From: Bandraptor (bandraptor@yahoo.com) Subject: [PW!] [SC] [R1] Flying Pokemon Kick Grass Newsgroups: alt.games.nintendo.pokemon Date: 2003-12-04 12:44:08 PST Nori is leaning against the red wall of the Red Trainer's waiting room on the ground floor of the Silver Stadium, watching the seventh match of the tournament from her vantage point close to the field. "I wish those Trainers would hurry up, and finish their battle. I want to get out there, and win my match, so I can return to the stands, and continue my search for Trainers who own Tyranitars." The Blastoise who's standing beside her comments, "You're pretty cocky for someone who didn't even bother to research her opponent. Do you know what Type of Pokémon she'll be using?" "Probably some form of Torchic," Nori mutters, "it seems like everybody has one of those. What difference does it make? Just kick the crap out of anything she throws at you." "Your strategy is flawless." "Yes, I thought so, too. Rubix, I need you to help me out. Are there any changes that I should make to my team before I go out on the field?" Rubix considers, "Ditch the Natu and the Delibird, evolve your Houndour, catch a Golem and a Jolteon." "Thanks. Do you have any advice I can actually use?" The Blastoise shrugs, "What do you want me to say? Other than the low levels, bad movesets, and glaring weakness to Rock and Electricity, you'll probably be all right. What's your sixth Pokémon?" Nori pulls a white Fast Ball from her belt, and examines it lovingly. "That," she explains, "involves a touching story of perseverance and determination, one which can only be told under the proper circumstances. Maybe at a campfire." "If you're not going to tell me which Pokémon you're using, then don't ask me to rate your team!" Rubix crosses his arms impatiently, "You know what? Just because you pulled that little stunt, I'm not going to fight for you in today's match." "Way to threaten, Rubix." Nori cups a hand to her ear, and listens intently, "Do you hear that? That's the sound of your $25,000, flying out the window." "No big deal," the Blastoise responds, seemingly unworried about the prospect of losing his prize money, "I can always murder you, and pawn your stuff for cash." Off in the distance, there comes an enormous cheer from the audience watching the seventh battle, signifying that somebody has won the match. As the applause dies down, a young man with shaggy blonde dreadlocks enters the waiting room from the field outside, walking in a way that is like a cross between a slink and a swagger. He is followed by a Pokémon League official, who is walking in a normal fashion. After escorting the Trainer through the doors of the waiting room, and out into the Silver Stadium lobby, the official returns to where Nori is standing. He sweatdrops violently when he sees that she's in the middle of an argument with one of her Pokémon, and he addresses her tentatively, "Excuse me, Miss Tsunade, are you ready for your match?" Nori and Rubix both snap at the interloper, "No!" At the other end of the arena, an elderly Eskimo woman named Karen is slowly making her way onto the field. When the people up in the stands see her, they immediately recognize her as the person who was literally shot down during the Whirl Cup, and they begin to cheer wildly, relieved to see that she's made a full recovery, and also inspired by her willingness to continue battling, despite having been targeted by a sniper at a previous League event. 'Karen' waves cheerfully to her fans, but does not move so spryly as to raise suspicions about her age. As she continues towards her position on the field, the announcer relates the facts about her background to the few people in the stadium who didn't watch the Whirl Cup, either on TV or in person: "The last match of the day is about to begin, and entering the field is Pokémon Trainer Karen! Following a regrettable incident at the Whirl Cup, this heroic woman is back on her feet, and ready to take on all challengers! Will Tsunade of Cianwood City have what it takes to go toe to toe with Karen's famous Kabuto?" The Jumbotron flashes a montage of images from Karen's Whirl Cup battles, namely of her Kabuto latching onto various Pokémon, and suffocating them into unconsciousness. Underneath the stadium, in the compartment where the various fields are stored while not in use, Trent Retwin pauses with his twin katanas half-raised, listening in on the commotion up top. "Damnit!" He drives both swords into the side of Aerie's bloated white Magikarp, furious that Carol is receiving so much praise, "That was MY Kabuto!" Ashura the Sandslash pokes his head out of a gaping hole in the fish's belly, "Sandslash, slash sand." "I still say Kabuto is a piece of crap!" Trent picks the swords up once again, and resumes his task of sawing the Magikarp's head off, slashing violently at the corpse as he indignantly states, "I just can't stand the fact that she's more famous than I am! I'm Trent Retwin, convicted killer, armed robber, and terrorist! She's just some dumb bitch who got in the way of a bullet. I'm a fucking *demon*! Doesn't that mean anything these days?" Ashura shrugs, and burrows back inside the Magikarp's chest, continuing his search for Vertigo's Pokéball. Trent grumbles unintelligibly, wishing he was more notorious, "Maybe I should start killing Pikachus again." Some thirty feet above Trent's head, gears begin to turn as the Silver Stadium's default field is lowered into the ground, and a field planted with blades of Elephant Grass is raised to the surface in its place. Up in the stands, the audience, which cheered wildly all throughout Karen's montage, and even more wildly when the Grass Field was selected as the site of combat, finally quiets down, as the scoreboard lights up for a second time, and the red and green wheel begins to spin to determine which of the two Trainers will have the privilege of throwing out their Pokéball first. Nori has gotten around to walking onto the field, but she's still caught up in her argument with Rubix, so she doesn't notice when the wheel stops spinning, and lights up red. The announcer shouts out with his requisite enthusiasm, "The Red Trainer will go first! Which of Tsunade's Pokémon will be the first to fall before fan-favorite Karen?" "Red Trainer? Is that me?" Nori finally turns her attention to the scoreboard. Rubix sighs, "You're 'Tsunade', aren't you?" "Right." Nori plucks a blue and white Ultra Ball off her belt, not really thinking about her choice, but reacting out of habit. "Go, Cerberus!" "Tsunade has sent out a Dodrio!" The announcer states. When Cerberus' middle beak sparkles in the sunlight, he adds, "Unless this is a Shiny Pokémon, it would seem that Dodrio is wearing an illegal metal beak attachment! We'll see what our ref has to say about that!" A baldheaded referee marches over to the Dodrio, and carefully examines the serrated blade from all angles. After deliberation, he motions with his flags, "I'll allow it!" At the opposite end of the field, 'Karen' sweatdrops--however, this expression of emotion isn't visible through her mask. She glances down at her Pokéballs, "Trent said that Rhydon knows Rock Slide, but if I send in a Rock-type now, she'll probably just switch to her Blastoise. Guess I'd better play it safe..." She chooses her Pokéball, "Go, Feraligatr!" "Karen has opened with Feraligatr!" The announcer deduces. The Eskimo woman commands, "Feraligatr, use Slash attack!" Feraligatr roars, showing off his fangs, and he runs through the grass towards the red side of the field with his head low, and his tail held high for balance. Nori addresses her Dodrio as the crocodile comes closer, "Cerberus, do your thing." Cerberus bristles its feathers and hisses at the oncoming reptile, looking like it's ready for a fight! It flaps its wings, and paws at the ground like a bull that's preparing to charge--then flops down in the grass, and begins to take a nap. The crowd explodes into chatter, as the Dodrio begins to snore. The announcer is in a frenzy, "And Dodrio is showing a complete lack of regard for its Trainer's orders! You've heard it once, you've heard it a thousand times: Never place your stakes on an untrained Pokémon! Feraligatr is still coming--this could be the end for Tsunade!" "Cerberus *still* doesn't listen to you?" Rubix asks Nori in disbelief. Nori responds uncertainly, "Well, *sometimes* it listens..." The Blastoise covers his face with a paw, "You're a lousy Trainer. You do know that, don't you?" The large crocodilian continues to move towards them, when suddenly, and without warning, he trips, and falls flat on his face! He hits the ground with a tremendous crash, causing small shock waves to ripple across the field. Carol laughs nervously, "There must've been some rocks hidden in the grass! Get back on your feet, Feraligatr!" Feraligatr complies, but no sooner has he taken his first step forward, when he topples onto his back! Another attempt at traversing the grassy field leaves him sitting on his rump. "Okay, now I'm getting annoyed," Carol starts, "Feraligatr, if it's too hard to walk through the grass, just stay where you are, and attack with Ice Beam!" Feraligatr nods at his mistress, and fills his lungs with air, preparing the attack. He's totally focussed on the Dodrio that's standing in front of him, so he's taken completely by surprise when two brown streaks leap out of the tall grass on either side of him, and strike at him with their talons! The Water Pokémon is dragged to the ground for a fourth time, disappearing beneath the grass. Carol stares at the spot on the field where her Pokémon last stood, unsure of what happened, and uncertain of what to do next. Up in the press box, the commentator crows, "It seems that the Red Trainer's Dodrio is using an obscure move called Substitute! With Substitute, a Pokémon sacrifices a portion of its strength to create a clone of itself! Although Substitutes are physically frailer than their flesh and blood counterparts, Tsunade's Dodrio is using the terrain to circumvent its weakness. By hiding in the tall grass, it's managing to avoid Feraligatr's attacks completely!" "Thanks for giving away my strategy--" Nori mutters, just as Carol blows the announcer a kiss, and cheerfully sings, "I love you, Disembodied Voice!!" "Feraligatr!" Carol calls to her Pokémon, "You heard the man! We have to force those Substitutes out into the open! Use Surf to flatten the grass!" "GATOR!" Feraligatr snarls, rising above the grass, lifting his arms high in the air, and summoning tidal waves from all four corners of the stadium. "Cerberus, Fly!" Hearing the note of panic in Nori's voice, the Dodrio that's napping at her feet jumps high into the air, and the two substitutes out on the field do the same. Seconds later, the four walls of water crash together at the center of the field, temporarily flooding the arena, before draining into an overflow basin that's provided for such occasions. When the Surf has ebbed away, the ground is still damp, and the blades of grass are laying parallel with the mud, stuck together in heavy clumps. Carol breathes a sigh of relief when she sees that her plan has worked. "Good work, Feraligatr. Now that Dodrio's out of hiding places, you can finish it off with Ice Beam!" Feraligatr begins, once again, to charge his Ice Beam attack, but before he can connect, The three Cerberus drop from the sky, slamming into him with the offensive portion of their Fly technique. Feraligatr collapses to the ground for a fifth and final time, unable to get up. The referee raises his red flag, "Feraligatr is unable to battle! Dodrio is the winner!" Expressionless due to her mask, Carol recalls her Feraligatr. She throws out her second Pokéball, saying, "It's your turn, Ariados. Hit those Dodrios with a Toxic attack!" Ariados spreads its pedipalps wide, and fires an inky stream of concentrated venom at the trio of birds. It hits one of the targets dead-on, coating the raptor with a caustic substance that boils slightly as it is exposed to the air. The Dodrio stares piercingly at the offending arachnid, then dissolves its body into a bolt of electricity. The purplish poison sloughs harmlessly to the ground. The announcer cries, "Unfortunately for Karen, Substitutes are immune to the effects of status-changing moves! Karen will have to try a different tactic against this Pokémon!" The three Dodrios huddle together briefly, trying to decide what they should do with the ornery Ariados who just tried to Poison them. Nori calls out her suggestion, "Tri Attack?" Cerberus decides that this is acceptable, and all three birds convert into their elemental forms, screech menacingly, and bear down on the Bug-type in a triangular formation. "Spider Web!" Carol must scream to make herself heard above the cries of the advancing Dodrio. Ariados complies, and spits three separate strands of silk at its three opponents from across the field. When the sticky string contracts around the nearly invisible legs of the lightning and ice phantoms at the edges of the formation, they topple to the ground, and vanish in puffs of smoke! The fire phantom that was in the middle of the cluster reverts to its flesh and blood form, finding itself with two fainted heads, and an upper body that's partially encased in silk. Maddened by the fact that a mere insect was able to destroy its Substitutes, The conscious middle head shrieks in fury, and continues its charge towards the Ariados, determined to slash its opponent into pulp. Carol calls on her trump card: "Ariados, Baton Pass!" Ariados flips into the air like a ninja, throwing down a brightly colored stick, and disappearing with a loud POP. Cerberus continues its charge, not even aware that the Ariados has moved. There is a much louder explosion, as an enormous Rhydon appears on the field, standing where the Ariados once was, and holding the baton in his paws. Cerberus smashes into the Rhydon like a drag racer into a concrete wall. Its Sharp Beak clatters to the ground like a loose fender. Trent's Rhydon barely even notices the impact, as he stretches himself and yawns, trying to figure out why he's holding such a fruity looking baton. When he eventually realizes that there's a Pokémon embedded in his chest, he casually peels it off, and tosses it aside. The referee raises his green flag, "Dodrio is unable to fight! Rhydon is the winner!" The crowd cheers, glad that Tsunade's pesky Dodrio is out of the way, and the announcer gushes, "A brilliant move on Karen's part, using Spider Web to restrict Dodrio's movement, then Baton Passing to Rhydon, who retained the Spider Web's effect! Each of the combatants now has two Pokémon remaining--this battle could go either way!" "Crap," Nori groans, recalling Cerberus into its Ultra Ball, "I don't have anything that can defeat a Rhydon..." "Also, your Dodrio appears to be comatose," Rubix offers. "It'll be okay." Nori reassures him, "It's a well known Pokémon League rule; you can force your monsters to fight ‘til they're within an inch of their life, with no ill effects, just so long as you're in a sanctioned tournament, and everyone parts ways as friends." She pulls a black Heavy Ball from her belt, and tosses it onto the field. The announcer chirps, "Tsunade's second Pokémon is a Natu! Karen's Rhydon has already decimated one of Tsunade's Flying-types--will sending in another one prove to be a wise choice?" Set the Natu, who thinks that his black Pokéball makes him look very evil and intimidating, currently feels very empowered; so he hops right over to where Trent's Rhydon is standing, without any trace of fear in his eyes. He picks Cerberus' discarded Sharp Beak up off the ground, using psychokinesis to hold it over his face, since he is too small to actually wear it. "Tsunade's Natu has opened with Thief, stealing the Sharp Beak belonging to its fallen teammate!" The announcer queries, "Is that legal?" The referee raises his flag, "I'll allow it!" Set hops a few steps further, until he's immediately next to the Rhydon's foot. He begins to Peck at it with the metal beak, not realizing, perhaps, that there is a lot more to the Rhydon's girth than he is currently capable of seeing. TBC? --Beth