UAPCP — United Association for the Prevention of Cruelty to Pokémon
An international charity, funded by no government but from the proceeds of any citizen, no matter what background, which protects and cares for Pokémon that are found to be injured or neglected, whether they be wild or not.
PLEB - Pokémon Liberation Enforcement Body
An international group, which much like UAPCP, accepts charitable donations. This group, as their name implies, liberates Pokémon, not just from abusive trainers or owners, but from anyone they deem to be ‘unfit'. In these criminal acts, they run an intimidation and harassment campaign against a Pokémon's owner before ‘liberating' any or all Pokémon that person may have. It has been known for Pokémon liberated by PLEB to end up in environments wholly unsuitable for them and to meet fates far more unsavoury than those they ever could have encountered in ‘captivity'.
(Do Note: PLEB is a caricature of extremist groups, designed so that they seem less ‘real', but still have a reasonable chance of being ‘real'. Their methods are illegal and their logic flimsy at best. True, this is based on my own prejudices, which is why I included the UAPCP, a society based on the RSPCA. They are the reasonable law-abiders, who believe in working with people to improve relations and only use ‘re-homing' as a last resort (a last resort which, sadly, is used all too often in this harsh world (of mine)). I mean no offense by these illustrations of the prose and I dearly hope you take none. Now, to our story...)
Kari sighed. Crowds were good for business, but did there really have to be so many people? It was the first day of the school holidays, well, the spring term ones at least. Kari had thought, hoped, that today's parents would be imaginative enough to find something other to do with their children than two weeks of shopping. Alas, no. Another mother yelled at another annoying young boy, who was dancing in front of the tills and generally getting in everyone's way. Kari's mood was helped by the number of tourists there were that completely ignored shopping etiquette and were now trying to barge their way to the tills.
He'd only come in for a pair of socks. After five minutes of jostling, he'd gotten them, and some more besides. Unlike the woman behind him, who had also come in for some socks; she now had forty socks, and sunglasses, shoes and a menagerie of other bits and bobs.
"...Oh, but it's all those cheap," She was heavy set, sweating lightly and breathing on him. Kari could handle people being fat, no begrudging against that he felt. Sweating he didn't really like, but he could deal with that, he sweated often enough. Breathing on him though, that was where he drew the line. There was such a thing as personal space and Kari liked his to encompass the same area as a Steelix. The woman had been blithering at him for the past ten minutes, the same amount of time they'd been stuck in the queue. "I know I shouldn't come in here like this, but I just can't help myself!" The middle-aged woman squealed and, surprisingly, Kari matched her delight. However, he was happy for an entirely different reason.
A bored teenage girl flailed from behind an impenetrable fortress of chipboard and plastic. Between them lay an obstacle course of people and luggage. Eventually, Kari pulled himself past the last push-chair with moaning six year-old strapped in and got to the till. The girl smiled at him, it was a fake smile of course, almost creepy in how her lips stretched but her cheeks hardly moved. With barely a word exchanged he got his socks and left. No bag, they were the new ‘ultra-enemy', right behind people in suits and sugar.
The sky was a clear blue and still, despite in the wonderful weather, people were milling around, consuming. Not that Kari had anything against the consumerist society, it was quite good for business, but today it just seemed like a waste. A waste to spend such a glorious day, the first true ‘summer' day that had been seen in months, inside, buying worthless nothings. His home was nearby, just a few minute's walk from the centre. Musing on what to do what he got in, Kari almost missed the man standing in front of him.
With a clipboard,
Dressed in a bright jacket,
A giant smile on his face.
Kari cringed inwardly. As if his day hadn't been bad enough, now he was getting ‘chugged'. The name was almost as bad as the action: charity mugging. Charities themselves weren't bad; they did good, for the most part at least. It was the fanatics who ‘worked' for them that annoyed Kari.
"Hi!" The young man beamed at him, his blond stubble stretching across his face like so much sand. "I'm working with PLEB and I'd like just a minute of your time..." Kari walked on, briskly now, trying to avoid eye contact. He'd had dealings was PLEBeians before, none of them pleasant. In the charity world, PLEB was about as charitable as Team Rocket, only they had the audacity to assume a moral high ground on everything. "What if I guess your favourite colour?" The man skipped sideways to keep up with the feline, waving his clipboard all the while.
Well, Kari thought, at least this guy was imaginative.
"Sorry, but I just don't have the time." Not even bothering to explain further, he ducked behind a large decorative plant display. Thankfully a group of tourists got themselves between him and the PLEB.
With a heavy sigh Kari fumbled with the Pokéballs at his belt. His fingers brushed over a slightly raised edge, which was cool to the touch, unlike the rest of the ball. With a smile he pulled the sphere free and tossed it lightly into the air. There was a flash of light and before him stood a great orange beast, the end of its tail aflame.
Mephisto bellowed, giving his wings a stretch. The Charizard knew why his master had called him out. It was time for a quick and easy way home. In a moment, Kari was on the creature's back and they were in the air. No one gave them a second glance.
Patrick had been watching the young man all along. Inside the PLEBeian was furious. Such an atrocity would not stand. Shaking his fist at the empty air, he formulated a plan.
***
Author's Note: Naturally, if you do find anything wrong or... 'bad' with this story, feel free to let me know. Of course I would appreciate it if you were reasonable and pointed out the problems rather than just attacking everything.
An international charity, funded by no government but from the proceeds of any citizen, no matter what background, which protects and cares for Pokémon that are found to be injured or neglected, whether they be wild or not.
PLEB - Pokémon Liberation Enforcement Body
An international group, which much like UAPCP, accepts charitable donations. This group, as their name implies, liberates Pokémon, not just from abusive trainers or owners, but from anyone they deem to be ‘unfit'. In these criminal acts, they run an intimidation and harassment campaign against a Pokémon's owner before ‘liberating' any or all Pokémon that person may have. It has been known for Pokémon liberated by PLEB to end up in environments wholly unsuitable for them and to meet fates far more unsavoury than those they ever could have encountered in ‘captivity'.
(Do Note: PLEB is a caricature of extremist groups, designed so that they seem less ‘real', but still have a reasonable chance of being ‘real'. Their methods are illegal and their logic flimsy at best. True, this is based on my own prejudices, which is why I included the UAPCP, a society based on the RSPCA. They are the reasonable law-abiders, who believe in working with people to improve relations and only use ‘re-homing' as a last resort (a last resort which, sadly, is used all too often in this harsh world (of mine)). I mean no offense by these illustrations of the prose and I dearly hope you take none. Now, to our story...)
Kari sighed. Crowds were good for business, but did there really have to be so many people? It was the first day of the school holidays, well, the spring term ones at least. Kari had thought, hoped, that today's parents would be imaginative enough to find something other to do with their children than two weeks of shopping. Alas, no. Another mother yelled at another annoying young boy, who was dancing in front of the tills and generally getting in everyone's way. Kari's mood was helped by the number of tourists there were that completely ignored shopping etiquette and were now trying to barge their way to the tills.
He'd only come in for a pair of socks. After five minutes of jostling, he'd gotten them, and some more besides. Unlike the woman behind him, who had also come in for some socks; she now had forty socks, and sunglasses, shoes and a menagerie of other bits and bobs.
"...Oh, but it's all those cheap," She was heavy set, sweating lightly and breathing on him. Kari could handle people being fat, no begrudging against that he felt. Sweating he didn't really like, but he could deal with that, he sweated often enough. Breathing on him though, that was where he drew the line. There was such a thing as personal space and Kari liked his to encompass the same area as a Steelix. The woman had been blithering at him for the past ten minutes, the same amount of time they'd been stuck in the queue. "I know I shouldn't come in here like this, but I just can't help myself!" The middle-aged woman squealed and, surprisingly, Kari matched her delight. However, he was happy for an entirely different reason.
A bored teenage girl flailed from behind an impenetrable fortress of chipboard and plastic. Between them lay an obstacle course of people and luggage. Eventually, Kari pulled himself past the last push-chair with moaning six year-old strapped in and got to the till. The girl smiled at him, it was a fake smile of course, almost creepy in how her lips stretched but her cheeks hardly moved. With barely a word exchanged he got his socks and left. No bag, they were the new ‘ultra-enemy', right behind people in suits and sugar.
The sky was a clear blue and still, despite in the wonderful weather, people were milling around, consuming. Not that Kari had anything against the consumerist society, it was quite good for business, but today it just seemed like a waste. A waste to spend such a glorious day, the first true ‘summer' day that had been seen in months, inside, buying worthless nothings. His home was nearby, just a few minute's walk from the centre. Musing on what to do what he got in, Kari almost missed the man standing in front of him.
With a clipboard,
Dressed in a bright jacket,
A giant smile on his face.
Kari cringed inwardly. As if his day hadn't been bad enough, now he was getting ‘chugged'. The name was almost as bad as the action: charity mugging. Charities themselves weren't bad; they did good, for the most part at least. It was the fanatics who ‘worked' for them that annoyed Kari.
"Hi!" The young man beamed at him, his blond stubble stretching across his face like so much sand. "I'm working with PLEB and I'd like just a minute of your time..." Kari walked on, briskly now, trying to avoid eye contact. He'd had dealings was PLEBeians before, none of them pleasant. In the charity world, PLEB was about as charitable as Team Rocket, only they had the audacity to assume a moral high ground on everything. "What if I guess your favourite colour?" The man skipped sideways to keep up with the feline, waving his clipboard all the while.
Well, Kari thought, at least this guy was imaginative.
"Sorry, but I just don't have the time." Not even bothering to explain further, he ducked behind a large decorative plant display. Thankfully a group of tourists got themselves between him and the PLEB.
With a heavy sigh Kari fumbled with the Pokéballs at his belt. His fingers brushed over a slightly raised edge, which was cool to the touch, unlike the rest of the ball. With a smile he pulled the sphere free and tossed it lightly into the air. There was a flash of light and before him stood a great orange beast, the end of its tail aflame.
Mephisto bellowed, giving his wings a stretch. The Charizard knew why his master had called him out. It was time for a quick and easy way home. In a moment, Kari was on the creature's back and they were in the air. No one gave them a second glance.
Patrick had been watching the young man all along. Inside the PLEBeian was furious. Such an atrocity would not stand. Shaking his fist at the empty air, he formulated a plan.
***
Author's Note: Naturally, if you do find anything wrong or... 'bad' with this story, feel free to let me know. Of course I would appreciate it if you were reasonable and pointed out the problems rather than just attacking everything.
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