Rustboro City

I try placing the silver orb on the PC again.

Ready to try the link again? It looks like only another two made it.

I’ve also got some news about the cause of the anomalies.

- Oh?

We’ve been doing some triangulating and found there’s a ripple effect originating far to the east of you.

- How far?

Most likely in Ever Grande City…

- Oh…

And they’re probably not going to just let you in without any badges…

- …

Anyway, better get to it!

- Ugh…

I shove the silver ball back into my bag and storm over to the gym. Ignoring the other trainers I step right up to the gym leader’s arena.

Welcome challenger! I’m Brock, the leader of this gym.

- I… er… um… Roxanne isn’t here?

Who’s Roxanne?

- Never mind, can I battle you for a badge now please?

OK then. Go Geodude!

- Go Susan!

- Water gun!

Rock tomb!

Susan blasts geodude with a jet of water. Geodude barely stays upright but manages to throw a series of rocks that miss Susan by a wide margin.

- Water gun!

Brock sprays a potion on geodude before Susan knocks geodude into the arena wall with another blast of water.

Go uh… Nosepass?

- Water gun!

Rock tomb!

Susan sprays nosepass with water and nosepass responds by throwing rocks at her and misses.

- Water gun!

Tackle!

Nosepass leaps at Susan head first, slamming into her before being brushed off and forced to the ground by a jet of water from Susan, dealing critical damage.

- Water gun!

Rock tomb!

Susan sprays nosepass again while it throws a bunch of rocks at her, halfway burying her.

- Water gun!

Tackle!

Nosepass bounces off of Susan’s shell before being sent flying out of bounds by one last jet of water from Susan.

Congratulations, you’ve earned the Boulder… oh. That’s weird, why didn’t the league tell me they changed the badge? Anyway you’ve still earned the… Stone Badge!

As I pass through the doorway on my way outside I feel a little dizzy. I look behind me to see the entire gym interior has been swapped out for a fossil museum somehow.

I barely have time to think about it until I’m distracted by the next annoying thing to happen.

Help! Someone! He stole something important!

I don’t get a good look at the thief before he disappears behind a corner.

Caldar! I’m so glad to see you again! Could you possibly help me out of another jam?

- Fine…

Route 116

I make chase at a less than enthusiastic pace, eventually coming across a cabin with a glum looking guy outside.

- Hey, seen any shady types pass by? He was carrying a parcel of some sort.

The bowlcut? He’s in the Rusturf Tunnel. The idiot got himself cornered, the tunnel’s not finished you see. We were almost done but a bunch of whismur moved in and wouldn’t let us.

I reach the tunnel entrance to find a kid crying to himself.

- What’s up with you?

Peeko! He stole my Peeko!

- What? Who? Peeko?

The weirdo in the space suit! He stole Peeko! My best friend wingull!

- Mister Briney?

Mister?

- Never mind.

Rusturf Tunnel

I reach the end of the excavation and find the weirdo in a spacesuit and holding a wingull.

Back off! Don’t mess with me or the bird gets it!

- The Galaxy Group?!

Hey, that’s Team Galactic!

- OK I have no idea what’s going on but you’re going to give the wingull and the package back or else.

Or else what?

I grab him by his stupid hair and smash his face into the rock wall several times until he loosens his grip on the parcel and Peeko makes a break for it. I leave the galaxy grunt on the ground in pool of blood and tears.

Route 116

Thank you so much! I’m so glad my Peeko is safe!

- Sure, whatever.

If you ever need anything, just ask!

Rustboro City

Oh, thank you so much for retrieving those parts! Come with me, the president would want to thank you personally I’d bet!

I follow the Devon scientist into a nearby building and all the way to the top floor. The scientist disappears into an office for a moment and returns.

He’ll see you now.

I step into a huge office. A familiar looking man sits behind a desk, smiling at me.

Welcome! Caldar, was it? I’m Giovanni, the president of Devon Corporation.

- The boss of the rocket gang?!

The rocket whatnow? Anyway, I’d like to thank you for all your help. Take this, it’s a PokéNav, a Pokémon Navigator. It should be quite handy for someone on their pokémon journey like you.

- Oh, thanks?

I take a quick look at it and it appears to be very different to my old PokéNav. It’s more high tech, a touch screen, wireless internet, and some other stuff I don’t even recognise.

I have one small favour to ask, if you’re up to it.

- Hm?

If you’re collecting gym badges I’d imagine you’ll want to go to Dewford at some point. Could you deliver this letter to my son? Wait, my son is in Johto… I think. I think we have an agent there or something, right?

I think so, sir.

Er, yeah. Could you deliver the letter to out agent in Dewford Town?

- Why not.

Route 104

I remember Mister Briney would take me across the water last time I was in Hoenn so I head back to his shack.

Ah, Caldar! Thanks again for saving Peeko. Odd, it feels like a lifetime ago since I last saw you…

- What the…

Oh, that’s right! I can ferry you to Dewford if you want, it’s the least I can do! There is a gym there after all. You are collecting badges, right?

- Sure…

Set sail!