A Trapinch!
So, I'm possibly the only person who thinks Trapinch are cute.
I also happen to know that they often had the ability 'Arena Trap' which prevents you from escaping.
That could be useful. I'll ask Cheren about it later. Right now I want to catch it.
"Go Dewott!"
Right, what to do next? I have a Quick Ball and I've heard that they can catch Pokémon even without weakening them, if used immediately.
I will throw the ball, it can't hurt to try right?
Huh? It made a different noise when I threw it. It kind of whistled. The ball shook once and then clicked.
Well, that was easy. And now I have a full house! Dewott, Riolu, Flaafy, Axew, Rufflet, and a Trapinch. I wonder if the other two have six Pokémon yet…
Now I really want to get to Nimbasa so I can test my Pokémon against the next Gym Leader.
All of a sudden a sandstorm whipped up around me. I put my arm over my eyes to protect them and began running. I have to get to safety.
I should have thought about this, I'm in a desert for Arceus' sake, this could happen at any time. I might see if I can buy some goggles or something. I have a bit of extra cash from winning Pokémon battles.
Umph! I fell over something and hit the sand. What was that?
A blue furry ball?
It shook from side to side and then unfurled.
It was a Darmanitan! But it looks kind of different? It had an almost purple glow when it unfurled. I've never seen that on a Pokémon. It's definitely not a shiny since I know that Shiny Pokémon glitter a bit so what was that purple aura? And it looks really strong. A little bit out of my league.
I might not be able to escape.
"Go Dewott!" The types are in my favour, but you never know what could happen in a Pokémon battle.
"Razor Shell Dewott, don't waste any time!" The Darmanitan was knocked back slightly but just shook the attack off.
How strong is this Darmanitan? I'm just going to have to keep my offense going until it succumbs, or until I have the opportunity to escape.
Around the third Razor Shell the Darmanitan curled back up into a ball. The Zen Mode ability.
I wasn't going to hang around! I skedaddled off as quickly as I could. But the bloody sand was getting in my eyes and I couldn't see. Where am I? There's no one around.
Oh! A gate! Yes. Safety. Maybe it's even the gate to Nimbasa. I stepped inside the sanctuary of a sand-free environment.
"CONGRAT-U-LATIONS!" A voice amplified by a megaphone shouted at me.
"Yooooou are the lucky person that gets to run this herrrrrre shopping avenue!" The voice shouted again. I could attribute it to a small, chubby man charging towards me. What's going on?
"I need the fresh innovation of a youngster to boost the sales of my up and coming shopping avenue!" Well, that answered my question.
"Alright, alright." I said, waving my hands out in front of me gesturing for him to stop.
"Anyway, this avenue looks dead! There's no one here!" I was stating the obvious. Everything was sparkly and new, but there were no people around.
"I imagine that you are an up and coming trainer am I right? I am right. And if your name was attributed with this avenue I bet the punters will flock here like a gaggle of Ducklett!" What a sleaze this man was.
"You just so happened to be the first trainer to come through here, so I can tell that you are innovative, otherwise you wouldn't have been able to find this place." Great, great. Quit the gushing already.
"Alright just let me through to Nimbasa so I can take on the gym and earn my name. Also, I suggest investing in a shop that sells general supplies, especially goggles, so that trainers can see in a sandstorm." The man jotted this down on a little notepad.
I started to walk down the pristine avenue when the man shouted again.
"What do you want to call this place?" He shouted but I began to run. I didn't want to answer him. I'm not very imaginative when it comes to names.
I eventually reach the exit of the strange avenue to emerge into the bustling city that is Nimbasa.
I touched Cheren's icon on the X-transceiver. His face appeared within seconds.
"Rosa! How are you?" Cheren's face beamed.
"I'm doing alright I guess…hey, Cheren, I have something to ask…" Cheren's sudden shouting cut off my sentence.
"I saw you in a movie!" Oh great, I'm starting to wish I'd never been in that movie, even if the outfit was cute. I worry that everyone in Unova's seen it. Hugh! Oh my gosh…has Hugh seen it? Surely, he would have teased me about it by now though?
"I was so surprised Rosa, why didn't you tell me that you were in a movie?" Is Cheren interrogating me?
"I was kind of dragged into it. It's a long story. I'm not going to pursue acting as a career though. I could not live in Virbank." It's not the only thing I have randomly been dragged into. I'm starting to see a pattern emerging here…
"Still, you could have warned me. I almost choked on my popcorn when I saw you." Cheren continued.
"Look, Cheren, I haven't called you to discuss my film career. I have a question about the ability 'Arena Trap'." I cut in bluntly. Cheren's face instantly hardened. Great, he got the message. I don't care about that silly movie.
"Firstly, Arena Trap prevents wild Pokémon from escaping, within certain grounds. Flying-type Pokémon or Pokémon with the ability Levitate are immune to this ability though. There are other exceptions however. I'm sorry, I can't recall them right now. Only 3 Pokémon have this ability so I don't know everything about it, just the basics. But, that means that you've encountered a Trapinch. Tricky little mites they are… Oh, I've remembered something else. Moves like Baton Pass allow a Pokémon to avoid the effects of Arena Trap, so keep that in mind.
"Great, so I can't rely on Arena Trap for my next gym battle" I sighed. I had seen Elesa on TV plenty of times, strutting and showing off her prized Emolga and body. She gets lots of male attention for showing off her body and it kind of annoys me. That, or they're gushing over her cute Emolga. I really want to beat her and that little electric thing.
"Think about it though Rosa, electric types cannot hit ground types with eclectic moves, so I think Trapinch would be a great strategy to combat Elesa. Although, it depends on how bad you want to beat her…"
"You have no idea how much I want this badge!" I cut in, growling.
Cheren chuckled. "Well someone's all fired up! You had better go and get that badge before you burst! You'll find the gym in the famous theme park."
"Alright Cheren I'm going there right away." I hung up before he had the chance to say anything else. He's right. I was fired up.
I ran through Nimbasa as fast as I could, following the signs to the Theme Park. I was slowing down for no one, side stepping out of the way of any Slowpoke in my path.
I was in front of the Rondez-View Wheel now, I could see the gym just ahead and…OUCH!
I started to fall backwards but a hand reached out and grabbed me. I was pulled into the safe grip of some stranger.
"Be careful," A voice whispered into my ear. I then realized that he had his arms around me. I jumped in shock.
"There's no need to be scared of me." The voice cooed again. He pushed his arms out so I could see his face. My eyes were instantly drawn to his locks of soft green hair. It was like a field of lush grass. Then I caught his eyes. They were grey with a hint of blue with a dark ring around the iris. They were gentle now, but I imagine that they can become cold and piecing.
"Hey, why don't you slow down for a while and ride the Wheel with me? My name is Natural." He spoke fast but tenderly.
"I suppose I can take 10 minutes out of my busy schedule…" I said while shuffling my feet.
"Then what are you waiting for!" The boy grabbed my hand and pulled me onto the open carriage of the Wheel.
"You're a Pokémon trainer aren't you?' He asked as the Wheel jutted into motion and we began ascending.
"You want to challenge the gym leader and become stronger. It's typical for trainers to do this." His mood shifted and he looked out of the window with melancholy.
"Sorry, it's just that I don't really like my friends getting hurt in battles. I see Pokémon as friends, not as tools. I can hear their hearts, what they are saying or thinking, and sometimes it scares me. Sometimes I feel so sorry for them that I can't take it anymore." He cradled his head in his hands. He's so worked up and it talking so fast.
I place my hand carefully on the top of his head. The carriage was reaching the top of its cycle and we had the best views in Unova.
"Not all people abuse Pokémon, Natural. Some people are genuine." I tried to console him.
"As long as Ghetsis is at large the only thing I can do is worry." He said. My blood froze at the mention of that name, Ghetsis.
"Y-you said that G-G…he's out there?" I don't know why I'm so scared of his name.
"Yes, you must be careful Rosa." How did he know my name?
"My friends told me your name, there, inside your Pokéballs. They like you. They say that you are a good trainer." The carriage reached its peak.
"Look at the view Rosa, have you ever seen anything so spectacular?" The mood within the carriage shifted as we began the descent. He grabbed hold of one of my hands. Wow, his hands are so soft. I momentarily forgot where I was; it was like a soothing wave washing over me. He's like a Prince or something
I remembered where I was and saw the other carriages around me. I thought I was having some kind of special moment but I'm still here, in reality, on a Ferris Wheel with a boy. I'm just a silly little girl, I bet all of the girls on this ride feel exactly the same, some kind of elation feeling.
I snuck a look into another carriage as we kept on descending.
Hold on, who was that in the other carriage. I can tell Hugh's hair from a mile off. It was definitely him, but who was with him?
I swear to Arceus if it's Iris. I will unleash my rage.
I strain my neck to get a better look. It is her! I'm positively steaming.
"Is there something wrong, Rosa?" The green-haired boy asked delicately. His hair really is a lush shade of green.
"No, I'm sorry. I thought I saw something but it doesn't matter." My hands were clenched into tight fists. I could feel the blood draining out of them, as they turned white with my grip.
"You can tell me anything you know. I can help you. Well, I can try." The boy's grey-blue eyes were sincere and caring.
"I'm going to beat that Champion Iris, Natural. Just you watch." I spat through gritted teeth. His eyes widened.
"Rosa, It's alright, calm down." His hands moved up from my hand to my face. I kept on gazing into the offending carriage.
Suddenly Iris stood up and pointed into my carriage.
What the heck?