From: RobfromVoid <RobfromVoid@prodigy.net> Subject: [PW!] Speed Isn't Everything Date: Monday, December 13, 1999 10:45 AM Robert is wearing a white Karate uniform with a white belt tied around his waist. He is meditating in a seiza position, sitting with the back of his thighs pressed against his calves. He has been training with the Karate Master in the Fighting Dojo in Saffron City all day long. Sunset now approaches, and Robert knows that most Gyms close when it gets dark, so he gets off the wooden floor and walks to where the Master is sitting at a small table and sipping tea. Robert says, "I think I'm ready, sensei." "I've been enjoying a tea party with Mithril-rama. She is quite the host." The Karate Master gently picks up the Rilli doll from across his small table and hands it to Robert, "I have one last comment regarding Sabrina. I have been a good friend of hers for a while, despite the grudge my Fighting Dojo members have against the Saffron Gym's Psychics. There is one truth you should remember when challenging her - she may be powerful, but she is not omniscient. She does not know everything." Robert holds the Rilli doll in one hand and scratches his head with the other, "That might be so, but Sabrina sure knows a whole lot more than me... I mean, Mr. Fuji didn't teach me anything about Pokemon when I went to school in Lavender Town. He taught me math, science, philosophy, and even a useless foreign language - everyone in this whole land speaks English. . ." Robert pauses and almost drops the Rilli doll when he gets an idea, "Of course! Why didn't I think of it before? Thanks for all your help, sensei, and thanks for letting me prove myself to earn my Hitmonchan... Arigato and farewell!" Robert bows, and after the Master returns the gesture, Robert heads outside and into to an outhouse to change his clothes. A couple of minutes later, Robert steps out of the outhouse wearing a black shirt, blue jeans, and black sneakers. He removes a miniature white blindfold off his Rilli doll's eyes, which he applied before changing so the doll wouldn't see him half naked. He would have just asked Rilli to close her eyes, but this particular doll doesn't have the mechanics to do that. Robert tells her, "I finally have a plan to defeat Sabrina that just might work." Robert pulls the cord on the Rilli doll's back. The Rilli doll speaks as the cord goes back into her body, "Let's hope so! Who knows what she'll do if you lose again..." Robert puts the Rilli doll back in her temporary home in his front jean pocket, and marches up towards the doors of the Saffron City Gym. The sunset on the horizon casts long shadows, which cause a dramatic effect that makes Robert more confident that he's going to win this time, the fourth time he challenges Sabrina for a Marsh Badge. He remembers what he did wrong the first time - he sent out Haunter and Cubone since they were the only Pokemon he had. The second time, he was obsessed with giving his Haunter a chance to avenge his loss against Sabrina's Alakazam. The third time, he had the disadvantage of being trapped in Rilli's body, thus only being able to use Rilli's Pokemon and his loyal Golem. This time, Robert is prepared. The doors swing open when Robert pushes them, and he walks inside. He's been in this corridor many times, and once again, the same spiky haired psychic in the lab coat approaches him. Robert growls at him, "What do you have to say this...?" Robert is cut short when he notices that the psychic man is missing his mouth. There are no lips between his nose and his chin, just a layer of flesh. The psychic makes some muffled noises, but Robert doesn't understand them. Robert shakes his head, "I guess Sabrina doesn't like it when her psychics think they know everything... or maybe it *is* that time of the month." Robert steps up to the doors leading to Sabrina's throne room, and decides to knock first. Though being polite isn't Robert's plan, he figures that it wouldn't hurt. The doors open mysteriously without anyone touching them. Robert walks into the room, and glances across the Arena, where Sabrina sits on her throne. Robert shouts, "Change my girlfriend back to normal!" "Only if you promise to entertain me with a one-on-one Pokemon match." Sabrina opens her eyes and raises one eyebrow while simultaneously lowering the other, "If I don't find the match entertaining, then both you and your girlfriend will entertain me by living in my toy box for a couple of years. Knowing this consequence, do you wish to challenge me for a Marsh Badge and your girlfriend's normalcy? Or would you rather play it safe and not play with me at all? There are other Gyms..." "...but there's only one Rilli." Robert grabs the fifth Pokeball on his belt, "So, yes, I do challenge you to a Pokemon match!" Sabrina smiles at Robert, "Oh, Robert, you're going to be the best Christmas present ever." She cups her gloved hands and a Pokeball appears in them. The Pokeball floats off her hands and lands on the Arena floor. It snaps open, and red energy is released. The energy quickly takes the shape of an Alakazam, one of the fastest Psychic Pokemon in the world. As a gratuitous display of its swiftness, Alakazam rapidly twirls both of its spoons, then stops and points them at Robert, "Kazam!" "Tsk, tsk, Sabrina... it's a well known fact that slow and steady wins the race..." Robert crouches down and puts his Pokeball on the floor. He gives it a gentle shove, and the Pokeball slowly rolls onto the Arena floor... When the Pokeball pops open, the red energy that it releases slowly assembles itself into a Slowbro, one of the slowest Psychic Pokemon in the world. As a necessary result of its slowness, Slowbro doesn't say his own name until ten seconds after he appears, "Slowbro..." Sabrina giggles her mischievous giggle at the sight of the fat pink creature with the overgrown blue Shellder on its tail, "I can see it now! Mithril-rama will make an excellent stocking stuffer this holiday season. Alakazam, Psychic." "The only thing you'll be stuffing is..." Before Robert can think of a way to finish the comment, Sabrina's speedy Alakazam points its spoons at Robert's Slowbro and lifts him off the floor! That's when Robert realizes that he can't have a match of wits and a Pokemon match with Sabrina at the same time. Since his freedom depends on the latter, he decides to bypass the former as Slowbro comes crashing down in pain from the Psychic attack! Robert thinks about his next move... ....and Sabrina tilts her head to the side, "I can't... I can't understand your thoughts, Robert. Why can't I understand them?!" "Por que estoy pensando en Espaņol..." Robert smirks and points at his Slowbro, "Slowbro, Swift attack, now!" The moment Robert's Slowbro hears those words, he snaps into action! "Ahh, Slowbro!" He swings his tail around, and the Shellder on it crashes onto Alakazam, sending it to the ground! While the Alakazam struggles to get up, it is pelted by tiny stars shooting out of the Shellder on Slowbro's tail. Slowbro turns his head and smiles at the fallen Alakazam, "Slowbro, slowww!" "No matter. I don't need to anticipate your commands to win, Robert." Sabrina looks annoyed that she can't have the advantage that she usually has, "Alakazam is the superior Pokemon, and it will prevail. Alakazam, Recover." Alakazam hops up onto its feet again and raises its bent spoons high. First, the spoons straighten up, and then any nicks and cuts caused by Slowbro's Swift attack disappear in the blink of an eye thanks to the Recover move, "Alakah... Alakazam!" "Aye caramba!" Robert slaps his forehead when he remembers the accursed move which ensures that Sabrina's Alakazam can't lose. He thinks about what he should do next, while Sabrina shifts uncomfortably in her throne. He tries to recall a move that would stop Alakazam from using Recover, "Si lo puedo confundir, el mismo se ataca... Slowbro, Confusion attack!" Robert expects the move to follow as quickly as Swift did, but Slowbro just sits there motionless after the order is given. Now that she knows the attack that Slowbro is going to use, Sabrina decides that Reflect would be pointless since Confusion isn't a physical attack, "Alakazam, try to lower Slowbro's Special with another Psychic attack to weaken his Confusion." Robert becomes aware of the flaw in his plan to shield his mind from Sabrina using Spanish. The whole point of the plan was so that Sabrina wouldn't know what he was going to do, but since he's using Slowbro, she has a few seconds to figure out a counter attack before Slowbro performs the initial attack. Robert sighs and watches as Alakazam literally mops the floor with Slowbro using his mind. That's when Robert notices something... Alakazam's is waving its bent spoons around as if they were magic wands that give it all of its powers. Robert commands, "Slowbro, take those spoons away from Alakazam!" Just as Alakazam finishes its Psychic attack, Slowbro nods, "Bro! Slowbro!" Robert is surprised that Slowbro got his order so quickly, but falls over when he sees that Slowbro is just now starting to perform his Confusion attack. Waves of purple energy float out of the dopey pink Pokemon's head, and the noise that comes from the Confusion waves forces Sabrina's Alakazam shove its spoons in its ears. When the Confusion ceases, however, Alakazam leaves its bent spoons in its ears. Sabrina clenches one fist, "Alakazam, pull those spoons out of your ears, right this instant." Alakazam glances at Sabrina and nods, then proceeds to punch itself in its stomach with its free hands due to Confusion! "Ala... Ka... ZAM!" Once done pummeling itself, it takes both spoons out of its ears and shoves them into its mouth, disgusting ear wax and all. After wincing from the taste, Alakazam falls to its knees! " Sabrina frowns, "Alakazam, Recover." Alakazam doesn't listen to Sabrina, and instead starts spitting out its own ear wax, while Slowbro watches, laughing slowly at the Alakazam's actions! Even the Shellder on Slowbro's tail enjoys a good laugh at the Confused Alakazam's expense. Robert is smiling, but for a different reason than his Pokemon, "If Sabrina told Alakazam to Recover, she must feel that it is getting weak. That means that just one more attack should suffice. Slowbro, Water Gun, *NOW*!" The word "now" echoes in Slowbro's eardrums, as well as in Alakazam's freshly dewaxed ones, but the slower of the two Psychic Pokemon doesn't register Robert's order right away, and continues laughing. The faster of the two Psychic Pokemon snaps out of its Confused trance, and grabs the two spoons it spit out of its mouth. Alakazam glares at Slowbro, "Alakazam, Alaka..." Sabrina grins when she sees her Alakazam is back to normal, "How foolish of me to worry about losing. Alakazam, Recover." Alakazam raises its bent spoons high and concentrates... but before it can Recover, Alakazam gets blasted with a Water Gun attack! The pressure from the water shooting out of Slowbro's gaping maw knocks Alakazam's spoons out of its hands... But the pressure of the water isn't enough to knock Alakazam to the Arena floor... It keeps on struggling, "Alaka... Alaka..." Robert notices that the Water Gun attack isn't strong enough, so he shouts, "Shellder, Clamp attack, now!" The spiral-shelled Shellder on Slowbro's tail opens its serrated jaw for a second before Clamping down on Slowbro's tail with force! After five seconds, the pain that Slowbro experiences increases the pressure of the water he is spitting out! Slowbro's Water Gun, now that it has added force, is strong enough to send Sabrina's drenched Alakazam crashing onto the ground! Alakazam faints on impact with the Arena floor. Robert stares, and he can hardly believe it, "I won... At last, I finally won! YEAH!!!" "I must admit, Robert... the way that you shielded your thoughts did entertain me. It was quite a challenge for me to not use my psychic ability during a Pokemon match." Sabrina smiles, floats off her throne, and sets foot right in front of Robert, "I keep my promises." Sabrina removes the Rilli doll from Robert's pocket and sets it on the floor next to him. She places her hands over the doll on the floor, concentrates, and the Rilli doll, Robert's Badges and all, grows! When the Rilli doll is the size of the real Mithril-rama, Sabrina wiggles her nose, and the Rilli doll becomes the real human Mithril-rama! Rilli stands up. Robert hugs Mithril-rama and kisses her, "Oh, Rilliochio, you're finally a real girl! I'm so glad that I wished upon a star..." Once he's done hugging her, Robert carefully removes his Badges off her pink shirt. He places each Badge back on his black shirt - Cascade, Boulder, Rainbow, Soul, Thunder, and Volcano. Once they are back in their rightful place, he faces Sabrina, "Do I deserve the Marsh Badge?" He tries to suppress any thoughts of anger towards the Gym Leader at this moment. "You defeated me in a Pokemon battle on my terms. I am obligated to reward you with a Marsh Badge. You deserve it." Sabrina nods, and removes a small round orange Badge from her vest. The Marsh Badge floats out of Sabrina's hands and onto Robert's shirt, where it is pinned right under the Thunder Badge. Sabrina claps her hands for Robert, then comments, "It looks like you only have one Badge left to earn - Giovanni's Earth Badge from the Viridian Gym." Robert nods while admiring the Marsh Badge on his shirt - the Badge he tried to earn on the first day of his Journey. Distracted by the Badge and all it stands for, Robert says, "Yeah, I wonder how I'm going to get there... I've had bad experiences with the Pidgeot Express..." Robert shudders at the memory of Zapdos' attack, "I guess it'll be walking for us, right, Rilli? We've had some of our best moments while we walk and talk along the countryside..." Mithril-rama rests her head on Robert's shoulder, "We sure have, so let's have more! Hey, and it's almost Christmas, so on the road to Viridian City, we'll be walking in a Winter Wonderland..." Rilli sweatdrops at her own observation. "With my seventh Badge on my shirt, I feel that nothing can go wrong!" Robert recalls his Slowbro and is about to leave... ....but he is stopped at the door by Sabrina, who has her arms crossed. While they made their decisions, Robert and Rilli had forgotten that they were still in the presence of the Psychic who uses what people love the most against them just to satisfy her twisted sense of humor. Sabrina puts on a happy face and offers to be helpful, "You don't need to walk all the way to Viridian City in that cold weather. Don't you remember that I'm Psychic? I'll just teleport you both." "Thanks for the offer, but..." Before Robert can say 'no thanks', he is no longer standing in the Saffron Gym. He is standing right outside the Viridian Gym. Robert looks up and sighs. The air he blows out into the night's sky is visible due to the cold. Robert shakes his head, "Well, Rilli, it looks like we're not going to have that romantic walk over here, after all..." When there's no response, Robert looks all around him, and Rilli is no where to be seen. "NOOOO!!!" Robert can hear Sabrina's voice in his mind, even though it probably isn't really Sabrina, saying, "I said I'd teleport you both, but I didn't say to the same place..." Robert kicks the ground, "Why does Sabrina like ruining everything that matters to me? Why didn't she at least let me..." He pauses and repeats, "Everything that matters? My Badges!" He glances down to see if his seven Badges are still pinned on his black shirt. The appearance that they aren't there isn't what shocks him... the fact that he's wearing a short sleeved white shirt over his long sleeved black shirt is what shocks him. He is even further surprised when he reads what it is printed on the white shirt in big red letters, "ATR RuleZ? What the heck is ATR? Why would Sabrina put a shirt on me?" "FREEZE!!!" Many booming male voices shout at the same time. Robert looks up to see a squadron of men in black Team Rocket uniforms surrounding him, holding all sorts of weaponry. One of the female Rockets holding an Ice Gun narrows her eyes at Robert's white shirt, "Well, lookie, lookie, it's not one of Doppler's goons, after all... It's an ATR. Let's put 'im in the underground jail, anyhow, and when the Boss comes back from hiding, we'll let 'im deal with the ATR scum..." "ATR scum? What are you talking about?" Robert asks and is ignored as two of the male Rockets in Black grab his arms and drag him towards the secret basement of the Viridian Gym that once housed Mewtwo, but is now an ordinary prison... -Robert