Post by Q on Oct 1, 2007 19:28:02 GMT -5
OOC: Just as a reminder, no catches in this topic – Safari Zone setting means no catches outside the sticky topic.
BIC: Max looked around, sighing. “The Safari Zone sure has seen better days, hasn’t it?” he said, mostly to himself. The Pokémon beside him simply grunted in acknowledgement. “Sorry, Breloom, almost forgot you were there. There’s no way us Rangers can get all this fixed up on our own, not and expect to get the Safari Zone fully up and running in any reasonable time.” Seeing the questioning look in Breloom’s eyes, Max continued, “You remember what this place used to look like. Green grass as far as the eye could see, paths crisscrossing the area, Pokémon running all over the place, minding their own business… now look. A lot of the grass is dead; much of the rest has turned brown. The paths are overgrown, and the fights between Pokémon are getting worse.” Max felt his voice rising in frustration, and didn’t even attempt to control it. “Ever since the League cut funding to the Safari Zone, it’s been going steadily downhill. A lot of the Rangers had to quit because we couldn’t pay them enough. The ones who’ve stayed have been working admirably, but there’s just too much to do and not enough manpower and money to do it.” Max’s voice cracked as he shifted from frustration to anger. “Damn the League and their penny-pinching! They think that just because we try to keep the place as natural as possible, that we don’t need the funding they’d been providing. They don’t even understand that if it weren’t for us, a lot of these species wouldn’t even exist in the wild anymore.”
Max bent to his knees, letting out a heavy sigh. “It all just feels… so hopeless.” Max felt two brief taps on the side of his leg. He looked briefly, and forced a smile. “Thanks, Breloom, but I don’t think I’m gonna feel any better about this ‘til we figure out a way to get the Zone back into shape. But how are we gonna do that when we don’t have the funds or the manpower?”
“Loom? Breloom?”
“I wish it were that simple, Breloom,” Max replied. “But we can’t get more Rangers in here when we don’t have the money to pay them.”
“Breloom? Loom, Breloom?”
“Well, I’ll be – could it really be that simple?” Max laughed. “You’d think someone would have thought of getting volunteers without making Rangers out of ‘em. Or maybe they did, but they didn’t think we could do it. And why not? Security issues, maybe. Probably why nobody suggest it. We can handle that, though – just have the volunteers work in groups, and have one of the Rangers with each group. Breloom, looks like we have a different kind of work to do.”
Later, Max and the other Rangers were gathered in an employees-only room of the main entry station. “Well, it’s a good idea, Max, but how are we going to get the volunteers in the first place? It’s not like we can just each go to a friend’s place and ask ‘em to help out.”
“Simple,” replied another of the Rangers. “We advertise.”
“With what money?” asked the first Ranger. “Ever since the Pokémon League started cutting funding to so many things, the radio and TV stations have raised the prices for advertising spots. We can’t afford it.”
“We don’t need radio or TV advertising,” said Max. “We should have the materials for a few signs to put around Fuschia. If we need to buy anything for the signs, it’ll be worth it. Meanwhile, anyone who has a Pokégear or a Pokétch, send a message to everyone on your contact lists. I still have access to the old Pokégear numbers that send out to all Trainers in the area; luckily, the Pokétches actually use the same network. The only difference is that the Pokégears can’t handle a lot of the new software. But I digress. Remember, security’s still a high priority, so when people start coming, and they will, don’t get separated from your groups.”
Half an hour later, Max sat just outside the Ranger station, putting the finishing touches on the message he would be sending to his contacts and the Fuschia Trainer List. “It’s been too long since the Zone had this much going on, hasn’t it, Breloom?” The Mushroom Pokémon nodded. “There, it’s ready.” Max’s fingers worked the Pokégear keys in a flurry as he set the message to be sent to all Trainers on Max’s contact list and the Fuschia Trainer List.
Max took two shallow breaths, then, as the Pokégear screen confirmed that the message had been successfully sent, smiled. “That’ll do it,” he said to the Pokémon beside him. “Now, we wait, and hope that enough people see this and decide to help out. With a bit of luck, we may yet be able to get this place up and running again.”
BIC: Max looked around, sighing. “The Safari Zone sure has seen better days, hasn’t it?” he said, mostly to himself. The Pokémon beside him simply grunted in acknowledgement. “Sorry, Breloom, almost forgot you were there. There’s no way us Rangers can get all this fixed up on our own, not and expect to get the Safari Zone fully up and running in any reasonable time.” Seeing the questioning look in Breloom’s eyes, Max continued, “You remember what this place used to look like. Green grass as far as the eye could see, paths crisscrossing the area, Pokémon running all over the place, minding their own business… now look. A lot of the grass is dead; much of the rest has turned brown. The paths are overgrown, and the fights between Pokémon are getting worse.” Max felt his voice rising in frustration, and didn’t even attempt to control it. “Ever since the League cut funding to the Safari Zone, it’s been going steadily downhill. A lot of the Rangers had to quit because we couldn’t pay them enough. The ones who’ve stayed have been working admirably, but there’s just too much to do and not enough manpower and money to do it.” Max’s voice cracked as he shifted from frustration to anger. “Damn the League and their penny-pinching! They think that just because we try to keep the place as natural as possible, that we don’t need the funding they’d been providing. They don’t even understand that if it weren’t for us, a lot of these species wouldn’t even exist in the wild anymore.”
Max bent to his knees, letting out a heavy sigh. “It all just feels… so hopeless.” Max felt two brief taps on the side of his leg. He looked briefly, and forced a smile. “Thanks, Breloom, but I don’t think I’m gonna feel any better about this ‘til we figure out a way to get the Zone back into shape. But how are we gonna do that when we don’t have the funds or the manpower?”
“Loom? Breloom?”
“I wish it were that simple, Breloom,” Max replied. “But we can’t get more Rangers in here when we don’t have the money to pay them.”
“Breloom? Loom, Breloom?”
“Well, I’ll be – could it really be that simple?” Max laughed. “You’d think someone would have thought of getting volunteers without making Rangers out of ‘em. Or maybe they did, but they didn’t think we could do it. And why not? Security issues, maybe. Probably why nobody suggest it. We can handle that, though – just have the volunteers work in groups, and have one of the Rangers with each group. Breloom, looks like we have a different kind of work to do.”
Later, Max and the other Rangers were gathered in an employees-only room of the main entry station. “Well, it’s a good idea, Max, but how are we going to get the volunteers in the first place? It’s not like we can just each go to a friend’s place and ask ‘em to help out.”
“Simple,” replied another of the Rangers. “We advertise.”
“With what money?” asked the first Ranger. “Ever since the Pokémon League started cutting funding to so many things, the radio and TV stations have raised the prices for advertising spots. We can’t afford it.”
“We don’t need radio or TV advertising,” said Max. “We should have the materials for a few signs to put around Fuschia. If we need to buy anything for the signs, it’ll be worth it. Meanwhile, anyone who has a Pokégear or a Pokétch, send a message to everyone on your contact lists. I still have access to the old Pokégear numbers that send out to all Trainers in the area; luckily, the Pokétches actually use the same network. The only difference is that the Pokégears can’t handle a lot of the new software. But I digress. Remember, security’s still a high priority, so when people start coming, and they will, don’t get separated from your groups.”
Half an hour later, Max sat just outside the Ranger station, putting the finishing touches on the message he would be sending to his contacts and the Fuschia Trainer List. “It’s been too long since the Zone had this much going on, hasn’t it, Breloom?” The Mushroom Pokémon nodded. “There, it’s ready.” Max’s fingers worked the Pokégear keys in a flurry as he set the message to be sent to all Trainers on Max’s contact list and the Fuschia Trainer List.
Max took two shallow breaths, then, as the Pokégear screen confirmed that the message had been successfully sent, smiled. “That’ll do it,” he said to the Pokémon beside him. “Now, we wait, and hope that enough people see this and decide to help out. With a bit of luck, we may yet be able to get this place up and running again.”