From: Dryad <dryad48@aol.commoner> Subject: [PW!] The Evolution Solution Date: Friday, November 26, 1999 4:28 PM "Get up!" The man in the shadows, who remained a shadow when out of alleys, cracked out his whip and was striking it everywhere. Beedrill lay on the ground in chains, with battered needles, a bent stinger, and bruises, blood, and brown marks over his face. Other pokemon, including a Sandslash, Raichu, Persian, Poliwrath, and Scyther were there. All did as they were told, like slaves, with small dishes of water and food as well. Beedrill was gasping for breath as the man approached a fallen Primeape. He raised his huge boots with metal bottoms and stomped on it. "I said get the hell up!" Blood spurt out of Primeapes mouth as it tried to crawl to it's feet, but it had no strength to do so. It fainted and the man started grumbling. He picked up this miserable Primeape and threw it into the cement walls. He then grasped a metal bat and raised it. Before it went all the way down, Sandslash jumped in the way and blocked the bat from hitting Primeape. It man gasped, then remained in his argy state. "You dare to defy my order?" Sandslash shuddered and started backing up. "You just made your biggest mistake yet..." He slammed the bat into Sandslash's stomache, then he swung it back and forth across the face. Beedrill could only watch in horror as this happened, as did the other pokemon. They did nothing, for they feared for themselves too much. "That'll teach you. . Who's next?" All the slaves rushed back to order and started practicing their fighting skills. The man noticed Beedrill laying on the ground with half-closed eyes and snapped his fingers. A Dewgong with red, flashing eyes crept out of the corners and held up another bat twice the size. It raised it higher, and higher, and higher. Then, it came down, and down, and down. "Aaaahhhhh!" As he gasped for breath and sat up quickly in the bed, Derrick startled out and looked at the clock. It was late in the afternoon and there was a banging on the apartment door that sounded like a metal bat against cement walls. "Hello?" The person outside grumbled, then slipped a yellow paper underneath the door. Derrick dizzily and drowsily stepped his feet towards the door and picked up the paper. It was the contract he was to sign to live in the apartment for at least a month with a pretty decent rent. He took out his pen and signed, then quickly changed into his normal clothes, gave the contract to the landlord, and left the building. There wasn't much to do today. Maybe he would actually start again with training his pokemon. He didn't really have any pokemon which were in their final forms, except for Magneton, and he didn't seem to have an emotional connection to it. This was probably because it rarely expressed any feeling. He arrived at the flee market and looked around. There were a bunch of useless gadgets about the place being sold. Derrick took out his limited amount of money and explored the vacinity. There was one stand that had potions, but he went on. Another one was a food stand for pokemon. Derrick released them and bought a meal. They nibbled on it and spit in disgust. Unfortunately, he could get no refund. The pokemon followed him the rest of the way and looked around as well. There were Meowth charms, Pokemon Cards, AGNP Cards, but Derrick only stopped for one thing. He picked up a leaf stone and examined it. Exeggcute stopped chatting with the others and starred at Derrick. Derrick shook his head and gave the leaf stone back to the man behind the stands. Then, they left the market. Right then, he came across a small boy with a pokemon league hat. "Cool! You have pokemon, let's battle!" Derrick stared at his pokemon who came forward. "Uhh.. sure.." Derrick's pokemon haven't battle for a long time though. The boy sent out a Pidgeotto. Derrick nodded to Gloom, who stepped up. "Uh.. use Poison Powder." Gloom smiled, and blew a stench of his foul odor into the air. This, however, didn't stop Pidgeotto, who used gust to force the wind carrying the powders back to Gloom. "Yes! Keep gusting it back!" Pidgeotto kept flapping it's wings rapidly while Gloom took in the poison powder nad spat it back out. Pidgeotto flapped and Gloom blew. This went on for a few minutes before Pidgeotto tired out and fell to the ground. "Now use Petal Dance," Derrick suggested calmly. Gloom grinned and sent out petals which continuously striked at Pidgeotto. Pidgeotto fainted completely, but now Gloom was confused. She kept on running into trees as she tried to keep balance. Both trainers returned their pokemon. "Bulbasaur, I choose you!" The kid turned his hat backwards and threw the pokeball. Derrick sent out Weepinbell without using a fancy theme. "Bulbasaur, Razor Leaf now!" "Acid." Bulbasaur shot out it's leaves and Weepinbell disinegrated them. "Now use Razor Leaf." Weepinbell then targeted the leaves at Bulbasaur and fired away. Bulbasaur kept dodging and eventually, got hit in the barrage. "Grrrr...wait! Use Vine Whip!" the boy smiled. "Bulba!" The Bulbasaur's eyes lit up and it quickly shot out it's vines which were strangling Weepinbell. "Good work!" Derrick mumbled as he returned Weepinbell. "Oh hoh hoh hoh hoh hoh!" "Then I'll choose Exeggcute." "Oh hoh hoh hoh! Kingler, go!" Right when it came out, Kingler used Vicegrip, Bubble, Water Gun, Harden, Crab Hammer, Stomp, and finished off with Hyper Beam. Exeggcute fell to the ground, fainted. "Oh hoh hoh hoh! Yeah! Kingler!" Derrick, who was very disappointed, sent out Butterfree, who as well, got knocked out by this omni Kingler. "Cookie Cookie!" Kingler smiled. Derrick just dropped the pokeball to the ground, which revealed Magneton. It seemed very dazed and when Kingler grabbed onto Magneton, it sent out a huge thundershock, causing Kingler to faint. "Noo! My Kingler's supposed to win!" He took out a pokeball. "Squirtle, go!" "Squirtle. Squirt, squirt!" Magneton sent a thunderbolt to Squirtle, who screamed and hid in his shell, which was soon toasted. "What?" Derrick was shocked when he saw Magneton's eyes. "Magneton.. looks... happy? Magneton is smiling!" *Paras?* It sure did seem to be hovering happily. "Go Pikachu!" "Huh?" Magneton stared at the puny mouse and seemed to laugh. However, Pikachu jumped in the air and sent out a tiny thunderbolt. It hit Magneton, causing it to faint. Derrick's mouth dropped open. "Return Magneton!" Derrick nodded to Paras, who stepped up. "Use Spore!" "Pika!" Pikachu jumped to the air and sent a thunderbolt out again. Paras barely dodged in time and used Spore. Pikachu immediately fell asleep. Paras kept on scratching and leech lifing Pikachu until the boy finally recalled it. "Pikachu's not supposed to lose.. how?" The boy was scracthing his head. "I have one pokemon left...." *Bring it on!* Paras dared. "Charizard, go!" *Charizard?!* Paras swiped a pokeball from Derrick and sent himself back in. "Uh... I guess I lose." Derrick slowly started for the pokemon center while the boy was cheering on his pokemon. "Your pokemon are fully healed!" Nurse Joy smiled. Derrick released his pokemon, who started talking immediately about their first real battle since Viridian Forest. Derrick slowly started towards the restroom when he noticed Exeggcute behind the corner. He walked back and knelt down. "What's wrong?" The Exeggcute spoke to Derrick through their minds. *We know you want to evolve us.* They looked up to him. "Um, why's that?" *That's what the doctor said and that's why you were looking at leaf stones.* They jumped. *So why are you hesitating?* "If I evolve you, well... then there would be things wrong.." *Who cares? Take the chance!* They looked down to his shoes. *What use would we be if we stayed like this. We humiliated ourselves and you in front of the kid.* "That was just one battle... we" *And what about the future battles to come? What about when we fail again and again and again?* "What do you mean?" *I.. we mean look at Beedrill and Venonat . .* "But.. they're not here.." *Exactly. They've suffered plenty. And we've seem Cloyster and Arbok come and go. I think. . well, we think it might as well be our turn.* "What the hell?" Derrick gasped. *We might as well be next. Evolve us. It will be our only chance. It will be your only chance.* "I said NO!" Derrick was getting furious at them. *Where is our freedom?* Derrick paused, then returned them into their pokeballs. He attached it back on his belt and knelt down to the ground saying nothing. *Paras?* It walked up to him. "Let's go.." -=That Night=- *Anyone?* Venonat held a small, rusted tin cup in his hands. He had dirt all over him as he sat in the tight corner of a small alley. The velvet sky was darkening to purple and the wild was sending chills through his blisters. He rang his tin cup which made no noise, for there was nothing of value within it. Pedestrians acted as if they didn't notice him, or he didn't deserve anything. Some children stared and pointed. Others claimed how much they loved their Vulpix or Growlithe, but no Venonat. Some thought he was an annoying bug who must be disposed of from the streets. And he was an annoying bug. *Thank you!* he said as a Venonat went by and stuffed a few hundred dollars into his tin cup. He sighed and leaned back into his wall. A Spearow glided by and snatched the cup. Venonat pursued. He jumped up into the air and went out to the streets trying to catch his mug again. Spearow flew about back and forth. Venonat jumped really high and grabbed back his mug. He sighed as he landed, but heard a honking. He turned around and saw a huge truck coming his way. <SCREEEEEECH CRASH> Derrick woke up and fell out of his bed. He slowly walked into the bathroom and turned the faucet on. He washed his sweating face and looked in the mirror. He didn't see anything there. To Be Continued _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ~Dryad48: Weekly Quote: "Exploration is really the essence of the human spirit." - Frank Borman "Hide people from bad things, and you've made them weaker." -Me