My Great Big Adventure

His name… is Colress.

Makes me think of colorless. Pale. Albino.

He was waiting for me in Castelia's Central Plaza.

After defeating Burgh, I wasn't really sure where I wanted to go. I ran into Bianca at the Pokemon Center, and she said Hugh had gone ahead to Nimbasa City. But do I really want to be that girl, always chasing after that boy she can't have? A little, a little part of me actually does. But I could also go east to Nacrene City. Or hop on a ferry to somewhere far away.

However once Bianca told me there's a carnival in Nimbasa City, a carnival with a FERRIS WHEEL, I was hooked. I've always wanted to ride one of those giant wheels! Maybe Hugh and I can ride on it together…

So I set out for Nimbasa City, passing through Central Plaza to reach Route 4.

That's where I ran into him, stalker dude, Colress.

"Hello again, my dear. I knew you'd pass through here soon," he said, practically purring. "May I look at your Pokemon?"

"NO EFFING WAY!"

"But this is for science…"

He is very agile for a scientist, I must say… I guess he is pretty young-looking. Well, older than me but younger than thirty. He kept jumping in front of me when I tried to run. I got so annoyed that I finally pulled out Servine's pokeball and sent him out to battle.

"Oh, how interesting! Your Servine is so confident, way more so than wild ones… and you only have three badges? Remarkable! You must be quite the trainer," he remarked, giving me another one of his creepy smiles.

"Oh, do forgive me," he continued. "My name is Colress. I am a scientist researching how to bring out a Pokemon's full potential."

I scowled at him. "I don't care what you say you are, stop following me! There are plenty of other trainers for you to study, who are stronger than me!"

He smiled. "But none as pretty."

…

I think he was hitting on me. Gross! I don't remember much of what happened next, I think he made to grab my arm or something, and I jerked away. I tripped over a trashcan and then I don't remember anything else.

According to Colress, I tripped over a trashcan and hit my head on the fountain. I'm not sure I believe him, but that's all I have to go on.

I do remember waking up in a strange place, a house that was falling apart. Or rather, a house that was being built.

My head ached horribly. I couldn't even sit up the pain was so bad. Colress heard me moaning and suddenly he was obscuring my vision, informing me I blacked out after tripping. I screamed and tried to roll over, both of which only made the pain worse.

"If you don't stop thrashing around, you'll hit your head again, little girl," he said, quite calm. "I'm not a doctor and I'd prefer not to have to mess with your bandages again."

Little girl…? "I didn't ask you to take care of me!"

"You'd prefer if I had let you bleed to death?"

Maybe. I wasn't sure of what creeper things this man was about to do to me. Or HAD done to me… perhaps death would be less painful.

However, he mistook my silence for defeat. "As I thought. Now, I must say how impressed I am at the strength of your Pokemon! Your Lucario in particular—"

"YOU LOOKED AT MY POKEMON!?" That… that CREEP examined my Pokemon while I was out cold? I think he pushed me on purpose…

"I put them back of course, safe and sound."

Put them… back? I looked down and saw that indeed all six of my Pokeballs were attached to my hip. That means… that means… HE TOUCHED ME?!

…!

I couldn't help it, I blushed profoundly.

Despite my large headache, I stood up and glared at him, practically fuming. "Who do you think you are, touching me while I'm asleep?! You CREEP! Stay the hell AWAY from me!"

He shrugged. "I'm Colress." As if that deemed him worthy of doing whatever he wanted.

I grabbed my bag, praying he hadn't stolen anything, and inched over to the door.

"Please, go right ahead," he said, apparently amused. "But you won't get very far."

Unfortunately, he was right.

I exited the building to find a quaint, new neighborhood. You could tell it was new, with all the construction dust, and more houses were being built. Down the road to my left was a sign pointing to Castelia City. To my right…

A giant wall of…. CRABS?!

"These Pokemon are called Crustle," Colress explained, coming up behind me. "They've been sleeping here for days. It would seem your path is blocked."

Ignoring the creeper, I pushed against the wall of crabs with all my strength. They didn't budge.

"I have created a device that will energize Pokemon to bring out their strength. Care for an example?" he asked, sounding very smug at my failed attempts.

"Not remotely." I was not interested in seeing this freak control Pokemon. That sounds like something Team… Team Rocket or one of those old villain groups would do. Not sure if Team Plasma would try to control Pokemon… they're more interested in releasing them.

"Ah, but I'll only show you if you defeat me in a Pokemon battle!" he proclaimed with a sweep of his arm. "Go! Magnemite!"

He just… ignored everything I said!

But, a Pokemon battle eh? Fine, I'd wipe that smile off his face!

I easily KO'd his Magnemite with Growlithe, who also took out his Klink. The battle was… surprisingly easy. I expected him to have a high-leveled Muk or Golbat or something.

Recalling his fainted Pokemon, Colress only smiled wider. "Splendid! You are quite the trainer! The way you brought out the power in your Pokemon…" he rambled off into a long monologue.

"Actually I just had a type advantage." Again, I was ignored. He continued to ramble, but when he mentioned Team Plasma, I jerked to pay attention.

"…Team Plasma said we should separate humans from Pokemon. However, I think that humans bring out a Pokemon's full potential. That is what I aim to prove by examining you, Rosa."

Hey! I never told him my name… creepy!

"Here's a token of my gratitude," he continued, pulling a small item from his pocket. A protein.

A PROTEIN? He thinks that makes up for kidnapping and harassing me?

Pressing the protein into my hand, he leaned in close. "If only we could talk to Pokemon and know exactly what they were thinking… wouldn't that be something? But such a thing could never exist… Well, Rosa, I hope we meet again soon."

I should have ran. I should have listened to my first instinct and bolted. But no, I'm an idiot and decided to have a Pokemon battle with this… this…

I hope we meet again soon…

And then, then… He kissed my cheek!

He kissed my cheek and gave me the smuggest grin I've ever seen, even worse than Hugh. I brushed my cheek with my fingers, whether in shock or disgust… perhaps both. And then Colress pulled a remote out of his pocket and, for lack of a better word, zapped the Crustle! A puff of smoke and electricity exploded from the remote, and before I could even say or do anything, both the Crustle and Colress disappeared!

He… he… he kissed me… kissed me! On the cheek but still! A kiss!

I'm blushing right now thinking about it. How, how dare he?! My first kiss from a boy… I wanted Hugh— I mean… well, I had hoped…

Oh why am I even thinking about it?

Ugghhh I'm going to bed!