From: Anonymous <anakin0327@aol.com> Subject: [PW!] Balance Of Power Date: Thursday, November 04, 1999 10:35 PM {[NS] I haven't written for Mark in over a month, and I don't recall exactly what was going on, so I'll assume he was just leaving Lavender. If T Rex is still out there, Mark's gonna split for a while. Sorry, but I need him in a position where my not writing for him won't interfere with other's stories... at least for now} --- "So you're leaving," said T Rex. "That's right," said Mark. "It was fun traveling with you, but I think I need to explore on my own for a while." After a moment, T Rex smiled. "Good luck to you, Mark." "You too." --- As Mark walked alongside his Oddish, he thought about all the interesting adventures he might have. In fact, he was so absorbed in his thoughts, he smacked right into a sign in the road. "OWWW!" After vigorously rubbing his nose, he proceeded to read the sign. "Straight ahead - Silence Bridge. Well, we've got nothing better to do, so let's go there." "Oddish odd!" said his diminutive companion, who was eager to help Mark with his journey. The second he set foot on the bridge, a man stepped from around the corner and bumped into Mark. "OWWW!" Mark repeated. "Watch it kid," said the man. Upon closer examination, Mark could see that he was in clothing commonly associated with that of a fisherman. He carried a tackle box and a long fishing pole. He also noticed three PokéBalls attached to the fisherman's belt. "I'm busy. Get lost." "Not so fast," said Mark, wielding a golden Pokéball. "First you gotta battle me." "Hmm, I think I can schedule some time to mop the floor with you." He then yanked a Pokéball from his belt and hurled it into the water neighboring the bridge. "Go Poliwhirl!" "Pollllliiiii!!!" The rubbery Pokémon began swimming laps back and forth, eagerly awaiting its challenger. "Not bad, not bad," said Mark, imitating all the trainers that challenged him from time to time. "But it'll be hard pressed to beat this Pokémon. Gyarados, go!!" The ball cracked open, and Gyarados burst forth in all its glory. "GYAAAAAAAAAAA!!!" "OK Gyarados, do your stuff! Use your..." Mark stopped. "Wait, what does Gyarados have?" Dexter quickly answered his question. "This Gyarados knows Tackle, Bite, and Dragon Rage techniques." "OK, Gyarados, use your Bite attack!" The Gyarados remained in its original position, completely ignoring its master. "Hey, what gives? C'mon Gyarados, Tackle it!" Gyarados curled up in the water, shut its eyes, and began to nap. "WHAT'S GOING ON?" The fisherman laughed. "Gyarados is too strong for you to control! You need to be an experienced trainer to control something like that!" "Oddd..." said the Weed Pokémon, embarassed for its trainer. "Obviously, you need more practice, so we'll call it a draw." The fisherman returned his Poliwhirl, then picked up his supplies. "Come back when you're ready for me! Ha ha ha..." Mark just kept staring at the sleeping behemoth. "I'm beginning to think this wasn't worth what I paid for it..." ------------ TBC (When Magikarp evolved, people began talking about writers getting powerful Pokémon too early. Well, this is the balance, considering Mark isn't the best of trainers anyway) -Anonymous (you know, the guy who wrote all the poems) -=-=-=-=-