"Well, we're here now, there's no sense in leaving. We can pick out our hiding spot while we wait," says Bill. The three of you mosey on up to the first staircase. Already this place is giving you the willies as people mill about listlessly in the lobby you're exiting. Some are crying while others sit there with a blank look on their faces, too stricken with grief to emote anything. The vibe is dark and foreboding; you feel like you're trespassing into a territory you shouldn't be. You step out of the staircase and onto the 2nd floor. Everything is gray and dull and the mourners up here are equally as gray and dull. The uneasy feeling you have grows stronger as you lead your small group. You glance to the left at Bill; his face is a somber mask, appearing as if he is paying respects to this place. Green's eyes are wide--perhaps not so much from fear as alertness. Bill digs around in his backpack and pulls out a thin metal card on a large, loose necklaces. There's some sort of imprint on it, but it appears to be scratched and illegible. "The dark energy here is beginning to pick up," Bill says. "This Cleanse Tag will protect us from any spirits," he adds as he puts it around his neck. "I dont see anything on this floor, maybe we should just go straight to the top floor and pick our spot," Green says. "This place is scary but im not so scared with that Cleanse Tag." Your trio turns heel and begins trudging up the stairs again. One flight....two flights....three flights...............15 flights later and you're up on the 10th floor of Pokemon Tower. The moment you set foot onto the top floor, Green gives a small shriek as Bill's Cleanse Tag shoots away from his chest and floats in mid air, seemingly pulling Bill forward. A bitter wind blows straight up the stairs and up your back, leaving a chill in your spine. You inch forward, aware of every tiny sound you make while you get steadily more and more terrified. The three of you look at the Cleanse Tag, still aiming opposite bill's chest. "Ok come on guys let's get it together here. We came here to save Bill's dragonite, and now is not the time to let some dumb spooky tower block our way. This is just a building like any other pokemon mausoleum...besides, we have that Cleanse Tag," you say. Green and Bill loosen up a bit and look a little relieved, but then their faces contort into fear stricken expressions and you feel a dread behind you. You spin around, standing face to face with...a....something. A barely visible face!!! But as fast as it appeared it disappears again, and the Cleanse Tag starts going haywire. It's shaking as it floats in mid air, first slightly and now violently. Bill looks alarmed so he takes off the necklace but as he does, a hand materializes around the metal tag, that leads to an arm, which leads to a...ghost's face! Bill is playing Cleanse Tag tug of war with a ****ing ghost! And then it's gone again. The wind stops and the air is silent. Deafeningly silent. You step forward on shaky knees, Green tugging on your arm in an effort to prevent you from entering this terrifying place. You shake her off, your eyes ablaze with determination. God dammit, we're gonna that Dragonite back, you think. "The Cleanse Tag isn't going to work on that one spirit," Bill concludes. "It's not even a pokemon, from the looks of it." "Well, it's gone now, so let's go find our place," you say. After a half hour or so of searching, you find a perfect little spot in the back corner behind a stack of unused tombstones. Your watch alarm beeps, signaling that it's 2:45 and almost time for the rendezvous. The three of you duck behind the tombstones while Bill lets out Ditto. Bill snaps his fingers and Ditto suddently turns into a very real-looking copy of Bill. Ditto-Bill starts acting as if it is waiting, pacing about and whistling. A few minutes later you hear some commotion. You peek through the cracks and see a streak of purplish-pink appear to be scratched across thin air. The streak widens and appears to be a hole suspended about 4 feet off the ground. You hear a faint voice that grows louder and louder-- "Oh shit! Meowth, let's get the **** out of here! AHH! Gengar! Just leave the damn thing alone and let's go!" "AHH! Giratina, sire, please don't! There's no point in getting all mad about this human's mistake! He doesn't even know what you are!" Suddenly a big flash of orange light beams out of the hole, sending...the same Gengar you beat yesterday at the cottage and some guy sailing into the room from the hole? The portal/hole then collapses on itself and shrinks until it's nothing. The Gengar and this man get up, dusting themselves off, and begin arguing with each other. It seems they are a laughable pair--their mannerisms and movement, as well as their complete oblivion to Ditto-Bill, makes them appear wildly incompetent. "Ahem," Ditto-Bill says loudly. The Gengar and the man--a somewhat tall, lean fellow with purple shoulder length hair parted down the middle--freeze and look over at DB. They stiffen and get serious, at least until the man kicks the Gengar. "Meowth, you have to help do the introduction since Jessie's still lost," he whispers. "Oh...ahh...PREPARE FOR TROUBLE!" The Gengar suddenly grabs its own chest and pulls, revealing a Meowth hidden underneath a very convincing Gengar costume. It speaks with a harsh kind of New England accent. "Better make that double!" The purple-haired man says with a goofy grin and a slightly gay tone in his voice. Bill looks at you, rolls his eyes, stands up and walks beside Ditto-Bill, and says, "Oh give me a break. Team Rocket? You losers actually stole my Dragonite? Well if you don't mind i'd kindly like it back now!" The Meowth turns to the man and says, "Look! James! Am i seein' double or are there two of him!?" Suddenly the pair looks very scared and begin foolishly bargaining with the Bills. "Hey, we'll tell you anything you want to know! Just don't hurt us!" "Argh. How about WHERE'S MY DRAGONITE YOU IDIOTS!?" Bill shouts. You decide the intimidation tactic is a good move. You look at Green, nod, and then the both of you emerge from behind the stack of tombstones. "Yeah," you say. "Where's his Dragonite? Why did you take it? Tell us or we'll summon more ghosts!" It works. Meowth and James are convinced they're seeing ghosts, and they start tumbling over each other's words, sputtering until they both go quiet for a second. Meowth then speaks up. "Well...y'see...the thing is...mumblemumblemumble." "What," both Bills plus you and green all say in unison, "did you say!?" "Awww jeez...i said...our partner Jessie has your Dragonite. We stole it because she wanted to use it to try and capture this insanely powerful pokemon in an alternate world to try and please the boss, but she screwed it up and got stuck in--" "--the reverse world, and she wanted to capture Giratina!? Is she CRAZY?" Bill exclaims. "Hey, ah, sorry to interrupt," you interrupt, "but what exactly is a Giratina? What exactly is the rever--" you say but you're cut off by the appearance on the floor of another purpley-pink streak... ...that grows bigger and bigger... ...until first James falls in... ...followed by Meowth... ...followed by you, Green and the Bills... You can't quite describe what you see as you slowly fall down this weird hole. It looks like some twisted, contorted shattered-mirror place where paths are never certain, uneven platforms are everywhere, and the physics are all out of whack. Your hat was knocked off as you fell, and as you float gently downwards to the platform below you realize your hat had plummeted very very quickly and reached the platform before you do. Everyone seems to be alright as you touch down softly on the platform. You look over the edge into a deep abyss, the inky black darkness forcing your stomach into your throat. Man, i just wanted to go to the next gym, you think. ÒGreen, are you ok,Ó you say, as you see the outline of Green becoming contorted. ÒIÕm ok, a little sick, but ok,Ò she says. She doesnÕt seem to notice. You look around, and you start to notice that everyone is starting to contort a little. You look at your hand to see if youÕre being affected by this same feature. You see your hand warp in many directions like a piece of silly putty. You hope that this isnÕt permanent and that this is fixed relatively soon. You look around the place to see a giant open space with many different platforms in all different directions. Everything has a weird shade of purple over it, excluding your party. ÒDitto,Ó one of the BillÕs exclaims as it transforms back into Ditto form. You look at your party to find a sad group of people. A girl who looks scared out of her wits, a metro sexual looking male with purple hair, a meowth, a ditto, and an elite trainer who is stricken with so much rage that he has no common sense. ÒDRAGONITE!!Ó he yells desperately. Yep, you think to yourself, we need some miracle. ÒROAR!!!Ó you hear off in the distance. You look out to see a dragon-like creature and a Red-haired Girl being held by a cluster of tentacles about a football field away on a distant platform. ÒOh my God, DRAGONITE!!Ó Bill yells in hope. He starts running frantically toward the platform, using the other platforms as stepping stools. You all donÕt trust this place as much as Bill does. All of a sudden, a giant figure swoops past Bill. The wind from its speed knocks Bill off of his feet. ÒWhat was that,Ó Green says in a high pitch screech. You all have jello-like legs from fear. All of a sudden, a giant red and black serpent like creature swoops down. It appears angry. All of a sudden, the tentacles release both the red haired woman and Dragonite. She grabs onto Dragonite as it flies for Bill, picking him up and landing him right next to you guys in a most professional fashion. The Giratina start rearing its head. It gives a loud bellow that shakes the ground you are standing on. It starts forming a ball of pure energy to launch at you guys. ÒThis is the end,Ó you say. You canÕt even go hug Green youÕre so petrified with fear. All of a sudden, though, it stops building up the energy and the ball disappears. ÒWait,Ó it says. Wait, it can talk, you think. ÒTwo of the four shade fightersÉÓ It takes a long look at you and Green. ÒItÕs not the time. Better separate them though.Ó All of a sudden, three giant holes appear. They start sucking on you all like vaccuums. You see everyone else fall through different holes. James, Ditto, and Green fall to something that looks like a long bridge. Meowth, Dragonite, and Jessie falls through to see an island. You and Bill fall through one that looks like the inside of a building. You fall for a while until you hit the hard ground below. ÒRaichu, use thunderbolt,Ó a voice says in the background as you try to reorient yourself. ÒDonÕt you dare. Ivysaur, use vine whip,Ó another voice says. This voice seems familiar. All of a sudden, Bill and you are stricken with electricity and something razor sharp. ÒWait, stop the match,Ó says the first man. As you and bill look up, you see two men in the middle of a Pokemon battle. One is dressed in military attire. The other is Blue. ÒWhere the hell did you two come from?Ó the man exclaims. ÒReally, are you stalking me or something,Ó Blue says in disbelief. You and Bill run out of there, just frustrated and angry. You notice a sign saying Vermillion City Gym as you walk out. You notice you and Bill look relatively normal now. To say the least, you are confused. All you wanted to do was have a normal Pokemon adventure, like any normal 16 year old kid...you know, get badges, catch pokemon, and have some fun along the way; maybe finally screw your best friend, embarrass your rival in some way, etc. But apparently, this was too much of you to ask; now, after being warped through some strange portal by a Pokemon you're pretty sure talked to you, you are smack dab in the middle of some unknown city, besides some nerdy, somewhat annoying, yet cunningly brilliant Pokemon expert. And both of you are upset: He because he lost what might be his last, fleeting chance to recapture his best Pokemon friend, you because you now have no idea where your (potential) lover is. And what the hell are "Shade Fighters," as the large Pokemon referred to you as? Your head hurts, and understandably so. Bill continues to grumpily dust himself off, muttering under his breath. "Great. Just great. Now Dragonite is gone again. And now we're in the middle of Vermillion City..." he lets out a vulgarity into his closed hands, trying to relieve his own anxiety. "O, Pokemon gods, why must you constantly pick on me, Bill, and subject me to such a cruel fate? Why must the fates cast my hand of sorrow? Why..." Celebi Christ, shut the hell up already. You think, walking slightly away from him in order to collect your thoughts. After you have a moment to think, as if by instinct, you pull out the journal you found at the hotel in Pewter City. Maybe this has some info about that tower you think, the guy who wrote it seems pretty knowledgable...it comforts me, in some weird way. You carefully open the volume, trying your best not to rip the aged pages, and slowly flip through, looking for any references to Lavender Town, or Pokemon Tower, or anything of that sort. After a bit of scanning, you come across something: June 16th. Arrived at Lavender Town. Finally, Rock Tunnel a long haul. Good thing I found a Voltorb to teach flash to. Lavender Town is somber, quiet. Pokemon Tower is here, the place where pokemon are buried. I might inspect it later, but I must rest up first. My companions and I are both tired and it is nearly nightfall; we both need the rest. June 17th. Restocked at Pokemon Mart then crept through Pokemon Tower. Filled with ghosts - Gastlys and Haunters. I defeated them with little difficulty. I also decided to catch a Cubone - it's lonely nature and sad disposition attracted me. I named it Brown. It's very cute. Already he takes liking to me. As you are reading, you suddently notice Bill, having recovered from his lamentations, is peering over your shoulder, stupified by what he sees. He stammers, and his gaze is that of wonder. "Th...th...that handwriting...could it...could it be...?" "Who?" You ask, puzzled. "Could it be who?" Bill takes a beat before answering. You can tell his mind is racing. He abruptly begins to walk away. "Nothing." Said Bill, seemingly trying to change the conversation. "Forget I said anything. It's not important." You catch up to Bill, who is now quickly guiding his gait towards the Pokemon center. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- "...and that's how I grew to love eevee." Finishes Bill. You and he had just finished healing your respective Pokemon; tired, you both decided to rest for a moment before deciding your next move. "That's kinda cool." You say, forcing a smile. You can't stop thinking about Green...is she safe? A tear nearly comes to your eye thinking about the terrible situation she could be in... "Hey." Bill says, noticing your inner pain. "I'm worried too. But I know she's alright. Just like I know, deep down, Dragonite is alright too. They'll show up. For now, we gotta relax." "But..." You stammer, lachrymose, "but...I gotta find her! She-" "Shh." Bill says, in a paternal tone. "Relax. You gotta calm down. You've had a rough day. Maybe we should relax a bit here more, then decide what we wanna do." Bill stops, then starts again upon realizing something. "Oh! I just remembered...I have two tickets aboard the S.S. Anne! We could always go there, if you wanted to calm down." Not getting the response he expected, Bill starts again. "Or...we could maybe try the Vermillion Gym...you could test your luck against the gym leader." You remember Blue had been fighting there. It pains you to know that he is beating you out. "... Bill, what do we do? And how the **** do we even begin to search for Green and Dragonite!?" "Well actually, Red, talking about Green and Dragonite; Green disappeared with James and my Ditto, and Dragonite fell with Jesse and Meowth." "And...?" you impatiently inquire. "Well I figure Jesse, James and Meowth will be looking for one another, as will Green be looking for us. Green's probably going to stick with James seeing as it's safer than to be alone, and Jesse will be keeping Dragonite to keep her safe-" "Bill. Will you please hurry up" "Well what I'm trying to say, is that the other parties will probably be thinking to rendezvous in an accessible place. One with a busy dock. Somewhere that's easy to get to from anywhere in Kanto" "... Fuscia?" "It's likely, Red. If you're really determined to fight Lt. Surge here then we must do it quickly, then get the SS Anne to Fuscia." ------------------------------------- "... Jaaaames...?" "What do you want, Green?" "Where are we?" "Route 17. Celadon is... that way, and Fuscia is... that way." "James could I stick with you unti--" *RING RING* ... *RING RING* Ah, a phone that would make finding Red so much simpler... If only I were from a rich Celadon family, not some Pewter backwater... "Hey Jesse?... Yeah it's James... Fushia?... Oh fabulous, I can get there no problem" "So could I stick with you James? It could be dangerous for a girl like me" Green giggles "Or can I trust a masculine man like you to behave." "Darling, you REALLY don't have to worry about that" James snarks cattily Could it be? Hm, James did seem a bit... Eccentric... ------------------------------------- "Hey, kid! What do you think you're doing here? You won't live long in combat! That's for sure! I tell you kid, electric Pokemon saved me during the war! They zapped my enemies into paralysis! The same as I'll do to you!" Growls Lt Surge, trowing out his Raichu "Red, that Pokemon is the only one he keeps. It's much more powerful than anything you might have faced before" Warns Bill "I took on a Gengar, and looked Giratina in the face. I've got nothing to be scared of." Red solemnly declares. "Well, Red, youve got a Wartortle, a Pidgeotto, and a Grovyle. The first two will get zapped to oblivion, you're relying on Grovyle." "Don't tell me how to battle, I've got this far without you and I'm going to get all the way on my OWN skilll!" Red yells, throwing out his Pidgeotto "Icarus! Sand-Attack!" "RAICHU! THUNDERBOLT!" Icarus carefully but swiftly blows the worn concrete dust from the well-treaded Gym floor. It works! Raichu's taken aback and he can't aim "Raichu... THUNDERBOLT!" Raichu, disoriented, stores energy but unable to find Pidgeotto, instead releases the electric power as a great dome of thunder. Bill was right. That Raichu is incredible, Green's Pichu, as tough as it is, truly pales in comparison. Red chooses not to look, knowing that Pidgeotto is long fainted and just calls him back into the Pokeball. "Jet, GO!" Red throws out his Wartortle. Water vs Electricity, this can't be good. "Quick, Jet, whilst he's still disoriented, use Ice Beam on the ground underneath him!" Jet releases a frozen stream of water from it's mouth, turning the floor of the Gym around Raichu into solid Ice. "AGAIN RAICHU, THUNDERBOLT!" Needless to say, Jet is done for. But not for nothing, Raichu is now blinded and on unstable footing. It's up to Grovyle. "Go! Gex!!" Win or lose depends on on Red's Grovyle, Gex. The time is now. Both Jet and Icarus were painfully leveled by the strength of Raichu; the abominable Pokemon still stands, barely harmed, yet woozy, cracking a crooked smile towards you as he tries to regain his footing. His master, Lt. Surge, stands behind him, also smiling, gleefully; he can tell victory is at hand. Only Gex remains. Being a grass Pokemon, it does have resistance to electric...but Raichu is still very strong, and Gex has no moves super effective against it. Can't be hasty here. You think quickly. I gotta strategize; it's my only chance. "Gex, use Agility, quick!" Gex, upon command, begins to run back and forth, back and forth, slowly building up speed. As it does, it is soon running circles around Raichu: Gex's speed was sharply increased! "That's nothing." Surge yells, still cocky. "Slam him, Raichu!" Raichu, readies himself, and, having calculated his target, fires his body, full speed, at the ever-moving Gex. But it seems as if the combination of Gex's blinding speed, and Raichu's reduced accuracy has failed him: Raichu missed! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Hey watch it! Get out of the way!" "Eek!" "Oh dear!" "Di-tto!" "Move it, pipsqueek! We're ridin' here! Get lost! You're gonna make us crash!" "Wh-" "Ditto!" "AHHH!!!!" *crash* "You rotten little punk! Look what you did to my ride!" "Yeah, and mine too!" "I'm sorry. We didn't mean to. We're j-" "Oh Celebi, this is so not wonderful. Not wonderful at all..." "Diiiiii..." "I swear to God, we should just kick your ass right now, you purple-haired faggot!" "Yeah - ***got!" "Hey - don't say that! That is so mean and offensive, you lowlifes! Apoligize, or I'll...I'll..." "Well, excuse me, little beauty." "Yeah, excuse us. hehehehe..." "Ugh, we're getting out of here. Come on Ditto. Get up and stop crying, James!" "I broke a nail!!! ahhhh!" "You know...maybe we won't let you go. You're kinda pretty, you know. We could do some wonderous things with you." "Yeah, a lot of things...fufufufufufufufu." "Hey, what are y-let go of me! Let go of me! Ahh!!, wh-mmf! mmmmmf! mffff!" "Diiiiiiiiiiiiiiitttttttttttttttttttooooo!" --------------------------------------------------------------- The sea is a wonderful thing. Glistening with the colors of the sun and sky, reflecting the passions and desires of nature of its magnificent aura, it gleams, magnificent, sending beams upon beams of light off of its majestic surface. If one looks over it, and looks hard enough, they will see in the sea themself, not just as a reflection, but as a retrospective; the sea can comfort and heal your wounds, it can tell when you are troubled, it can tell when you have nothing left, when you have everything, when you are vibrant, when you are melancholy, when you are anything. Not many things in this world can do that. Not many things can harbor such understanding, such divine intelligence. But the sea can. And it always will. It is too powerful of a force to lose that. It is too great of a being to relenquish its blessings. And on this blessing, in the midday sun, with the sky as open and blue as it ever was, Jesse, Meowth, and Dragonite lie in the ocean, gagging, screaming for their life, having been shot down from Dragonite's flight by the guns from a barge of Team Aqua. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "Gex, screech, now!" As Raichu slams in to the wall, showing significant pain, Gex lets out a freakishly terrible wail. It shakes the very foundations of the gym; both you and Bill and even Surge hold your ears in discomfort. Raichu can not get to his ears in time, though, and he buckles to the ground in pain. Raichu's defense was harshly lowered! "There ya go, Gex! Good work!" C'mon Gex, just hold out on a few hits, you can do this! "Raichu! Quit fucking around! Thunderbolt that chump!" Raichu, again, readies himself for a thunderbolt attack, and fires the great ball of electricity towards a streaking Gex. Gex, again, barely manages to get out the way, and is only briefly phased by the bolt. It hits him, but barely does damage. You ponder your next move. Raichu's physical defense is low...you need a physical attack. An attack that will benefit from the speed boost. An attack that will finish the job and will become insanely powerful. You need... "Gex, FURY CUTTER!" Gex sprints towards Raichu and slashes into him. Then again. And again. Raichu tries to shoot off Thunderbolts, but it is simply no use. Fury Cutter gains more and more power, more and more strength, until, with one final crushing blow, Gex carves Raichu, cutting deep into his static fur. Raichu wails, and, with one final battle cry, falls to the floor of the gym "YES! I did it! I BEAT SURGE!" You cry, exposing your childhood innocense. You quickly recompose yourself, however, upon realizing your foolishness. Surge says nothing, then, after realizing what just happened, begins. "Well...you beat me. I'm impressed. Here's your THUNDERBADGE." With that, he hands you the small, glistening badge, and you stick it in your coat. "It was an honor to fight you, sir." You say, bowing your head respectfully. "As it was to fight you. As it was to fight you." He smiles. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Well, that's done." Says Bill. "You feel happy you won, Red?" "Oh, do I!" You cheer, jumping up in the air. "Gex really kicked some tail, didn't you, Gex?" Gex, still by your side, happily smiles. "Well..." Says Bill, hands in his pockets, "I don't mean to kill the celebration, but we do have a lot to do. We need to get to Fuscia. And now. We should heal up in the Pokemon Center, then board the S.S. Anne. It will be the quickest way to get to Fuscia, without a doubt." You stop for a moment. Green. After a beat, you look at Bill, determined. "Let's Go." "Welcome to the S.S. Anne!" A cheery sailor says as you and Bill approach the vessel; it is far bigger than any boat you've ever seen. No one else appears to be boarding, you must be one of the last people to arrive. "May I see you're S.S. tickets?" Bill flashed the two tickets, one for him and one for you. "You're all set. Welcome aboard!" The sailor says as he lets you both through. As soon as you and Bill walk aboard the ship, Bill appears much more calm; he seems accustomed to the boat. "Ah, the S.S. Anne." Bill says, sighing. "Nothing is more relaxing than a cruise on her. You ever been on a ship before, Red?" You don't answer. You're too busy observing your surroundings. You and Bill are in the main ballroom, a huge, towering room, filled with dozens of people, all whom appear affluent, sipping drinks and mingling condescendingly with each other. Of course, you never have sailed on a boat before, partly because of your fear of seasickness, and partially because you are nothing more than a country boy from Pallet Town; you feel very out of place amongst these wealthy yacht-goers. "Good afternoon, and welcome aboard the S.S. Anne!" Says a booming voice over the loudspeaker, presumably the Captain's. "We will be departing for Fuscia City in a matter of moments. Thank you again for sailing with us today!" Fuscia City... you daydream, I've heard it's beautiful. Big, wide ports and rare Pokemon...Isn't that where the Safari Zone is? I think it is, anyways. "C'mon, Red." Says Bill, snapping you out of your daydream. "Let's grab something to eat; we can bring it back to our room. The shrip cocktail here is excellent; I always have some whenever I cruise here." As Bill whisks you away to the buffet, and as you feel the immense weight of the ship pull out from the dock and embark on the open sea, you pray that you don't get sick and throw up all over the sandwitches. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Green can see nothing but darkness as she regains consciousness. Pitch black surrounds her from all sides; nothing is audible but the sound of her hurried pulse. She tries to move, but she is bound to her seat. Many times, she attempts to rise from the seat, but the chair is bound to the floor. She is stuck. Desparate, she tries to cry out for help, but she only receives silence from the black of the room; her mouth is sealed shut. As she attempts to remember events that preceeded this one, she can only recall heading down some route, and a crash with some bikers... As her eyes adjust to the room, a few details become more visible. An old, somewhat battered door lies directly in front of her. To the sides are some old shelves that hold what look like old whiskey and gin bottles. A clock hangs to her left, but she can still not make out the time. The entire room smells like flesh. The door opens, loudly, startling Green. She lets out a quiet yelp that is not heard. A large, bald man enters the room; upon seeing him, Green's memory of the previous events somewhat rushes back, but still remains foggy. She suddenly realizes she is missing her coat. "Well, well, laddie." The man says in a creepy baritone. It sends shivers up Green's spine. "Was wonderin' when you were gonna wake up." The tape is harshly removed from Green's mouth. As pain comes to her lips, she gasps and wheezes for breath. The man, seemingly annoyed, grabs Green's face with his big, oily hand, and pulls it up straight. Green utters a small squeal of fear. "But now that you're up, I'd figure we should have a bit of fun, eh?" The man dons a icy grin that strikes the utmost fear into Green. She can feel tears of terror rushing to her eyes, but holds them back, remaining strong. "In fact, I'm gonna remove these ropes right here now, and then, after I do, you're gonna lie down there on the bed behind you, and then we're gonna have a right good time, eh?" Green can no longer hold back tears. As one comes slowly to her eye, the man becomes annoyed. Changing his disposition from one of excitement to one of frustration, he slaps Green hard across the face, causing a faint cry to be released from her mouth. "And no fuckin' crying, neither! We're gonna both enjoy ourselves!" He grabs Green's face hard yet again. "Got it?!" The lights are turned on, and the large man goes crashing to the floor. His hand manages to brace itself on Green's chair, ripping the very screws of the chair from the floor and sending Green down as well; the man is certainly big. Green's eyes, as she lies on the ground, lock directly with his; she see his face contract in pain and she hears him yell. As she looks to her right, blood is visible on the floor. It is quickly colleting in a crimson pool that is now seeping to her feet, dampening her shoes. "Keep biting, Slowpoke, keep biting!" she can hear amidst yelling and chaos. The alarms are sounding as the man's eyes roll to the back of his head; his wails of agony cease. Her ropes are untied and she is released from the chair by an older man, he calls "are you ok?" to her as he waits for her response. Kurt calls the Slowpoke back to the Pokeball, saving it from any harm. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It is nice to finally be in this quiet cabin. you think. All that noise and commotion in the ballroom was making me nervous...and I needed to sit down. Bill is happily stuffing his face with shrip and cocktail sauce as you lie down on the bed, trying to fight away seasickness. You hope this cruise was not long; you are really dying to get to dry land, to get to Fuscia...and to see Green again. "How long is this cruise, Bill?" You ask groggily. "Oh, I don't know, probably about 4 hours or so." Bill says as he continues to happily eat. For a skinny guy, Bill can certainly eat a lot. As he finishes, he rings the room service button and again asks for more food. He is more happy and content now than you have ever seen him, which surprises you. Maybe his true passion isn't Pokemon, but eating...? "Bill." You suddenly say, upon remembering something. "When I opened the journal before...the journal I had, this journal I found in Pewter...you seemed really surprised." The smiles departs from Bill's face, as he seems to instantly recall some terrible event. He still does not look at you. "I was just wondering..." you continue, suddenly becoming a bit apprehensive, "I was just wondering...well...do you know that journal from somewhere, or something? I know you said something about the hand-" "It's nothing." Says Bill, making sure to interrupt you. He tries to maintain a steady monotone, but his voice cracks somewhat. "You want anything from the room service? I just ordered something, maybe y-" "I mean..." You can tell Bill is trying to change the subject, but this journal has interested you since you found it; if Bill knows something about it, it is definitely worth investigating. "You just seemed very interested, and, well, that journal has just fascinated me since I ever found it. And you seemed to know something about it, which surprised me, and I just thought asking y-" "IT'S NOTHING." Thunders Bill, now appearing not simply frustrated, but angry. He know looks you dead in the face, and appears on the verge of crying. "It's nothing, for Mew's sake. My fucking God, do you always ask this many God damned questions?! It's nothing. NOTHING. So why don't you just drop it, and we'll pretend like I never saw the damn thing, and you don't even own it. Ok? HOW ABOUT THAT?!" Bill, emotionally drained, falls back in to his comfy chair, parallel to the small cabin wall. He closes his eyes and tries to collect himself. You are stunned, and can't think of what to say to him next. In a hot rage you leap over the bed and grab Bill by the colar and deck him. ÒLook here, assface, I asked you about the journal, now talk to me about the fucking journal! IÕve been through so much shit since I met you, all of it your fault, the LEAST you can do is answer one fucking question. Ò You pick him up and shove him against the wall, pinning him in place. He squirms around and tries to escape your grasp, but you headbutt him in the nose. ÒNow IÕll ask you again; what the fuck do you know about the god damned journal?Ó Blood trickles out of his nose as he glares into your eyes. You just glare right back. Eventually his death eyes soften and he shuts them, breaking your staring contest. ÒFine,Ó he says with a sigh, Òbut youÕre not going to be satisfied with what I have to say.Ó He puts his hands up in surrender and you release him from your grip. He wipes the blood from his face with a handkerchief from his back pocket, slowly walks over to the mini fridge and pulls out a bottle of whiskey and two large tumblers from the pantry. He fills both glasses to the brim, takes a long hard swig out of one and hands the other to you before collapsing back into his comfortable chair. ÒYouÕre gonna need this.Ó You take a gulp of the amber liquid, its cold smoothness calms your temper while its warming effects sets you at ease. [i]So its going to be one of those kinds of stories, eh?[/i] you think to yourself. You sit at the corner of the bed so as to stay at eye level with him. You know he knows even more than he plans on telling you so you want to catch as much of it as possible. ÒWell?Ó you ask. Bill sits perfectly still in silence, his gaze fixed on his glass in his right hand, eyes distant and glassed over as if reflecting on the past, his head held disheveled in his other hand. ÒChrist, you even punch just like him.Ó He states finally with a grim smile. You cock one of your eyebrows. ÒLike who?Ó ÒThe man who wrote that journal.Ó he says flatly, the smile fading quickly, his tone growing more somber. ÒSo you [i]did[/i] know him!Ó Your heart rate spikes briefly. [i]Finally some answers![/i] ÒIndeed,Ó he says before pausing to sip at his drink, ÒHe was a colleague of mine back when I first became a researcher. When I graduated from the Pokemon Academy, I decided to travel the world and do some legwork while I was still young before growing old and ending up like Professor Oak all cooped up in his lab all day.Ó He takes another sip. ÒProblem was I wasnÕt all that worldly and I wasnÕt a very good trainer and I didnÕt like the thought of traveling alone. So I hired a strong trainer; one who had been used to the traveling lifestyle and had fought and won countless battle over many years to accompany me on my journey.Ó A frown forms on your face. ÒSo where does the journal fit in?Ó you demand gruffly. He shoots you a look before impatiently continuing, ÒI was getting to that. God you [i]really[/i] [b]are[/b] like him.Ó He takes another sip. ÒAs I was saying, he had been all over the region for years, collecting badges and pokemon and getting as strong as he could. He kept record of his journey in that journal from the day he started, long before I ever met him and presumably long after we had parted ways.Ó ÒSo who was he?Ó you ask as you lean in to hear better. ÒWhere was he from?Ó Bill chuckles weakly before returning to his dreary monologue ÒBelieve it or not, Pallet Town.Ó This information comes as a shock to you. Pallet is a very small town and you know pretty much everyone who ever lived there since before you were born. ÒHe would claim he came from Celedon City or Cinibar Island depending on what kind of company we were around, you know, to make him seem more cultured or to get into some girlÕs pants but usually to make him seem like something other than a country bumpkin.Ó You quickly give him the stink eye. ÒNo offence of course.Ó he quickly tosses off before taking another sip. ÒHe would say all kinds of crazy shit if it made him look better. Funny thing is he didnÕt need to he was so damned good. But no matter how much I faulted him for it he kept doing it so much that even I didnÕt truly know where he came from until we were at a bar one night on Boon Island after a very successful dayÕs work that he let slip that he had a pregnant wife back in his home town of Pallet. Actually it was a few weeks after that night that we parted ways and I havenÕt seen him since.Ó ÒWhyÕd you two split up?Ó ÒWell, my work had pretty much finished up in the Sevii Islands and I was heading home for a while. WeÕd worked together for a few years by then and during that time he helped train me into a better pokemon trainer. I was nowhere near as good as him, hell IÕm probably still not as good as he was back then, let alone what he might be like now, but he made me capable of taking care of myself. So I didnÕt really need him anymore. Besides, with the baby on the way it was perfect timing for him to go and spend some time at home though he did say he wanted to get back on the road before to longÉÓ Bill trails off and zones out on his glass again. Silence envelops as you process all of this. ÒWhat was his name?Ó you finally ask. ÒItÕs not written anywhere in the journal.Ó ÒHmmm, is that so?Ó he asks taking a hearty chug of his now nearly empty drink. ÒFunny thing there. Nobody ever knew his real name. I mean nobody. He introduced himself to me as Bob Smith, but whenever we went to a town heÕd been to before and someone recognized him theyÕd call him something else that he responded to without question. After the second or third time I saw it happen, I called him out on it. He told me to drop it, which I didnÕt, and he decked me. He said ÔItÕs not a manÕs name that makes him great, but what he does.Õ and that I could call him whatever I wanted and it wouldnÕt change the kind of person he was. He was an arrogant loud mouth with no respect for women. But he was also a good person with a big heart and solid head on his shoulders. He was stubborn and determined. So from then on I called him whatever I felt like from then on. If I was happy IÕd call him ÔDudeÕ, if I was pissed at him IÕd call him ÒDoucheÕ but no matter what I called him he would respond.Ó You shift your legs a bit and swirl your still half full drink a bit thinking things over more then take a sip. ÒSo if all thatÕs true, why did you react to it the way you did?Ó Bill looks at you quickly and stares for a quick second before returning it to his drink. ÒLike I said, itÕs been years since IÕve last thought abut him much less heard from him. It just took me by surprise. He was a good friend, one I wish IÕd kept in touch with better over the years so I feel a little guilty and my mouth ran faster than my brain did.Ó He finishes his drink, gets up and makes his way to the fridge and nervously pours himself another tall glass. ÒSo are we done? ItÕs late and IÕd like to actually enjoy this one before going to bed. Is that ok by you?Ó ÒYeah, totally, no problem,Ó you say to Bill. ÒAlright. We should be in Fusia very soon, so the minute we arrive, wake me. WeÕll wait there a while.Ó ÒYeah,Ó you barely utter. It is silent for a few moments. ÒOh, well, ummm, thereÕs the safari zone there, so I mean, we wonÕt get bored. ItÕs an awesome place. IÕve actual been thinking of getting myself a Chansey so I can get a Blissey. You ever seen how much crap those things can take?Ó You donÕt say much at all. ÒWell, IÕm going to bed, goodnight.Ó ÒGoodnight,Ó you whisper as you see Bill climb into bed. You watch as his slowly get droopier and droopier. He makes a great yawn before his eyes finally shut for the final moment. As he does, you pull out the journal, just to make sure what he is saying is true. As you pull it out, before you even open it, a little piece of paper falls out. You pick it up off the floor to find that it is extremely delicate. You carefully read it. There was terrible force of shadow Taking the land by surpise Gengar and Misdreavus were bestowed A task they did not like A dragon and ghost combination Sent them to claim earth its prize Souls of all kinds in this proclamation Were slaves for the rest of their non-lives But four brave souls, their minds of whole Took to the task of clearing the mask of The spirit who took over purgatory And their should be given eternal glory A soldier of passion, a soldier of control A soldier of life and energy, a soldier of the soul The went by the name ÒlÕombra combattenti,Ó A group of soldiers who won the battle of eternity On the bottom, you see the same handwriting from the journal. In small letters, the author scribbled some notes. They say: Mountain, mansion, safari, tower Unlock potential And: Child Passion??! You read it over and over again. LÕombra combattenti? You donÕt even know if you can pronounce that. Mountain, mansion, safari, tower? Does he mean Pokemon tower? Unlock potential? Child=Passion. What is going on, you think to yourself. All of a sudden, a girl runs into your room and slams the door. Bill is woken up by the slam of the door. The girl has a Pikachu with her. ÒGREEN?!Ó you exclaim. ------------------------------------------------- ÒMeowth, we have a problem!Ó Jessie yells at the Meowth ÒOk, I understand that! Sheesh, I can talk. Give me SOME credit, ok, I have a mind,Ó Meowth says. They are both sitting on a beach of some sort. The sun is setting. It is creating a most beautiful sunset, one that would be appropriate during a love scene in a movie. Nobody else is on the beach ÒWell, USING IT WOULD BE A TOP PRIORITY!!!Ó Jessie exclaims. ÒYou know, thereÕs no use in yelling.Ó Meowth sighs. ÒFirst we need to figure out where the hell we are.Ó ÒCinnibar Island.Ó ÒCinnibar?? How do you know itÕs Cinnibar?Ó ÒI recognize it from the postcards my sister used to send me.Ó ÒHmmm. How the heck did we end on Cinnibar?Ó ÒNot sure.Ó she pauses for a moment. ÒActually, though, this is good.Ó ÒHOW IS THIS GOOD??! WEÕRE ON A FRICKIN ISLAND??Ó ÒWell, for starters, we were in Lavender Town. ItÕs so far away from Veridian, where the boss is, that it was going to be ridiculous to get back. Secondly, if we find a way to get North, we get to Pallet. From Pallet, itÕs pretty easy riding. We can get to Veridian in such short time. The boss will be baffled to how we got back so fast, considering we told him it would take us at least a week. He will be so happy, I bet heÕll even give us a promotion!Ó ÒReally?! You donÕt meanÉ you donÕt think heÕll make usÉÓ ÒJunior secretaries to the secretary to the head of the agricultural division at Team Rocket.Ó ÒNo.Ó ÒYes. Then we will really be in the bossÕ good graces.Ó ÒI honestly like your thinking for once.Ó ÒYou should more often. IÕve got some brain underneath this beautiful red hair.Ó ÒOne problem.Ó ÒYeah. How do weÉÓ ÒGet to Pallet town?Ó They both stand there silently, pondering this difficult question. ÒMagikarp submarine?Ó Meowth asks. ÒThat broke down a long time ago.Ó The ponder again. ÒI got it!!Ó Meowth says. All of a sudden, claws up, comes slashing at Jessie. ÒWhat are you doing you furball mutant!Ó she screams in anger. ÒHold ON!Ó He slashes a few quick motions, and then slashes a pokeball from her belt. He then picks it up and throws the ball. Dragonite comes out roaring. ÒWHAT DID YOU DO THAT FOR!!Ó Jessie screams even louder that before, a blood vessel buldging from her side. ÒWe can ride Dragonite to Veridian. ItÕll be perfect.Ó ÒMeowth, you forgot One DETAIL!Ó ÒWhat?Ó All of a sudden, Dragonite bellows a magnificent roar that seems to shake the entire island. It flaps its wings, blowing sand in every direction. It takes off with lightning speed. ÒMEOWTH, THAT THING HATES US! WHY WOULD WE BE ABLE TO RIDE IT!!!Ó ÒOhÉÓ Your eyes grow wide with shock at what lays before them. Battered and bruised with half her clothes torn off and the remaining tatters completely soaked and grimy stands Green holding an equally weathered looking Pikachu. After slamming the door behind her she collapses to the ground with a sigh. ÒGREEN! HOLLY HELL ARE YOU OK!? SPEAK TO ME!Ó you shout as you run to her side. ÒRedÉis that you?Ó she says meekly and extends her hand to find your face. ÒItÕs me Green, IÕm right here for you!Ó you sob. [i]I canÕt believe it! Green! Alive! Here! How?[/i] your mind races. ÒYOU IDIOT!Ó she screeches as the hand on your face reaches behind your head and slams it to the ground. ÒIÕve been risking my life trying to find you and youÕre on a fucking cruise! IÕM GONNA KILL YOU!Ó She tries to get you in a head lock and suffocate you but sheÕs too exhausted to do any real damage and you quickly escape. Clearly sheÕs been through a lot and you try your best to comfort her. ÒHere, lay on my bed and relax. Are you hurt badly? Do you want anything to eat or drink?Ó You ask as you help her into position and examine her injuries. ÒIÕm fine, just get me something to dull the pain and IÕll live. I repeat, what the fuck are you doing on a cruise ship?Ó You search through the cabinets for some aspirin or something but come up empty handed. Then you remember the whiskey and pour her a glass, which she takes from you with a glare and chugs quickly. ÒWell,Ó you begin to explain, Òafter we got separated, we ended up in Vermilion City. We didnÕt really know where the rest of you ended up but Bill figured youÕd head to Fuchsia City due to its high traffic and ease of access to the rest of the region. This ship was heading there and Bill happens to have tickets.Ó ÒI donÕt believe you.Ó She says taking another sip of her drink finishing it. ÒHey itÕs the truth! You can ask Bill when he wakes up and gets over his hangover. Speaking of Bill, do I have a story for you!Ó You proceed to describe the conversation you just had with Bill about the journal and what you just read in it. ÒWow, thatÕs intense. Do you believe him?Ó ÒYes but I feel like heÕs hiding more from me. IÕll get more out of him tomorrow. But thatÕs not too important right now. What happened to you? Is that your Pichu?Ó ÒYeah this is him,Ó she says as she scratches her PickachuÕs chin. ÒWell, me and James landed on Route 17. At first I wanted to kill him, but we agreed that we would both stand a better chance of making it Fuchsia if we worked together. Things were going fine until we ran into a group of Bikers. Turns out Cycling Road is their turf. Anyway, we tried to fend them off but they just wiped the floor with James and after my fight with Blue most of my Pokemon were to exhausted to put up much of a fight, though that didnÕt stop Pichu from working hard enough to evolve. But he still wasnÕt enough to beat them. As if simply beating us didnÕt really do it for them, they grabbed James and threw him over a bridge into the ocean. I have no idea what happened to him after that. But thenÉÓ she paused and tightly griped Pikachu who looked up at her with sad eyes. ÒThen they knocked me out. They took me back to their lairÉÓshe chokes and wipes a tear away from her face, Òand theyÉthey didÉthingsÉto me.Ó Your heart nearly stops as your eyes bulge out of your head in disgust. ÒOh God,Ó she continues, ÒThey raped me Red. [b]They fucking raped me![/b]Ó Whatever composure she had had up to that point shattered as she began to sob and cry uncontrollably. You gently embrace her and do your best to soothe her. ÒHey hey, youÕre safe now. IÕll protect you. IÕll find those cocksuckers and kill them for you.Ó you say trying to hide your rage and make her feel better. ÒYeah. Right.Ó She says bitterly as she pushes you away and takes a few deep steady breaths regaining herself a bit. ÒI appreciate the gesture but most of them already [i]are[/i] dead. An old man named Kurt saw them take me and followed them back to the hide out and rescued me. When he saw what they had done to me, he and his Slowpoke went berserk and practically tore the entire building down to the ground. He saved my life and he made them pay the ultimate priceÉÓ she trails off, no doubt reliving the events in her semi-shattered mind. In the ensuing silence youÕre absolutely stunned. ÒSo an old guy and his Slowpoke singlehandedly take out a den of gangbangers and help you get away? IÕm not sure I believe that part.Ó you say bluntly. ÒFUCK YOU, ASSHOLE! Kurt saved my life and helped me get to safety! After we left the hide out a few remaining bikers started to chase us. He led me to his boat and told me to head straight East for Vermilion City. It wouldnÕt have enough gas and was to small to make the trip to Fuchsia. He decided to stay behind and fend them off so I could have a chance. Last I saw of him he was standing on the docks and had managed to force one of the bastards into the water where his Slopoke was dragging them under.Ó ÒSo then what happened?Ó you ask as you pour two more glasses of whiskey and offer her one. She accepts it and takes a sip as you sit down next to her. ÒI drove East like he said. When I finally got here I landed the boat on a beach and went into town to look for a ride to Fuchsia. I went straight to the Pokemon Center and got everyone healed up but when I got to the ferry, they told me that the ferry was closed today for repairs and that this ship had left a few hours ago. I was livid and I did the only thing that made sense at the time. I took a map of the SS AnneÕs route, got some gas for KurtÕs boat and followed you to sea as fast as it could take me. It took me 3 hours to catch up to it and nearly the entire gas tank to do it. By then it was already dark out so pulling up close, roping the side rails and climbing on board undetected wasnÕt much of a challenge. I then ran into the first room I came to and here we are.Ó she concluded with a sip of her drink. ÒThatÕs incredible. You have no idea how sorry I am I couldnÕt be there for you when you needed me.Ó You take her hands in your own. ÒI never would have let that happen to you and you know it. You have no idea how pissed I was when Bill said we should take this stupid ship instead of an express ferry when we knew you were out there alone. I wanted to find you as fast as possible. But youÕre here with me now and I donÕt want to leave you alone ever again.Ó ÒYeah, I know.Ó she says with a blush. ÒThanks, I wish you were there too and I never want to be alone ever again.Ó She gives you a small peck on the cheek. ÒBut donÕt worry about it too much. ItÕs not like we could have predicted all this crazy shit would happen to us. What with Giritana and the Reverseworld and the LÕombra combattenti. The hell in CelebiÕs name have we gotten ourselves into?Ó ÒTell me about it. All I wanted was a run of the mill pokemon adventure but ever since weÕve met up with this bum, lifeÕs been nothing but trouble for us.Ó you say as you point towards a slumbering Bill. ÒYeah, for real.Ó She says with a sigh as she looks him over. She looks you in the eyes and asks ÒSoÉwhere do we go from here?Ó As Green asks you her question, you smile. It's so good to see her again. You missed her. And she's so beautiful...you get the idea that, if Bill wasn't here with you, sleeping in one of the two beds in the room, you would totally bang her, right there, even though she had just almost been raped by some biker dude. But that, you think, is neither here nor there. "I think we need to get some sleep, you and I." You say in the most calming voice you can muster. "It's late. C'mon. You can sleep in the other bed. I'll sleep in the chair." "R-really? Thanks, Red. That's really nice of you." She tries to force a smile, but you can tell she's not the same. Something about her is missing. That childhood spark that was always in her eye...is not there anymore. "You deserve it after the day you've had." You say. "After you get some sleep, we'll talk in the morning. Ok?" "Ok." She says, again forcing a smile. She climbs in to bed, not even bothering to remove any clothing, unfortunately. The gentleman that you are, you pull some sheets over her to tuck her in. You can tell she appreciates the sweet gesture as she smiles at you, but says nothing. "Red?" She says, eyes half-closed. It looks as if she could fall asleep any minute. "Yeah, Green?" You say, inching your face slightly closer to hers. Hey, you might not sleep with her but you might as well try to sneak a kiss in, right? "I'm glad you're around." "I'm glad you're around to, Green. I'm really glad." As you lean in to kiss her, to end the day on a pleasant note, Green falls asleep. Wow. You think. I wonder how the hell she stayed alive the past few days... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Biker road is stained with blood. The lifeless bodies of the thugs of the road are littered across the route. Some are missing appendages: Legs, arms, various other chunks of their bodies. Some were seemingly shot, or stabbed, or killed in some other gruesome way. The only signs of life on the road are the police cars and ambulances inspecting the scene. The worst mass killing in Kanto history, someone mutters. A terrible scene. In all my years of service, nothing ever like this, more inspectors say. People all around wonder what could've caused this mayhem...probably another gang, people figure. They hear that the people in Johto can be pretty menacing...but this terrible? Dozens of people are dead, and the killer, or killers are nowhere to be found. What could this mystery source be? In a run-down apartment, somewhere in the heart of Saffron City, a man is eating a steak completely raw, while smoking a cigarrete. He has just finished off a pint of whisky, and later he will play five-finger fillet until he gets too tired...and then he will continue to play it in his sleep. His arsenal of firearms and knives are strewn across the kitchen table; he just eats around them. A slowpoke is sitting in the corner, devouring a ratatta he just killed violently, its blood is spread over the floor. The entire room smells of smoke and stale alcohol, and has not been cleaned in what seems like ages. "Hey, slowpoke." Kurt says, "If you're not gonna finish that Ratatta, I'll take some. I'm still hungry, dammit." Upon having finished his meat, Kurt wipes his face roughly with the side of his hand, staining it with blood. He limps to the cabinet and opens it. It is stacked with alcohol. "God fucking dammit, we're out of whiskey." He slams the cabinet. "Guess I'm gonna have to steal some from somewhere. C'mon Slowpoke, let's kick some ass." Kurt grabs one of his guns, beckons Slowpoke to a pokeball, and limps out the door, grabbing his coat and hat behind him. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- It is late in the night as you wander about the cabin. You can't sleep. You tried to somehow fall asleep in the easy chair, but it's too difficult on your back. Wracked with boredom, you decided to lurk about the rest of the ship in hopes of finding something to occupy your mind. The ship is deathly silent - it's very late, probably midnight, and most people are asleep. Nothing is audible but the sound of the waves silently hitting against the ship. You make your way to the ship's stern. The night air is cool and crisp and beautiful; it is calm and cooling on your face as you watch the stars in the sky. Man, it's so good to just relax for a moment. You think lazily. Once we get to Fuscia tomorrow, we'll work things out. I have no idea what to do with Bill... Suddenly, you hear three loud voices from behind you - two female and one male. They are very boisterous, and create an echo throughout the night. As you turn around, you are strangely not surprised to find a familiar character in front of you. Blue. Very obviously intoxicated, Blue is supported by two girls, one on each arm, who also appear very drunk and ready to suck his dick. He wears a stupid smile on his face as he slowly ambles up to see you. "Bonjour, Red!" He shouts, unmindful of the rest of the ship sleeping. "How's your Pokedex comin'? You know, I just caught two new ones right here!" He gives each of the girls a pat on the ass - they giggle as he does so. You groan, slightly out of jealousy. "I'm just getting ready to roam around in grassy areas - if you get my drift, man, high five!" "Ew, dude, that's gross." You say, stepping slightly away from him. His breath is putrid. "What the hell do you want, anyways?" "Well, my compadre," he begins, nearly topping over, and nearly sending the two *****s with him, "I thought we could have a little Pokemon battle? You know, for old time's sake. Might be fun...for all of us, you know, ladies?" He cracks a creepy smile at the two girls. They laugh as he does so, and each ones gives him a kiss on the cheek.