From: Rob (robfrompw@yahoo.com) Subject: [PW!] Take It On The Nosepass Newsgroups: alt.games.nintendo.pokemon Date: 2003-08-28 23:09:56 PST After a long day of teaching classes in Pokemon Trainer's School, a young brunette carrying a book bag enters her workplace. She's spent so much time there it feels like a second home, so upon arriving in the building, she feels free to dump her book bag in the corner, kick off her shoes, and raid the refrigerator in the building's mini-kitchen. Holding a freshly-made sandwich and hugging a bag of chips and a can of soda with one arm, she crouches in front of her book bag and uses her free arm to withdraw a textbook and a lesson planner from within it. She walks over to her desk, dumps her supplies (both nutritional and educational) on top of it, and takes a seat. "I hope I don't get any visitors today." The young teacher comments to herself as she tears open the bag of potato chips and flips open her planner, "I MIGHT be able to finish all this work if I pull an all-nighter, but only if I have no distractions whatsoever." She pulls a pen out of her pocket protector, clicks it once, and surely enough, the second the pen touches her planner, the Chimecho-shaped chime attached to the building's front door rings as someone enters the building. The visitor is a middle-aged man wearing a golden tuxedo, who eyes the brunette wearing a school-girl uniform with much interest. Incorrectly thinking the girl can't hear him, he remarks, "Heh, apparently it's 'Take Your Daughter To Work' Day in Rustboro City," before approaching her desk. Once there, he says, "Hi there. I'm looking for the Rustboro City Gym Leader - is he your dad? I have some questions for him." The young teacher's eyes squint in anger at the clueless visitor as she reveals, "I, Roxanne, am the leader of this Gym. And unless you're here to challenge me for a Stone Badge or sign up for one of my classes, please leave and return tomorrow afternoon. I'm very busy right now." The man pleas, "But my questions are urgent!" "My work is urgent." Roxanne turns her attention away from her visitor and looks down at her planner, "Your questions can wait." "In that case..." The middle-aged man sighs, knowing there's only one way he'll get the chance to ask his questions today, "I, Marvin the Once-Magnificent But Currently Poor And Propless, challenge you to an official Hoenn League Gym Match!" "Aw, fiddlesticks." Roxanne drops her pen, runs to her side of the Gym's rocky Arena, pulling a Pokeball out of her pocket, and her socks slide to a stop right on the Arena's line mere seconds after Marvin has issued his challenge, "This'll be a quick match. One on one, five minute time limit. Let the battle begin! Nosepass, I choose you!" Roxanne throws the Pokeball she pulled out and a motionless light blue Rock Pokemon sporting a big red nose appears in the center of the Arena. Marvin, having only participated in unorthodox Gym matches during his time in the Orange Islands, takes a few seconds to find the spot where he's supposed to stand for this traditional match. As he heads towards his line, Roxanne proclaims, "Time's ticking away, Marvin - you better send out a Pokemon soon!" Heeding her advice, Marvin pulls out a Pokeball the second he reaches his line and throws it into the Arena, not noticing nor caring which Pokemon he's sending out since he simply wants to ask some questions, not earn a Stone Badge. When Marvin's Pokeball hits the floor and a red Octillery emerges on the battlefield, Marvin braces himself for the worst, expecting his Water Pokemon to turn around and attempt to strangle him immediately, as he usually does. However, noticing that he's in a battle arena and not being forced to do grunt work, Marvin's Octillery focuses his attention on his motionless opponent and places his tentacles in a fighting pose. Roxanne calls out, "Nosepass, Rock Tomb, and fast. I have work to do!" "Roxanne, Question Time!" Marvin shouts, "Do you remember meeting and/or battling a little girl with black hair called Terri about two months ago? ...oh, and, Octillery, use Bubblebeam!" Marvin's Octillery, having a speed advantage, immediately shoots a powerful Beam of Bubbles out of his mouth, hitting Roxanne's Nosepass right on its nose, hurting the Rock Pokemon considerably. Roxanne puts a single fingernail in her mouth as she tries to remember her previous opponents, "Well, there was this one girl with a shiny Zigzagoon..." Large rocks on the Arena crumble in response to Nosepass' Rock Tomb attack and they encase Marvin's Octillery, slowing him down, "Nosepass, now that Octillery's slowed down, finish him off with that Electric move I taught you - Thunderbolt!" "Octillery, dodge it and use Octazooka! Oh, and, that's the girl, Roxanne! She stole some of my Pokemon. Did she tell you where she was heading?" Marvin watches electricity arc from Nosepass' red nose... As Marvin's Octillery hides underneath the pile of rocks that entombed him earlier to successfully dodge Nosepass' Thunderbolt attack, Roxanne answers Marvin's question, "I think she was headed to Dewford Town, to challenge the Gym Leader there. The town's on an island south of here. She's probably long gone from that place by now, though." Marvin is surprised when his Octillery crawls out from under the rocks he used to defend himself and blasts Roxanne's Nosepass with his Octazooka, being that the Pokemon's obeyed three of the magician's commands in a row for the first time ever. He's even more surprised when the Nosepass' eyes close and the Rock Pokemon tips over in defeat. Roxanne recalls her fainted Nosepass. As she walks over to Marvin and hands him a Stone Badge, she recites, "Congratulations, Marvin, you earned a Stone Badge. Yadda, yadda, yadda, now please leave so I can concentrate on my work." She bows at Marvin and returns to her desk. Marvin stands speechless, his jaw hanging open as he looks down at the Stone Badge in his hand. He had tried for so many months to earn a single badge in the Orange Islands and just now, on his first try, he's earned an official Hoenn League Badge. Finding it hard to concentrate with Marvin and his Octillery standing in the room, Roxanne says, "By the look on your face, one would think you're the first person to ever earn a Stone Badge. I answered your questions. If it's true that that little girl stole your Pokemon, you should be hurrying after her. Mr. Briney, a nice old man who lives west of Petalburg City, might be able to take you to Dewford Town but I cannot presently help you any further. Thank you and have a nice day." Marvin nods at Roxanne, calmly recalls his Octillery, and silently walks outside of the Rustboro City Gym. Once outside, he proudly holds his Stone Badge high and happily shouts, "I GOT A STONE BADGE!" Smiling, he pins it on his golden tuxedo's coat and says, "Maybe Hoenn's the League for me. Onward to Dewford Town!" He opens his coat to put his Octillery's Pokeball away and notices his Torchic's Pokeball is missing. "...oh yeah, I left her at the Pokemon Center. In that case, onward to the Rustboro City Pokemon Center, THEN onward to Dewford Town!" -Marvin