Snowdrift | Seventeen

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Snowdrift

Seventeen
Fame and Fortune

We headed for the nearby Pokécentre to 'freshen up' as Sapphire called it. Just as we were leaving, feeling very much revitalised, two people came running up to us, one holding a black lumpy thing, the other yelling out, "Excuse me! Excuse me!" until they reached us.

"We're from Channel Ten News and we were just wondering if we could have a word to you about your Articuno," said the one who had yelled excuse me. The other raised the black thing to his shoulder and pointed the round end at Sapphire.

"She's not my Articuno," replied Sapphire. The man looked surprised.

"Then whose is it?"

"She's her own self. She belongs to no-one except herself, I just train her."

"Whatever. Would you mind if we interview you?"

"I guess so."

The man stood to the side and faced the black thing, then started talking at it. "Over the past week in Sunset Town, there have been many reported sightings of a great blue bird flying overhead. Some say it's a blue Pidgeot, others say it's the legendary Articuno, but with no tail."

Sapphire told me that these people were known as a camera crew. The one talking was the reporter. She said that tonight we would be able to see ourselves on television. I would ask later what a television was.

"We now have confirmation that this bird is indeed a tail-less Articuno," continued the reporter, "We are here today outside the Sunset Town Pokémon Centre to talk with the Articuno's trainer, Sapphire Iyse." The man turned to Sapphire and the man with the black thing pointed it at Sapphire.

"Sapphire, just how did you manage to capture one of the Pokémon most say is just a story?"

"Well, to be honest, I didn't," replied Sapphire truthfully. "After a battle I had at the gym yesterday, I walked out and saw Snowfall and Shelly, this Jynx, standing there waiting for me. She wanted to come with me."

The reporter was looking stunned. "It wanted to come with you? Why?"

"Yes, SHE wanted to come with me because her egg was stolen from her mountain home a month ago, and she chose me out of every human she had seen in the stadium that day to help her."

"Would you like to tell us how the Articuno lost its, er, her tail?" he corrected himself when he saw Sapphire's scowl.

"She hasn't been willing to talk about it really, all I know is that a fire blast from the Moltres, Inferno, scorched her tail off and scarred her foot, putting her in the Pokémon centre for a week."

"Would you be able to show us some of her attacks?" asked the reporter.

Sapphire looked up at me. I thought for a moment then nodded.

"Sure thing," said Sapphire, turning back to the reporter, "but not here, not enough space."

So we returned to the training ground out the back of Sapphire's house and the camera man began filming once more. I stood facing the camera and opened my wings. I raised my head to the sky and shot up a powerful ice beam.

"Good job Snowfall," said Sapphire, "now shoot a blizzard towards the camera, but don't let any snow hit him. Think you can do that?"

"I think so," I said, beginning to flap my wings. I only let a little snow out that time; too much wouldn't be good for him. I folded my wings to my sides and the cameraman brushed the little snow that hit him off his jacket.

"Very nice!" said the reporter, applauding my performance and nodding approvingly.

"One last thing," said Sapphire, "would you be able to put out a notice that EggSale.com has, or at least had, her egg? And that if anyone has bought it, it's a blue faceted egg about half a meter high. It was in the mystery egg section."

"If we've got enough time, no problem. Thanks Sapphire. Oh, come by the studio on Sunrise Boulevard tomorrow afternoon at, say, four o'clock and we'll give you the money. Thanks again!" and the camera crew walked off.

"What's the money for?" I asked.

"Using us on TV," she answered, "Come on, let's have dinner.

We all sat down in front of the TV and Sapphire turned it on to the Channel Ten News. We were the first 'news item' up. The reporter on TV was different to the one who had interviewed us, but we recognised his voice when the camera switched to shots of my battle with Inferno. He was saying the same stuff he said outside the Pokécentre.

When he got to the bit about being outside the Pokécentre, the camera switched to Sapphire. They then played the interview out and showed pictures of my attacks and more of the battle with Fire Man. They finished our interview and crossed to some of the spectators at the stadium.

"Oh, it was amazing!" said one woman, "Two of the legendary birds, battling together. Oh, it was awesome!"

"First out came the Articuno, it didn't have a tail, but who cares. Then the other guy sent out a Moltres! I tell you, it was the most amazing sight I've ever seen!" said a man.

The reporter started talking again, "We were unable to talk with the trainer of the Moltres, named Inferno, but we have reason to believe that yet another Articuno is being held in the Pokémon centre in the town."

"They wouldn't!" I growled at the TV.

But they crossed to the Pokémon Centre once more and attempted to interview Nurse Joy.

"Is it true there is an Articuno being held in this Centre?" demanded the reporter.

"I'm sorry, but as with human hospitals, we neither give information about our patients nor do we allow television crews in their rooms. So if you don't mind, I have work to do." She raised her hand to the camera and blocked our view of the centre. Good old Joy, I thought to myself.

The camera switched off and back to the original reporter in the 'studio'. "As you heard there, the Articuno is here because her egg was stolen. Sapphire says that she found the egg for sale at EggSale.com. If anyone has information, please contact this number." Squiggles flashed across the bottom of the screen and the reporter moved onto the next story. Sapphire turned the TV off.

"Well, Snowfall, we're famous. How does it feel?"

"I don't know. I just hope Nurse Joy doesn't cave in and let them into Glacier's room, or that they don't try and sneak in there."

"I don't think they will," Sapphire assured me, "Right, bedtime everyone," she said, patting Dewdrop on her back and getting to her feet. The two Jynx got up and waddled to the bedroom, Shelly's ponytail swinging side to side. I followed them in.

Sixteen | Eighteen