From: Maria Rocket <mobius101@aol.compactpika> Subject: Re: [PW!] Let's Do Lunch! Date: Monday, August 16, 1999 5:56 AM >Minax calls her Arbok and her Zubat back into their Pokeballs and latches >them both >onto her belt. She skips over towards Maria and pats her on the back, "Okay, >the >Rocket center is up ahead. Just follow me." > >Slasher glances towards the still paralyzed waiter, then looks up at Maria, >somewhat worried, "Meeeowww..." > *** Maria was surprised to find that the Cerulean City Rocket Station was having a slow day. The brightly lit center was almost serene. It was located within a high security building that doubled as a hotel. Of course, Maria thought, no one would ever think of staying there if they knew the truth. Non-Rocket Pokemon trainers who stayed there often had items disappear, as well as Pokemon stolen soon after they checked out. She looked at the fancy sign engraved into the wall behind the front desk. Cerulean Pokemon Hotel. Maria heard footsteps clicking on the reflective tile floor behind her. "Well, there's an original name," Minax snorted. Maria fished around in her trenchcoat pocket until she found her ID. She quietly walked over and turned to the man behind the desk. Most wouldn't understand that the figures he wrote onto his computer screen represented every room in the hotel, and the Pokemon belonging to those staying there. She knew that he was selecting the best out for capture once the trainers checked out. She tapped a finger on the hard dark-marbled countertop. "Hello?" The man jumped up in shock, slamming his hand over the screen in panic. "Wha!? Oh, miss! How may I help you?" He stuck a hand in his bright yellow hair and turned a bright red, getting up to block her view. He wasn't much older than she was, and obviously new behind the desk. Maria frowned and pushed her Rocket ID across to him. "You *do* know why I'm here, don't you?" "Yeah....." He looked her over once, and quickly ran her ID through a scanner beneath the counter. "You check out. Oooh...." He bit his lip momentarily. "There's also a code 39 on you...." He lifted an eyebrow questioningly. "Mind your own business!" Minax popped up and pushed her ID at him. "She's going to take care of that." She looked over at Maria. "What *is* that?" "AWOL. I've been out of the loop awhile." Maria explained. "Ah." After checking Minax, he handed both IDs back. "Come with me now..." He shut down his computer screen with a quick flick before leading down a hallway behind the desk. At the end of the hallway, he turned a corner and unlocked a door. "Have fun," He winked before ushering them through and locking the door behind them. Minax gave him a cold departing glare. The room that lay before them was almost identical to the hotel lobby, except that the people here wore Rocket uniforms. And it was sealed off from the rest of the hotel. Maria looked over at Minax and nodded towards the identical front desk. She walked over and tapped a finger on the hard dark-marbled countertop. "Hello?" The man behind the desk jumped up in shock. "Wha!? Oh, miss! How may I help you?" He stuck a hand in his bright yellow hair and turned a bright red. He wasn't much older than she was, and obviously new behind the desk. Not to mention he looked just like the guy from the other front desk. Maria stared. He noticed and laughed. "Oh, you've met my brother, haven't you? We're both named Tim 'cuz we're identical." He smiled with bright blue eyes up at her. "So how may I help you?" "Pokemon Center?" "Oh yeah!" Tim whirled around and pointed to a door across the room. "Nurse Starr's place is over that way." Maria's chocolate colored eyes flitted over towards the door. With a curt nod, she turned and headed over to the Nurse's station. After leaving all her Pokemon under Nurse Starr's expert care, she exited to find Minax sitting at a table with a pad of hotel stationery and a blue pen. Holding a lazy Slasher in her arms, she peered over Minax's shoulder. She blinked at the detailed rendering of Tim on the little piece of paper. The drawing captured the exact look of surprise she'd seen on both brothers. "You're an artist?" Maria asked, getting Minax's attention. "Or do you just have a crush on pretty boy over there?" Minax's eyes clouded over as she crumbled the drawing in her fist. "No." She tossed the piece of paper into a nearby wastebasket. "Just bored." "Hmm. Well, there's some personal business I need to take care of. Could you watch over Slasher while I'm gone? He gives Nurse Starr too much trouble and she really can't keep an eye on him." Slasher purred and rolled in Maria's grasp playfully. Minax tilted her head at the Meowth and momentarily considered a new pair of fur gloves for the winter. "I guess so." "Thanks." Maria set Slasher down on the table and left with a nod. Slasher sat with his curled around him looking confused. He twitched an ear and looked at Minax with distrust. "Meowthhhhh!" "Keep that Meowth shut if you know what's good for you furball." *** Soon, Maria stood facing Giovanni's image via the telephone. What kind of mood he was in, she couldn't tell. His face was in shadow, as it almost always was. She awaited his response to her failure to officially report since the Pokemon Island fiasco. "I expected better from you." Maria flinched visibly. "My apologies, sir." "Just don't let this become a habit with you." Giovanni grazed his hand over a console. "I notice you've requested a private medical check. Is there something you should tell me?" "If I told you, it wouldn't be private anymore, would it?" "Nothing is private to *me*. If there's something affecting my Rockets, I like to know about it. You might as well tell me now, because I will know sooner or later." Maria shook her head, hoping her fear wouldn't show. "I just want to be more careful about my health is all." Giovanni folded his hands in front of him. "Indeed." He turned his head briefly. "Then that will be all for now. I am a very busy man, but I will *not* forget about this." With that, he was gone. Leaving the room, Maria made her way to the Rocket medical center. Patting a hand against her pocket, she made a note to stop by the exchange center later. After a few minutes she finally found the medical center. Upon entering, she was met unexpectedly by Minax. In the corner of the waiting room was Slasher, looking quite happy with himself. "Minax? What are you doing here?" TBC? (Just because I'm dead tired ^^;; ) ~Maria R "Psy yie yie..." ----- Webber: http://purplestudio.webjump.com ----- "Taking Pokemon straight from your pockets, With the power of the stars, it's Maria Rocket!" -My corny PW! motto ^.^; --- Rocketshipper Forever! --- TEOTWAWKI