From: Brian (bbd127@aol.comikaze)
Subject: [PW!] Lapras sculptures, half off!
Newsgroups: alt.games.nintendo.pokemon
Date: 2000/06/01
Taron, Procyon and Suikuaktu had all defeated Surge, and they were more than
ready to proceed on to the next town. Not that Vermilion City wasn't nice, but
there were other things to do, other badges to collect, and all kinds of really
neat stuff in general beyond the city limits.
A few miles down the path, Procyon looked up and pointed. "Hey! What's
that?"
"From the looks of things, I'd say it's some kind of market," commented
Suikuaktu.
And it certainly seemed that way. Booths and shops of every size, shape and
color imaginable were set up all around the road, shopkeepers and peddlers
showing off their wares. The path widened considerably here, and there were
plenty of people standing around, looking at things.
"I've heard of this," said Taron. "It's an annual thing around Vermilion
City, about this time of year. Tons of people get together and sell stuff.
It's like one big giant sale. Pretty popular with the crowds, and it just gets
bigger every year. Watch your wallet, though... there are those who'll take
your money the quick way, if they can't swindle it out of you first, that is."
Procyon nodded. "Sounds fun though," he said, "and it's right where we're
headed anyway. Let's take a look."
As the trio made their way down the path, blending inconspicuously into the
crowds around them, Procyon was constantly amazed by everything he saw.
Everywhere was advertising for all manner of products, everything he could
think of and quite a bit that he couldn't. The first thing he noticed was an
auction going on some ways to his left.
"All right," the man was saying, "our next item is this beautiful ice
sculpture, elegantly carved. As you can see, it's a Lapras swimming gracefully
across the ocean, and the ice block itself was cut from the Ice Beam of an
actual Lapras. Bidding begins at $200."
A voice sprang from the crowd. "Wouldn't it just melt before we could get it
home?"
The auctioneer sweatdropped. "Er.... all right, next item. How about a nice
pet Muk?"
At this the crowd scattered, and the man sighed, mumbling something
disdainfully. Meanwhile Procyon busily took some notes on the Muk for an entry
to write later that night, while Taron wandered off to the right of the path.
"Hello, sir!" a young man was saying to him. "How would you like to buy my
latest book, Catching Pokemon the Easy Way?"
"I'm blind, I don't read too well. Sorry."
The man brightened. "Ah! Then you'll appreciate my other book, The Dark Life
of the Zubat."
Taron sweatdropped. "That's....ok. Thanks anyway."
Suikuaktu had walked further along the path, and was now standing next to a
woman selling T-shirts. "Team Rocket logo T-shirts, only $9.99!" she was
saying. "Get them now!"
"Team Rocket sucks!!" shouted someone from the crowd. He promptly set up a
booth right next to the woman's. "Anti Team Rocket T-Shirts, get em now! Only
eight dollars!"
The Team Rocket lady gave him a withering glare, then made a quick motion with
her hand. Twenty Team Rocket members sprang from her tent and began beating
the guy up. "Help!!" he shouted. "You can't do this! It's illegal!!"
All twenty black-uniformed men stopped, stared at each other for a moment,
shrugged, and went back to beating him up. Meanwhile the Team Rocket woman
smiled and went back to selling her paraphernelia. "Maria Rocket action
figures! Giovanni talking dolls! Get em now!"
Suikuaktu just grinned and walked on.
Just then a shout rang out across the crowd. "Procyon!!!" Taron was saying.
"Come here! You have GOT to see this!"
Procyon came running back from the Muk he'd been examining. "I'm coming,
Taron," he said. "What is it?"
Taron pointed. "Take a look!"
The sign read: "Chansey Eggs. Boiled, fried, scrambled."
"How did you know what that said?"
Taron pointed at the man behind the counter. "CHANSEY EGGS!! BOILED, FRIED,
SCRAMBLED! WE'VE GOT CHANSEY EGGS HERE!!!" he was shouting.
"Oh." He paused. "I wonder what they taste like..."
Blueberry, from inside its Pokeball, had been listening to all this, and could
take it no longer. Springing out, it let out a battle cry of "CHANSEEEEEY!!!"
and, like a giant jellybean-shaped blue blur, it threw itself at the man,
Doubleslapping furiously.
"Ack!!" screamed the man. "Get it off me!!!"
"Blueberry, return!!" shouted Procyon, but it just batted away the Pokeball.
"Blueberry! I said return!!!"
But the Chansey's rampage of terror was just beginning. Once it caught sight
of the scrambled eggs, it gave a shriek and threw itself at the man, knocking
over him and the tent. Its eyes lit up like a Psyduck with a headache and it
began living up to its reputation nickname of Mewtwo Killer... nothing was safe
from the Wrath of the Chansey. At last Procyon subdued it by pushing it over
(Chanseys have a very hard time getting back up, and they don't roll well on
level ground) but by that time he had acquired many angry stares. Whistling
quietly and acting casual, he walked quickly away, with Taron following behind
explaining that he'd never met this person before, that he was just following
behind for some odd reason.
On the other side of the marketplace...
"Say, son, how would you like a Porygon?" An old man held out a Pokeball to
Suikuaktu.
"Hm... sure, how much?"
"Only $9,999!"
"Er... I'll pass...."
The man snorted. "Fifth customer today... can't anyone help a man make a
decent living?" He sighed. "Oh well. Magikarp! Roasted Magikarp! Get it
while it's hot!"
Three hours later...
"What did you get, Suik?" asked Taron.
"Not much... just a collar for my Growlithe. He seems to like it." With this
he gestured proudly at his Growlithe, which was tugging at the collar
impatiently. After a moment of work, it succeeded in dislodgling the collar,
which it promply ripped to shreds. "See?" he said. "He likes it!"
Taron nodded uncertainly. "Well then," asked Suikuaktu, "what did YOU get?"
Taron grinned. "Take a look." He reached into a bag and pulled out a book
entitled "Sandshrew training, 101."
"But, Taron, you can't read," commented Suik.
Taron grinned again and reached further into the bag. "Oh no?" he said,
holding out a cassette player and a pair of headphones. The label read "Book
on tape."
Suik actually laughed. "Ok, you win. But, Procyon, what did you get?"
He reached into his own bag, and brought out a small cartridge labelled TM27.
The small red light on the side was out, indicating it had already been used.
Suikuaktu whistled. "The Fissure TM," he said. "Not bad. Those are hard to
come by. You taught it to Avalanche, I assume?"
Procyon smiled. "Of course," he replied. "I hear it works well with
Dugtrios."
Taron nodded. "Yeah, good choice. But... what's that other thing you have
rustling around in your sack still?"
He sweatdropped. "Oh, that's nothing..." But Taron broke out laughing when
Suikuaktu fished out a small green book and read the cover aloud...
"How to Turn Your Chansey Into an Unstoppable Killing Machine."
TBC
