Chapter six: Money Problems
Artica listened as Buck explained his and Sparky's previous adventures. The human herself was inside a restaurant called "Mitch and Katie's," getting breakfast.
"That's very interesting. So, how would reuniting us get you back home? No one knows where the Mews went when they were forced into hiding."
"Oh, I dunno... That's what the dream said."
At this moment, a rather sullen-looking Sparky plodded out of the restaurant. With no food.
"What happened?" Buck asked.
Sparky pulled some green pieces of paper from her right coat pocket. "Evidently, they don't take U.S. dollars from my Universe. My money's useless."
Artica and Buck had no concept of money, so this explanation didn't help much. They stared at Sparky with blank expressions. A few moments, and she understood.
"Money is stuff," she explained, "usually special pieces of paper and discs of metal, that humans give to other humans in exchange for goods and services."
"So... no money means no food?" Buck ventured.
"Right."
"Humans are weird."
"Well," Artica interjected, "We could always go find our own. Hawthorn berries are in season."
"Hawthorns are toxic to humans. That's just my problem: I don't know what's good or bad for me in the wild. You can go get something for yourself, if you want."
Artica took up the invitation immediately and took to the air. Buck asked, "So, how we gonna feed you?"
"Let's take a walk. Movement helps me think."
They meandered aimlessly through Celedon, and eventually came to Route 7. Sparky sat on a rock, and Buck wandered off into the tall grass.
Sparky was humming the tune to "Live and Learn" to herself when she noticed a tall man walking toward her. He was clad in a leather jacket, and a cowboy hat obscured most of his face in shadow. Sparky was a little creeped out, but continued humming. Quite suddenly the stranger whipped out a switchblade and charged.
Sparky let out a cross between a scream and a yelp and bolted. The man got closer... closer still…
Buck suddenly burst from the brush and head-butted Sparky's attacker, knocking him to the ground. "What was that for, creep?!" he snarled.
The man did not respond. Instead he leapt up and slashed Buck in the face. Buck roared and acted reflexively, backhanding the man with claws extended. He then tripped the human with his tail, and finally gave him a good whack in the head with said appendage.
Sparky walked shakily over, panting. "Thanks, Buck... waa!"
Buck had a deep gash in his head that ran from right above his right eye and ended just shy of his left. He bowed down slightly and asked, "You all right?"
"I'm fine, but lookit you! I'm gonna get a doctor and the police. Will you be okay guarding him?"
"Yeah."
Sparky dashed off. Buck stood over the attacker, blood dripping down his face and into his blind spot at the end of his muzzle. He tossed his head occasionally to keep flies out of the wound, and snorted whenever blood got into his nostrils.
About fifteen minutes later, several humans dressed in blue arrived. One, a female, directed the bloody Mewtwo to the Pokémon Center. Buck allowed his wound to be attended to, and waited for Sparky.
About an hour later, she arrived with Artica.
"What took you?" he asked.
"The police wanted to question me. How do you feel?"
"I've got a headache, but other than that, I feel fine."
"Sparky told me what you did. Thank the stars you stayed with her." said Artica, sounding a little guilty.
Sparky rubbed the bird's side affectionately. "So... I've got good news."
She removed a wad of blue bills from her pocket. "Seems the police were after that guy for awhile. His name is Justin "Thresh" Nolands. Evidently, he's a serial killer or something. There was 5000 dollars on his head. That's a lot of money."
"I thought you said they didn't accept dollars." Buck said, one ear lowered in confusion.
"Not U.S. dollars. It's a different kind."
Buck held his head in pain and confusion. "I will never understand humans."
Artica listened as Buck explained his and Sparky's previous adventures. The human herself was inside a restaurant called "Mitch and Katie's," getting breakfast.
"That's very interesting. So, how would reuniting us get you back home? No one knows where the Mews went when they were forced into hiding."
"Oh, I dunno... That's what the dream said."
At this moment, a rather sullen-looking Sparky plodded out of the restaurant. With no food.
"What happened?" Buck asked.
Sparky pulled some green pieces of paper from her right coat pocket. "Evidently, they don't take U.S. dollars from my Universe. My money's useless."
Artica and Buck had no concept of money, so this explanation didn't help much. They stared at Sparky with blank expressions. A few moments, and she understood.
"Money is stuff," she explained, "usually special pieces of paper and discs of metal, that humans give to other humans in exchange for goods and services."
"So... no money means no food?" Buck ventured.
"Right."
"Humans are weird."
"Well," Artica interjected, "We could always go find our own. Hawthorn berries are in season."
"Hawthorns are toxic to humans. That's just my problem: I don't know what's good or bad for me in the wild. You can go get something for yourself, if you want."
Artica took up the invitation immediately and took to the air. Buck asked, "So, how we gonna feed you?"
"Let's take a walk. Movement helps me think."
They meandered aimlessly through Celedon, and eventually came to Route 7. Sparky sat on a rock, and Buck wandered off into the tall grass.
Sparky was humming the tune to "Live and Learn" to herself when she noticed a tall man walking toward her. He was clad in a leather jacket, and a cowboy hat obscured most of his face in shadow. Sparky was a little creeped out, but continued humming. Quite suddenly the stranger whipped out a switchblade and charged.
Sparky let out a cross between a scream and a yelp and bolted. The man got closer... closer still…
Buck suddenly burst from the brush and head-butted Sparky's attacker, knocking him to the ground. "What was that for, creep?!" he snarled.
The man did not respond. Instead he leapt up and slashed Buck in the face. Buck roared and acted reflexively, backhanding the man with claws extended. He then tripped the human with his tail, and finally gave him a good whack in the head with said appendage.
Sparky walked shakily over, panting. "Thanks, Buck... waa!"
Buck had a deep gash in his head that ran from right above his right eye and ended just shy of his left. He bowed down slightly and asked, "You all right?"
"I'm fine, but lookit you! I'm gonna get a doctor and the police. Will you be okay guarding him?"
"Yeah."
Sparky dashed off. Buck stood over the attacker, blood dripping down his face and into his blind spot at the end of his muzzle. He tossed his head occasionally to keep flies out of the wound, and snorted whenever blood got into his nostrils.
About fifteen minutes later, several humans dressed in blue arrived. One, a female, directed the bloody Mewtwo to the Pokémon Center. Buck allowed his wound to be attended to, and waited for Sparky.
About an hour later, she arrived with Artica.
"What took you?" he asked.
"The police wanted to question me. How do you feel?"
"I've got a headache, but other than that, I feel fine."
"Sparky told me what you did. Thank the stars you stayed with her." said Artica, sounding a little guilty.
Sparky rubbed the bird's side affectionately. "So... I've got good news."
She removed a wad of blue bills from her pocket. "Seems the police were after that guy for awhile. His name is Justin "Thresh" Nolands. Evidently, he's a serial killer or something. There was 5000 dollars on his head. That's a lot of money."
"I thought you said they didn't accept dollars." Buck said, one ear lowered in confusion.
"Not U.S. dollars. It's a different kind."
Buck held his head in pain and confusion. "I will never understand humans."