It was a cool summer morning, and Frank had just awoken from a long sleep. Eighteen hours, forty-five minutes to be precise. He had good reason; yesterday he fought four Nidokings single-handedly to build up his endurance and stamina, and it took a turn for the worse when the alpha leader and his two subordinate guards showed up, giving a total of seven Nidokings. He ended up having to enter Blood Savage mode when they decided to simultaneously body-slam him. Good god, the rush it gave him was amazing, but it takes a toll on the body. Luckily for him, it was only his second time using it, so the effects weren't severe yet. He sat up, stretching his arms and legs.
He got up, got dressed and walked outside. It was mid-evening, and the village folk were busy taking care of last minute chores. He decided to take a short walk around the village, admiring what he had and the people he lived with. He saw Old Man Jacob teaching Mrs. Robert's son about the Fire set, and how if he trained enough, he could withstand a direct hit from a Fire Blast with almost no physical damage. Frank also felt a hint of despair; there were so few people in the village now the place felt like a ghost town most of the time. Heck, only last week, Ms. Robert's husband died from a heart attack. "I swear, one of these days you're going to get yourself killed". Frank turned around and saw the source of the voice. It was Rebecca, his bride-to-be. She was about 5'9'', jet black hair, and wearing a nightgown. "At least try to survive until we get married," she continued. Frank let out a sly grin while flexing his muscles, "Oh come on, baby, you know nothing breaks the Tank! And besides, I gotta train as much as possible, there's a huge contest battle coming up soon, and if I win that, the grand prize is fifty thousand dollars, which I can use to get supplies from the town nearby and a metal trophy, which we can scrap and use for parts." This didn't make Rebecca feel any better, and Frank was rewarded with a scowl and a hard punch to the arm. Despite being one of the more delicate females, she hit really hard.
Frank chuckled inside as he recalled an incident three years prior, before Frank even knew who Rebecca was, when Robert, the owner of the local tavern, tried to sweet-talk Rebecca. She was drunk, and obviously angry about something. When Rebecca didn’t answer, Rob made a move toward her. Right as Rob grabbed her arm, Rebecca turned around and decked him. This sent him flying through three of his own tables and the left wall. Frank happened to witness that, and it was at that moment Frank fell in love with her. If there was one thing Frank loved more than a good fight, he loved a woman that fought good and punched hard. He had the good sense to wait to tell her until she was sobered up, lest he fall victim to her punches as well. Time went by, and now they were posed to be wed. If Frank married her, he would be able to ascend to the throne and replace his father as king of Beacon, his home village. His father even talked with him about his, saying “Son, one day you will become the king of this village, and you will give these people even more prosperity and happiness than I could ever dream. But, listen, my time is coming near, and when I pass on, I want you to burn my body and scatter the ashes in the river that runs behind our home. Can you do that?” Frank naturally agreed; he would do anything to make his comrades and family happy.
"Frank?" Rebecca voice brought him back to reality "Huh?" he replied, looking back at her. She sighed, "Boy, what am I going to do with you? You better just crawl back into bed, tomorrow you get to take Little Tommy on a "special" assignment." Frank seemed perplexed, "What assignment?" This caused Rebecca to wipe her hand down her face in embarrassment "Don't tell me you forgot? It's Little Tommy's thirteenth birthday tomorrow, and your father wants to escort him to the Northern Alpha Steelix's mountaintop to have him perform the rite of passage." "Northern? He’s the toughest one of them all! No way Tommy’s gonna survive!", Frank said to himself, recalling his own fight with the Western Alpha for his thirteenth, and he was the second toughest of the Fearsome Four. But it wasn't his place to question the will of the king, even if it was his own father. "Fine. What time are we scheduled to head out?" he replied. "When the clock reads seven", she stated. Frank then walked with her back to their quarters, bade each other good night, and went to sleep.
After a fitful sleep, Frank reawoke at about quarter to seven. He got up, donned his ceremonial long-sleeved tunic, fastened his boots, grabbed the needle with the anti-Savage serum inside, and began to walk towards the main gate. He then heard Rebecca say in a sleepy voice, "Quit worrying, sweetie. You and your brother taught him everything you both knew, he will be just fine." Frank responded, "Yeah, I know". He then walked to the main gate of the town, and found Little Tommy, dressed in the same style robe as Frank, literally bouncing with excitement. "Master Frank!" Tommy exclaimed excitedly as he spotted Frank walking towards him. "Hey, Tommy" Frank mumbled. "Oh, boy! Today, I become a man! This is great!" Tommy answered enthusiastically. Just then, Frank saw the gatekeeper approach. They exchanged greetings; "Morning, Frank" "Morning, Bill". Bill then looked down at Tommy and asked, "So, Manhood Ritual is it?" "Yes, sir, Mister Bill, sir!" Tommy responded ecstatically. "All right, then" Bill continued. Bill turned his attention to Frank, "You got the serum?” Frank pulled out the needle and replied coolly, "Right here". As soon as Tommy saw the syringe, all the color left his face. Frank noticed this and laughed, "What's the matter? Scared of this? HA! Try facing down a Rhydon's horn, then talk to me about fear!" Tommy turned beet red with shame and embarrassment, "Sorry, Master Frank. I just can't stand the sight of needles." Frank sighed, "It's all right. Ready?" Tommy closed his eyes and said, "Yeah". Bill then spoke up, "Alright, Frank, do it". Frank then jammed the needle into Tommy's thigh, as was customary, and injected the serum into Tommy's body. Tommy took it all without so much as a whimper. Bill then nodded and turned. "OPEN THE GATE!" he bellowed. As soon as he said this, the giant wood-and-metal door raised up. Frank looked down at Tommy and smiled, "This is it, Tommy. No turning back." Tommy returned the smile, "A Brawler never turns back and never backs down, no matter what." Frank chuckled, "That's the spirit. Alright, let's do this!" As soon as the gate finished rising, they charged full speed out of Beacon, heading straight for the Alpha's mountaintop.
Fri Aug 27, 2010 8:45 pm