From: dryad48@aol.com (Dryad48) Subject: [PW!] Entitle the Stars Date: 05 Jul 1999 08:33:00 GMT Pop! The cork hit the ceiling, then, swiftly returned to the elegantly dressed table. "Drink up!" Dern filled a glass of champagne and handed it to Kathy. They were celebrating their victory in the past trial with Mr. Karp, Machop, and Fern, in one of the most fancy restraunts in Celadon City ( that they could afford). "Uhh... no thanks. I'm too young to drink!" "I'm old enough. After all, I am already a toddler," Dern nautiously said as he handed the glass to Fern. "I'm old enough," she replied as she gulped it down quickly. "You're drunk, aren't you?" "No U'm not!" Dern stood up, and fell over again. "This is your third bottle! Can't the waiters see that you're too young to be drinking?" "Dey dun't cere, us lang os thy bake honey." Dern fell asleep with his mouth drooling on the tablecloth. "So," Kathy turned to Mr. Karp. "Now that you have a full time job in the Pokemon Courthouse, what will you do?" "I... don't know yet. Probably extend my career, buy the first class fish tank I've always dreamed of, go into the sushi bussiness." Kathy's tiresome eyes widened right away. "What?!" "Heheh, just checking if you were listening. What I really want to do is become a judge. Perhaps I should go into training to prepare myself." "What for, you're an excellent lawyer!" Fern pointed out. "Yeah, but I meant... pokemon training." "No offense, but a Magikarp will never survive alone in the wild world of pokemon. Plus, there aren't much trainers out there who show perfect respect towards their pokemon." "IF," Mr. Karp interrupted, "I do change into a Gyarados, I would be an imposing sight in court, heheh." He turned to Fern. "Since you butted into my bussiness, why don't you tell us what you want." "Oh, the usual pokemon trainer's dream, become the best." "Oh, come on! There's got to be more than that!" "Sorry, but I don't have any surprises for you." Both Kathy and Mr. Karp knew by looking into her eyes, that she was lying. There was something that she wanted to say, but she was too afraid or sad to say it. "I haven't yet fully decided what I want," Kathy announced, "but I am prepared for the consequences." Dern woke up and spoke. "What do you mean by that?" "I.... don't know." Kathy's eyes were dim as she stared into the open space beyond Dern's face. "It just felt like what I had to say." Before Dern could speak, Kathy talked. "Maybe, if I keep up what I'm doing, I'll become a bigger bum." "Excuse me?" "I don't have a solid plan as to what i'm going to do today, or tommorrow, or in the future days to come." "Relax," Dern reassured her with a pat on the back. "There are many people like you out there. And, one of them is me." Kathy gave an uncertain smile. "So, there is one of us left to talk about it," Mr. Karp spoke and turned to Machop, who was busy eating the variety of foods. He looked up. "What? I'm listening." "We don't want you to listen!" Fern insisted. "We want you to speak! Tell us, what are your life plans?" "my..plans?" "Yes, what do you want to do in the future?" ". . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fern, Kathy, Dern, Mr. Karp. . . . . no one has ever asked me that, ever." Mr. Karp leaned over. "We're listening." "All my life, I've been raised poory. I was a slave to my father, he made me do everything for him. I wanted to be free, so I escaped and ran and ran, but came across a trainer, a bad trainer. Four years of putting up with what HE wanted. Thank goodness I was abandoned, when I wasn't fit for his standards. I decided to make something of myself, for myself." Machop paused, then went on. "Law school was where I got my start." The group finished their meal later that evening and gave their last goodbyes. "I guess, this is it," Kathy said. "The trial is over, we can get on with our life quests, tomorrow is a new begining!" Kathy used her senses to remember the faces of the group. "I'm going back to the motel now. If tomorrow IS the begining, I want to get a head start." Kathy walked slowly off into night as the others waved to her. "Mr. Karp." Fern spoke before he could take his silent leave. He turned to her. "Good luck! I'm praying every moment for your success! And I'm sure you'll you'll hit the jackpot of luck." "Thanks." Mr. Karp only gave a slight smile to them, then flopped off to the bussiness area. "Watch out world! Mr. Karp is coming to town!" "So....." Machop thought of what to say. "You don't need to say anything, long fare wells aren't necessary." "With that discussion we had, I'm quiting the law, there will be a place for me in the wild." "And I'm sure you can take the challenge," Dern said. "After all, you fought tooth and nail for me in that courtroom. Machop, you've got a swell heart!" Machop smiled. "I guess I won't be needing this anymore." He took off the voice translator and trampled it. "Bye!" "Machop!" "See ya!" "Machop!" Now, only Dern and Fern were standing there on that cool Celadon night. The restraunt closed, and the street lights illuminated the natural beauty of the park. Their eyes locked in place and they stared at each other. "It's getting late,'' Fern stated. "We should leave now." But they didn't move an inch. "You know, when I was young, on clear nights like this, I used to lie in the grass, and entitle the stars. I gave them such funny names...." "You never told me, or us what your plans are." Fern turned away and spoke softly. "All my relatives, my friends, and most of my pokemon, even my badges........." "what?" Fern walked away and stopped in the middle of the street. "They went down with the S.S.Anne." A bus pulled up and blocked Dern's view of Fern. The bus left in a few seconds and Dern's hopes and dreams of see Fern once more, dissipated, for she was gone. The End [of the trial that is] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ~Dryad48 "If there's a key, then there must be a door. And I intend to find it." "Once again, we are running for our lives, but from our sanity..." "Good comes from bad. Bad comes from good."