From: Magic T. Dragon <cvilagi@earthlink.net> Subject: [PW!] To Viridian City! Date: Wednesday, April 14, 1999 9:18 AM Natasha headed back to her house as the auction ended. Cubone followed by her left leg, with Charmander tailing just behind him. As she entered, her mother jumped up from her chair in surprise. "A second one already?? Wonderful!" Natasha nodded. "The poor thing was on auction, and he looked so lonely...I just had to get him!" She sat down across from her mother. "Mom...I think I know what I'd like to do for a while...I want to travel across the world, catch all I can, get all the badges!" She laughed. "I guess I wanna be the best, like everyone else..." Her mother nodded. "Well...you'd better hurry...a bus for Viridian City leaves in half an hour!" "Are you kidding?!? I...I'll go get my things!" Natasha ran upstairs, snatching a backpack and jamming as much as she could into it. Several changes of clothes, a sleeping bag, and a trainer's manual. She scrounged her room for her stashes of money. When she was done searching, she'd found another $5000...enough to get by for a while. She started to run down the stairs, but stopped and turned back. Rather hesitantly, she picked up her grandfather's hat and pushed it on. It was still as size too big, but... "Mom, I'll be back soon...it probably won't take more than a month to get back here on foot!" 'I should know,' she added silently. Her mother laughed and handed back Cubone, whom had taken residence between the wall and the fridge. "Don't be gone long..." Natasha hugged her once and went out the door, to the bus stop. She checked her watch. Another 15 minutes...she might as well give her hometown one more look. She plodded to the department store. As she entered, she noticed a booth set up in the corner. "Hello, little girl..." Natasha cringed as the man called her 'little'. "Are you a new trainer? We're giving away Pokédexes with the purchase of at least $500 in merchandise today! Come back here with the receipt, and I'll give you one." She nodded and ran up the stairs, her two Pokémon scrambling up after her. Ten minutes. She grabbed Antidote, Ice Heal, and Paralyze Heal off the shelf and handed over $550, making sure to get the receipt. With difficulty, she crammed the three medicines into her pack and went back down the stairs. "Here. I spend the $500...." The man smiled. "Good. Now, here's your Pokédex. It has information on all known kinds of Pokémon, and a lot of advice on..." Natasha had already left, Pokédex in hand. She reached the bus stop just before the bus did. The bus was rather crowded, so she had to take a seat in the very back...not her idea of a fun trip. As she sat back, she pushed the hat over her face and started to doze off. Charmander and Cubone soon followed suit. --Natasha V. "Char! Charmander!" "Bone bone Cubone!"