Subject: [PW!] The Whirl Cup Registration Desk Date: Sat, 30 Nov 2002 From: Rob <robfrompw@yahoo.com> Organization: AT&T Worldnet Newsgroups: alt.games.nintendo.pokemon Chuck, the Cianwood City Gym Leader, and his seven white-gi-clad students enter the Scarlet City Pokemon Center. They had just left the ferry that took them from Yellow Rock Isle to Red Rock Isle moments ago, but Chuck wants to register his only female student, Belle, for the Competition now, before the registration period ends. There are quite a few people gathered in the Scarlet City Pokemon Center and a line is forming at the front desk, where Nurse Joy is acting as a registrar for the Whirl Cup. Chuck points to a Pokemon Trading Machine set up in the Pokemon Center's lobby and the large mustachioed man demands, "Timmy, trade Belle your Lanturn now! She might need him for Round One." The tall 20 year-old young man reluctantly agrees, "All right, master." He produces a Great Ball, jogs over to the Trading Machine and places it on the device's left slot. Belle walks over to the machine slower than Timmy approached it, placing some of her weight on a wooden crook she's holding in her right hand. Her feet hurt a little since she was walking barefoot over the rocky reddish sand of Red Rock Isle just minutes ago, but she's trying to hide the fact so none of the male students mock her. Once at the machine, she procures her Sunkern's pink Love Ball, sure that she's not going to need the Pokemon for the Whirl Cup Competition, and drops it on the right slot of the machine. Chuck heads over to the machine and hits a big red button on it, starting the trade process. The dark blue Great Ball and light pink Love Ball are sucked into the device through two tubes facing the slots and the machine whirs as silhouettes of a Sunkern and a Lanturn zip past each other on the machine's monitor. Belle promptly grabs the Great Ball when it is spit out into the right slot of the machine and Timmy narrows his eyes at the pink Love Ball he's going to carry for the next few days when it is dumped out into the left slot before picking it up. Belle drops the Great Ball in her white gi and tries her best to walk, as opposed to limp, over to where the line of eager people is forming before Nurse Joy's desk. The nurse is relieved that the most recent ferry to the island has brought in so many willing participants since earlier today it seemed that the competition would have to be canceled due to a lack of contestants. Belle watches quietly as the people before her sign in, eagerly awaiting her turn. The other students and Chuck sit down to wait for her on one of the many couches set up in the Pokemon Center's lobby to accommodate the large amount of people that are expected to register for the Tournament. The first person in line is Hichiro, a young man whose red Octillery stands next to him. After signing up, Hichiro and his Octillery sit down on a couch near Belle and the 19 year-old kid says, "Hi, is this your first year entering the Whirl Cup?" Belle doesn't even look at him, thinking that the boy is hitting on her, and just replies, "Yeah, what's it to you?" "Just curious." Hichiro frowns at the blonde girl's rude response before once again attempting to befriend her, "It's my third time. I've been entering ever since Misty, the Cerulean Gym Leader, helped my Remoraid evolve nine years ago. The first time I entered, I got disqualified in the qualifying rounds, the second time I made top 16 and the third time I made top 8. I'm hoping to win this time, or at least get top 4." "Good for you." Belle takes a step forward when Harrison, a middle-aged man wearing a tan hat, a tacky yellow shirt with green leaves painted on it, brown shorts, and sandals finishes registering and takes a seat on a couch set up on the other end of the Pokemon Center. She's glad that she's slowly moving away from the guy who's trying to converse with her. Hichiro continues his efforts to be friendly, "I like your outfit. Are you training at Chuck's Gym in Cianwood City?" "Yeah." "I thought girls couldn't train there." "I do." "So I guess you have a Fighting Pokemon?" "Yeah." "What kind?" "Tyrogue." "Is he any good?" "Yeah." "Oh." Hichiro sighs as Belle takes another step forward once Alicia, a girl who's holding a tambourine and has a pack of Wooper following her, finishes registering and takes a seat near where Harrison is sitting. Hichiro gives up on trying to converse with Belle, who's clearly not in the mood to talk with him, and walks over to the other end of the Pokemon Center, to ask Alicia about her gang of Wooper. Belle watches as one of the two standing in front of her registers her Pokemon, a Golduck and an Azumarill who are holding hands, in order to learn the procedure. Nurse Joy greets the woman, "Hello, and welcome to the Whirl Cup Competition Registration Center. Remember, the Whirl Cup is a tournament for Water Pokemon only - no Ice Pokemon unless they are half-Water, no Ditto turned into Water Pokemon, just Water Pokemon." To emphasize her point, she points up to a sign hanging above her head that has a picture of a Ditto with a big red "X" over it, "What's your first name?" "Trixie." The woman replies. Joy inputs the woman's name into the computer on her desk, "Do you have a Pokedex?" Trixie shakes her head, "No... do I need one?" "No. You just have to answer some additional questions." Belle's stops paying attention to the conversation between Trixie and Nurse Joy when someone taps her shoulder. She turns around to face the green-haired girl wearing black leather who she beat up in Cianwood City, "What're YOU doin' here?" Belle clenches her wooden crook in the event that she has to use it again against the rude biker. "I'm here for the Whirl Cup." The girl replies, "I was the first person to register when I heard about the $10,000 prize. I figure since I've already earned five Badges, I can take a little break from my Journey before I challenge Jasmine for a Mineral Badge. The better question is what're YOU doing here? I seriously doubt that crazy Slowpoke of yours who seems to know my Paras is going to win any battles for you." Belle rolls her eyes, "He beat a Machamp all by himself just the other day. Now leave me alone, if you know what's good for you." "Look, I'm sorry we got off to such a rough start when we met in Cherrygrove. When you beat me up in Cianwood, I realized you're much smarter, tougher, and braver than I gave you credit for. Let's start over." The teenage biker extends her hand, "Hi, my name's Roxie." Belle reaches to shake Roxie's hand, but the green-haired girl pulls it away to brush back her long green hair, "C'mon, hit me again - you know you want to." Belle is tempted to slap Roxie's face with her wooden crook, but she restrains herself, "You just want me to hit you so that I get kicked out of the Pokemon Center. You're afraid I'm gonna win the prize money and don't want me to register. Well, it's not gonna work." "NEXT!" Nurse Joy shouts - both Trixie as well as Trinity, a pretty, tall woman with dark red hair who reached the Semi-Finals in the Whirl Cup Competition held nine years ago, have already registered and sat down in the Pokemon Center. Belle reaches forward with her hand and messes up Roxie's brushed green hair, treating her as if she were a silly child, then walks up to Nurse Joy to register for the Whirl Cup. Roxie, annoyed that Belle figured out her scheme, heads outside to train Shaft, her Quagsire, and Aquarius, her Totodile. Nurse Joy repeats her standard greeting, "Hello, and welcome to the Whirl Cup Competition Registration Center. Remember, the Whirl Cup is a tournament for Water Pokemon only - no Ice Pokemon unless they are half-Water, no Ditto turned into Water Pokemon, just Water Pokemon." To emphasize her point, she once again points up to a sign hanging above her head that has a picture of a Ditto with a big red "X" over it, "What's your first name?" "Belle." Joy inputs Belle's name into the computer on her desk, "Do you have a Pokedex?" "No." "How old are you?" "Uh... twenty, I think." "You think?" "It's a long story. Just put twenty." "Okay. How many Water Pokemon do you currently have, and what kind are they?" "Two, a Slowpoke and a Lanturn." Nurse Joy types on her keyboard and she says, "Please be aware that you will require a third Water Pokemon for the Semi-Finals and Final Round if you get that far. You can either catch one in the water surrounding Red Rock Isle or rent one at the Pokemon Rental Center across the street. You must then come register the Water Pokemon here at the Whirl Cup Registration Desk so that we know what image to display on the Coliseum's big screen during your match. Who can we contact in the event of an emergency?" Belle points over to where Chuck is sitting with the other Cianwood Gym Students and says, "Chuck, the Cianwood Gym Leader." Nurse Joy inputs the final bit of information into her computer then smiles and says, "Okay, Belle, you're registered for the Whirl Cup! The Opening Ceremonies will be held on Monday - you can wander about the island between now and then to train your Pokemon or just stay in the room assigned to you - the number of your room is on this key." Joy hands Belle a key then shouts, "NEXT!" A young male Pokemon Trainer who has a crying Marowak at his side skips in front of the next person in line and says, "Hey, Nurse Joy, I know I won the qualifying round I asked for, but I don't wanna enter the Whirl Cup anymore! I need to help my Marowak find his favorite club, which I think got launched out into the air during my match with that Gyarados. Besides, I doubt my Magikarp would've won if the Gyarados hadn't disappeared..." Nurse Joy shrugs, deletes the Trainer from the database, and says, "You're free to go. NEXT!" Belle raises an eyebrow as she watches the boy and his sobbing Marowak run outside in search of the lost club as Marina, the blue-haired young woman who the kid had skipped in front of, signs up for the Whirl Cup Competition. Belle looks around the Pokemon Center for an interesting girl to talk with, not wanting to sit with the male students of Chuck's Gym, most of whom are angry that she's representing the Cianwood City Gym instead of them. Her eyes wander around the Scarlet City Pokemon Center, looking for someone to interact with until the Whirl Cup starts. -Belle