From: "William Rendfeld" <warendfeld@aol.com> Subject: [PW!] Dinner in the Rain Date: Thursday, January 01, 2004 3:38 PM The Silver Conference was over. The spectators had left shortly after the closing ceremonies, leaving much of Silver Town deserted. Many competitors remained, however, taking care of loose strings from the tournament. One such trainer found herself sitting at a window seat in the Silver Town Pokémon Center's Cafeteria, looking out onto the landscape as rain thundered down on Silver Town. "Alex?" Ben asked, trying to regain the attention of the young woman before him. "Hmm?" Alexandria Masters replied, looking to her date. "Oh, sorry Ben. I'm just distracted, that's all." "Worried about Smasher, huh?" Ben asked before taking a sip from his drink, a large, mostly-eaten pizza in front of the two competitors. "Him and others," Alex replied. "That girl who showed up to watch his match, Amber, is slipping into depression, Aerie's on a suicidal guilt trip, and I'm feeling useless. All in all, not a good day." Ben sighed thoughtfully, then said, "Don't worry. Something tells me Smasher'll show up soon enough. Anyone with a track record like his won't go down that easily." "I hope you're right," Alex replied. Changing the subject, she asked, "So, how's that Salamence of yours doing?" "Aeros is fine," Ben replied. "He's all healed and ready to take me back to Hoenn. I just wanted to get this and a few other things out of the way before then." Thinking for a second, he asked, "Do you need a lift anywhere?" "Thanks, but no," Alex politely refused. "I prefer walking. Besides, my next destination is Azalea Town, opposite direction. I wouldn't want to trouble you." "Alright," Ben replied. After a couple seconds of thought, he asked, "So, are you really a psychic?" Alex smiled and allowed herself a small chuckle. "I wouldn't be so general about it. I'm just a standard issue telepath, nothing major. Mind reading, mental communication, nothing serious. And even that has limits." "Like what?" Ben asked. "Well, there are certain minds that I can't read," Alex explained. "Other psychics, anyone with any sort of spiritual training, those sorts of people. Doesn't mean I can't be read myself, however. Considering my recent experiences, I wouldn't be surprised if Sabrina could look inside my head without much difficulty." "Doesn't sound like much of a stretch," Ben noted. "So, you could read my mind right now if you wanted." "Yep," Alex answered. "Then why haven't you?" Ben asked. "Personal beliefs," Alex replied. "I've always had a firm belief that people are entitled to their privacy. Besides, the human mind is an incredibly fragile place. One wrong step on the psychic path, and both people could end up as vegetables. I don't think I'm ready to make an attempt like that." "You didn't have a problem sending me a message earlier," Ben noted. "There's a difference between sending a mental message and reading someone's mind," Alex replied. "Besides, with the training I've had lately, a surface scan is a lot less risky for both parties." "That was how you figured out what I was thinking earlier?" Ben asked. "That and deductive reasoning," Alex replied. In a light British accent, she added, "I'm a big fan of Sherlock Holmes." Both trainers chuckled at that remark, glad that the mood was lightening a bit. "While we're on the subject of questions, Ben," Alex asked, "does it hurt?" "Does what hurt?" Ben asked. "Having that Mawile of yours clamped to your leg," Alex replied. Ben glanced down at said Mawile, who shrugged its small arms and gave a nervous smile. "Kinda, at first. But between getting used to the pain and Mawile only applying enough pressure for a firm grip, it doesn't hurt that badly." Alex nodded in understanding, then said, "That's touching." "I like to think so," Ben replied. "So, can your sister do that telepathy stuff too?" Alex shook her head. "No. I inherited my abilities from my father. Cass and I are only blood by our mother, a complete non-telepath. The only reason she and I are of equal height is that her father was pretty tall himself." "Ah," Ben said in understanding. "So, where is your sister anyway? And your Pokémon?" "Cass is probably battling Bo Harakune right now," Alex replied. "I never could figure that out about my sister. She's a smart girl, but she has little if any caution. She'll probably give him a good fight, though. That's another thing she and I have in common; we're stubborn idiots." "I wouldn't call you an idiot," Ben replied. "A little overeager maybe, but no idiot." "Well, you may be right," Alex noted with a chuckle. "As for the guys, they're in my room. Surtur's a big nut over classic movies, so they're probably watching something via the 'Net." "You're kidding," Ben replied. "Nope," Alex answered. "He's a big nut over Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn. I've been trying to convince him to watch more recent movies, but so far no luck. What about you? What do you enjoy watching in your spare time?" TBC? [NS: luneric, feel free to take it from here.] William Rendfeld Creator of Echowarrior, the Pokémon Resistance, and Alex Masters 178,000 Excellent Author Points 1 'I knew odd pokefacts that confused a bread crumb' point. 20 Y2Tech Points