From: RobfromVoid <RobfromVoid@prodigy.net> Subject: [PW!] Karaoke Night At Brock's Diner Date: Tuesday, December 21, 1999 9:42 PM Robert steps into the Viridian City Pokemon Center, depressed about his current losses. Not only has he lost Mithril-rama thanks to Sabrina, but he's also lost his match against Giovanni for the Earth Badge. All of his Pokemon, except for Cubone and Rilli's Venonant, need healing... but Robert knows that getting them medical attention is going to be more difficult than usual, considering the huge crowd gathered inside the Pokemon Center. Robert sees the Viridian City Nurse Joy in the crowd and runs up to her while taking off the belt where his Pokeballs are, "Hey! Nurse, I need these Pokemon healed, pronto!" Nurse Joy frowns and shakes her head, "I'm afraid I can't heal your Pokemon at this moment, young man. All the Pokemon Centers on the Indigo Plateau are full, so many participants in the Tournament have come down here to get their Pokemon healed. If you want, you can leave your Pokemon with a Chansey, get a ticket, go eat lunch, then come back..." Nurse Joy's eyes go wide when she sees a bleeding Raticate on a stretcher. She runs off to help the Pokemon. "There's a tournament on Indigo Plateau and I didn't hear about it?" Robert asks himself, wondering what the prize is, "Oh well..." Robert stumbles through the crowd, careful not to rub anyone the wrong way, until he finds a Chansey. She is fending people off with a chainsaw. Robert sweatdrops and raises his belt in front of her. "CHANSEY!!" Vrrrroom! She points her chainsaw at Robert and he backs away into a corner, frightened. A friendlier Chansey waddles up to Robert, snatches his belt, and hands him a ticket that reads "99". Robert watches as the Chansey leaves into a back room. Since Robert can't breathe comfortably in the crowded Pokemon Center, he decides to take Nurse Joy's advice, and leaves towards Brock's Diner. As Robert approaches the local Brock's Diner, he can see through the large windows that the Diner is almost as crowded as the Pokemon Center. A large banner hanging over the Diner's door explains why, "Karaoke Night! Special Guest Singer: Pewter City Gym Leader and Founder of Brock's Diner, Brock!" Robert looks behind his shoulder, expecting to see Mithril-rama there, but she isn't. He sighs, "If Rilli was here, I'd have enough courage to sing a song with her..." When Robert steps inside the Diner, he sees Brock standing on a stage. The Gym Leader is wearing a blue tuxedo and singing to fast paced music. Robert recognizes the background music to The Nails' 88 Lines about 44 Women. Robert looks around for an empty table, but since he can't find any, he stands next to a sign that reads "Wait Here" and decides to watch Brock's performance. The squinting spiky-haired Gym Leader is in the middle of singing his own version of the Nails' song: "Eve was an archeologist Studying fossils, she did prefer. Suzy was a Pokemon Breeder I could breed with a girl like her! Duplica was way too young yet her costumes rocked my world! Cassandra's looks brought out my tongue but her granny's looks just made me hurl. Florinda worked at Xanidu, a guy called Potter loved her much. Professor Ivy, I still pursue, She's the first that I could touch. Eighty-eight lines about forty-four women..." A fat bald man with squinted eyes who is dressed in a coat of many colors operates the Karaoke machine. When Brock is done, he laughs and shouts out to the audience, "That Brock with own version of 88 lines about 44 women! Everyone give round of applause!" The man starts clapping and the rest of the people in the Diner follow, including Robert. Brock waves to the people in the audience, "Thank you, thank you! And a very special thanks to all the ladies that made this song possible! It's great to be here, but I have to go. As much as I lose in it, I miss my Gym, and I think I should start heading back." Brock hops off the stage, and after shaking a few hands and giving a few autographs, he heads towards his Diner's door, where he bumps into Robert, "Hi. You look familiar. Have we met?" He looks down at the Boulder Badge pinned on Robert's shirt and snaps his fingers, "Oh yeah! You're the kid who beat my Vulpix with a Slowpoke. Hey, you look a little down, like I look when I've just been shot down by a cute girl. I'm sure that some karaoke would cheer you up!" "I don't think..." Before Robert can protest, a spotlight falls on him. Brock pats him on the back, simultaneously shoving him towards the stage. The cheering of the Diner's patrons makes Robert forget that he can't sing at all, so he climbs onto the stage to give karaoke a try. Standing there, Robert wishes Rilli was there with him. The urge to be with Rilli inspires him. He faces the fat man operating the karaoke machine, "Play the music for that new Blessid Union of Souls song..." "Okie Dokie, Karaoke!" The fat man starts to prepare the music and hands Robert a microphone, "What your name?" Robert taps the microphone and speaks into it, "Hello... my name is Robert... This song goes out to... Hello?! TESTING, One two three! TEST... testing... TeStInG... Hello?! HELLO?! Ahem. This song goes out to my girlfriend, Rilli..." The spotlight starts to scan the crowd in Brock's Diner, so Robert shakes his head, "She's not with me tonight, but I miss her so much, that I'd like to sing about why she's so special to me... and why it hurts me so much to be away from her... HELLO?! Testing..." Robert taps the microphone a few more times, and it starts making an awful screeching noise that makes people cringe. The music for the song "Hey Leonardo", also known as "She Likes Me For Me", starts playing. The fat man at the karaoke machine shows Robert a toothy grin and gives the thumbs up. Robert puts the microphone up to his mouth, and after a little more horrible screeching from the device, he begins singing: "She don't care about my Badges... Or my collection of Pokemon... Things like that just never mattered much to her, but I need her help to beat Giovanni! And she don't care Farfetch'd can't fly her... To Pokemon Centers where we've been. But if she really wants to go, I think deep down she knows that, I'd pay any price for the HM! She likes me for me! Not because I hang with Fiorello, Or that guy who endorses Jell-o, I think his name's Cosby. She's the one for me... and I just can't live without her, my arms belong around her, and I can't wait to find her once again!" "BAH HA HA HA HA HA HA! Ohhh, that's rich! That's rich! AHHH HA HA HA HA HA!" The screeching laughter coming from a particular member of the audience is louder than Robert's horrible singing voice, and it forces him to stop. Robert motions for the music to cease. When it does, he glances at the people watching his karaoke performance to find out where the laughter is coming from. When Robert finds the source, he murmurs, "I should've known. Hello, Jeremy." Sitting at one of the tables and slapping his knee, a blond-haired boy about Robert's age can't seem to stop laughing. A blue-haired, green-eyed bimbo known as Bambi sits next to him, giggling at a lower decibel level. Even after Bambi stops giggling, Jeremy continues guffawing insanely, slamming his hand on to the table. Bambi pats her boyfriend on the back. Robert leaps off stage and runs up to Jeremy's table, "And what's so funny?! I don't think my singing voice is that bad..." "Ohhh, it's just that... you... the chick... hahaha... she finally... LEFT YOU!" Jeremy wipes some tears away, "Just give up on her already. Can't you tell that she hates you? Find yourself a real girl like Bambi!" He swings his arm behind Bambi's neck and gives her a sloppy kiss on the lips. Jeremy leans back in his chair, "So, Muk boy, did you enter that Tournament to become a Pokemon Master the easy way? There's no way you can beat the Elite Four if you can't even beat Giovanni." Robert grits his teeth and narrows his eyes, "I *can* beat Giovanni! In fact, I'm going to do it first thing tomorrow!" "How are you going to beat Giovanni if you can't even beat me?" Jeremy raises an eyebrow and smirks. Robert slams his hands onto Jeremy's table and leans in, "I beat your Onix last time. I can beat *any* of your Pokemon. Do you know why? Because I raise my twelve Pokemon with tender love and care and you raise your hundred with anger!" "One hundred and thirty eight, to be exact." Jeremy declares with a grin on his face, "You really think you can beat any of them? My, my, that sounds like a challenge to me. I accept your challenge. One-on-one. Let's step outside." Jeremy stands up and starts to head towards the door, but Robert stops him by grabbing his arm. Bambi slaps Robert's arm and shouts, "Hey! The only person who can touch Jeremy's arms is me, so hands off, you stinky head!" She sticks out her tongue. While rubbing his arm where Bambi slapped it and shaking his head, Robert explains why he stopped his rival, "I'm sorry, Jeremy, but I don't have any of my Pokeballs with me right now. My Pokemon are all being healed at the Pokemon Center." Bambi points at a bulge in Robert's pocket and her eyes widen, "If ya don't gots a Pokeball, then ya must be happy to see me!" Robert reaches into his pocket and pulls out a Pokeball. He examines it, trying to remember who is inside. He quickly shoves it back into his pocket the moment that he remembers that Rilli's Venonat is housed within, "That's my girlfriend's Pokemon, and he won't listen to me... If you really want this fight to be fair, let's meet outside the Pokemon Center at sundown." "I'll be there." Jeremy offers his hand so that Robert can shake it, but when Robert reaches to grab it, the blonde rival pulls it away to comb his hair. After he winks at Robert, Jeremy leaves Brock's Diner, tipping a waitress on the way out. Bambi giggles at the appalled look on Robert's face and chases after her boyfriend! Robert watches as Bambi's body jiggles unnaturally on her way out and comments, "Real girl, indeed." -Robert