From: Nendil <lucyliu@flash.net> Subject: [PW!] Destination: Saffron Date: Thursday, June 17, 1999 3:42 PM People said this post didn't show up, so I'll try again... apologies for any double postings. Roberto Perez-Vila <RobfromVoid@prodigy.net> wrote in message news:3766DD59.1461320D@prodigy.net... > > Robert raises his arms up high in protest, "Because I said I want to see > the most intelligent authority, not the most idiotic and crazy old > know-nothing! We're going to the Saffron City Hospital... To pay RK a > visit. If I study under him, he can get my mind ready for Blaine's > challenge. I'm sure he'll be happy to train me! I just hope he's feeling > better. Let's go!" The paved road leading to Saffron quickly narrowed to a small winding dirt path. "Geez, they sure don't work very hard on the transportation system here..." Robert commented, glancing at the tall weeds growing on either side of the road. "Well, I'd rather they keep the wilderness like it is than have technology everywhere in place of nature," Rilli argued. "Besides, it's better for--AACK!" she yelped as a net suddenly came down over her head. The grasses rustled for a moment, and a kid hopped out. "Hey, you're not a bug!" he complained. "No I'm not!" Mithril-rama exclaimed as she pulled the insect net over her head. "You should be more careful of other people!" The boy shrugged and pulled out a pokéball. "There are very few bugs here!" he yelled as he tossed the ball to the ground. A large Butterfree appeared, hovering above their heads. "Oh, if that's how it's going to go," Rilli muttered as she shuffled through her own pokéballs. She considered sending Electabuzz to counter the flying pokémon, but decided that Deimos needed more experience. In a flash, the double-headed bird materialized, scratching at the ground. Three pairs of eyes sized each other up, waiting for the first attack. "Butterfree! Sleep Powder!" the Bug Catcher commanded. The Butterfree flew up high and spread a cloud of blue-tinged dust across the field. However, the Doduo was faster and sprinted away, flapping its tiny wings for a boost in speed. It stretched up to its full height, extending its long neck, and plucked the insect out of the sky. While one head held it in place with its beak, the other head pecked at the bug. The boy gawked for a moment, then managed to compose himself slightly. "Confusion! Confusion!" he called, hopping up and down in excitement. The Butterfree tore itself free and glowed a light blue, as Deimos was soon after enveloped in the same blue aura. The two heads squawked in pain as the psychic energy burned at their minds. When the Butterfree finally pulled away, the bird was reeling. One of the heads began attacking the other in a confused daze. "Do! Do! Do!" the second head called desperately as it tried to run away from the first head, with very little success. "Do do dodododododo...!" "D'oh!" Rilli scratched her head, echoing the Doduo's sentiments. "Um... Use Fury Attack, Deimos... if you can!" Ignoring the other head's pecks, the Doduo ran up to the Butterfree and began pecking it all over, tearing at its wings and dragging it down in range of its large claws. The other head seemed to gain some consciousness and turned its rage on the Butterfree, adding its own assault. Rilli winced as she watched the brutal attack. "That's enough, Deimos!" she called. "There's no need to rip it to shreds!" "Are my pokémon weak? Or am I just bad?" the young trainer sighed as he recalled his fallen Butterfree. Rilli smiled apologetically. "Don't worry, just train harder! Your Butterfree is great, it was just at a lower level." The bug trainer seemed to pay no attention and sighed again. Rilli glanced at Robert, shrugged, and continued walking. Deimos followed proudly on its long legs, occasionally pausing to scratch on the ground or peck at an insect. The rest of the short trip was relatively uneventful as they passed through the Saffron City gates. With Robert's help, Rilli had little trouble finding the hospital this time. "I'm sorry miss, but you'll have to recall your pokémon, so they don't disturb the patients or contaminate the area," the nurse at the front desk explained. Mithril-rama called back Deimos into its own pokéball, then turned back to the nurse. "We're looking for RK... um, Mr. Evojian, could you tell us what room he's in?" "Evo... Evo..." the nurse muttered as she flipped through some papers. "I'm sorry, but according to the records, he had passed away a few days ago." Rilli sat down, hard, despite the fact that there was nothing to sit down onto. "Passed away? How could that be? He was doing all right when I came here to see him...!" The nurse shook her head. "I'm afraid I can't provide any more information--I haven't been working here very long, and for some reason the records don't show the reason for death or even any evidence of an autopsy performed. It's like he just... disappeared, and got recorded as dead." "But... but... I thought... Erika said it would save him..." Rilli whispered, her hand clutched onto the Poképedia in her bag. "Did I give her the wrong information...? He died because of..." Robert had been too shocked to speak at first, but knelt down and helped Rilli onto her feet. "You're not going to blame yourself, are you, Rilli? You did so much to try and save him, he'd be thankful, if anything! There was no way anyone could have known!" "No way..." Rilli repeated, trembling, after him. Another friend, another death... seemed too much to be coincidence. Leaving anyone she cared about apparently brings on grim consequences... She subconsciously clutched Robert tighter. "What are we going to do now?" she asked shakily. Nendil -- The Aquafraternal Fanart Corner http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Island/2733