From: Roberto Perez-Vila <RobfromVoid@prodigy.net> Subject: [PW!] When Cold Hard Cash Calls Date: Monday, May 17, 1999 6:02 PM "M.W.F." wrote: > Erika sat and thought. Apparently, RK needed a Clafairy with a red > scar > on one eye and a Moon Stone. At least, that's what was implied. She > already asked the Pokemon League, but Bruno said all their hunters > were > out already. She couldn't trust Giovanni, even though RK could. Her > assistants were needed too much. Maybe... no, she had no idea where > Alice and Alysia would be. > > She came to her last resort: a bounty hunter. She had used them > before > with mixed results. > > She picked up the phone and made a call. > The other side answered. "Hello. ... Yes, I'd like to post a bounty. > ... > Very specific, but a nice reward. ... No, I don't care who does the > job. > ... Here's what I want. A Clefairy with a red scar from Mount Moon > and a > Moon Stone. ... Don't give me that 'We're not pokemon trainers' crap. > I > know you better than that. ... That's better. ... Reward is to be > 5000, > payment in full on delivery. ... OK. Thank you." She hung up and > hoped > they could help. Minax is sitting against a tree, crossing her legs. "Yesterday was a waste. Seems like today will be too." She is just north of Cerulean City, waiting for unsuspecting trainers to pass. Only one had passed in the entire morning, and he only had two Pokeballs to steal. She didn't even bother checking them, and simply sent them to Team Rocket headquarters. Ring! Ring! Ring! The sound emits from the black leather pouch hung on her belt, right next to her holster. She simply abhors the noise, since it usually indicates a call from the Boss. This call was from someone else... apparently her reputation had gotten out. She pulls the Communicator out of her pouch, flips it open, and stares into the screen. It displays the guildmaster of the Bounty Hunter's Guild. Minax explains in a cool tone, "I'm not a bounty hunter." The guildmaster looks very grim, "We know that, but we gotta job that no self-respecting bounty hunter would take. I'm sure that Retwin character would take it, but the bastard's no where to be found. The gal who called up said she don't care who does the job, so we figured you'd be the next best person." Minax stares into the screen with a serious face which implies disgust, "If no self-respecting bounty hunter would take it, why should I? Besides, I don't know what you've heard, but I don't murder people." The guildmaster grins inside the small Communicator's screen, "It ain't that kinda bounty. It's a request fer a Clefairy from Mt. Moon with a red scar and a Moon Stone from there too." Minax raises an eyebrow out of curiosity, "Oh? And the reward?" The guildmaster laughs, "That's the way ta think! It's 5000 coins!" Minax shows a little bit of surprise in her facial features, but quickly reverts to her indifferent stare. She weighs her black leather pouch in her hand, and finds it to be lacking in funds. "Okay. I'll take it. Where do I deliver the goods?" "Didn't say." The guildmaster looks at a torn up sheet of paper, "I'll find out and get back to ya." The screen on the Communicator fizzles, and the device shuts down. Minax tosses it into her black pouch. She stands up, dusting off the dirt on the back of her tight jeans, adjusts her rubbery top, and takes off at a fast pace towards Mt. Moon, which is not too far away. A few people stare at her as she runs through Cerulean City, but once she is away from their perverted glances, she reaches Mt. Moon in record time, hardly breaking a sweat. "Mt. Moon. This is where I caught Zubat. I'm sure he can help me find my way through." She removes Zubat's Pokeball from her belt and points it forward. Red energy shoots out, and a relatively fat blood-sucking Zubat materializes. He moves his head all around, wondering where the freshly killed Pokemon is located. "Not this time, Zubat. We're going into Mt. Moon. Maybe I'll find time to feed you later on." She caresses her holster and walks into the dark cave. Minax has excellent vision, and while others would stumble around inside the cave, she can see every wall, rock, and stray Geodude. She walks through the cave calmly, glancing around, wondering where to find the Clefairy. "Damnit. How am I supposed to find one of the shyest Pokemon in the world. I wish cash wasn't so tempting." She continues wandering through the caves, avoiding all the dirty walls, not wanting to get herself dirty. It wasn't too often she had access to a shower, and on many occasions, she had to take baths inside natural lakes. This wasn't her favorite activity, so she didn't want to have to repeat it twice on the same day. Zubat screeches, having heard footsteps using his natural radar. Soon after, Minax hears a very low warble of a voice that cries out, "Fairy? Fairy Fairy Clefairy!" Minax's eyes stray towards the location of the noise. Her hearing is just about as excellent as her vision, so she knows where sounds come from immediately after hearing them. The chubby little Pokemon stands there. No scar is apparent, however, the cute little Clefairy is holding a Moon Stone in its tiny arms. It smiles, and waves, "Fairy!" Minax gradually walks closer to the Clefairy holding the Moon Stone. "Hand it to me." The Clefairy backs away and shakes its head indignantly. Minax narrows her eyes, "Let me rephrase that. Hand it to me or die." The Clefairy chuckles, not understanding what Minax is trying to say, and backs away some more, happy to play the "hard to get" game. Minax doesn't want to play. She unlatches her holster and removes her silver pistol. She aims straight for the Clefairy's skull. "Now. You have three seconds to give me the Moon Stone or else I'll blow your brains out." Clefairy hops up and down with the Moon Stone in its hands. "Fairy! Fairy!" It giggles. "One..." The Clefairy hugs her Moon Stone closer and giggles more. "Two..." The Clefairy dances around in circles, floating up off the ground flapping its tiny wings, happy to have found a new friend. "Three." A shot rings out. Blood is splattered everywhere. A Moon Stone is on the ground, next to a Pokemon's corpse. Zubat senses the carnage, and flaps down to the body, sticks his fangs in, and begins his feast. Minax kneels down and grabs the liberated Moon Stone. She wipes some Clefairy blood off of it and sticks it inside her pouch. "That's done. Now to find that Clefairy with the scar. Come along now, Zubat." Zubat sucks up one last bit of blood, and perches on Minax's shoulder. The task is much more difficult than originally thought. Minax had encountered four Clefairy in the past hour, and none of them had a scar. Understandably, she doesn't get too excited to see another one in the corner, but this one is different. This one has a red scar on one of its eyes. Minax's usually somber expression breaks for a moment to display a wicked grin, but then goes back to normal. "Come to Minax, Clefairy..." The scarred Clefairy jumps and turns towards Minax, surprised to see such a tall human female standing in front of it. "Clefairy?" The Clefairy seems worried, and turns to run away. "You're not going anywhere. Zubat, Bite." Zubat jumps off of Minax's shoulder and flaps his wings rapidly. He chases after the running Clefairy, and sinks its giant fangs into the Clefairy's back. "Leech Life." The Zubat obeys his master's command and begins to suck the life out of the Clefairy with the red scar. Minax calmly walks up to the suffering Clefairy, and glances down at her Zubat, "Stop. It won't be much use to whoever wants it if you suck all the life out of it." Despite Zubat's greed for blood, he backs away, obedient to Minax. Minax plucks the second of three Pokeballs on her belt and throws it at the wounded Clefairy with all her might! The Pokeball snaps open after hitting the legendary Clefairy's back, and the Pokemon gets sucked in. The Pokeball rolls around, the Clefairy putting up quite a struggle, but in the end, it stops struggling and accepts its fate. Minax drops down on one knee, grabs the Pokeball, and hooks it on her belt again. "Time to claim the reward." Ring! Ring! Ring! The Communicator calls out. Minax responds, and the grizzly guildmaster of the Bounty Hunter's Guild appears on the screen once again, "Take it to the Saffron City Hospital. Someone called Erika wants it." Minax shuts the Communicator and tucks it away, "Erika? Could it be the same Erika who runs the Celadon City Gym? I remember a time when I cared about being a Pokemon Master. Oh well. Time to deliver the package. Zubat, help me find my way out of the cave. We're going to take a trip to Saffron." Zubat flies up into the air and begins maneuvering his way around Mt. Moon to the best of his recollection. Once they are outside of the cave, Minax sucks Zubat back into his Pokeball. "I'd better get to Saffron before sunset. Shouldn't be a problem.." Minax starts her brisk jog to the Saffron City Hospital, not minding the glances that people cast towards her on the way there. She always craves attention... why else would she wear such tight clothing? -Minax