Hubert's Hot-dog Stand

by davey296

David4786 the green Meerca usually was bouncing around, shrieking, breaking things, and generally being hyper. But not today. His one-year-old birthday was coming up in a couple of weeks, and his mommy had told him that he could change species again, if he wanted to.

He really liked changing NeoPet species. He had started out a green Aisha. Then he became a purple Poogle, and he was currently a green Meerca.

He didn't know what species to become. His younger brother, Crash09 the Faerie Kougra, had advised him to become a species that could fly. "Like a Shoryu or a Pteri," Crash09 said offhandedly, swooping around the room and spreading his wings.

"Show-off," muttered David as he bounced away. He sat down and flipped on the Neo-TV. A pretty Pteri was telling a live studio audience about a brand-new brand of breath-freshener. "Maybe I could be a Pteri," he thought. His little sister Kaleelaa, a Cloud Kau, walked into the room and sat down next to him on their Neo-Couch. He turned to her and said, "Kaleelaa, what species do you think I should be?"

"Well," she said thoughtfully, peering at him. "I think you should be a Kyrii. I know how to paint Kyriis really well!" Kaleelaa was an artist. "Yes, be a Kyrii! I could do a lovely portrait of you standing over by the kitchen table!" Her eyes glazed over with new ideas, and she galloped upstairs to sketch them.

David sighed. He bounced up the Neo-Stairs into his Neo-Room and collapsed on his Neo-Bed. He looked at the complete list of all pets and sighed again. There were so many! At least before his mommy had found the Magical Purple Poogle Toy, and they had won the Magical Green Meerca Plushie from Meerca Chase. David smiled. He liked that game a lot. It was his favorite. He decided to go play some games to take his mind off his problem. On his way to the Game Room, he ran into his other brother Kapoke the Red Lupe, who was playing Super Bullseye to save up for a new book.

"Kapoke, what species do you think I should be?" asked David. Kapoke paused.

"Well, to figure out exactly, I would have to do a detailed analysis on all the pet species in Neopia, the percentage of popularity, multiplied by your personality." Kapoke frowned in thought.

"But Kapoke, I need to know pretty soon, so Mommy can buy the morphing potion before prices go way up!" said David eagerly. Kapoke was the smartest in the family, so he should be able to decide.

"Don't bother me now!" said Kapoke, rushing off, his head full of details and figures and numbers. "I'm in the middle of the thought process!"

David bounced after him. "Wait up!" he shouted. He chased after his younger brother the rest of the way home, and would have followed him around all day, until Kapoke locked himself in his room, pouring over books and information about different species.

Dinner that night was erm, interesting. The whole family seemed to take David's problem to heart. Kapoke spent dinner reading books about different species, and, in the process, spilling food on them.

Kaleelaa was sketching a Kyrii with a Meerca's tail standing next to a refrigerator, and Crash spent the whole time talking loudly to anyone who would listen, (no one) how wonderful wings were, with meaningful glances at David.

Their mother spent dinner listing prices of morphing potions and Magical Toys and occasionally telling David he couldn't be a Koi, a Lenny, or a Moehog. "And you definitely can't be a Shoyru. Those are way to expensive," she said calmly.

"Mommy, I don't know what to do!" said David. "What species should I be?"

"That's totally up to you, sweetie," she said.

After dinner David asked Kapoke what species he had discovered he should be. "Tell me, tell me, tell me!" shrieked David, bouncing around.

Kapoke held up a long scroll. "According to my calculations, precise measurements, and careful thought, you should be a . . . Skeith? Wait, that can't be right!" Kapoke said, horrified. He quickly skimmed through his work, painstakingly checking every step he had taken. As he spotted his error and corrected it, he turned to his brother. But David was gone.

Frustrated, David had walked into the Main Shops. He strolled around a bit and browsed some shops. Then he wandered over to the Bazaar. He stopped and tried to buy a delicious hot-dog, but a strong Pteri grabbed it first. David was impressed, because he was usually pretty quick in grabbing things. "Maybe I should be a Pteri," he said out loud.

Hubert of Hubert's Hot-dogs leaned over towards him. "What's that, lad?" he asked kindly.

David jumped. "Oh, hello Mr. Hot-dog," he said, blushing. "I didn't realise you were there."

Hubert smiled. "I couldn't help but overhear your problem. Your sister, Kaleelaa is her name, right? Well, she comes by every afternoon and buys a hot-dog Says it helps her think. Anyway, we've become rather good friends. She tells me you can't decide on a species to become," he said.

David nodded. "I just can't seem to decide," he said, longingly gazing at the hot-dog Hubert was squeezing mustard on. He quickly paid for it and started eating. "So, Hubert, what species do you think I should be?"

Hubert thought for a moment. "Well, did you know I started out as a Grundo?" Seeing David's astonished look, he chuckled. "That's right, a Grundo. The other Grundo's teased me because I was smart. My owner, a fine breeder of Grundo's, abandoned me. A kind boy adopted me and gave me many books. He soon bought me a Mynci Morphing Potion, and now I am very happy," Hubert said, thinking about his past.

David prodded, "So what species should I be?"

Hubert laughed. "Whatever species you actually like, laddie. That's what species you should be," he said, turning around to greet some customers.

***

For the next couple days David was lost in thought and pondering over Hubert's words. When he finally decided, a huge grin spread all across his face.

"Mommy, come here, please," he said excitedly.

"Yes, dear?" she asked, looking at her oldest child bouncing happily all over the house.

"Mommy, I decided what species I wanna be!" he shrieked loudly.

"What, darling?" she asked eagerly.

David grinned and leaned over to whisper in her ear. His mom smiled and hugged him as she heard his reasons.

The next morning he woke up and rushed downstairs. "Everyone," he shouted. "Come see the species I want to be!" Kapoke, Kaleelaa, Crash09, and their mother all came down stairs, rubbing their eyes, still groggy from sleep.

They all crowded around him, admiring his choice. Kaleelaa frowned and said, "David, you're still a green Meerca!"

David smiled at his younger sister. "See, Kaleelaa, that's the species I really like a lot," he said. "I got some advice from Hubert," he said told her.

Kaleelaa smiled. "Isn't Hubert great! His hot-dogs are so yummy!"

He bounced around a few more times, and then decided to go show Hubert his choice. As he approached the Hot-dog Stand, David heard a young female Kacheek saying anxiously to Hubert, "But I don't know whether to adopted a brother or sister or create one! I just don't know what I should do!" The Kacheek's owner was standing nearby, shaking her head and looked worried. Hubert was listening carefully. When he noticed David standing nearby he smiled and winked.

David smiled inwardly. He knew that the Kacheek's problems would soon be solved.

The End

Author's Note: Hey everyone! This is my first story in the Neopian Times, and I hope you like it! Kapoke, Kaleelaa, Crash09, and David4786 are my real NeoPets, and something similar to this really did happen, although I don't know exactly what Hubert's advice was; David does not remember the exact quotation. Neither does Hubert, who helped edit this work.

David: *bounce bounce* I'm a Meerca! Yeah!

Author: Anyway, I'd like to thank my pets for giving me the inspiration for this story, Hubert for giving the wonderful advice, and Usuki Dolls. They got us through bad times whenever Hubert couldn't. I still don't understand why Crash09 is so attached to the Cheerleader Usuki doll...

Anyway, remember, when your pet is going through a tough decision, go to Hubert's Hot-dog Stand and please buy a hot-dog from Hubert.