Subject: [PW!] Beginning Of A New Era, Part 1 Date: 18 Mar 2003 00:32:50 -0800 From: asverner@unity.ncsu.edu (Andrusi) Organization: http://groups.google.com/ Newsgroups: alt.games.nintendo.pokemon [Got a sharp memory? Some of you might be able to identify exactly what this is about based on the title's similarity to the title of something else. The rest of you will just have to wait until it is made mindnumbingly obvious. :P I'm going to delay the relevant WGs to avoid spoiling Part 2, but I *will* put them up.] "Man, Sunflorida sucks." The Electabuzz sipped his Hoppepsi, found it to be flat, and threw the can away in disgust. A Beedrill flew out of nowhere, looked at the soda, stung the Electabuzz, and flew away. "Ow... Sure, this a nice place to go on vacation for a few days, but living here?" the Electabuzz continued. "Hell. Absolute hell." ">Which very well might be where you find yourself next,<" said a voice from behind him. "Oh, for..." He turned around and saw--as he had feared--the tigerlike form of Raikou. "Great, just what I need, a holy rant." ">Sarcasm will get you nowhere,<" Raikou replied. ">I gave a little Elekid the power to communicate with humans... and what does he do in response? He joins in the oppression of humans and Pokémon alike. I expected better of you, Cyclonus.<" "Hey, if it wasn't for me, that Andrew kid and some of those Pokémon would have died!" complained Cyclonus. ">Hey, you can shut the we-have-no-idea-how-it-got-there up and listen to me, or I can *blink* and you find yourself face to face with Charisatan. I'm trying to act as a plot device here, and I can't do that if you keep being an idiot.<" Cyclonus opened his mouth to speak, but changed his mind almost immediately. ">Much better. Now, as you might imagine, I'm a bit pissed at you for abusing the power I gave you. But, you know, I'm not exactly Zapdos with punishments. I'll forgive you if you'll go on a quest.<" "Do I get to pick the quest?" ">No.<" "Aww." ">It's not as if I set out to get you vindicated. It's something that has to be done. You happened to be the Pokémon best suited for the job.<" "Oh? What do I have that every other freakish talking Pokémon doesn't?" ">Experience with the Bomb Ball Bashers.<" Cyclonus's jaw dropped, his eyes bulged, and his tail... you know what? I have absolutely no idea what was up with his tail, but it conveyed surprise and shock. After several minutes of deep contemplative thought, he managed to grace the world with a "Whaaaaa?" ">Allow me to explain.<" In a flash, both Electric-types were in the Dimension Of Empty Black Space Ideal For Exposition. Assorted random images floated through the void which somehow helped make the exposition more interesting. ">As you know, Pokémon differ from the other creatures of this world--humans, for example--in many ways, not the least of which are the control of elemental forces and the susceptibility to Pokéball capture. ">What you don't know is why, and if you mention the term for a baby Wobuffet I'll kill you. You see, the universe occasionally goes through periods of great unrest. When Goddish created the Pokémon, He did so during such a period. This gave Pokémon their unique abilities... however, they came at a price. ">The next instability caused massive electrical discharges to and from every Pokémon in the world, threatening to kill them all and wipe out anything nearby. To save the Pokémon and the world, Goddish created Volmagni, the first electric Pokémon.<" "Never heard of it. Is that one of those 'ruby sapphire' Pokémon people keep talking about that nobody seems to have seen yet?" ">No, now shut up and listen. The Volmagnis successfully absorbed the excess electricity, saving life as we know it. There were some Ratattas and Abras that remained electrically charged--the first Pikachus and Electabuzzes. ">To ensure that the Volmagni race would survive to save the world again, Goddish created the two gods Magnallah and Voltifer to lead them along the path that would result in their continued existance. As prophets of Magnallah and Voltifer, Goddish took a Fearow and a Persian and elevated them, bestowing upon them electrical powers, immortality, and invulnerability throught the PW! FAQ. They became Zapdos and myself, respectively.<" "PW! FAQ? What?" ">Long story. Anyway, Magnallah believed the individual was precious above all else, whereas Voltifer thought the good of the whole should be valued above that of any one Pokémon. Goddish had planned this intentionally, so that they might balance one another, but His plan backfired. Magnallah and Voltifer soon became fierce rivals, competing for the favor of the Volmagnis. ">Eventually, the two had an argument--I have forgotten what it was--which was brought before Goddish. He thought carefully, and declared that Magnallah was correct in this case. Furious, Voltifer rejected Goddish immediately and turned to Hellsprout, taking his followers with him. ">You can probably guess the rest. The Volmagnis loyal to Magnallah eventually became the race now known as Magnemite, and those who followed Voltifer became the Voltorbs. Their rivalry never ceased; in fact, the first Pokémon ever to use an electrical discharge as an attack was a Magnemite, and Voltorb later became the first Pokémon to evolve. As human industry flourished, the previously irregular, Volmagni-like forms of the two races became smooth imitations of human technology, and thus the Magnemites and Voltorbs--and the Magnetons and Electrodes--of today were formed.<" "That's nice and all, but what the hell does it have to do with me and my quest?" ">I'm getting to that. You see, it was only though Goddish's power that the Volmagnis were able to absorb all the electrical energy. When Voltifer's followers left, they lost that power, and so although all modern electric Pokémon can absorb a moderate amount of energy, only Magnemite and Magneton are able to do so to the needed extent. Which brings us to the problem.<" "Which is?" ">The Voltorbs are currently winning the ongoing war between the Volmagni descendants. The Magnemites will bounce back, so to speak, but not soon enough. The next instability will come in three years, and if nothing changes, there won't be enough Magnemites to absorb the energy. And even if the Voltorbs were to rejoin Goddish by some miracle, by giving up their magnetic foci in favor of greater speed, they sacrificed their ability to channel energy efficiently enough to do the job. In other words, the end of the world is approaching.<" "So you came here to tell me we're all gonna die." ">No. I said there wouldn't be enough Magnemites *if nothing changes*. With the assistance of an elite team of Pokémon with experience and additional abilities, the Magnemites could turn the proverbial tide and subsequently increase their numbers enough.<" "Oh, I see. And you want me to lead this team?" ">Uh, yeah, that's about the size of it.<" "Okay. Who else is on it?" ">Um...<" "Anyone?" ">Er... no, not yet...<" "Couldn't think of anyone else?" ">Well, there was this one Pokémon I was considering, but...<" "Hey, any help's better than none." ">Okay, but remember, you asked for it.<" Raikou sighed, then roared into the air. Lightning struck the ground in front of Cyclonus--not instantly, but continuously. Sparks flew all over, and the bolt of lightning widened, then abruptly blinked away, revealing the diminuitive form of-- "You're kidding me." Cyclonus stared at the Pokémon in front of him. "Pi chu!" the Pichu replied, not really meaning anything. ">His name is Crumplezone,<" Raikou stated in a very "must... not... laugh... at his... misfortune" tone. "That sounds stupid, yet seems oddly appropriate for some reason." Cyclonus pondered this a bit and was interrupted by Crumplezone's chattering. ">Crumplezone may seem small and weak, but deep within he posesses unimaginable power. I myself orchestrated his birth; he will grow in strength quickly, and naturally learn techniques other Pokémon must be taught with human assistance. He will prove invaluable to your cause.<" "Uh... thanks, I guess," Cyclonus said, a bit confused. He picked up the Pichu. "The big cat says you're powerful, and you know what? You're cute too. (Crumplezone giggled.) Yes you are. Yes you are!" ">Okay... um... I guess that's it. You need to find some more partners to assist you on your mission, then get started. And quickly. There's little time available.<" "Right. And I think I know just where to start. An old... friend... of mine is living nearby on Cinnabar Island." ">Ah, good, then. Well... er... good luck.<" And Raikou disappeared in an unnecessarily large flash. Cyclonus thought for a minute, then looked at Crumplezone. "I never thought I'd get to say this, little guy, but... welcome to the Bomb Ball Bashers." TBC [Author's notes: Yes, that's the return of the BBB! I really had intended never to come back to that again, but after seeing that Magnemite kept his old number, I couldn't resist. The specific beliefs of the two gods were chosen because they explain why Voltorbs blow up and Magnemites don't. I had lots of fun writing this story, mainly because I always wanted to explain *why* Magnemites and Voltorbs don't get along--and why they have so much in common. And for those of you baffled by Crumplezone's name, that's the name of the Mini-Con that comes with Armada Cyclonus.] -Andrusi && Sanity not included.