I woke with a start, sitting up rapidly in my rock-solid bed. I glanced around my room sleepily. The dodgy blinds allowed for neon flashing lights to stream into in my room. Ugh, it's like I'm in some kind of loose-moraled movie. I wouldn't be surprised if some drug thug just broke through my door or something. No. I mustn't judge, plus I'm in a Pokémon Centre. These places are super safe if painfully basic. The mattress beneath me groaned and my spine groaned with it. Yep, there's no way I'm getting back to sleep now, what time is it? Five am, it's five am! So what can I do at such an unsociable time? Castelia is the city that never sleeps, Virbank is just lazy. Besides who would want to wander the streets of Castelia after sundown anyway? My stomach grumbled violently as if to say 'hello? Feeder, are you there?' I guess breakfast won't go amiss right now. And I really need a shower…

I peeked into the hallway to see if anyone was moving, and to my surprise there were some people blundering around but it's still too early for breakfast. I grabbed my shower stuff and ran down to the girls' communal showers. Another lovely feature of the average Pokémon Centre is communal showering. Actually, I shouldn't complain. You're lucky if they don't stick you in a room with some complete stranger.

I opened the shower tap and tested the water with my hand. Too cold, it figures. I turned up the temperature and stood with my hand in the stream until it got scalding. I jumped in and soaked up the steamy water, carefully washing my long hair and gently scrubbing my skin. After yesterday's events the shower was so comforting and so refreshing. I could feel the stresses washing off my skin. I grabbed my soft towel and brought it to my face. It smelt like home. I sighed, getting sentimental right now is not what I need. What I do need however is some good grub! Even though the accommodation at a Pokémon Centre may be basic, but the food is legendary. After a satisfying vegetarian-friendly breakfast, (there were so many Tepig-meat products on offer!) and a bloody good cup of tea I hit the city looking for a spot to train in. Apparently the Virbank industrial complex is a great place to start. I wasn't walking there long when a Pokémon appeared.

Oh great. It's a Koffing. There were Koffing everywhere. I don't know what to do against them. I haven't got anything strong against poison types, and the Gym Leader uses them too apparently. I can see why, this city just screams 'toxic'. I didn't think that it would be that bad here but it is infested with poison types, humans and Pokémon.

I think I know what to do. I'll call Cheren. I pick up my X-transceiver and touch Cheren's icon before I can talk myself out of it. I feel a little nervous calling him. I don't want to bother him or anything. Right, the X-transceiver is dialing, it's taking forever. Is it ringing?

"Hello Rosa! How can I help you?" A little voice beamed from the X-transceiver. Cheren picked up!

"I hope I'm not imposing Cheren it's just that…I'm struggling against poison type Pokémon. I don't have anything that can dispatch of them cleanly." I mumbled, suddenly very embarrassed. It's so odd being able to see who you are talking to on the screen.

"It's no problem Rosa, I'm always happy to help! You must have made it to Virbank then." Cheren's slightly mechanical voice bounced back. He had a kind smile on his face. Good, he's not angry.

"Poison types can be tricky buggers. The first thing you have to watch out for is Poisoning. This status ailment can really damage your Pokémon. I suggest stocking up on antidotes and/or Pecha berries. But, like every Pokémon types it has its weaknesses and resistances. I'll go over what poison resists first. Grass, fighting, bug and other poison types do little damage to them. But the only type of Pokémon that will have a major struggle against poison types are grass as poison attacks are extremely effective. In terms of offensive, for a quick fight you would need a psychic or ground type Pokémon or attack, but such Pokémon are not widely available in the area. The wild card is steel type. Poison can't do anything against hardy steel, but Riolu doesn't have its steel type yet. So, in conclusion, I think that just going hard with whatever strong attacks you have will be a good idea. A Torrent-driven Oshawott could destroy the world! Just avoid Riolu's Counter completely. He should be getting Force Palm soon anyway." Wow Cheren was really knowledgeable. He was going so fast I could barely keep up with him.

"Thanks Cheren that was really helpful…" static burst through the X-transceiver as another face appeared on the screen.

"Cheren I want to talk to you right now." It was Bianca and she didn't sound happy.

"Cheren, what is it with that Rosa? Hmmm? I saw the way that you were looking at her and I don't like it." Whoa, slow down there! What's going on?

"Bianca why do you act so crazy all of the time, especially when it comes to my sex life? Jealousy is so ugly. And Rosa? I see her as like an unofficial sister. Our families have known each other for years. It would make dating her really awkward, almost incestuous. However she impresses me. I can't help but smile when I see her with her Pokémon. She's going to go far I know it. That makes me happy. That girl deserves to be successful after all she's been though." Cheren answered her sternly. This is really awkward to hear but I couldn't stop listening. But this sister revelation draws on a memory from my early years, something to do with a sibling? Before I had a chance to ponder Bianca started shouting again.

"Cheren, I've done everything. I don't know what else I can do. Why won't you love me?" Bianca was sobbing now.

"Bianca, I'm sorry, you know that I am in love with Hilda. I always have been..." Cheren's voice was quiet and calm now.

"Has she called you since she beat Ghetsis? Have you seen her since? Does she love you as much as you love her? Probably not. So why don't you drop this nonsense and love me!" Bianca sounded strained and sad. If I wasn't mistaken she also sounded a little desperate.

"Bianca, rejection is something I have to live with too, don't make this all about you. You're bothering me!" The X-transceiver made a clicking noise and their faces disappeared. Cheren had disconnected the call. I can't believe they didn't notice me. I couldn't help but think about the call and it's contents, which put me in a trance while I was training. I didn't even notice the sun beginning to set. The Gym Challenge! I've got to find the Gym! I ran through the streets scouring every sign and I couldn't find it. The only place I didn't check was that purple-lit club from yesterday. How could that possibly be a Gym?

A small girl and an older man appeared from the dirty wooden doors to the club.

"You're embarrassing me dad." The girl with brilliant white hair shouted. It had to be dyed. It looked a little too unnatural.

"But Roxie, I want to be a big movie star!" The man, obviously the girls' dad, was protesting loudly.

"Stick to sailing dad, you're actually good at that." She shouted back and flicked her head around. She then caught sight of me.

"What? Another challenger? I'm trying to rehearse down there. Right then. You will be my last battle of the day. Make sure you lose quickly." She opened the dirty door and ran down the stairs. I should probably follow her. I gingerly opened the door and began my descent into the club. The purple paint was peeling off the wall. Ugh, I can't believe that I am going into a place like this. This Gym must have been a little Unova League joke to get trainers exposed to all sorts of situations.

"Finally! What took you so long?" Roxie called from the other end of the dark room at the bottom of the stairs.

"I'm Roxie and this is my band, this is my Gym and this is my club. Prepare to be shocked by my poison type Pokémon."

She led with her Koffing, and thanks to Cheren I was well equipped to deal with those nasty balls of gas. I'm just going to blast it with Oshawott's Water Gun. It went down easily, in only two attacks. The best Koffing could do was tackle and it did barely any damage to my Oshawott. Next she sent out a Whirlipede. A Whirlipede? I could easily take that out with my brand new Rufflet! I don't know why I was worrying about poison types so much. I forgot that they often had secondary types.

"Go Rufflet. Don't waste any time. Use Wing Attack!" My Rufflet was fast, this fight will be a breeze.

"Poison sting!" Why was Roxie using that attack? It's really weak. Whoa it's spurting that poison like a toxic volcano. My Rufflet looks peaky. It can't be poisoned. It would put a dampener on my mood.

"Whirlipede, Venoshock!" Rufflet's still quite healthy, even though I think he's poisoned. I'm sure he can pull through this. That Venoshock deals out quite a bit of damage. I guess this is what Roxie meant about shocking me. I have to end this now, with one final push. I could use an antidote or Pecha berry as Cheren suggested but I don't think that my Rufflet could stand the next attack. It's all or nothing.

"Rufflet use Wing Attack again. Give it all you've got!" Rufflet fired up its little wings once more. It sure had a lot of power in those wings. Fortunately the attack was a critical hit. The Whirlipede didn't stand a chance. Rufflet was so exhausted and drained by the poison that it too went down. I've got to stop letting my Pokémon get so hurt.

Roxie was laughing, how could she be taking this so light-heartedly?

"I knew you were tough trainer. Here's the Toxic badge and the TM for my shocker of a move, Venoshock. When the target is poisoned this attack does double the damage! It can be crippling. I bet that you weren't expecting that! No scram, I've got some rehearsing to do." Her X-transceiver on her wrist started glowing and jingling. I bet it was her dad calling. My suspicions were confirmed when Roxie pushed past me on the stairs shouting her head off.

I made my way back to the Pokémon Centre and healed up my Pokémon. I needed to get to Castelia and the only way to get there is by ferry. I wonder if they run at this time? A nice relaxing sunset cruise will do me just fine right now. What's this notice?

Due to the skipper's sudden love of acting, all ferries from Virbank to Castelia are hereby suspended indefinitely.

COME CHECK OUT MY MOVIES THOUGH YEAH!

There was a movie theatre right by the Pokéstar studios to the north of the city. It can't hurt to go and check it out.

I saw the studios a mile off. They were lit up with all sorts of flashy lights and there were screens playing adverts for the latest movies. Hey, is that Nate in front of that notice board?

"Nate? Is that you? What are you doing here?" I asked the boy with his back to me.

"Rosa, I could ask you the same thing, but I guess you are stranded here too by the lack of ferries." He shuffled his feet angrily.

"All I want to do is get to Castelia so I can see my father before he goes away again. I can't believe he couldn't wait for me." He looked down and balled his fists up. Oh no not again. I can't deal with even more stress from my friends. I saw a poster with Roxie's dad, on it and pointed to it.

"That movie, let's go and see that movie!" I grabbed his arm and dragged him to the box office before he could protest. It was a movie about Brycen-man and some man with a Riolu. It had no plot and no real ending. The apparent hero's Riolu was knocked out before it had a chance to launch an attack. I bet they won't be selling any action figures or lunchboxes from this movie franchise. I can see why Roxie wants her dad to, well, stick to his day job. In fact Roxie was right outside shouting at her dad and the producers. The producers grabbed Nate and I as was exited the movie theatre.

"You two. We want you two. We need you actually. Come to the studios right away. We have a film to shoot. I will not let my Brycen-Man and Riolu-kid movie flop due to poor acting." He pointed at Roxie's dad then turned his attention to one of the assistants that were swarming him "Hey you, yes you over there. Get those reels destroyed. I never want to see them again!" His tone suddenly changed dramatically "See you later darlings!" He flicked his hair as he walked off.

"Nate, what are we going to do?" I asked puzzled.

"What else can we do? We have to go to the studios. I'd hate to be on the receiving end of that man's angry rage."

As we entered the building adjacent to the theatre we were pounced on. I had people pulling at my hair, adding make-up and then I was shoved into a dressing room with my costume. My costume is actually quite stylish. It's a red, blue and yellow skirt with a gentle plaid pattern and a white top. I had matching bows for my hair too. I caught a glimpse of Nate before he was shoved into a dressing room. He looked nervous holding his spandex outfit! He shuffled out of his dressing room wearing a dressing gown over the top but someone soon took it off him.

"Let's get this over with." He growled through gritted teeth. We were lead into a room with a giant green screen in it. I put my bag in a corner; I wasn't going to leave my precious cargo unattended. Someone frowned at me but I gave them that look, the 'touch this and die' look. The eccentric, mood changing man from earlier barged in.

"The name's Stu. Stu-Dee-Oh and you are going to make me lots of money yes?" With that the popular Brycen stormed in. Did someone over there just faint at his presence? These people are so weird.

"Right I'm the Director so listen to me." A man sat in an important chair barked through his megaphone.

"Stick to the script but use what ever line you think fits." What? What was he saying? Stick to the script but choose our lines? I'm not in an exam.

"Get these two their Pokémon. Bring the Riolus!" He barked again. I declined showing them that I already had one. Even Nate was impressed. He had to use a rental Riolu. The basic gist of the movie was to defeat Brycen-man with the Riolus. Nate is Riolu-boy and I am his female sidekick who is always getting into strife. I think I was only there for looks and not for plot.

"Riolu, use Counter!" Nate called. He was really getting into this! But he used that dreaded move. This isn't going to get him anywhere. Brycen-man was beating the heck out of that poor Riolu. My Riolu was using his new attack, Force Palm. Just as Nate's poor Riolu had had enough my bag started glowing? Oh Arceus why did it have to be now?

I disregarded the movie and dashed over to my bag where my final egg was glowing with anticipation. The light exploded and my new Pokémon began to form. The brightness subsided and I was left holding an Axew!

"Did you get that, did you get that?" The Director barked at a cameraman who simply nodded in reply.

"Come on then, use your Axew." He barked at me.

"Right then Axew, attack!" I didn't know any of his moves yet; I had to hope that he used something decent.

"Ahhh! Dragon Pulse." Nate shouted next to me. It was enough to take out Brycen-man's Pokémon and the shoot ended.

"You are all invited to the premiere of this movie tonight!" The Director barked for the last time. Tonight? That was quick! I guess they really wanted rid of the movie with Roxie's dad in it.

Nate and I trudged over to the movie theatre, both unsure of what to expect.

"I bet it's a flop." Nate sighed. "I just couldn't command that Riolu right."

"Riolus are tricky. I had the same issue you had against Cheren." I said absent-mindedly. I wanted to avoid talk of Gym battles. I didn't want to have a brag-off with Nate.

"Oh you beat Cheren? How many times did it take you? I managed it in only two tries." Nate pried.

"Just once." I knew that would shut him up. I sensed a bit of competition in him. Before he could ask about Roxie we were ushered into the movie theatre where we were forced to watch the movie we just made. I also wondered whether it would be a flop. It seemed to be a movie that would appeal to the male audience. There was lots of action and violence between the villain and the hero, and then shots of my boobs. Seriously? Then my sequence with Axew played and everyone cheered when Brycen-man went down. I guess that was a good thing.

Nate and I exited the theatre once more, exhausted and flabbergasted. It must be past midnight by now. Stu-Dee-Oh blocked our exit.

"That was fa-buh-lous darlings!" We escaped him and then got stopped by Roxie's dad.

"I don't think acting is for me is it?" I don't know guy I hardly know. You tell me.

"The ferries will resume at sunrise tomorrow. I have a backlog of supplies that need to get to Nimbasa anyway. If they don't get the Ranch's special Moo-moo Milk they might run out of Castelia Cones. Now that would be a bigger disaster than Ghetsis returning for sure!" The Floccesy Ranch had Miltank? They must have been in the barn.

"Hey Rosa, I don't want you on the streets alone. I'll walk you to the Pokémon Centre." Nate almost demanded this. It's so weird being with him since he hardly acknowledges me normally. When we got to the Pokémon Centre it was quite late.

"I'm afraid we have no single rooms left. You will have to take a twin room." The receptionist said sleepily. Nate looked devastated.

"Don't look so worried there kid, you don't have to sleep with her or anything. There are two beds." Oh this just got super weird.

Nate and I were left in a tiny room with two saggy looking beds.

"I'll take this one!" He shouted as he threw his bag onto his bed and then ran to the bathroom to change. I did the same. When I came back Nate was already in bed with the lights off, but I knew he wasn't asleep. I couldn't help myself.

"Nate, why don't you like me?" I asked. I had to; I couldn't bear the strange atmosphere any longer. He flinched at the question.

"I do like you Rosa. It's just, I…We…oh never mind. Don't be nosey." Wow he just brushed me off. He obviously knew something about me that he was uncomfortable with.

"Did I hurt you when you were younger Nate?" I asked again, I couldn't let this go.

"I guess you could say that. Now shut up and stop prying. I'm going to sleep now." He rolled over so he had his back to me. It was like he'd stuck his middle finger up at me. But he didn't go to sleep straight away. He kept on tossing and turning, obviously disturbed by our conversation. I couldn't sleep either. My mind was racing. My hazy past had me questioning myself once more. I must have dozed off eventually since the next time I opened my eyes Nate was standing, fully dressed.

"The ferry is leaving soon. You'd better hurry up if you want to catch it." He left the room quickly with his bag on his shoulder. He looked rough, like he hadn't slept. I felt all foggy and tired but I had to get up so I could finally get off this bloody island and onto mainland Unova. I got ready as quick as a flash and skipped breakfast. I could always get something on the ferry or at Castelia. I sprinted for the ferry to find out I had just made it on time, the sun was only about to rise. How much sleep did I have then? I didn't have time for sleeping right now. My Pokémon Adventure really was just about to start for real!

The ferry let out a loud wail and we jolted suddenly. We must be moving! Hang on. What was that in the distance? It was some form of large ship heading out of Castelia. It looks really odd though. It has a strange vibe.