Chapter 6
Philip: In Debt
A/N: Remember that we are using the Pokemon monetary system and everything in the game would be expensive in dollars.
Oh, sure, Jim saved the world. Did the guy who brought in reinforcements get anything? No! Jim, big hero that he was, got all the glory.
I really didn't care. I just liked making a big deal of it 'cause it was fun.
Anyway, after I got back, I was still in debt. Why was I in debt? I won't go into it but.
Okay, I'll get into it. You convinced me.
I became a bag boy at the big Pokemon Dept. Store in White. Sackers didn't get paid very much, but I needed the money.
I was just minding my own business one day, flirting with Natalie, the red- headed girl at my register, when some guy caught my eye. He had a funny look to him, like you knew he was up to no good. I knew he wasn't when he broke into a run.
"Hey, don't run in the store!" I yelled.
He paid no heed. And he had a cart full of items, too! "I'm talkin' to you, buster! Stop!"
Somebody called out, "thief!" I wondered if they meant this guy, when my wonder became knowledge as he turned towards the front doors and ran harder!
"Dude, come back!" He just ran. I pulled out a Pokeball. Inside was my Ninetails, who had never failed me before. Maybe this time it could get me a promotion.
I chased the guy out into the parking lot, where he rammed through with his cart, knocking over an old lady and denting several cars.
He reached a black pickup. Dumping the contents of the cart into the bed in back, he opened the door and was about to get inside.
"Ninetails, Fire Blast!"
A large flame was hurled at the truck. The guy jumped out right as the blast hit.
The automobile exploded in a giant fireball and all the stolen items burned up.
Except for one. You know why?
Neither do I, but that little Potion survived.
Anyway.
The guy looked at me and fainted.
I sweatdropped. Uh oh.
The manager ran up. I'll give you the G-rated version of what he said. "What happened here? Those were our most expensive items, you idiot!"
He continued to chew me out with a few more curses, then got sick of me and moved on to Natalie. "Why didn't you stop this guy over here? You work right next to him; you coulda kept him from blowin' up our goods!"
She looked at the ground and I saw wet teardrops fall from her face and to the ground. Suddenly enraged, I stormed up to my boss and stood between them.
"Leave her alone! It wasn't her fault, it was mine! So leave the girl outta this! I'll pay for the stinkin' goods!" I screamed at him.
All he did was blink, then say, "Okay, you're fired. Both of you. But I still expect payment for the destruction you've caused."
I turned to Natalie and said, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for you to lose your job."
"It's okay. I was gonna quit in a few days anyway." The tears were gone.
"Thanks," I said, and we walked off together. "I'll buy you a PokeFizz."
* * *
A few weeks later, she had a job as a waitress at the Trainer, while I was still unemployed. Word had spread throughout the other PokeMarts that I was trouble, so they all turned me down.
I had only one choice.
I picked up the phone. "Hey, Uncle David? It's Philip. I hear you have a position open at your shop. yeah. I need the money, so I'm willing to work as many hours as I can."
My uncle owned the small shop in Mt. Moon Square, and he wasn't able to run it by himself. I got a job as his assistant, which meant doing basically all the work.
One day, they had the tunnel closed, so nobody could get to the shop. I got the day off, but I couldn't get anywhere for a few hours, so I was wandering around. I ended up behind the store, where I found an old car.
After looking under its hood, I found that it would never run again, but the parts were still good. If my unc would let me.
"Sure, you can have it. It doesn't work anymore; why do you want it?" he asked.
"I was looking at the parts, and I might sell them to help my debt."
"Good idea. Take it."
I rooted around inside and found all the reusable parts. Next I took them down to the auto shop.
"I'll give you $5000 for them."
"All right, I'll take that." I grabbed his money and walked off.
Next to the door was a pile of junk metal. "Hey, Joe, what's with these parts?"
"Somebody brought 'em in here, but they can't be used on cars. You want 'em?"
"Okay." I put them in the backpack that I had brought everything else in and walked home. I had a plan for these.
Once there, I put my scheme into action. I used the junk to build a model of an Articuno. Nobody would be strong enough to even want to battle a Legendary Bird.
My plan began to work after a few weeks. I would challenge customers to battles, then send out Articuno. Everybody would chicken out and hand over their money.
After paying my payment for the month to my ex-boss, I had a little left. I bought some more metal and built a Mewtwo.
One day, this guy came around who wanted to battle. He sent out a Fastforwurd and short-circuited my robot. I gave up and had to pay him a little bit of money.
A week later, Jim came around. After defeating my Articuno, he gave me a little money, which I did use, but had some left over. I made these things I called Pokebelts for them.
Then my uncle found out what I was doing. He fired me, and I had to find another job. Natalie put in a good word for me at the Vermillion Mart, so they hired me.
Then Jim showed up again. I ended up going with him eventually, but after we saved the world, I was still in debt.
I worked a few more months at Vermillion and finished off the money I owed to White. I went out with the twenty bucks left and saw the antiques shop.
Through the window, a strange gold object caught my eye. It was a puzzle. I bought it and tried to figure it out. After two months of pushing the pieces together, only to find them in the wrong place, I finished it.
I thought nothing of it until we went to the movies and a face from the past showed up.
Philip: In Debt
A/N: Remember that we are using the Pokemon monetary system and everything in the game would be expensive in dollars.
Oh, sure, Jim saved the world. Did the guy who brought in reinforcements get anything? No! Jim, big hero that he was, got all the glory.
I really didn't care. I just liked making a big deal of it 'cause it was fun.
Anyway, after I got back, I was still in debt. Why was I in debt? I won't go into it but.
Okay, I'll get into it. You convinced me.
I became a bag boy at the big Pokemon Dept. Store in White. Sackers didn't get paid very much, but I needed the money.
I was just minding my own business one day, flirting with Natalie, the red- headed girl at my register, when some guy caught my eye. He had a funny look to him, like you knew he was up to no good. I knew he wasn't when he broke into a run.
"Hey, don't run in the store!" I yelled.
He paid no heed. And he had a cart full of items, too! "I'm talkin' to you, buster! Stop!"
Somebody called out, "thief!" I wondered if they meant this guy, when my wonder became knowledge as he turned towards the front doors and ran harder!
"Dude, come back!" He just ran. I pulled out a Pokeball. Inside was my Ninetails, who had never failed me before. Maybe this time it could get me a promotion.
I chased the guy out into the parking lot, where he rammed through with his cart, knocking over an old lady and denting several cars.
He reached a black pickup. Dumping the contents of the cart into the bed in back, he opened the door and was about to get inside.
"Ninetails, Fire Blast!"
A large flame was hurled at the truck. The guy jumped out right as the blast hit.
The automobile exploded in a giant fireball and all the stolen items burned up.
Except for one. You know why?
Neither do I, but that little Potion survived.
Anyway.
The guy looked at me and fainted.
I sweatdropped. Uh oh.
The manager ran up. I'll give you the G-rated version of what he said. "What happened here? Those were our most expensive items, you idiot!"
He continued to chew me out with a few more curses, then got sick of me and moved on to Natalie. "Why didn't you stop this guy over here? You work right next to him; you coulda kept him from blowin' up our goods!"
She looked at the ground and I saw wet teardrops fall from her face and to the ground. Suddenly enraged, I stormed up to my boss and stood between them.
"Leave her alone! It wasn't her fault, it was mine! So leave the girl outta this! I'll pay for the stinkin' goods!" I screamed at him.
All he did was blink, then say, "Okay, you're fired. Both of you. But I still expect payment for the destruction you've caused."
I turned to Natalie and said, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for you to lose your job."
"It's okay. I was gonna quit in a few days anyway." The tears were gone.
"Thanks," I said, and we walked off together. "I'll buy you a PokeFizz."
* * *
A few weeks later, she had a job as a waitress at the Trainer, while I was still unemployed. Word had spread throughout the other PokeMarts that I was trouble, so they all turned me down.
I had only one choice.
I picked up the phone. "Hey, Uncle David? It's Philip. I hear you have a position open at your shop. yeah. I need the money, so I'm willing to work as many hours as I can."
My uncle owned the small shop in Mt. Moon Square, and he wasn't able to run it by himself. I got a job as his assistant, which meant doing basically all the work.
One day, they had the tunnel closed, so nobody could get to the shop. I got the day off, but I couldn't get anywhere for a few hours, so I was wandering around. I ended up behind the store, where I found an old car.
After looking under its hood, I found that it would never run again, but the parts were still good. If my unc would let me.
"Sure, you can have it. It doesn't work anymore; why do you want it?" he asked.
"I was looking at the parts, and I might sell them to help my debt."
"Good idea. Take it."
I rooted around inside and found all the reusable parts. Next I took them down to the auto shop.
"I'll give you $5000 for them."
"All right, I'll take that." I grabbed his money and walked off.
Next to the door was a pile of junk metal. "Hey, Joe, what's with these parts?"
"Somebody brought 'em in here, but they can't be used on cars. You want 'em?"
"Okay." I put them in the backpack that I had brought everything else in and walked home. I had a plan for these.
Once there, I put my scheme into action. I used the junk to build a model of an Articuno. Nobody would be strong enough to even want to battle a Legendary Bird.
My plan began to work after a few weeks. I would challenge customers to battles, then send out Articuno. Everybody would chicken out and hand over their money.
After paying my payment for the month to my ex-boss, I had a little left. I bought some more metal and built a Mewtwo.
One day, this guy came around who wanted to battle. He sent out a Fastforwurd and short-circuited my robot. I gave up and had to pay him a little bit of money.
A week later, Jim came around. After defeating my Articuno, he gave me a little money, which I did use, but had some left over. I made these things I called Pokebelts for them.
Then my uncle found out what I was doing. He fired me, and I had to find another job. Natalie put in a good word for me at the Vermillion Mart, so they hired me.
Then Jim showed up again. I ended up going with him eventually, but after we saved the world, I was still in debt.
I worked a few more months at Vermillion and finished off the money I owed to White. I went out with the twenty bucks left and saw the antiques shop.
Through the window, a strange gold object caught my eye. It was a puzzle. I bought it and tried to figure it out. After two months of pushing the pieces together, only to find them in the wrong place, I finished it.
I thought nothing of it until we went to the movies and a face from the past showed up.