Marril
08/01/2004, 10:49 AM
Edit: Oh yeah, and if being number 28 isn't good enough, we also hear teh lsat namez 4 teh charaz lolololol. Sorry, just had to put it in IM language. :p
You can look at it as 28 chapters of unrelated genres shoving each other around, or you can look at it as breaking new writing boundaries. It's just insanity. Yes. Of course, that means we have a new chapter of it today. Team Rocket dips into its Pokémon Crystal operatives today, too. In case (Goddish forbid) you're unfamiliar with it, Vashou and Buson were the two Elites who almost succeeded in capturing Raikou.
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“It’s… not… our… problem!” Alex fumed for what seemed to him to be the tenth time.
“But Team Rocket just attacked two gym leaders…” Tschel reiterated for what seemed to him to be the hundredth time.
“What can we do?” Alex asked.
Tschel sat on the bed and stared into the ceiling. “Something.”
Alex laid down beside Tschel. “I know what you’re feeling. Just relax about it. Attacking a gym leader—heck, two of them, it’s a big thing. We can’t do anything to the ones responsible, so we should just let it go.”
Tschel scoffed lightly and looked at Alex. “Wouldn’t have pegged you for this type.”
Alex smiled. “Hey, I’m full of surprises.”
Tschel put an arm around Alex and gave him a quick kiss. “Yeah, you are.”
Marril walked out of the bathroom, towelling her hair dry. She developed a large sweatdrop upon seeing the two humans.
“Oh Goddish! Again!” She shouted and stepped back into the bathroom, not being quiet about shutting the door.
Tschel sat up. “Wow, what’s her problem?”
Alex turned so he way lying on his back. “No idea. Guess she’s still a little freaked out.”
Tschel shrugged. “Should I go freak her out some more?”
Alex smirked. “Nah. She’s gone through enough. ‘Sides, I’d just skip Milotic stopping the fight and have Blastoise hose you two down.”
“That wouldn’t be—” Tschel began, but was interrupted by the telephone.
Rei considered hanging up on the phone’s second ring. He figured he would have, but Lt Surge had gone out of his way to find out where Alex was at the moment, and he didn’t want to feel like he’d wasted the good lieutenant’s time.
“Hello?” A voice responded over the phone.
“Yeah, can I talk to Alex?” Rei asked.
A distant “it’s for you, it’s your dad” was heard by Rei, followed by a different voice saying, “Hi dad.”
“Hi, Alex,” Rei said.
“So, what’s up?”
“Just called to say I’ve been allowed back into my office again,” Rei said. “So if you ever want to talk to me, or even just say hi, well, I’m here and not back in Vermillion.”
“That, ah, good to know.”
“So, things are all right?”
“Yeah, we’re getting back on our way.”
Rei pursed his lips as he tried to think of a way to break the awkwardness of the situation.
“That’s nice to hear,” said Rei. “I really should just let you get back on your way and all.”
“Uh, okay. Bye.”
“Bye,” Rei said, hanging up the phone. He exhaled slowly, as if to ask himself why he’d just called.
Tribo jumped blindingly fast towards the door to the room in which it was being held. The ghostlike, artificial Pokémon struck the door with its long claws but failed to penetrate the metal.
“Tribo,” Juliet said firmly. “Calm down.”
Tribo stopped attacking the door at once and simply stood there, facing Juliet.
“Good,” Juliet told the small genetic experiment.
Ryan relaxed his arm, which had reflexively reached for the tranquilizer gun on his belt. “How do you do that?” He asked her, amazed.
“No idea,” Juliet said, slowly crouching down to pick up Tribo. “Wow, it’s light.”
Ryan growled. “That’s a fighting machine, you shouldn’t be babying it.”
“It is a baby,” Juliet stated matter-of-factly. “It’s already demonstrating some signs of mental instability when left alone too long. I highly doubt the scientists’ explanation that it’s genetic.”
Ryan raised his eyebrows as if to challenge Juliet. “So what do you think it is?”
“It’s lonely.”
Ryan scoffed. “It’s a fighting machine!”
“It’s also a Pokémon,” Juliet said, remaining calm. “I’m determined to make sure it grows up just fine.”
Ryan shook his head as he walked past Juliet and opened the door. “It couldn’t have been lonely with the two of us in the room. Just think you’re lucky that I’m going to put this down as ‘reinforcing loyalty.’”
“I will,” Juliet said, thinking, “I won’t” instead.
“Now then,” Juliet said to Tribo, still holding the infant Pokémon like it was a human baby, “let’s just forget he was ever here.”
Ryan took a deep, calming breath as he closed the door. His entire experience at Beta Site had been to him a personal hell. He had little respect for Juliet, both professionally and personally, and being unable to pull rank on her as an Elite frustrated him.
“She’s too attached,” Ryan muttered, walking down the hall.
He stopped after realising he was being followed. He recognised the sound of the footsteps.
“Buson?” Ryan hazarded a guess, not looking over his shoulder.
“Temper, temper,” Buson said, not looking at Ryan as he walked by the fresh promotion. “The trick to handling the Executives is to realise they’re just businessmen. We’re the real members of Team Rocket.”
Ryan watched as Buson strode off without saying another word. Buson had a point, Ryan realised. The man couldn’t have been speaking from a conjectural standpoint, either—along with his partner Vashou, Buson was the highest-ranking Elite in Team Rocket.
Vashou noticed Buson entering the room, he simply didn’t respond.
“So you told him a ludicrous story about the Elites being the only real Rockets?” Vashou asked, sipping his tea.
“Yeah, I told him,” Buson replied. He took a seat opposite Vashou and looked at the counter of the staff room. “You know, someone forgot to put on a fresh pot of coffee.”
“Not my problem,” Vashou shrugged it off and sipped his tea. “I don’t drink it.”
Buson grumbled as he stood up and started a fresh pot.
“He bought it?” Vashou asked after a moment had passed.
“Yeah, he bought it,” Buson said, leaning against the counter with his arms crossed. He looked over at the coffee pot impatiently. “Think he’ll try something stupid?”
“Undoubtedly,” Vashou said.
“You know, don’t you think this is a bit, er, treacherous?”
“How so?” Vashou sipped his tea again, and then paused before continuing. “I didn’t even think about it until I met him. However, I am convinced that despite his exceptional skill, he would not function well as an Elite. I do not aim for his permanent removal, simply his demotion. He remains an asset to Team Rocket.”
Buson adjusted his sunglasses. “Stop talkin’ all fancy. I know he is, all right? It just seems, well, underhanded.”
Vashou set his empty teacup down on the table. “More so than what we normally do as Rocket operatives?”
“You’ve got me there,” Buson admitted. “But it’s to one of our own.”
Vashou leaned back on the couch. “It’s in his best interests.”
“Yeah, yeah, just put on a fresh pot next time, okay?”
Charlie Evans glanced across the table at Lance. “Why are you interested?”
Lance gave Charlie an odd look. “You’re the only Pokémon League official operating within the Neo League, that’s why.”
“Not interested in politics,” Charlie told the League Champion.
“Just keep watch on Naryt City,” Lance said firmly. “I ask nothing more.”
“Called me all the way to the Indigo Plateau just for that? I’m not buying it.”
Loyalty, Lance wanted to say. He couldn’t, however, explain that it was to make sure Charlie still supported the Pokémon League over the Neo League. The two Leagues being bitter rivals, more so than what was commonly known, had caused more than a few discrepancies. Tate and Liza, former Pokémon League gym leaders, now comprised one pair of the Neo League’s Elite Eight.
“Thought you’d want me to at least check up on those two trainers you’re curious about, those League finalists from last year.”
Lance kept a straight face. “Yasashii and Hakujin are good, but not that good.”
“Shame,” Charlie said as he left the conference room. Alex Yasashii and Tschel Hakujin were indeed that good—in fact, his Arcanine hadn’t taken a beating like the one they’d given it since he’d became a gym leader.
Charlie didn’t bother to exit via the main entrance, which was through the rooms for the Elite Four. Instead, he left through the proverbial (and literal) back door, puzzled as to what Lance had meant with his request.
“Watch Naryt city…” Charlie wondered.
There wasn’t much in Naryt City except—Charlie facefaulted when he remembered. The two gym leaders there were ex-Indigo gym leaders Koga and Aya. In fact, Koga was also an ex-member of the Elite Four.
“… No,” Charlie determined at least. “Lance wouldn’t have me keep watch on them. There’s no reason, he said he doesn’t care about them. What, then…?”
Charlie stepped through the statue maze outside the Plateau easily. The trainers who were training inside Victory Road also gave him a wide berth—he had accepted their challenges earlier, and that was enough to instill fear into each trainer’s hearts.
“Tate and Liza left to become Elite Eight members,” Charlie stared at the ground as he walked through Victory Road, thinking aloud. “Koga and Aya are now gym leaders… Lance must think I’d jump ship too. Why, though? I have neither partner nor sibling.”
Charlie’s puzzlement lasted long after he’d exited Victory Road and returned to Stardust City the following day.
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That's it for this week, folks. Next chapter goes up when it goes up. Until then, bear in mind that random phone calls from a father you haven't seen in 13 or 14 years and only met recently could be a little awkward. You also gotta love the political plotline I'm hinting at but not ruining by developing fully. The pogeymanz league and neo league keep taking each other's people—wait until you see who the one of the seventh gym leaders is.
You can look at it as 28 chapters of unrelated genres shoving each other around, or you can look at it as breaking new writing boundaries. It's just insanity. Yes. Of course, that means we have a new chapter of it today. Team Rocket dips into its Pokémon Crystal operatives today, too. In case (Goddish forbid) you're unfamiliar with it, Vashou and Buson were the two Elites who almost succeeded in capturing Raikou.
-------------------------------------------------
“It’s… not… our… problem!” Alex fumed for what seemed to him to be the tenth time.
“But Team Rocket just attacked two gym leaders…” Tschel reiterated for what seemed to him to be the hundredth time.
“What can we do?” Alex asked.
Tschel sat on the bed and stared into the ceiling. “Something.”
Alex laid down beside Tschel. “I know what you’re feeling. Just relax about it. Attacking a gym leader—heck, two of them, it’s a big thing. We can’t do anything to the ones responsible, so we should just let it go.”
Tschel scoffed lightly and looked at Alex. “Wouldn’t have pegged you for this type.”
Alex smiled. “Hey, I’m full of surprises.”
Tschel put an arm around Alex and gave him a quick kiss. “Yeah, you are.”
Marril walked out of the bathroom, towelling her hair dry. She developed a large sweatdrop upon seeing the two humans.
“Oh Goddish! Again!” She shouted and stepped back into the bathroom, not being quiet about shutting the door.
Tschel sat up. “Wow, what’s her problem?”
Alex turned so he way lying on his back. “No idea. Guess she’s still a little freaked out.”
Tschel shrugged. “Should I go freak her out some more?”
Alex smirked. “Nah. She’s gone through enough. ‘Sides, I’d just skip Milotic stopping the fight and have Blastoise hose you two down.”
“That wouldn’t be—” Tschel began, but was interrupted by the telephone.
Rei considered hanging up on the phone’s second ring. He figured he would have, but Lt Surge had gone out of his way to find out where Alex was at the moment, and he didn’t want to feel like he’d wasted the good lieutenant’s time.
“Hello?” A voice responded over the phone.
“Yeah, can I talk to Alex?” Rei asked.
A distant “it’s for you, it’s your dad” was heard by Rei, followed by a different voice saying, “Hi dad.”
“Hi, Alex,” Rei said.
“So, what’s up?”
“Just called to say I’ve been allowed back into my office again,” Rei said. “So if you ever want to talk to me, or even just say hi, well, I’m here and not back in Vermillion.”
“That, ah, good to know.”
“So, things are all right?”
“Yeah, we’re getting back on our way.”
Rei pursed his lips as he tried to think of a way to break the awkwardness of the situation.
“That’s nice to hear,” said Rei. “I really should just let you get back on your way and all.”
“Uh, okay. Bye.”
“Bye,” Rei said, hanging up the phone. He exhaled slowly, as if to ask himself why he’d just called.
Tribo jumped blindingly fast towards the door to the room in which it was being held. The ghostlike, artificial Pokémon struck the door with its long claws but failed to penetrate the metal.
“Tribo,” Juliet said firmly. “Calm down.”
Tribo stopped attacking the door at once and simply stood there, facing Juliet.
“Good,” Juliet told the small genetic experiment.
Ryan relaxed his arm, which had reflexively reached for the tranquilizer gun on his belt. “How do you do that?” He asked her, amazed.
“No idea,” Juliet said, slowly crouching down to pick up Tribo. “Wow, it’s light.”
Ryan growled. “That’s a fighting machine, you shouldn’t be babying it.”
“It is a baby,” Juliet stated matter-of-factly. “It’s already demonstrating some signs of mental instability when left alone too long. I highly doubt the scientists’ explanation that it’s genetic.”
Ryan raised his eyebrows as if to challenge Juliet. “So what do you think it is?”
“It’s lonely.”
Ryan scoffed. “It’s a fighting machine!”
“It’s also a Pokémon,” Juliet said, remaining calm. “I’m determined to make sure it grows up just fine.”
Ryan shook his head as he walked past Juliet and opened the door. “It couldn’t have been lonely with the two of us in the room. Just think you’re lucky that I’m going to put this down as ‘reinforcing loyalty.’”
“I will,” Juliet said, thinking, “I won’t” instead.
“Now then,” Juliet said to Tribo, still holding the infant Pokémon like it was a human baby, “let’s just forget he was ever here.”
Ryan took a deep, calming breath as he closed the door. His entire experience at Beta Site had been to him a personal hell. He had little respect for Juliet, both professionally and personally, and being unable to pull rank on her as an Elite frustrated him.
“She’s too attached,” Ryan muttered, walking down the hall.
He stopped after realising he was being followed. He recognised the sound of the footsteps.
“Buson?” Ryan hazarded a guess, not looking over his shoulder.
“Temper, temper,” Buson said, not looking at Ryan as he walked by the fresh promotion. “The trick to handling the Executives is to realise they’re just businessmen. We’re the real members of Team Rocket.”
Ryan watched as Buson strode off without saying another word. Buson had a point, Ryan realised. The man couldn’t have been speaking from a conjectural standpoint, either—along with his partner Vashou, Buson was the highest-ranking Elite in Team Rocket.
Vashou noticed Buson entering the room, he simply didn’t respond.
“So you told him a ludicrous story about the Elites being the only real Rockets?” Vashou asked, sipping his tea.
“Yeah, I told him,” Buson replied. He took a seat opposite Vashou and looked at the counter of the staff room. “You know, someone forgot to put on a fresh pot of coffee.”
“Not my problem,” Vashou shrugged it off and sipped his tea. “I don’t drink it.”
Buson grumbled as he stood up and started a fresh pot.
“He bought it?” Vashou asked after a moment had passed.
“Yeah, he bought it,” Buson said, leaning against the counter with his arms crossed. He looked over at the coffee pot impatiently. “Think he’ll try something stupid?”
“Undoubtedly,” Vashou said.
“You know, don’t you think this is a bit, er, treacherous?”
“How so?” Vashou sipped his tea again, and then paused before continuing. “I didn’t even think about it until I met him. However, I am convinced that despite his exceptional skill, he would not function well as an Elite. I do not aim for his permanent removal, simply his demotion. He remains an asset to Team Rocket.”
Buson adjusted his sunglasses. “Stop talkin’ all fancy. I know he is, all right? It just seems, well, underhanded.”
Vashou set his empty teacup down on the table. “More so than what we normally do as Rocket operatives?”
“You’ve got me there,” Buson admitted. “But it’s to one of our own.”
Vashou leaned back on the couch. “It’s in his best interests.”
“Yeah, yeah, just put on a fresh pot next time, okay?”
Charlie Evans glanced across the table at Lance. “Why are you interested?”
Lance gave Charlie an odd look. “You’re the only Pokémon League official operating within the Neo League, that’s why.”
“Not interested in politics,” Charlie told the League Champion.
“Just keep watch on Naryt City,” Lance said firmly. “I ask nothing more.”
“Called me all the way to the Indigo Plateau just for that? I’m not buying it.”
Loyalty, Lance wanted to say. He couldn’t, however, explain that it was to make sure Charlie still supported the Pokémon League over the Neo League. The two Leagues being bitter rivals, more so than what was commonly known, had caused more than a few discrepancies. Tate and Liza, former Pokémon League gym leaders, now comprised one pair of the Neo League’s Elite Eight.
“Thought you’d want me to at least check up on those two trainers you’re curious about, those League finalists from last year.”
Lance kept a straight face. “Yasashii and Hakujin are good, but not that good.”
“Shame,” Charlie said as he left the conference room. Alex Yasashii and Tschel Hakujin were indeed that good—in fact, his Arcanine hadn’t taken a beating like the one they’d given it since he’d became a gym leader.
Charlie didn’t bother to exit via the main entrance, which was through the rooms for the Elite Four. Instead, he left through the proverbial (and literal) back door, puzzled as to what Lance had meant with his request.
“Watch Naryt city…” Charlie wondered.
There wasn’t much in Naryt City except—Charlie facefaulted when he remembered. The two gym leaders there were ex-Indigo gym leaders Koga and Aya. In fact, Koga was also an ex-member of the Elite Four.
“… No,” Charlie determined at least. “Lance wouldn’t have me keep watch on them. There’s no reason, he said he doesn’t care about them. What, then…?”
Charlie stepped through the statue maze outside the Plateau easily. The trainers who were training inside Victory Road also gave him a wide berth—he had accepted their challenges earlier, and that was enough to instill fear into each trainer’s hearts.
“Tate and Liza left to become Elite Eight members,” Charlie stared at the ground as he walked through Victory Road, thinking aloud. “Koga and Aya are now gym leaders… Lance must think I’d jump ship too. Why, though? I have neither partner nor sibling.”
Charlie’s puzzlement lasted long after he’d exited Victory Road and returned to Stardust City the following day.
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That's it for this week, folks. Next chapter goes up when it goes up. Until then, bear in mind that random phone calls from a father you haven't seen in 13 or 14 years and only met recently could be a little awkward. You also gotta love the political plotline I'm hinting at but not ruining by developing fully. The pogeymanz league and neo league keep taking each other's people—wait until you see who the one of the seventh gym leaders is.