Diary of a Lupe Trainer by silvermoonLupe |  |
Swiftly through the darkness we run. A 16-year-old human, with a level 27
fire Lupe by her side. Warrior and trainer. Faithful partners through and through.
But it wasn't always this way. Nope, let's start from the beginning...
I walked into the Create-A-Pet
centre and found myself completely in-over-my-head. I was just a browsing Newbie.
On the screen in front of me were pictures of all the different species of NeoPets--most
of them I hadn't seen before. I poured over them while gushing over the Shoyru's
adorable eyes, or the Zafara's pointy tail, or the Peophin's beautiful mane.
I wanted one of every single type! How could I choose? Then, it was love at
my first sight of the wolfish Neopian known as the Lupe. Strong, yet agile,
and of course with the canine grin and the cute whiskers. I HAD TO have a Lupe.
A blue Lupe puppy of my own! Now he needed a name... I decided his name had
to have "wolf" in it. I stared at the screen with my mind a complete blank.
I decided to think up an original word that seemed to describe the happy-go-lucky
blue Lupe puppy face. Lalli! Lalliwolf he was! At the push of a button, it was
official--Lalliwolf the blue Lupe was born!
Of course I was excited at first, but when I got him home, my excitement dwindled.
I wasn't prepared for exactly how wolfish Lupes were! The adorable blue Lupe
puppy was a terror! He had boundless energy and demanded all sorts of attention.
I was always struggling to keep up with his appetite. Being a Newbie, I was
short on Neopoints and reduced to playing Kacheek
Seek to afford food for my pets. When I took Lalliwolf out to play,
he'd always hide in the most difficult places, and then viciously jump out at
me. As I recovered from being ambushed, he'd give me a toothy-Lupe grin like
it was all a game. (Okay, so it was, but that's not my point!) When I brought
Lalli back to Pet Central for the night, he wouldn't stop barking. When I came
to check on him, he'd just stare at me innocently with a, "Who? Me?" look on
his face. I sighed in frustration.
Finally, I decided I couldn't take it anymore. I went to the "Disown" page,
left the Lupe puppy on the desk, and turned to leave while calculating all the
Neopoints I'd save without having to feed that ravenous rascal. Then I did something
which affected the entire outcome of my future on NeoPets. I looked back. There
was Lalliwolf, my new Lupe puppy, crying. He'd trusted me. He really wanted
me to be his owner. I walked right back to the desk and picked him up. He immediately
wagged his tail and slobbered my face. Then, something happened that I'll never
forget. Lalliwolf began to glow! A wisp of magic flew through the air and chilled
my spine as a random event popped up in front of me. It read, "Lalliwolf has
suddenly gained a level!" I HAD A LEVEL 2 PET!! (Being a Newbie, this was quite
exciting.) I looked into Lalliwolf's eyes, and he looked into mine.
"Lalli," I said. "I will train you to be as strong as you can be, and I'll
never EVER abandon you..." From that moment on, I knew I was destined to be
a Lupe Trainer.
Soon, I became a pro at Kacheek Seek. Often jumping on Lalliwolf's hiding
places and giving HIM an ambush. All I had to do was show Lalliwolf I was both
his boss and his friend. Instead of caring for a Lupe like it's a pampered pet,
treat him as an equal, and he will respect you. Soon, Lalliwolf grew out of
his puppy habits and started turning into a strong young Lupe. (This was noticeable,
considering it was around the time the Lupe design changed.)
Lupes, I soon discovered, can evoke the Potato Chip Disease. You can't have
just one.
While roaming the NeoPets site, I often stopped into the adoption centre.
You know, just for a look around. The moment I walked in, my jaw dropped to
the floor. In the cage before me was the most beautiful creature I'd ever seen
in Neopia. A white Lupe! Caged in the adoption centre! Quickly, I rushed to
the desk, dumped what little NP I had on the counter, and speechlessly pointed
to her cage. She came home with me that day. Her name was MistyDreamz, and she
was older, more mature, and more experienced than Lalliwolf. Needless to say,
my first-born was stricken with jealousy the minute he saw her. He grumbled
for days about why I couldn't just buy HIM a white paint brush, and how had
he thought he was my one-and-only. The more I tried to explain, the more Lalliwolf
complained and sulked. One day, while I was out, Lalli finally confronted MistyDreamz.
"So.. you think you're so special..." Lalliwolf retorted. MistyDreamz simply
smiled.
"And you don't think highly of yourself?", she remarked. Lalliwolf, taken
aback, didn't know what to say. He just stared at the white Lupe. He noticed,
for the first time, how strikingly beautiful she was. He quickly dashed away
before Misty could catch him deeply blushing. Lalliwolf was completely smitten.
It was a few more days before he could work up the nerve to speak to MistyDreamz
again, and Misty herself grew fond of the spunky young blue Lupe. Soon, the
pair became very close. Lalliwolf and MistyDreamz never went anywhere without
each other, and I never went anywhere without them!
Then one day, I noticed an interesting advertisement. The Battledome was coming
soon. Excitement flowed in the veins of my Lupes and I. I pictured Lalliwolf
and MistyDreamz, strongly and fearlessly winning against every opponent. We
would have to work hard... but that comes with being a Lupe Trainer, doesn't
it? And so our journey began. Those were the "good old days" when faeries were
generous and books were plentiful. Lalli, Misty, and I embarked on a quest across
Neopia as we tended to the faeries' every need. But it was worth it -- my fondest
memories come from this time. Boundlessly exploring Neopia with my two young
Lupes. However, our traveling days didn't last forever. We slowed down when
I noticed a change in Lalliwolf and MistyDreamz. They seemed to go into some
sort of mysterious trance. Instead of chatting lively around the campfire, they
just stared at each other lovingly. Often, they wandered away from camp to do
nothing other than gaze at the stars. Finally, my faithful Lupes approached
me and told me the news. We were expecting a puppy. About a week later, under
a full moon, the cry of a newborn Lupe puppy split the air as little DreamyMoonz
entered the world. The blue coat she was born with resembled Lalliwolf, but
she definitely had her mother's temperament. Even so, little Dreamy was wandering
off to explore as soon as she could walk! Lalli was so proud. As I watched the
family play, I thought to myself, "When Dreamy grows up, she'll look so much
like her father. I'll hardly be able to tell them apart!" That's when it came
to me.
While my Lupes were off adventuring in the woods one day, I decided to walk
down to the Rainbow Pool. After a quick look around I knew what I wanted to
do, and headed to my bank account. I had considerably more NP since my days
playing Kacheek Seek for a living. When my Lupes returned, I unveiled a surprise
for Lalliwolf. A fire paint brush. He leaped on me, wagging his tail and slobbering;
something he hadn't done since puppyhood. The once little terror was now a loyal,
fearless, strong, and handsome fire Lupe. I couldn't be prouder.
Fearless and Proud
Nope, the story doesn't end here. Potato Chips, remember? Nowadays, I have
a whole pack of Lupes! But of course, my Lalliwolf and MistyDreamz are most
treasured. Still training and still by my side. The Lupe is a wild spirit. Instead
of caring for a Lupe like it's a pampered pet, treat him as an equal, and he
will respect you. Words of a true Lupe Trainer.
The End |
