From: Mobius101 <mobius101@aol.compactpika> Subject: Re: [PW!] Road to Terracotta Town Date: Wednesday, June 09, 1999 2:41 PM >A few hours later, the Charizard and his two passengers touched down atop a >cliff overlooking the far northern edge of Pewter City. It was a magnificent >view, and Slasher stared over Maria's shoulder. Maria gave the view the >glance >of one who had seen it far too many times before to care. She slid off >Charcoal's back and turned away to the north. Ahead was a rocky path >littered >with fields. > >"Charr...." Smoke billowed out from between Charcoal's fangs. He was worn >out >from the long hard flight. Maria rubbed his orange leathery hide and >recalled >him into his Pokeball for a well deserved rest. > >Tucking her hand into her pocket, she exchanged it for another one. With the >click of a button, James appeared before her in a flash of red energy. > >"Psy...duck?" He tilted his head up at her with his usual misleading vacant >look. > >Maria nodded. "Time for a little hike." > >"Psy yie yiiie...." > >"You need the exercise. Now let's go....." Taking the lead with a false air >of strength, she wondered what she was doing there. A sign on the side of >the >trail read: 'Route 26 to Terracotta Town.' That sent a shock through her >system. Surely no good could come of this.....but she'd come to the end of >her >rope. *** After they'd been walking an hour, Maria felt incredibly bored. The trail was the same monotonous view of endless upward sloping road ahead. Sheer cliff facing each other on either side of the trail, gave the road a claustrophobic feel. Slasher hung from her shoulder silently, swinging his tail with each step. James explored the road ahead, looking into the grasses now and then. Feeling tired, Maria stopped to sit on a chair-sized boulder off the side of the road. She tucked her legs under her, resting her head on her arms. She really didn't want to keep going. The fear of what she might find once she reached Terracotta Town made her feel sicker than she was already. She wanted to turn and run away, but she couldn't bring herself to do that either. She *had* to continue.......but maybe later. Drifting off to sleep, she didn't feel Slasher jump off her back to follow James into the grass. *** As was routine these days, Maria's dreams were filled with the little girl and the Jigglypuff. This time however, she kept seeing another figure standing in a transparent way just beyond her dreamscape. All she knew was that she wanted to escape the Jigglypuff and run to him. But he wasn't solid, and couldn't be reached. She wasn't even sure who it was.....she briefly thought it looked like James (the non-Psyduck one), but then the face changed again. After awhile, it was difficult to make out any shape at all. All she knew was that she loved him.......the stranger from the beach again? She was swirled around in her mind, confused and afraid. "Help me!" She was shocked when the dream figure actually seemed to hear her. It turned and stared, as if noticing her for the first time. But then there was another voice, that seemed to pierce through. Another transparent figure appeared. This one definitely looked almost like James.....though she felt that it wasn't. Then he disappeared. Before she could delve any deeper into the dream, there was a bright flash of light. *** "Psy! Psyduck Duck Duck!!!" Maria was startled awake, hearing James quacking in a terrified way. She kicked off from the rock and looked around. "James! What's wrong?" "Meowth! MEOWW!!!" Slasher jumped out beside her, his claws bared, hissing up at something above them. Maria followed his eyes up to a ledge a few feet up on the side of the cliff. There, a young woman a few years older than herself stood grinning down at her. The look on her face wasn't hostile, but there was a dangerous look to her. She had a panicking Psyduck in a tight armlock around the neck. "James!" Glaring, Maria drew her laser gun out and aimed right for the girl's head. "Let him go now, or I WILL blow your head off!!" She just wasn't in the mood to deal with amateur Pokemon theives. The girl crouched down and narrowed her brown eyes at Maria. The dirt and pebbles under her feet crunched, bits falling down the wall. "Now, now, I know it's been a long time, but is that any way to greet a sister?" Maria's own eyes widened briefly in recognition and her grip tightened on the gun. "Maggie." She *knew* this had been a bad idea... TBC! (Oyy...I need ta brush up on this stuff ^^;;; ) ~Maria R "Psy yie yie..." ----- Tha webber: http://hamstergirl.cjb.net/ ----- "Taking Pokemon straight from your pockets, With the power of the stars, it's Maria Rocket!" -My corny PW! motto ^.^; --- Rocketshipper Forever! --- TEOTWAWKI