Subject: [PW!] Mapping Out The Future Date: Tue, 18 Mar 2003 11:48:34 GMT From: Rob <robfrompw@yahoo.com> Organization: AT&T Worldnet Newsgroups: alt.games.nintendo.pokemon "Happy Birthday, Robert!" Exclaims Mithril-rama, a petite young black-haired woman dressed in a green shirt, blue jeans, and navy sandals, as she enters through the doors of Lavender Town's Diversity Gym. Robert, the Gym's Leader, a man with messy black hair who's wearing a long-sleeved black shirt, dark blue jeans, and black sneakers, is sitting behind the desk of the vestibule leading into the Gym's main hallway. She walks over to him, embraces him, and kisses him on the lips, then says, "You're up unusually early. I thought you'd sleep in 'til at least 3 PM today, considering it's your birthday..." Robert kisses his girlfriend on the cheek in return and explains, "I would if I could, but I can't. I mean, I CAN physically, but I really shouldn't. I'm heading back to Johto to continue my quest to collect all the Johto Badges, and I've got to make sure everything's in order here before I leave." To emphasize his point, he shows Rilli some documents containing information about which Pokemon are being raised at the Gym, which he's been looking through since shortly after he woke up. "After all, it could be MONTHS before I return. Last year I was gone from April to December and I only got one Badge!" "...yeah, about that." Mithril-rama rubs Robert's shoulders as she says, "You know, your entire first Pokemon Journey took less than a year. This time around, it's taken you over a year to get three Badges. I think I might know why that is..." "Do you think my skills as a Pokemon Master are declining?!" Robert gasps, horrified at the thought, "I mean, I know it happens to everyone as they get older, but I'm too young to lose my skills! I'm only turning twenty-five years old today... some Trainers don't start losing their skills until they're forty. I don't want to have to join the Pokemon Training Club For Men! You'll still love me, right, Rilli? You know, when my skills are all gone? You won't see me as less of a man, will you?" Rilli smiles at Robert's concerns, "Of course I won't, Robert!" "You WON'T love me?! But I... but I..." "I mean I won't see you as less of a man." Mithril-rama chuckles, "Of course I'll still love you if you lose your skills. But your skills aren't declining. I think the reason it's taking you so long is that I haven't been helping you much. On your first Pokemon Journey, I was always at your side, suggesting where to go next and what to do next." A huge smile appears on Robert's face as he clasps his hands together and asks, "So you'll come with me to Johto this year?" Rilli shakes her head, "No, I still have to stay behind to take care of our Gym..." Robert's smile disappears as quickly as it appeared, "Oh." "But I will do the next best thing." Once again, a huge smile appears on Robert's face, "You're going to commission Silph Co. to build an gynoid that acts just like you and program her to join me on my quest?!" Rilli blinks, "...no." "Oh... I was just kidding, then." Robert nervously laughs, "Yeah... kidding... So, what's the next best thing?" Mithril-rama reaches into one of her jeans' pockets and pulls out a Map. She unfolds it and spreads it out on the desk in front of Robert, "This is a map of Johto I downloaded and printed out." "Oh, Rilli, you didn't have to do that." Robert taps the purple Pokegear strapped to his left wrist, "I've got a Map of Johto right here." "I know..." Rilli then reaches into her jeans' other pocket and pulls out a red pen, "But I can't draw out a Route on the map in your Pokegear that will optimize your Johto experience. I've done some research online and I know where each of the Gyms are located and what kind of Pokemon each Johto Gym Leader uses. So I thought as one of my presents to you, I'd show you the best way for you to finish your Johto Journey on this Map. If you follow my suggestions, you should be back home before Thanksgiving!" "Thank you, Rilli!" Robert stands from his chair and gives Rilli a hug, kissing her on each cheeks, then her forehead, then her lips. He explains, "Here's my plan so far - I'll take the S.S. Aqua the next time it sails to Olivine City. Once I arrive at Olivine, I'll take a boat to Red Rock Isle to search for that Dragon Scale I lost at some point during the Whirl Cup Competition. If I find it, I'll attach it to Seadra and trade with you for Charmeleon so she evolves into a Kingdra. If I don't find it, just send me Charmeleon. Once Charmeleon's on my team, I'll go back to Olivine City and challenge Jasmine for a Mineral Badge. What should I do after that, my cute little navigator?" Rilli pops the top off her red pen and draws a line on the Map from the representation of Olivine City to the representation of Mahogany Town. She then draws the number one next to the line. "This is the Mahogany Town Ice Pokemon Gym. You might want to catch a Fire Pokemon who'll actually obey you before then, or just keep Charmeleon on your team after you challenge Jasmine. Personally, I don't think Charmeleon will be much help to you in the Mahogany Town Gym OR the Olivine City Gym, but you've been expressing some faith in him lately." Robert comments, "We'll see how he performs in the match against Jasmine, then I'll decide if he should stay on the team or not. Where to next?" Rilli draws a line from the Map's depiction of Mahogany Town to its depiction of Blackthorn City and draws the number two next to it, "There's a Dragon Type Gym in Blackthorn City. I didn't find much information about it, but it's supposed to be really tough. Once you've won your Badge there, and I don't recommend leaving the City until you've won the Badge, you can take a shortcut through this Dark Cave..." She circles two spots on the map, connects them with a line, and places the number three in-between the circles, "...to Violet City. There's a Flying Pokemon Gym there. It's supposed to be the first Gym Trainers in Johto visit, so if Johto works anything like Kanto does, it should be easy enough to win a Badge there." Robert smirks, "Heh, even *I* beat Brock on my first try, and I barely knew anything about Pokemon back then." Rilli grins and draws another line on the Map, this one going from Violet City to Azalea Town. "Ohhh, no. I'm familiar with the Gym there..." Robert takes the red pen away from Rilli and draws a large "X" over the line that Rilli drew, "That's Azalea Town! The place I was stuck in for months last year..." Mithril-rama nods, "I know you don't want to cross the Ilex Forest again. You can just head back up Route 32 once you get a Hive Badge." Robert shakes his head, "It's not just that, Rilli - I don't want to battle that little Bug-Pokemon-loving arrogant brat who runs the Azalea Town Gym ever again! There has to be another place in Johto where I can get an equivalent Johto League Badge. I plan to report that annoying Bugsy kid to the Johto League Headquarters if I come across it. He shouldn't be allowed to operate a Gym. He doesn't even look ten years old! He's probably training Pokemon without a license! That's illegal!" "Okay, okay - please calm down, Robert! You can collect the other Badges and maybe in your travels you'll come across a Gym that I didn't find online." Rilli rubs Robert's back, successfully soothing his nerves. She takes her red pen back from him, draws a line from Violet City to Goldenrod City, draws the number four next to it, and says, "After that, you simply take the Magnet Train back home, unless at that point you still haven't earned a Badge at Mahogany Town or Olivine City. In that case, you just go north..." She draws a line on the Map from Goldenrod City to Ecruteak City and draws the number five next to it, "Then go either east or west depending on which Gym you want to revisit." "Thanks again, Rilli!" Robert folds the Map and puts it in his pocket, "You said this was ONE of my presents, though. What're the other ones?" "Oh, I'm saving those for later." Rilli winks. For the third time today, a huge smile appears on Robert's face. -Robert