Chapter 4:
Striaton Stuff
Location: Striaton City
Striaton City, the sight of Unova's first Gym for me. What can I say; I love this place. The part where the Center and Gym is located is the residential district, though all the living areas are apartments. There aren't really "houses" per say. To the west is a beautiful park with a couple ponds and ivy-covered arches that leads to Route 3, not that it was time to go there yet. There was also a place to the east that I will get to.
The blue sky was dotted with white clouds that towered above the apartments as I took a breath of fresh air. "So great to finally be here!" I thought to myself. I sent out Oshawott and had a speak to it. Oshawott was really pumped, but I had news to break to it. "Oshawott, I know you're excited. But, we won't be taking on the Gym today." Oshawott stopped cheering, then looked at me confused. Clearly it had been waiting for this moment. "The problem is, well how shall I put it? You can't do it by yourself." Oshawott's face scrunched up, as tears filled its eyes. "No Oshawott, I didn't mean that!"
"Hilbert!" Bianca said as she came out of the Center. "Ah, nice to take a break in one of my favourite places in the region. Well, also have a big battle t-" She noticed Oshawott. "What's wrong with it?"
Oshawott ran off, sobbing all the way.
"Oshawott, come back!" I said. "I didn't say you're weak!" However, Oshawott had gone round the corner. "Aw man. Where could it have gone? I have no Flying Types so I can't search from the air."
Bianca patted my shoulder in comfort. "Cheer up. Striaton isn't a big City so hopefully it won't be too hard to find. Especially when you have phenomenal smell on your side!" Bianca got her Pokéball and sent out Lillipup. "Okay Hilbert, show me Oshawott's Pokéball." I did just that. I opened it. "Okay Lillipup. Find Oshawott's scent." Lillipup sniffed inside the Pokéball. After a couple of seconds, it darted off.
"Could that be where Oshawott is?" I asked.
"Well, has anyone else been in there? Lillipup's sense of smell is not to be underestimated, let's go find it!"
We followed Lillipup, admittedly a short distance. It took us to the Pokémon School, literally next door to the Pokémon Center. It looked like all the apartments in the city, but the windows were much better cleaned.
"So Oshawott must be in there" I thought.
"Only one way to find out!" Bianca said, literally kicking open the door. "OSHAWOTT! HILBERT DIDN'T MEAN WHAT HE SAID!"
"If you don't mind" the Teacher said. "We are in the middle of a lesson."
Bianca felt awkward as everyone looked at her awkwardly.
"Oops" she said. "I'm just gonna go now."
I stopped Bianca. "We are here to find Oshawott."
The Teacher's ears perked at that name. "Oshawott? So the one that appeared crying isn't wild; it's yours!"
Oshawott was standing under the blackboard. Next to the blackboard was Cheren; he had already noticed us.
"Well, it was quite an entrance" Cheren told Bianca. "Just don't enter like you just did into a library okay?"
Oshawott noticed me, but then looked away grumpily.
"Man, it still has the hump with me" I told Cheren. "Oshawott listen. I wasn't calling you weak. What I was saying was…"
"And now we go back to our lesson on Types" the Teacher said. "Now. A Water Type like Oshawott is weak to Grass Type moves. Can someone give me a Grass Type move?"
Multiple hands around the classroom shot up.
"Razor Leaf!"
"Power Whip!"
"Leaf Tornado!"
The Teacher nodded his head. "You are correct. Oshawott isn't very good against Grass Type moves, as we will now demonstrate. Cheren and, I believe your name is Hilbert. I would like you two to have a battle."
I was somewhat insistent as we were still inside the School. I didn't want a repeat of what happened in my room; Mum had just called today saying she was almost done. Yeah, 3 days to clean a room. That's how messy we left it. But I decided to anyway, to prove a point to Oshawott.
"Okay Cheren, you're on! Oshawott, I'll show you what I was talking about okay?"
Oshawott begrudgingly walked in front of me.
"Time to teach you about Types!" Cheren shouted.
Hilbert vs. Cheren
"Go Snivy!" shouted Cheren. He threw his Pokéball and out came the serpentine Grass Type. "Use Vine Whip!" Snivy summoned some vines then whacked Oshawott with them. Oshawott took a lot of damage from it.
"Oshawott!" I yelled. "Grass Type moves do a lot of damage on you. This is what I was trying to tell you earlier. For further proof, use Water Gun!" Oshawott shot water at Snivy; it barely felt it.
"One more Vine Whip!" One more whack from Snivy and Oshawott was down. I had lost.
"Thanks Cheren" I told him as I sent Oshawott back to its ball.
"No prob" he said. "I'm surprised you haven't caught anything else yet. Bianca caught a Lillipup, I caught a Purrloin, you're right. It's time to add another member to your team."
"If I may" the Teacher said. "Class. We saw Oshawott beaten by some Super Effective Grass Type moves. But what Type is Grass weak against?"
Multiple hands once again went up.
"Ice!"
"Poison!"
"Bug!"
"Flying!"
"Fire!"
"All correct, but Fire is the one we will focus on. At the Dreamyard there is someone called Panelope who will give out a Fire Type to anyone with a Water Type. Similarly, if you have a Fire Type then she'll give you a Grass Type and a Water Type if you have a Grass Type."
I thanked him and told everyone that would be my next stop; the wrecked factory to the east.
Location: The Dreamyard
The Dreamyard was once upon a time a factory that studied dreams, specifically the Dream Mist. The Dream Mist is said to view the dreams wish they had that night. It's emitted when a dream is eaten by a Pokémon named Munna or its evolved from Musharna. However, nightmares created by a Mythical Pokémon from the Sinnoh region were too much to handle during experiments with Musharna and the Dream Mist caused the Dreamyard to explode. It's been sitting here like that for 2 years. Only one Scientist survived, but the Musharna they were experimenting with was nowhere to be seen. Nowadays, it's a place for people to train.
I couldn't get into the main Dreamyard as I needed the Cut HM to cut down the tree blocking the way, but I didn't need to go there right now. I just needed to meet Panelope. Sure enough, she was waiting just outside the entrance. She was a Lass with short brown hair and casual clothes.
"Erm, hello" I said.
She turned her head to me. "Why you grilling me?" she asked.
Her sternness used Fake Out; she clearly made me flinch. "Listen. I heard you have a Fire Type. Plus, my friends need a Grass and Water Type. Do you have one?"
"Lessee" she said.
"Go Oshawott!" I shouted as my shelled partner came out to greet her.
Panelope knelt to a couple of inches away from Oshawott's face. "Let's see if you're genuine." She first poked its nose, then turned it round and finally picked it up. She turned it upside down and shook it. Was she trying to make Oshawott sick? "Hmm… yep! Looks authentic! Okay, you get a Pokémon!" She opened her bag and got out a Pokéball, then gave it to me. "Well, open it then! You don't just stare at your Birthday presents without opening them do you?"
I threw the Pokéball. Out from it came an orange Pokémon with a tuft on the top of its head.
Pansear (バオップ)
019
Fire Type
High Temp Pokémon
2'00" (0.6 m)
24.3 lbs (11 kg)
This Pokémon lives in caves in volcanoes. The fire within the tuft on its head can reach 600 F.
"A Fire Type!" I said. I knew this would be very helpful against Grass Types; Oshawott understandably hates those.
"Well I've helped you. I wish you luck on your journey."
Oshawott and me has reconciled. It understood what was going on now.
Location: Striaton City
I saw Cheren and Bianca in the Striaton City square; I had to show them my latest Pokémon.
"What's the word?" Cheren asked.
"I'll show you. Go Pansear!" Out came my Fire Type. It ran up onto my shoulder and it yelped.
"A Pansear! You know, its tufts can roast berries-"
"THANK YOU!" we both shouted.
"Aww, cutie! I want one!" Bianca shouted.
"Bianca, you already have Tepig. No point in getting another Fire Type. A Grass Type would be better for you."
Bianca closed her eyes from embarrassment. "You're right, there's more to Pokémon than just looks. Okay, I'm gonna head to the Dreamyard! I want to try and catch a Munna, it's so cute!"
With that, she swaggered off singing.
We just laughed it off, because she didn't have Cut either.
Today, I got another member of my team, the Fire Type Pansear. It's a cheeky one, but it's a strong one. Tomorrow, I plan on beating the Gym, whoever it may be now that I have some coverage. It's on!
