This was not going all that well.

Roxie had brought out her Whirlipede to try and work on training Toxic with Entoma. Whirlipede was a titan if I'm completely honest. You don't really consider just how ridiculous a nearly four-foot in diameter spiked steamroller is until you see it, but I'll tell you right here and now, it's terrifying. I can't wait till I have one.

The problem was that Roxie wasn't lying about having no clue how to teach. Sure, she didn't have the best base with Entoma, who still only knew Poison Sting, but she just wasn't sure where to start.

"No, no, not like that! Look, that's a good foundation for Acid or Acid Spray, but the toxin itself needs to be self-sustaining. Just shooting a reserve of poison will get you nowhere."

Roxie was having conniptions trying to train the two Pokémon, while I on the other hand sunbathed and watched her steady decline in mental stability. How long till the egg cracks? I'm betting another thirty minutes. Oh, hey, nachos! Don't mind if I do.

We've been here for about an hour at this point and the only progress was the spout of poison she could now spray from her mouth like one of those strange city fountains. It wasn't particularly effective at damaging, but if she figures out how to add a corrosive quality to it, we would be in business.

When Roxie let out a frustrated cry and began to walk towards me, I was disappointed that my bet hadn't held up. Couldn't even wait half an hour more, honestly.

"I'm taking a break, Whirlipede can try and teach- When did ya' take your shirt off?"

"'Bout half an hour ago. You've been busy, and a man needs his tan," I reply, eating a chip.

Honestly, one of the best things about this new body was the darker skin. I used to have heavy Irish genes. Now, with these new, Native American or Polynesian genes, there wasn't the threat of burning after thirty minutes. Sure, if I were out for too long, I'd get toasted, but that was still a while off.

Remember, don't let your white homies burn. Make sure they get that sunscreen.

Roxie blinked. "Uhm, right. Well, turns out I was right about needing to practice teaching it," She sighed. "I mean, we put in a couple years of effort into this, and then we have to put even more time into it? It's just... frustrating 'ya know?"

"Yea, I feel ya." I said, nodding as I took another chip. Damn, I could use some salsa with these.

We sat in silence for about a minute, watching our bugs try and figure out the poison move. Occasionally, Roxie's Whirlipede would shoot a bubbling mass of dark purple that Entoma would try and replicate.

"Hey, Nico?"

"Yup?"

"Do you really not have an X-transceiver?"

"I do not," I replied as I reached for my drink's straw

Another pause ensued, broken only by a quiet slurping.

"Look, you can probably guess, but I don't have a lot of friends. This is a small shipping town, and I'm a punk rocker. The only pals I've got 'round here are my bandmates, Billy Jo and Nicky, but they're dating and spend most of their time alone with each other," She quietly spoke. "You seem pretty nice, and had a Venipede, and frankly, I need friends. 'Ya get what I'm saying here?"

Well, if the lady teaching me overpowered and rare moves wants to be friends, I have no reason to deny her.

I turn to her and give her a smile.

"Say, how much does an X-transceiver cost?"

Her smile was more radiant than the sun.

"How about we go find out?"

We left Entoma and Whirlipede to their own devices and started to shop around. X-transceivers weren't particularly cheap, but they're still affordable. The best deal I could find was about eight hundred PokéDollars, and it looked half-beaten to death.

Biting the bullet, I went for a fresh model that was about twelve hundred. It put me down to nearly four thousand in the bank, but it was a fancy watch. Not a Pokédex, but still a solid piece of tech. Calls, time, map, the works. I even got it in a black with purple highlights, my favorite color combo.

I left the paper with her number back in my room, so I just had her manually input it into my new fangled timepiece. A few test calls later, and we were all set. Thing even had a speaker on it, I tell you. My freshly healed ears did not appreciate it when I maxed it out for testing purposes.

We also picked out some new clothes for me, and yes, I did get that Hawaiian button-up.

It only took about half an hour to get my glorified Apple watch, so when we got back to the Virbank complex, the bugs were still practicing their attack. Entoma's spray had gotten slightly more condensed and darker, with an added bubbling. It was a lot closer to carbonation than the viscous, massive bubbles that Whirlipede's Toxic dump still emitted.

I turn to Roxie and tell her, "Well, it seems they've gotten a bit better. Might just need some time?"

She considered it, and responded, "Maybe? Toxic doesn't function like a normal-poison type attack though. It's more like a Thunder Wave, a chunk of energy that implants a poison generator. But, hey, maybe a stronger base of poison power will be what she needs."

"So, it'll need some kind of extra spark to it? Makes things harder."

"Again, two years working on this! I doubt it'll take that long to copy now that we got an example, but it ain't an easy thing! Spark ain't the half of it."

We laugh a bit, before making some more small talk. Nothing else really happened, except the incident where Entoma accidentally overpowered her shot and nearly hit us. Thankfully, we scrambled out of the way just before it hit.

A small splash ended up on my shirt, and the new hole meant I had to go and buy some new clothes. I'm thinking of a few Hawaiian button-ups. Considering I'll be heading to a desert soon enough, a face cover to keep out sand seems like a smart investment as well. Sunglasses, too. And a bigger water flask.

With no new progress after an hour or so, we decided to just head out for the night. It wasn't quite night yet, but the sun was barely peeking out along the horizon. The boat was leaving early in the morning, so despite Roxie's earlier comments on staying up till midnight we ended up heading to bed at a regular time.

Got to get my beauty sleep, my lovely self doesn't look this hot without some effort.

Ah, I love boating. I didn't get all that many opportunities to boat in my previous life, but it was great every time. Sure, I'd inevitably burn back with my old flesh, but not much compared to the wind of a boat cruising forty miles-per-hour, the occasional wave rocking you back and forth. Every few seconds, a light mist of water would spray you, keeping you nice and cool. A shame that they don't let Pokémon stay out, but Entoma doesn't seem to mind the Pokéball all that much.

This was heaven.

"Nico? You've been layin' over that safety rail for about ten minutes now. You feelin' alright?"

"I'm doing wonderful, thank you."

The boat wasn't quite a ferry, but it was nearing it in size. It was light grey and beige throughout, with "Flying Basculin" engraved in neat calligraphy on the side. The name was a bit stupid, but I don't have the best naming sense either. I need to get a boat sometime.

I ceased draping myself over the railing and turned to Roxie.

"Alright, I'm done. What can I do for you?"

She hummed and asked, "Well, we can't exactly shoot acid on a boat ride or in Castelia, so we ought to make some plans for today. I'm thinking of runnin' off to the forest across that big bridge of theirs, or the desert."

"I was already planning on heading to the desert to grab a Dwebble, so how about heading there?"

Roxie's nose scrunched up in distaste. "Are you sure? I hear the forest is pretty nice, plenty of bugs!"

"If I'm honest, I've become somewhat of a snob. Sure, I could go and grab one of the common bugs, but I really want something special, you know?"

"Well, I'm sure you could enjoy your time there, at least!"

I snorted. "Alright, Roxie, why don't you want us to go to the desert?"

"I don't like sand."

I paused. "You don't like- Don't you live near the beach?"

"I do, and I don't see why people think it's so special. It's just sand and water. You can get water at any swimming pool, and the sand is just irritating," she petulantly replied.

Pinching my nose, I sigh. "Alright, fine. We won't go to the desert together. This forest better look nice."

Castelia certainly looked nice. The inspiration from New York is very clear, except the air is breathable and it's not a shithole. The massive buildings composed a beautiful cityscape, with bustling crowds wandering around and businesses lining the way.

We hadn't had any breakfast and I needed a break from the rations I was brought here with, so we decided to get some local food. Seeing as New York had some famous pizza, we eventually settled on a small local pizza shop.

Giorno's DiGiorno was a lovely little place located just down an alleyway, and run by an effeminate, blond-and-curly haired man in purple. The food was great, a thin-crust pizza with various cured meats cooked on.

The Castelia bridge was a masterpiece. Err, Skyarrow Bridge, but who remembers the actual name? Regardless, the sign we saw as we approached it claimed that it was "The Longest Bridge in the World!"

It wasn't a slouch in construction, either. It was supported by four pairs of intricately carved pillars and smoothly paved with a fake brick pattern. For the life of me, I couldn't see a single crack in the pavement.

It took about an hour to cross the bridge. It wasn't like we were taking our time, either. We weren't speed walking, but we got close to doing so.

It was amusing just how much like the games the entrance to the bridge was. There was a small building you exit through, and as you step through the door you're immediately in the forest.

Seeing the forest, I'm suddenly not irritated by my inability to go to the desert quite yet anymore. The forest canopy dimmed most of the sunlight, leaving the asphalted pathway with a dim, eerie glow. Pokémon cried out every few seconds, mainly bugs, birds, and the occasional monkey.

What is with this world and everything looking amazing?

Pinwheel Forest was perfect for training dangerous and secret moves like Toxic. There's a large main path and a few other unpaved side ones, but if you want a bit of secrecy, you just have to do what we did, and wander off into the forest till you find a clearing about ten minutes out.

When we finally arrived, it was about noon. The boat back that Roxie had to take would be departing at around nine in the morning tomorrow, so we had all day to work on Toxic.

I had called out Entoma once we had gotten onto the bridge, and Roxie called out her Whirlipede as soon as we got off the main path. We've got plenty of time to train, but better to start sooner than later.

The first couple of hours were the same as yesterday, though Entoma had managed to get something closer to Toxic. Not that I could tell, though.

I think I need a hobby. Most of my time is spent just sitting around as Entoma does her thing.

Leaning against a tree, I start to doze off.

I woke up to an ecstatic cry. What time is it?

I checked my X-transceiver to see it's nearly three. Damn, I was out of it, nearly three hours.

"NICO! SHE DID IT!"

"W-What?" You know that feeling when you just wake up and nothing connects? I just stared blankly at Roxie as she ran over to me.

"She got Toxic!"

"Huh?" I could hear her saying words, I just couldn't comprehend the meanings. Next thing I know, Entoma tackles into my chest. "I'm up! I'm up! So, what were you saying?"

Roxie raised her eyebrow before rolling her eyes at me. "I just told you, Entoma got Toxic down. Way to bring down the moment, man," she replied in a condescending manner.

"Wait, shit, really? I missed it?"

"Yup. That's what you get for passin' out like that."

"I- Uh, fair enough." I can't say I'm too mad. "Hey, Entoma, mind giving me a demonstration?"

She gave a nod and turned to the nearest tree. With a large exhale she shot a small purple blob, impacting the tree. The little ball sizzled a little chunk out of the tree before seemingly being rendered inert.

I blinked. "Was that it?"

"Wait for it."

A minute later, and nothing seemed to have changed. I turn back to Roxie, only for her to smugly point at the canopy.

Oh.

The formerly vivid green leaves had already gone a dark shade of brown with noticeable purple tinges. A minute later, cracks started to sound out. The entire tree was decaying rapidly, already starting to fall apart.

Twenty minutes later, and a quick scramble away, the tree collapsed.

"Holy shit."

"Yup."

A manic smile broke out on my face. "I am very happy right now."

Roxie snorted, "Yea, that's what I figured. Let's get something as a celebration now! I'm feelin' ice cream, how 'bout you?"

I chuckled, "Ice cream it is, then."

So, we trekked back through the forest and across the bridge, laughing and chatting all the way. Once we got back to Castelia we went touring, ate an excessive amount of ice cream, and booked a couple of rooms to pass out in.

It was a good day.

"And ya' better pick up my calls when I send 'em," Roxie gave her final demand.

"I will, don't worry. Even if I'm busy, I'll make sure to give you a call back when I can."

"You better, or uhm... you don't want to know!"

Roxie stood just next to the boarding ramp on the soon-to-depart ferry. Her hair and clothes were ruffled, likely from just having woken up with no time to get prepared. It looked surprisingly natural; all things considered.

It was nearly time for her to leave, and I can't help but feel like I'll miss her. Roxie had been a surprisingly fun companion, especially considering she's a teenage rebel. No incessant complaining, whining, or other shit to deal with. It's very hard to hate someone who you splurged half a thousand PokéDollars in a night on.

Plus, Toxic.

"Well, Rox, it's been a pleasure. Next time I'm in town I'll drop by, and make sure you remember to call. I'm shit at remembering. Oh, and don't forget to send those band demos you told me about!"

Scratching the back of her neck, Roxie replied, "Yea, it has been pretty great, hasn't it. I'll be sure to do all the remembering, so don't slack on your end!"

She picked up her suitcase and began to ascend the plank. I turned to leave, and just before I could get going, I heard her yell my way.

"Oy, Nico! Stay safe, will 'ya?"

From the side of the boat, Roxie was smiling and waving at me. I returned the smile and gave her a salute.

"Right back at you, Rox!"

I then left, making my way through the city. I had a desert to investigate and a Dwebble to catch.

Castelia City was built on the desert, slowly assimilating more and more of it into its border as the city built more and more. Route 4, or the main route that people used to get through the desert to Nimbasa, would be populated with suburbs within two years, at least if the Black and White 2 timeline was accurate.

The Desert Resort, though, was a protected area. Trainers were free to come and go, capturing Pokémon and the like, but no city expansion into the area would be tolerated. The ruins in the Desert Resort were a natural historical landmark and research site, and God save you if you make Pokémon researchers angry.

However, Route 4 hadn't yet been populated. Trainers and travelers alike walked through the area, occasionally fighting off the spunky, eager-to-fight Darumaka and Sandile.

One strange thing about this world is food, and Pokémon diets. Sandile, for example, typically live entirely off the sand and minerals they dig through. Darumaka literally absorb the heat of the desert to live.

Berries make things even stranger. Berry trees seem to grow in nearly any environment so long as soil, sunlight, and water exist, and their fruit are the primary food source of most Pokémon. Entoma has been happily living off the occasional berry tree we came across on the side of the road and a small portion of my rations when not travelling.

So, I didn't have to deal with a swarm of angry baby crocodiles nipping at my ankles for a quick bite. I don't think I would have been all that willing to risk my Achilles tendon if that was a threat.

It was already eleven by the time I made it out of the city. I released Entoma as soon as I could, and she took her customary spot on the top of my head. I figured that Dwebble would be tough to find, and I really didn't know how to figure out where they were. Plus, I would be out in the sun all day, in a desert.

Speaking of the desert, I take back what I said about everything in this world looking gorgeous. This desert was a terrible place. Rocks, debris, and oh so much sand. Nimbasa was a few miles off in the distance, with nothing but the endless waves of sand between the two cities. Off to the left of Nimbasa, some construction to what I assume is the path to the desert ruins was faintly visible.

I figured that I'd make the walk to Nimbasa, checking every decent size rock to see if it was a Dwebble. Since Nimbasa was about five miles away on unpaved sand, I figured I'd finally make use of some of my new clothes. Not the Hawaiian one, but some thin, loose white clothes along with one of those face coverings. You know, the white ones that appear in stereotypical Arabian or desert movies? It'll keep the sand out of my mouth.

With the consistent use of Pokémon Center lodgings, food expenditure, and new purchases, I was running low on money. Only about two thousand PokéDollars left. I know it's partially my fault for not challenging more trainers, but I still only have Entoma, and most people have a parent or two that can afford to keep them fed and roomed while travelling the world.

How to get more money? I know Nimbasa has the battle subway, but that seems like a much riskier bet than random kids on the road. Can I abuse meta-knowledge to my advantage?

I wonder if any of the researchers have figured out what the Darmanitan "statues" around the Desert Ruins are? Are there research bounties in this world?

Eh, may as well help them out anyways. Maybe I'll get some rich dude's gratitude in the form of cash. I wonder where I can get a Rage Candy Bar. Isn't it a Johto thing?

I started my long journey through Route 4 with foolish optimism. I figured that Dwebble couldn't be that rare, and that I'd have a relatively easy time going through the desert. Oh, how wrong I was. The first hour or so wasn't that bad. Walking through the sand was a bit irritating, and none of the rocks I investigated had been Dwebble, but I don't expect instant gratification.

The second hour was a bit less cheerful. My feet had started to drag, and I had to drink from the water canteen in my rations every few minutes to keep cool. Oh, and Dwebble were nowhere to be found. I was challenged by a random Ranger, but I declined so that I wouldn't have an unconscious bug when I encountered my new party member.

The third hour was when I realized that all hope was lost. My body was a lot more athletic than it should be, but a couple hours of walking through sand was taking a toll on me. It also dawned on me that while the human walking speed tended to average about three to four miles per hour, I was wading through sand and exhausted.

I was not going three to four miles per hour. I was going two miles per hour at best, and only one or on average. It didn't help that I was still checking for Dwebble.

The fourth hour was a blur. I may have been checking for Dwebble, I'm not certain. I just kept walking with no active consciousness other than an idle mental complaint about the steadily burning lactic acid present in my legs and back. At this point everything was hurting just a bit, and my arms and legs would need a burn heal for the sunburn.

The final half an hour or so was unfortunately distinct. Instead of the near-blissful half-conscious state I was previously in, once I noticed Nimbasa city had gotten noticeably closer with every few minutes I had gained the terrible sensation of hope. I couldn't slip into comfortable numbness because I would look to see how close I was. Oh, and still no Dwebble.

The joy I felt when my feet finally hit the asphalt road being constructed a few hundred yards outside Nimbasa was nothing short of a high. Every step was still painful, but not having to deal with the drag caused by the sand was incredible. Sure, I had no Dwebble, but I was here.

I stumbled into Nimbasa, probably looking like a dying man. The man at the gate to the city just looked at me and made a chuckling comment under his breath about "unprepared kids crossing deserts," the absolute bastard.

Whatever, at least I can rest. Finding my way to the PokéCenter took no time at all, and I paid for my night's rooming. Before heading up to my room, I made sure to buy a burn heal from the mart and apply it to my sunburnt body. I let out a sigh of relief when I sat down at the PC in the room, Entoma hopping off my head and resting on the desk.

I decided to quickly look up where to get a Rage Candy Bar. I was right, they are from Johto. Mahogany Town, to be specific. However, if you want to get one in Unova, there's a "Kantonese market" that sells them. Where is this market, you may ask?

Castelia City.

I think I'm going to cry.