From: Roberto Perez-Vila <RobfromVoid@prodigy.net> Subject: [PW!] Past Incompetence Date: Friday, July 30, 1999 12:52 AM Minax's arm drops onto the concrete in the Saffron City alleyway with a thud. Anyone passing by would be sure that there is a dead red-haired woman in the alley, but in reality, she is only sleeping. That is, until she hears a Rattata scream his species' name into her ear! She grabs the Rattata with her once seemingly dead hand and throws it against one of the building walls! It recomposes itself and runs away scared. Minax sits up, yawns, and stretches her arms out. "What happened last night?" Minax asks herself while pulling the perfume she bought at the Celadon Gym out of her sack, "I let the little jerk sweep me to the ground. I don't even have a stolen Pokemon to show for it." She sprays the pungent aroma called 'Subversion' all over her arms, on her face, and even inside her tight black top. Minax stares at her muddy black leather boots, "It was that Arbok. It disoriented me. Still, I see promise in the dumb Pokemon. He lashed out at me and flit without a command to do so. If I could re-orient that taste for human blood so that it becomes a taste for Pokemon blood, then I could use him as a new weapon! ... and if he refuses?" Minax strokes the holster that hides her silver pistol, "I'll just have to rely on Plan B. As usual..." "Still. It wasn't just the Arbok's fault." Minax rubs her eyes to rid them of the dry substance that gathers there overnight, "I was being too nice to the idiot. I wasn't Minax last night. I was Marcie." Minax shudders, something she doesn't do often. * Flashback * A sixteen year old girl with short and ridiculously bright red hair is staring into a Communicator, nodding her head excessively. She is wearing a white, tight, and not to mention skimpy, Team Rocket outfit, with an oversized red "R" in the middle of the top part of the costume. The screen of the Communicator shows a man in darkness stroking his Persian, "This is the Boss, and I'm *sick* of waiting. I want Shellder, and this time, don't screw it up!" "Yes, sir, mister Boss, sir, I will, sir, capture it, sir, and you won't be dissapointed, sir! No way! No how!" Marcie shows off a huge grin while nodding, her white teeth taking up the greater part of her face, "It's as strong as I said, sir, and much more, sir! Not that I was lying to you, sir, but the sheer attempt of describing it's power, sir, blows my mind, sir!" She pants intensely and a huge sweatdrop forms on her head, "You won't be disappointed, sir, I'll capture it this time, sir!" The response the Boss offers is cutting his communication with Marcie short. Marcie sighs and wipes the huge sweatdrop off her face. She sticks her Communicator into the pocket in her outfit, "Oh no! Here they come now! Okay, Marcie, chill... Wait, no, *don't* chill! I gotta stay cool... no wait... I gotta be hot! YEAH! Oh, shut up, Marcie! Shut up!" The group walking out of Mt. Moon and into the field to the west of Cerulean consists of three people. A ten year old girl with short black hair on her Pokemon Journey, a red-haired boy who is slightly taller who is wearing a yellow shirt and blue shorts, and a nerdy girl who is taller than the other two, who has long brown hair and glasses. A silly looking Shellder happily hops alongside the shortest member of the group, the ten year old girl. The older female of the group asks, "Do you think there will be lots of cute guys in Cerulean City?" The only boy in the group shakes his head, "Gee, Wanda, are guys all you ever think about?" "No..." Wanda, the member with glasses, answers, "I also think about how to make the guys like me!" The young girl on her Pokemon Journey stops suddenly, "Do you hear that, Shellder? I heard rustling in the bushes. Could it be Team Rocket again? Why don't you go check?" The Shellder looks up at its trainer, "Der... Shellder!" It hops over towards the bushes, only to be met by a pair of hands belonging to Marcie of Team Rocket! It squirms out and leaps back to its trainer's arms, "SHELL!!!" Marcie gets in a dramatic pose, "In the day or in the night... Marcie will always win the fight!" She shakes her head, "I reeeaaaaallly gotta work on that motto! Now hand over the Shellder, you little... uhhh... twerp! You silly person, you! I'm gonna... do somethin'... really bad if you don't! Yeah, you'll see! BWA HA HA HA HA!" She starts to cough. All three members of the group seem unimpressed. The shorter girl looks at Marcie with an indifferent expression, "You, again? You've been following us since Viridian City. Why don't you leave my Shellder alone already?" Marcie shakes one finger in front of the girl, "Uh uh. That Shellder's probably the strongest Shellder in the world, which makes it rare, which means...it belongs to Team Rocket!" The boy in the yellow shirt shakes his head, "No it doesn't! It's Jen's first Pokemon, not yours!" Marcie pulls a microphone out of her shirt and strikes a pose once again. She sings in a surprisingly sweet voice, "We're Team Rocket, and we fight for what's wrong... For mayhem, and madness, and rare Pokemon!" She throws the microphone aside, rubs her hands together, and speaks in her regular voice, "SEE?! The Shellder belongs to me since its so very powerful, and I'm not going to leave you alone until you hand it over... So hand it over! Pretty please?" "Never!" Jen shouts out, clenching her Shellder tight. Marcie fumes, "Okay, since you don't want to cooperate, you're just asking for a Pokemon battle, you are, you are! Zubat, go!" Marcie throws out her only Pokeball and the blue Zubat emerges from it, "Zubat, Leech Life!" Jen places her Shellder on the ground, "Shellder, use Aurora Beam!" The Shellder opens up wide and a blast of cold air engulfs Marcie's Zubat, encasing him in a block of ice that falls to the ground. The Shellder smiles, and bounces up and down, "Der, Der! Shellder!" "Nooooooo!!! Not again!" Marcie sobs madly as she hugs the cold block of ice, "Brrrrr, who would've thought ice is so cold?" Marcie's teeth chatter as she looks up at the group of kids, "You...you... MEANIES!" Jen nudges the male in the group, "Danny, give her one of your Ice Heals." "You still owe me for breaking my go-kart, and you want me to give the enemy an Ice Heal?!" Danny grows large and shouts at his companion, "WHY?!" Jen looks down at Marcie, who is pathetically crying with her frozen Zubat, and says, "Cause we're the good guys!" Danny mumbles something as he throws an Ice Heal in front of Marcie. Jen, Danny, Wanda, and Shellder continue walking eastward, to reach Cerulean City before nightfall. Jen continues to argue with Danny while Wanda sighs. Marcie uses the Ice Heal on her Zubat, who gets thawed out, and flies around Marcie's head. The young Team Rocket member shakes her fist at the 'good guys' who are getting away, "HALT! In the name of the... uhhh... Just HALT!" * End Flashback * Minax shakes her head, "I can't believe I used to be such a dumbass. Oh well. Time for breakfast." Minax stands up, dusts herself off, and walks out into Saffron City's smog-ridden streets. -Minax