From: Roberto Perez-Vila <RobfromVoid@prodigy.net> Subject: [PW!] Case of the Missing Pokemon Date: Saturday, August 14, 1999 9:15 PM Time Lady wrote: >"LARA!!!" someone shouts in the distance. "LARA!!!" A male breeder wearing a plaid >cotton shirt, jeans, and boots comes running up to her. "My prizewinning Tauros is >missing!" "Missing Tauros, eh?" Robert strokes his chin pensively, "This sounds like a job for Inspector Robert!" Mithril-rama blinks and looks up at her boyfriend, "Since when have you been a detective?" "Well..." Robert chuckles nervously, pulling on the collar of his shirt, "You see... I used to play Clue a whole lot back at Lavender Town. Oh yeah, and I once had this dream that we were in a scary dark mansion on a mountain... and you were there... But not any of you guys!" Robert looks around to the group before facing Rilli again, "And I solved the mystery! I think. Then again, it was my dream... so of course I would know who..." "There's no time to lose!" The Tauros breeder races back towards his part of the farm. Lara hops into her Rapidash's saddle and follows, her Growlithe right behind her. The rest of the group chases after him, except for Robert and Rilli. After mumbling something, Robert tries to catch up with the rest of the group, and Rilli runs alongside him. Once they get to the Tauros breeder's ranch, the breeder says, "It was here yesterday, now it's gone! No trace whatsoever!" Robert walks into the scene of the crime wearing a heavy brown trench coat, an unlit pipe hanging from his mouth. "No trace, eh? We'll just see about that!" Runt whispers to Rilli, "Where'd he get that trench coat? And that pipe?" Mithril-rama sighs, covering her face in embarrassment, "Don't ask." Robert tosses Haunter's Pokeball out. The purple ghost wraps around himself as he emerges from the Pokeball, "Haw Haw... Haunter?" The ghost looks at everyone, and question marks appear over his head. Robert takes a deep breath and explains to his ghost, "This is Sarah Jane, Damian Fox, Jon, Runt, Christy, Felix, Christy number two, and Dustin! Oh yeah, and this is Lara and guy I don't know. And you already know Rilli..." Kirsty huffs, suddenly insulted, "My name is Kirsty! Not Christy number two! That's an awful sounding name!" Robert sweatdrops, "Oh... sorry. Anyhow, Haunter..." Robert turns to face his Ghost Pokemon, only to find that he's floated elsewhere. The ghost's owner turns around completely, until he spots his Haunter tapping Rilli's shoulder. "No!" Robert runs over to his Pokemon and tries to pry him away from Mithril-rama, but instead the human arms phase right through the ghostly purple body. Robert ends up giving himself a big bear hug. "No, Haunter, you can't see you're girlfriend until you help me solve this mystery. If she comes out now, she'll just distract you!" "Hawwwww..." Haunter looks down, tears streaming down the side of his face. Robert points over towards the ground where the Tauros used to roam, "Search the area for clues." Haunter floats over towards the area, hunched over, and pulls out a tiny magnifying lens which he raises to his large crying eyes. Robert pulls a notepad and a pencil out of his backpack, and approaches the Tauros owner, "What's your name?" "Orderlyalpaca." The breeder nods his head once in Robert's direction. Robert furrows his brow while writing on his notepad, "How many 'q's are there in Orderlyalpaca?" Sarah Jane puts all her weight on her crutches and lifts her injured foot off the ground, "Could you please go a little faster, Robert? My ankle is starting to act up..." Jon wipes his sweating forehead, "Yeah, and it's hot out here!" Runt pets the panting baby Kangaskhan hanging from the fake pouch on his belly, "We could use some lemonade." "Okay, okay..." Robert looks at the Tauros breeder in the eyes, "So, Orderlyalpaca, if that is your real name, why exactly is the Tauros of yours... prizewinning? Does it produce good milk or something?" Orderlyalpaca shakes his head, "Naw, it ain't that... It won at the Pokemon Race a few years ago. I was gonna try to race on it tomorrow in the big race, but now it's gone! I can't believe it's really gone!" "Big Race, huh?" Robert taps his notepad a few times with his pencil, "I sense fowl play. It must be one of the other people who are going to be in the race..." Robert jots something down on his notepad before stashing it in a trench coat pocket. "It's still not enough clues... Haunter, you doing any better, buddy?" Haunter sticks his large tongue out at Robert, spits ghostly saliva out, and shakes his head. Robert turns to Mithril-rama and waves, "Go ahead." Within moments, Mithril-rama's female lavender Haunter is playing around with Robert's deep purple Haunter. They both don detective hats and float away to look for clues together! Suddenly, a female trainer in a green shirt and tight blue jeans runs over to the group gathered at Orderlyalpaca's house. She is shouting out in a deep southern accent, "My Nidorina's missin'! The one I was'a gonna race tomorrow!" Robert snaps his fingers, "I have an idea! We talk to all the people who are going to be in the race. The only one who isn't missing his or her Pokemon is probably the one stealing everyone else's!" Lara's Rapidash neighs out loud and snorts. Lara pats her on its side, "I won't let you out'a my sight, Rapidash!" Christy is fanning herself with her manicured hands, "All this crazy detective stuff is making me thirsty! Not to mention the blazing sun! Isn't there any place to get some ice cold water around here?" Orderlyalpaca smiles at everyone, "Oh my, I was so worried about my Tauros, that I plum forgot my manners! But now that we have a detective on the case, does anyone wanna join me inside for some drinks?" Robert adjusts his trench coat, "The detective is going to need some refreshments to keep his brain going strong!" He is the first one to march into Orderlyalpaca's home, followed by the other parched Pokemon trainers. Once they are all sitting down, Robert takes out his note pad again and addresses Lara, who continuously looks outside the window at her Rapidash, to make sure it doesn't get stolen. Robert takes a large sip out of his tall glass of water, then clears his throat, "So, Lara, has anyone ever tried to sabotage the race in the past?" Lara starts to shake her head, before remembering one particular race a couple of years ago, "Dario..." -Robert