From: "Jom Tones" <publicenemanumberone@hotmail.nospam.com> Subject: [PW!] The naked truth... Date: Tuesday, June 22, 2004 6:52 PM When they arrived in Mauville, Huck spent half a day scouring the town for posters of himself while Arren hung around by the daycare center. All Huck could find were mugshots of a very sinister looking Pikachu that was on the run. The locals were in quite a frenzy about it - apparently, so Arren told him later, it had broken into the daycare center and got caught assaulting a Minun. Thankful that they weren't looking for him, Huck allowed himself to relax a little and spent the rest of the day showing Arren all the marginally cool things he'd found. He avoided Rydel's Cycles at first thinking that he wouldn't be interested but apparently he was. Arren suggested that part of their disguise could be a tandem. Huck thought this was an interesting idea but didn't want to approach a shopkeeper - they'd probably have had a head's up from the police. In a half arsed attempt at finding a disguise, they looked in some local charity shops to see what they could find. They left Scyther in a bush on route 111 with the rucksack, much to his dismay - Huck got lumped with piggey-back wheelchair duty. Inside the shop, the most interesting things were smelly old women's clothes and red plastic bags filled with cassettes of old music. Bored and dejected, they sat around and ate ice cream until they'd officially out-lived every possible source of entertainment. In a nutshell, nothing exciting happens. Huck moped back to Scyther's hide away with Arren on his back to find the severe, green creature staring with confused interest into the bushes. "What's wrong?" Arren asked, curious. "He's watching something really weird, apparently," Huck translated. Equally curious, Huck (complete with Arren on back) walked over to see what exactly Scyther was looking at. "I have been watching this woman for some time," Scyther explained as both boys looked into the clearing beyond the bushes - crouched in the very long grass was the head of a blonde/brunette girl, "She has been displaying behaviour I find most curious. Even for a human being." In and around the crouching young woman fluttered a flustery Swablu. "Calm down," said the girl in a gentle tone, "I'm going to find those two if it's the last thing I do. I just want to get a bit more comfortable." Huck and Arren were craning their heads to see what it was that had confused Scyther. Then the girl stood up. Huck and Arren gasped. Then they started giggling, their eyes like dinner plates. "Oh my God - she's naked!!!" Completely oblivious to their gasps, giggles and stares, the young woman had stood up and was now shouldering her backpack - presumably filled with clothes. The Swablu leapt into her arms, obscuring part of the display. "I do not understand," Scyther commented, "Why is she displaying her genitals? I thought it was common practice for human beings to disguise their nudity." Huck and Arren ignored him, both were equally glad that neither could see each other's face. Be buggered to common practice, they thought, this was the best thing they'd seen all day. No, all week! Possibly the best thing they'd seen in ages!! The girl then walked off in a northerly direction. Without word, both boys decided that the best course of action was to follow the naked girl. "Quick," Arren said, blushing furiously, "Swap shoulders." "Err, right," Huck replied, discarding Arren and quickly shouldering the luggage. Arren positively leapt into Scyther's shoulder cradle. "It is already late evening, should we not prepare for nighttime?" Scyther asked, innocently. "We'll stop for boobs - I mean bum - sorry, I mean 'bed' when she does," Huck replied quickly and with much embarrassment. Meanwhile... Baldric Salamander stood in his study examining the new pane of glass that had been installed to replace the one that the young thief had broken. He stared down at the river and pondered. No body had been found despite an adequate, if slightly slow to start search of the offending river. Which meant that the Forrester boy was still alive. Salamander, knowing how valuable his stolen item was, was hoping that he'd be dumb enough to try and sell it. This in turn would lead the boy into his hands. However, he was almost completely certain that the police would find nothing. If he wanted the boy found then he'd have to pay for it himself. He pressed the buzzer that connected him to his secretary. "Yes sir," she replied promptly. "Miriam, could you see to it that the Forrester boy is found no matter the cost..." "Do you mean hire some Bounty Hunters sir?" Salamander sighed, this girl still had to be trained in the arts of subtlety - typical. "Yes Miriam, that's exactly what I mean... While you're at it, make sure you ring Bug's Eye Services, I've used them in the past." Ah yes, Bug's Eye Services. If I'm going to have to struggle to find this boy, he thought, I may as well have some fun doing it. The infamous self employed Bug's Eye. Considering his past and his soon to be bounty, Salamander had to chuckle at the plethora of possible ironic and twisted conclusions to this little tail. "Oh, and Miriam, send me in a glass of brandy." Baldric was looking forward to an evening of chuckling.