud but familiar voice stopped him. "You! I want a rematch!" Travis turned to find himself confronted by a still angry Trinity. The purple haired woman was dressed in her trademark dress that matched the color of her hair. Her normally beautiful face, though, was tinged red and scowling. Before Travis could make a sound, Trinity ranted, "What happened yesterday was a fluke! I have never been eliminated in the first round of this competition! I want a rematch! If I win, i take your spot in the second round! if you win...." And here the older woman faltered. Travis, though amused, said nothing as Trinity tried to think of what she could offer the teen to make him take her challenge. "If you win, I will give you the same amount as the prize offered. Ten thousand!" She went on after a moment. "No thanks." Travis replied. "If i am meant to have the cash, then I will win the Whirl Cup. besides, a Mystic Water Pendant is at stake as well." "Very well." Trinity stated with her eyes narrowing. "I'll just have to make you an offer you can't refuse!" Striking a provocative pose, one hand on her hip, her chest thrust out and her other hand in her hair, she went on. "How about this? If you win, i will let you have a night with me! You can't win that in any silly competition!" Travis considered for a long moment before answering, "You are right. But still, I must refuse. That isn't what Pokemon battles are all about. Besides, I am only 16. You are 40. i wouldn't want you to get arrested. now, if you would excuse me, I need to rest up for my match tomorrow!" And with that, Travis turned and walked away. he actually got quite a few feet away before her heard the screech of outrage from behind him, at which point he took off running, knowing he had pushed the twenty something woman a bit to far. Still he couldn't help but smile at the expression on her face when he said what he did. * * * Becky spent over an hour training with Marill to figure out the water mouse's attacks while trying to think of a way to beat a Mantine with the low level pokemon. After returning the Marill to rest, She decided to travel around a bit to take her mind off things. Unlike Travis, she decided to get away from the town for a bit. Leaving the Coliseum, Becky pulled another pokeball off her black belt. Releasing traveler, whom she had retrieved earlier in the pokecenter, she mounted up and headed out of town. She hadn't spent much time with the Ponyta, usually riding Hoofer, Travis' Rapidash, when they two rode. Now she got reacquainted with her own fire horse pokemon. Traveler, glad to be back with his trainer, wanted to run, and Becky let him. Soon the two were racing along out of the town, towards a small beach. Traveler slowed to a fast walk out on the sand. The beach itself was curiously devoid of people. Becky did see one young man with a Dratini at the waters edge, but he was intent on something and she didn't want to disturb him. Futher up the beach, a small stand of trees, interrupted the horizon. From the stand of trees, a glow could be seen. Becky decided to investigate. Hopping down off Traveler, Becky walked up to the trees with the fire horse close behind. When she found the source of the glow, she found a very odd sight. The glow turned out to be a campfire. Not that odd. But what was odd was what was revealed in the light. There, sitting on a stump. was a Meowth. The Meowth appeared to be holding a small brush in his three fingered hand. In the other hand, was a small white object, exactly the size and shape of the decoration of the Meowth's golden forehead charm. So intently was the Meowth staring at the object, applying the brush to it, he didn't notice the young Black Belt standing there. As odd as it was to find the Meowth painting something by a campfire, what happened next was odder still. Unaware of the observer, the Meowth started to speak! In an accent that Becky couldn't place, but undeniable human talk, the Meowth said, "Almost almost. Careful now, one last line....there! Poifect! Jesse will love this!" Becky gasped in surprise. The Meowth heard her, and startled, dropped the paintbrush and almost lost the object he had been painting. "Who goes there?" The Meowth cried out. Becky, knowing she had been discovered, stepped into the light cast by the campfire. "I-I'm sorry. i didn't mean to startle you." Becky apologised. Nonplussed by the talking Meowth, she stammered, "Wha..What are you doing there?" "Making a Cameo." The Meowth stated matter-of-factly, causing the thirteen year old to sweatdrop. Holding out the object he had been painting to her, he went on "Would you like to see? Be careful, it is still wet." Not knowing what else to do, Becky took the object carefully by it's edges and turned it towards the campfire to get a better look. It was indeed a carefully painted and incredibly detailed Cameo. On it was represented a Wobbuffet. Standing in it's usual pose of a salute, it looked as if it had just let itself out of a pokeball, which half opened was in the process of falling to the side, with a faint red glow coming out of it. The Wobbuffet appeared to be wearing a Mystic Water pendant given out as a prize for the whirl cup. In the hand/arm not saluting, it held a perfectly replicated Sea Spirit Scepter owned by Maya who used it to open the competition. In the background behind the Wobbuffet, stood a woman in an exaggerated expression of anger. One leg was lifted half way up, looking as though it was ready to thrust kick the Wobbuffet. Her arm was crossed in front of her, hiding her chest while the hand at the end of it covered her face, which was angrily turned to the sky as she appeared to be crying out. Her hair, impossibly long and ending in curl by her leg, was bright red. She appeared to be wearing green pearl earrings, a white blouse with some sort of red insignia obscured by her arm, and black mini-skirt. Behind and to the left of both the woman and Wobbuffet, an Arbok as tall as the woman stood from the coils of it's body. The Arbok appeared to have an expression of mirth on it's face. Handing the Cameo carefully back to Meowth, she breathed "Beautiful! So detailed!" "Thank you." Meowth said pridefully carefully taking the object back, then laying it down by the fire to dry. Taking up the brush he had dropped when startled by Becky, Meowth started cleaning it in a small cup of paint thinner as he went on, "It is a hobby of mine. I've made over a hundred." "It must take a long time to do one with all the detail you put on them.' Becky stated conversationally. "I've been working on that one for four days." Meowth confirmed. "This one is a present for a friend, so i wanted it to be poifect. A coat of two of glaze and a couple of hours in a kiln, and it will be ready to give her.' "I am sure she will love it." Becky stated. Suddenly realizing how late it was getting, Becky stated, "I've got to get going." She was reluctant to leave, however, given her curiosity over the talking, gifted Meowth. "Nice to have met you." She said reluctantly turning to mount Traveler. "You too." Meowth replied. "And good luck in the competition!" he called out just as Traveler was catching his stride back up the beach. -- Worry's first SIG sig file ------------------------------------------------------------------ *"It takes a Worried man to sing a Worried song..." Kingston Trio* *And the award for the funniest line in a cartoon goes to Superman who remarked "Don't look at me, I just catch 'em!" after stopping a crane thrown by Bizzaro from crushing a wedding party.* Proud owner of 300 fake code points