Disclaimer: Just to keep it simple: A. I don't own Power Rangers. B. I just make fun of them; so don't get upset if I mock your favorite. C. Please review. I don't mind constructive criticism. D. Thanks to Writers Guide to the Universe and Power Rangers Central for providing a lot of the information that I need.

If you haven't done so, please read the first hundred and fifty stories in "When Rangers Meet," "More of When Rangers Meet," and "Headquarters Where Rangers Meet."

This is story number forty-four.

Merrick and Chad

by

Eileen (Psycho Tangerine)

"Aw, come on!" called Merrick as another customer left. "Don't be such a sore loser!" He put the pool balls back into the rack. "Hey! Who wants to try to beat me? Double or nothing!" No one answered. The other customers at Willie's simply continued to drink and ignore him. "Great," he grumbled. Now he'd have to wait for another patsy to come in. He still needed more money to buy that super loud alarm clock. Princess Shayla would stop playing hard to get if he had any say about it.

"Ding-a-ling!" went the little bell that indicated when someone was entering the establishment.

"All right!" cried Merrick as he began to turn around. "Wanna game, Pal?" He stopped and gaped at the man who had just entered.

"Maybe we can play Marco Polo later," answered Chad who was wearing his swimsuit and snorkel. "Hey! Where's the pool?"

"What?" asked Merrick in disbelief. Oh, he just had to get a game against this idiot. He'd earn enough money to buy Zen Aku that flea dip. Sleeping next to the wolf demon at night always ended up with him scratching himself to pieces.

Chad pulled the snorkel mask off his face as he began looking around. "The pool. Where is it? The sign on the front door says 'pool.'" He was getting desperate. He just could not find a pool in this stupid town. How was he supposed to practice living underwater? How would he be able to spend time with his and Marina's fish kids on the weekend?

"Right here," replied Merrick as he tapped the pool table with his left hand while grabbing a pool cue with his right. "Wanna game? I'll make it worth your while."

Chad glared at him. "That's it?! That's just a billiards table! Where's the swimming pool?!" He ran to the counter where Willie was calmly drying some glasses. "False advertisement! That's what it is! I'll sue you for false ad...MMMPPPHHH!" Willie pulled a new rag out of his apron pocket while Chad yanked the dirty one out of his mouth.

"Great! I knew moving here was a mistake. I should never have let that girl talk me into buying her Condo." Chad had tried to resist the pleading and begging. But Alyssa was so desperate to move away from her boyfriend who 'smelled like and acted like a hairy ape,' that he caved in.

"Pssssst!" hissed Merrick at the other guy. "Would you like to earn some money so you can afford a lawyer?" He ignored the angry glare Willie was giving him.

"Sure, how?" replied Chad eagerly. Maybe if he made enough money he could dig a pool of his own. In the meanwhile he'd just keep practicing in the bathtub.

"We play a game," said Merrick as he hit a ball and it rolled off the table. "Let's say winner gets a hundred bucks." He took the pool cue and swung it like a baseball bat at the little ball.

"Sure!" said Chad.

Merrick snickered to himself as he set up the game. This chump was going down easily. Normally, he'd have had to at least play a game and lose about ten bucks before being able to convince his opponent to bet such a large amount. But he'd guessed right about this idiot's gullibility. And, aside from his own pool skills, he had his own secret weapon.

Chad went first. Nothing went into the pockets.

Merrick went. The first two shots went in. The third shot stopped short...then went in. There was nothing like having an invisible wolf demon to fix the game. The fourth and fifth shots went in. The sixth shot bounced off the table and then flew back into the hole. Merrick grinned at Chad's flabbergasted face...and purposely missed his last ball. He might as well give the poor sucker one more chance to mess up before his defeat.

Chad made his first shot, and it went in. His next three shots went in also.

"Whaaaaa?" gasped Merrick in disbelief. Chad's fifth and sixth shots both went wide. But each ball somehow managed to roll backwards into a hole. His seventh shot went in. He then aimed for the eight ball and knocked it into the air. It spun around and landed in a hole.

"What? How? You cheated!!!" accused Merrick. "There's no way you could've beaten me!"

"Me? A cheater?" asked Chad as he held out his hand for the hundred dollars. "I just had a lot of practice playing with my friends at Mariner Bay. Beside, every one of us Rangers know about you and your invisible wolf demon, Merrick."

"Auuuugggghhh!" growled Merrick and Zen Aku together as Merrick handed over the money. Great, now he'd have to find a new venue to ......Merrick looked behind him to see a seething Willie charge at him with a mop. "Hey! I was just kidding about the lawsuit! Yeeeeaaaaahhh!" Merrick shouted as he ran down the road with the middle-aged man cursing and chasing after him.

Chad shook his head with a smile. "Hey, King Neptune," he said to his invisible ex father-in-law. "Thanks for the hand. What? This?" But I already paid this month's alimony." The money suddenly yanked out of his hand and disappeared. "Awwwww."

AN- Ok, I have no idea if King Neptune can make himself invisible. And how did he stay out of water for so long? Uh…maybe an aquarium on wheels? Yeah, that's it. I like playing pool. But I still knock the ball off the table every once in a while. But at least I know the pool cue's not a baseball bat.