From: Akyinrew <efejpenn@mindspring.com> Subject: [PW] Phannon gets Soaked Date: Mon, 05 Jul 1999 01:28:33 -0400 Phannon hits the road “I can beat you and your stupid Eevee anytime anywhere.” Jamal sneered in the middle of the Crystal City Pokécenter. “I’ll even only use my Super Soaker.” “Eevee would smack down your crappy Soaker.” I spat back. “Boys, boys!” Nurse Joy broke in. “Not in here, there are hurt pokémon in here.” She started herding us to the door. “Outside with this ruckus.” When we got out side I reached for the pokébelt slung at my hip. “Eevee go!” I threw the ball and out came the dog-like Eevee. (I know, only moron would keep his Eevee unevolved, that’ll be resolved soon enough.) “Heh, heh, heh.” Jamal chuckled. “ C’mon Super Soaker, I choose you!” he threw his ball, and a Wartortle came out. “Eevee! Body Slam!” I yelled. Eevee ran towards the waiting Wartortle. I smiled, knowing that was Eevee’s best move. He’d won match after match with just that. “Super Soaker! Bubblebeam!” The faster Wartortle hit with Bubblebeam. Eevee was hit mid-stride. He never knew what hit him. He was laid flat out by the time the beam cleared. “Eevee!!” I ran to him. Grateful we were in front of a Pokécenter. “Nooo!” “Hahaha! Toldyaso.” Jamal said petting his Wartortle. “Good job, Super Soaker.” “Tortle.” It replied smugly. “After he evolves again I’m gonna start getting my badges.” Jamal stated. “Then _I’m_ going to get and Eevee, and _mine’s_ gonna be a Vaporeon, the best Eevee.” “Jolteon would kick Vaporeon’s ass any day.” I turned around and said, carrying my hurt Eevee into a center. By now a crowd had gathered, and being under their scrutiny I felt small. “Not *your* Jolteon.” He shot back. “Ooooooohhhhhhhhhh!” That came from the crowd. “The hell do you mean!?” I yelled back. “Eevee!!” He yelled as he fell, and I caught him. “I mean,” He replied coyly, “I’m a better trainer then you’ll *ever *be.” “We’ll see about that! Rematch, same place, Two hours.” I said. “I’ll beat your ass so bad, you’ll be crying for your mama.” By now the crowd was steady chanting “Fight Fight Fight!” “Whateva. I’ll be here. Don’t chump out.” He said smugly as can be. He didn’t know I had a thunder stone and a few TM’s I stole from my Uncle’s farm. I walked the rest of the way into the pokecenter and deposited Eevee with Nurse Joy and her Chansey squad. While Eevee was sleep I biked home on my trippy yellow dual-suspension Mongoose. When I got there I opened my personal safe (an essential with three younger siblings) and grabbed my thunderstone, Pokédex, money and TM stashes, and my bottomless anime-style backpack. Planning to leave for the 8 gyms, to get my badges before Jamal, just to piss him off. I came back down the stairs to see the rest of my family eating lunch, after all it was noon. "Hey, Phannon. Why don't you sit down and eat?" My mom asked. "I'm kinda ina hurry." I panted. "Gotta get back to the Pokécenter." I only had an hour and a half to evolve Eevee, and use the TM. I hopped back on my bike, speeding towards the pokécenter. "Wuzzup Phannon?" Called Anna who was training her Mankey, Spank. She let my youngest sister name it, and she had just been, well, you know, spanked, then. "I heard about the challenge with Jamal." "How?" I knew a lot of people were in the crowd, but if she had been there I know she would have approached me. "I have my sources." She replied with a smug smile. Jamal was her older brother. He was one year older then her, and therefore one and a half years older then me. She had a job at her father's Dexcorp office in Crystal City, they built pokédexes. "You're really in over your head _this_ time." "I happen to have some cards up my sleeve." "You mean TM's in your backpack." She giggled. "Close enough." I said, unsure of how to proceed. Knowing my plans to leave after the fight. "Something's going on." She must have noticed my hesitation. "Tell me." "I'm leaving after the fight." I said nonchalantly. "WHAT!!!" She was surprised, well, surprised is an understatement. "Just like that?" "Yup." "What about your parents? You tell them?" "Nope," I was hesitant, because I didn't know how to tell them. "I hadn't yet." "Hope you got more pokemon" She paused, licking her lips. She looked at Spank, ruffled his fur and continued. "That Eevee of yours won't be enough." "I also have a thunder stone in the bag." I hadn't really thought about that. I mean, my Eevee was the #2 pokémon among young trainers next to Jamal's Wartortle. When I evolved it, I figured I'd be in good shape. "Smooth." She glanced at Spank, who had wandered off to swing at a flying butterfree. "You remember when we caught Spank?" "Uh-huh." I nodded dumbly, looking pointedly at my watch. "I gotta go." "Well, take Spank with you." She offered, standing up. Now it was my turn to be surprised. "I-I-I can't, he's your only poké." I stammered, flattered by her offer. "Take him. He wants to travel, and he knows you." She pulled out her rarely used pokéball. "Spank, return." He turned into energy and returned to the ball. She tossed it to me, and I caught it and attached it to my belt with one deft movement. "Thanx." I pulled of my fitted black Nike cap to scratch my head. "I guess it's good-bye." She moved towards the street where I was on my bike. "Could you wait till morning?" She asked, clasping my hand in hers. "I don't see why I would." I shrugged. "To tell your parents." "I have to come back this way to leave town." I thought, making it up as I went. "I could tell them then." "Do you have any money?" She cocked her head, smiling. She knew the answer to that one. "No, I guess not." Understatement, I was *always* broke. "If you go tommorrow, I could get my dad to let you deliver the pokédexes to Celadon." "I guess I'll wait then." "Good." She paused, releasing my hand a little. "Come back here from the pokécenter." "Kiss for luck?" I asked hoping. "I guess." She shrugged giving me a quick peck on the cheek. "See you later, you'd better get going." "Yeah, I'd better." I started off on my bike, heading for the center. I heard her sob as I turned the corner. It was a constant fight to keep the tears back. When I got to the center, Eevee was still sleep, but he was fully recovered. I had a half-hour to evolve him and use the TM. I gently woke him up, and did the dirty work. The half-hour passed quickly and I headed out front, with my new Jolteon, Generator trotting at my side. I stepped out the air-conditioned pokécenter into the muggy outside.air. The crowd from earlier was back, and it was larger. Jamal was already there on one side of the concrete square. "I see you're going for the cheap victory." He remarked. "A win's a win, boyee. Let's go." I choose Generator. He stepped forward, ready to battle. "Alrightly. I choose Super Soaker." He Wartortle confronted my Jolteon. "Super Soaker, Water Gun!" A stream of water appear out of Wartortle's mouth, which Jolteon nimbly dodged. "Ohh, too bad." I crooned. "Generator! Thunder bolt!" Jolteon ran forward, his spikes sparking, his body emiting an electric glow. "JOLT! JOLTEON" A blast of thunder leapt from his spikes to Wartortle, bounching along the ground, like Pikachu's thunderbolt in Smash brothers. "Tortle!!" The elecrified wartortle screeched when the smoke cleared. There was a clear path in the sidewalk where the blast had traveled. "Yes!" I whooped. "I beat yo ASS!" "Jolt!" He backflipped, happy about the victory. "Sure, whatever." Jamal shrugged. "I'm still a better trainer." "We'll see. I'm leaving tomorrow to get my badges. See you in Pokémon League." I said, heading towards my bike, Generator at my heels like a loyal dog. "_If_ you can get in." I added as I hopped on my Mongoose. "Generator, return." "Jolt!" He shocked the pokéball back to my hand, and shook his head 'no.' This caused the crowd to, naturally, laugh. "You're too big to carry. You'll have to run." Jolteon nodded his approval of that plan. As I headed for my house, planning what I would tell my parents about leaving.