From: Roberto Perez-Vila <RobfromVoid@prodigy.net> Subject: [PW!] I Just Lost My Appetite Date: Tuesday, May 18, 1999 2:14 PM Thunderclap! Robert hugs himself and shivers as he trudges through the rainstorm in Viridian City. The water started to fall just after he left the Viridian City Gym, and he has been walking around looking for a Diner since then. Ten minutes hearing thunder and seeing lightning crashing through the sky. Robert whispers, "The water...so very cold..." The journey through the slippery streets of Viridian City ends at the door to the local Brock's Diner. Robert swings the glass door open and seeks refuge within. He sighs under his breath, "Knowing my luck today, I've probably caught pneumonia." Robert hugs himself more, and continues to shiver in the air conditioned indoors. "Hey!" A screechy annoying voice is heard coming from not too far away, "Hey! Would you look that that? It's The Robmeister! Looks like he took a shower for the first time in his life!" Robert recognizes the voice immediately. He grits his chattering teeth, "Jeremy." He looks over to the elegant booths set alongside the wall sized windows that offer a clear view of the thunderstorm outside. Jeremy, his short blonde hair combed every so carefully, sits at one of these booths. His white shirt is clean and dry, unlike Robert's black shirt. Surely enough, sitting right next to him on the same side of the booth, the girl known as Bambi is hugging him arm. Her clueless green eyes stare in no particular direction, and her blue hair cascades down Jeremy's shoulder. Jeremy stands up, and tugs Bambi along with him. He walks over to the drenched Robert and looks him over, "Wow... You're a mess, Muk boy. Hey! What's the deal? Where's Muk chick?" Robert looks straight down at the ground, and speaks in a calm voice, "She had to do something in Saffron today. She'll be back." Jeremy can't help but crack a smile and laughs out loud, his raspy cackle echoing in the near empty Diner, "You actually believe that she's going to come back to you?! Ha, even if she doesn't have a boyfriend in Saffron, she'll probably find one while she's there. Someone better than you, at least. It's a criteria that's not too hard to fit!" "Grrrr..." Robert continues to glance downward, and clenches his fists. Jeremy notices that Robert isn't about ready to indulge him in a response, so he decides to take the conversation elsewhere, "What brings you to Viridian City? I came here to get my eighth and final badge!" Robert can't help but look up at Jeremy's shirt. It is true. There are seven badges pinned there, among them, the Volcano Badge which Robert had failed to get earlier. Tears begin forming in Robert's eyes, but they can't be distinguished by anyone since Robert is so very wet after coming in from the storm outside. "Well?" Jeremy begins to tap his burgundy penny loafer impatiently, "Why did you come here? It couldn't possibly be to get another badge... After all, you only have a measly four badges, and everyone knows that you can't get an Earth Badge until you have the seven other Badges!" Thunderclap! Robert closes his eyes, just wishing the world would fade away. A single tear falls from each closed eyelid. Jeremy shrugs, wondering why Robert isn't fuming yet, "I'd have gotten that badge, too, if the Gym Leader was there. Instead, there were these idiotic Team Rocket members. They actually wanted me to join the Team. Ha! Why would I join Team Rocket? I would have to go on crazy missions for someone else and have to wear a cheesy uniform!" Bambi's eyes open up wide, "...and cuz it's super duper wrong to steal cutesy little Pokemon from good guys, right?! It's really really really really bad to steal stuff! I think people who steal stuff should be spanked!" Jeremy's smirks at Bambi's choice of words, "Well, Bambi, if that's the case, I'm going to have to spank you!" "WHAT?! WHY?!" Bambi hops away from Jeremy's side, her eyes wide, her hands covering her butt. "Because you stole my heart!" Jeremy places his hands on Bambi's shoulders and pulls her closer. He begins to kiss Bambi all over her face, and rub her back all over. "Ohhh yeah... I promise it won't hurt..." Robert, curious about the silence, looks up again. Upon seeing his rival hugging and kissing Bambi, he winces. "UGH! I've just lost my appetite..." He places his hands on his stomach, about ready to puke. Jeremy spins away from Bambi, and smiles at Robert, "Glad to see I got your attention! Too bad you'll never know true love like what Bambi and I have got... You're doomed to go from one girlfriend to another. Each one saying that you're special and that they'd like a guy like you over a guy like me. That Rilli girl was lying to you. Face it. No one could ever love an ignorant, badge-less idiot." Jeremy's smile grows, and he starts to chuckle. Robert's eye twitches just one too many times, and he snaps, "AHHHH! Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" He grabs a random Pokeball from his belt and throws it at full force at Jeremy! At this moment, a loud thunderclap rings out! When the thunderclap stops rumbling, a goofy Farfetch'd is quacking at Jeremy's feet. "Farfetch'd Far!" Jeremy looks at the enraged Robert, then down at the Farfetch'd. He cracks up, "That's your meanest Pokemon?! Is this some sort of joke-a-mon?! Oh come on. Let me just prove how pathetic you are. Grass and Bug Pokemon are weak against Flying Pokemon." Jeremy reaches into his pocket and pulls out a Pokeball. "Parasect, I choose you!" The giant red mushroom creature, part Bug type and part Grass type, appears. It cries out, "Parrrrasecto!" Robert squints his eyes, "Wrong move... Farfetch'd peck it's innards out!" Robert's Farfetch'd hops up into the air and begins pecking away at the Parasect's mushroom! The Parasect seems to weaken a little. As Farfetch'd bombards the Pokemon with his beak, a thunderclap rings out! "Parasect, Spore." Jeremy smirks at the Farfetch'd attempt to defeat his Parasect. "A weaker Parasect would have fainted by now, but I've been training mine non stop since I caught him in Mt. Moon!" As Jeremy explains this arrogant fact to Robert, his Parasect releases a thin mist in Farfetch'd direction... Farfetch'd passes out directly in front of the Parasect's giant claws. Robert falls to his knees and yells out, "Wake up! Wake up!" Farfetch'd isn't able to obey. "Parasect, Slash. Deal the first and final blow." Jeremy smirks as he sends out this command. SLASH! The Parasect attacks the Farfetch'd sleeping body... The wild duck Pokemon faints. Robert falls to the floor completely and begins banging at the floor, "It's not fair! I'm a good person... I always treat my Pokemon with love and care... I'm never mean to anyone! Why do so many bad things happen to me?! Why?!" Thunderclap! The rain outside begins to pour at the rate that Robert's tears flow from his face. Bambi whistles in awe as she sees Robert's nervous breakdown, "Wow Robbie! Take a chill pill!" Jeremy calls his Parasect back into his Pokeball and grabs a rolled up red umbrella. He leans over towards where Robert is sprawled on the floor and whispers in a calm voice, "Nice guys always finish last." On that final note, Jeremy and Bambi leave Brock's Diner, hugging closely under the opened red umbrella. -Robert