Tyson strode down the empty street, brooding eyes hidden behind a pair of sleek sunglasses. Things were not going according to plan at all. First his agent's friend had held him up at Violet City, making him late to the festival. Tyson sighed as he glanced down at Marina, the Wooper his agent roped him into training. The slimy, beady-eyed creature would need [i]much[/i] training... and maybe some good luck with puberty... if she wanted to become a beauty queen. But, it could never be said that Tyson Dahl backed down from a challenge. 

The young Wooper's oversized head swiveled about as she searched for any sign of a celebration.
[i]
"Are there any places that sell clothes for Pokemon?"[/i] Marina telepathically chattered, waddling along beside Tyson. [i]"Brenda said there's people who make clothes just for Pokemon and take pictures of them, and their trainers can be in the picture too, but you're not really my trainer so I don't know if they'll let you. Do they have red dresses with glitter? Can Pokemon that don't have arms wear dresses?"[/i]

[i]"I don't know,"[/i] the man responded, unable to completely obscure the irritation in his tone. [i]"If I see any Pokemon clothes booths, I'll ask them. But there aren't any open now 'cause of the attack."[/i]

[i]"Oh..."[/i] Marina uttered. Her whimsical grin morphed into a pout. Why did those dumb terrorists have to attack at a time that was supposed to be so happy?

Tyson shared her feelings on the subject. With everyone cowering inside, eyes glued on the news, he wouldn't be able to make the grand entrance he imagined. The duo brooded in silence for another minute. Then, the blonde slowly smiled as a thought occurred to him.

Maybe this was actually [i]great[/i] timing. These frightened people would need something to cheer them up. And what better to do that than a celebrity appearance?

Several minutes later, Tyson arrived near the door of the Pokemon Center, a place he figured would be full of distressed people in need of a reminder that beauty still exists in this dark world. Rather than go inside, he took a post directly in front of the lobby window, looking nonchalant in his sunglasses and denim jacket. A cool breeze picked up as the man focused on his abilities.

Suddenly, a boom of thunder rumbled outside the Pokemon Center. In the lobby, a young woman jumped and instinctively looked out the window, only to meet the deep blue eyes of a model who was beginning to be drenched by his own private rain cloud.

"Is that... omigosh, IT IS!" the girl squealed. She gleefully turned to announce her news to the rest of the lobby. "Tyson Dahl's right outside!"

Nearly a dozen people rushed outside to meet possibly the most famous avatar. Several more crammed near the window to take a peek. As the ladies swarmed around him, Tyson flashed a charming smile and whipped off his jacket. A tight white shirt clung to his soaked form, outlining a set of beefy pecs and abs. His strong arms were accented by an intricate design of red lines which glimmered slightly wherever a raindrop fell on them.

After striking a few poses, Tyson put on a fierce look as he reached for his pocket. With a flash of light and a thunderous roar, a Pokemon leaped out from its pokeball. Electricity crackled around the Manectric as he struck a fighting pose near his trainer. A new set of squeals erupted at the sight of the Pokemon Contest champion-- some from the women gathered around and some from their Pokemon. The man and his dog shared a proud smile before resuming their act.

Marina the Wooper shrunk back, initially terrified by the bombardment of fans. After a minute, she realized that now was her chance to shine. She boldly stood near Tyson, wagged her tail in her most alluring way possible, and batted her beady eyes at the towering humans above. But nobody gave her any attention, other than a few passing glances and mentions of the word "cute". [i]Cute??[/i] That's [b]not[/b] the look she was going for!

Frustrated, the young Wooper stomped her way through her ignoring public. Her eyes stung for a second, but she shrugged off the feeling with an angry scowl. Clearly, she would have to find a more tasteful crowd who appreciated her refined style. Marina noticed a teen looking at her Pokegear as she approached the Pokemon Center. Evading everyone's notice, she slipped in behind the teen.

Marina stood by the door, scoping out her new venue. Within a seconds, she spotted something that completely turned her mood around. A young woman with a beautiful flowing red dress gazed at a television nearby. The Wooper immediately sneaked toward the dress, using her small size and slick slime to squeeze behind the crowd unnoticed. Marina came to rest behind the woman and gazed in awe at the dress. It was even more magnificent up close. The Wooper found herself wondering how much more magnificent it would feel to wear it.

Very carefully, Marina tried to use her foot to drape one corner of the dress over her body. The material was very smooth, though, and it kept sliding off. The Wooper inwardly cursed her lack of arms for the millionth time. Finally, Marina managed to get the dress to stay... but only because it got stuck on one of the prongs on her head. Panicked, she tried in vain to pull it off. She froze in shock as the motion tugged on the dress in a way the woman would certainly notice. With no good way out of her situation, Marina looked up at her and flashed her best attempt at a charming smile.

Another boom shook the Pokemon Center. Marina ignored it, figuring it was just another one of Tyson's antics. The avatar, however, knew it came from somewhere else. Tyson took stock of his surroundings and just now realized Marina was gone. Some of the handsome tan drained from his face.

"Marina!" he yelled, eyes darting up and down the street. "Where are you? Come back here right now!"