From: "Rob" <robfrompw@yahoo.com> Subject: [PW!] The Fantabulous Trick Master! Date: Friday, March 12, 2004 11:05 PM A middle-aged man wearing a sapphire tuxedo walks past the southern entrance to the Seaside Cycling Road on his way north to Mauville. The beach bum he met on Slateport Beach yesterday evening had told him that he would have to pedal uphill if he wanted to take that route to his destination, and the middle-aged man is well-aware that he's too out of shape to successfully complete this task without rupturing something. As he walks north on the dirt path west of the elevated seaside road, he wonders if the two girls he met yesterday night took either of these two routes to Mauville after he parted ways with them. Marvin, the man journeying to Mauville, hadn't seen them at the Pokemon Center he slept in, but Slateport City's Pokemon Center is rather large so he figures it's possible that they slept there but he just didn't notice them. Knowing that they were after Shiny Unown, he worries that they rushed to Mauville City last night to take his Shiny Unown from the little girl who stole them from him and keep them for themselves. Then again, they seemed like good girls who wouldn't steal Pokemon. His musings are cut short when he sees a large sign outside of an even larger building that reads, "Three steps -> and two steps ^ to reach the wondrous TRICK HOUSE." Being that Marvin's reading the sign from a distance, the sign's instructions are irrelevant to him, but the capitalized words catch his attention. "Hmm, I wonder if by 'trick' the sign means 'illusion' or 'cute girl'. Either way, I can't lose! Look out, Trick House, here I come!" Eager to enter the Trick House whether it's a magic shop or a brothel, Marvin quickens his pace. He throws open the door leading into the Trick House to find... an empty room. The room isn't particularly stunning. There's a table in the middle of the room flanked by two cushions on each side, and two potted plants are placed on opposite sides of the room. Not much else about the room stands out. Disappointed by the drab interior of the 'wondrous' Trick House, but hoping that there's more to the Trick House than what meets the eye, Marvin calls out, "Hello?" No response. "Is anyone home?" No response. "Oh well..." Dejected, Marvin leaves the Trick House. After Marvin leaves the room, a balding middle-aged man hops out from behind one of the potted plants and protests, "Hey, what the hell was that?! What kind of messed-up weirdo walks into an empty house and doesn't search for the owner in every nook and cranny of the house?! That guy has serious problems." -Marvin