Laverre City

Serena and I are resting up at the pokémon canter when Trevor and Tierno return triumphant with Shauna.

I can still barely believe you managed that flying drop kick, Tierno!

It’s all in the technique!

I think you shattered that guy’s spine!

Relax, that noise was from when I snapped his arm and smashed his knee.

Another Flare goon out of action!

In other news Team Flare stole all the pokéballs from the factory.

What would they want with so many?

- Apparently they want to catch pokémon with them.

But that’s horrible! … Wait, we do that too…

But with so many they must be planning to catch a lot of pokémon. More than any trainer could want!

I’m sure the authorities can handle it for now. I gave my report to Officer Jenny while Caldar dozed off.

Route 15

We had all set off together but were soon separated in the tall grass. I take the opportunity to recruit. A kelfki, pokéball go!

Klefki: So does it make the keys, steal the keys or is it born with those keys?

- Welcome to the bench, Anastacia!

Anastacia ♀ Lv. 34

I continue onwards, we’d all agreed to meet up at Dendemille Town but as I notice an old ruin I reckon the gang would explore it.

Lost Hotel

Though I don’t quite see the appeal myself buy a group of hoodlums seem quite at home here. They seem to tolerate me to the point of having pokémon battles on sight.

I get a little turned around trying to find the exit. The smell down here is starting to bother me and I can’t imagine Serena and the others would have wanted to stay down here for long either.

I round a corner and immediately stop as I’m almost sure a nearby trash can moved. I nudge it with my foot and a trubbish leaps out at me. In my panic I throw a pokéball at it.

Trubbish: You’re sure it wasn’t just a garbage bag?

- Welcome to the bench, Domhnall.

Domhnall ♂ Lv. 35

Route 16

This clearly wasn’t the way I came in but fresh air is fresh air. I take a moment to get my bearings and notice some very tall grass so I take this chance to recruit again. A pumpkaboo, pokéball go!

Pumpkaboo: It has two faces, which one do I look at?

- Welcome to the bench, Nito!

Nito ♂ Lv. 36

Dendemille Town

We’ve got a problem!

What else is new?

- What’s wrong?

We can’t cross route 17 until the mamoswine comes back from the Frost Cavern.

- So I guess we wait until it comes back.

Well that’s the thing, mamoswine can’t fit through the entrance to the cavern but it still won’t move it’s so worried about something inside.

Frost Cavern

Tierno shows me across a bridge to the north of town. Trevor is standing near a restless mamoswine.

His handler says he’s probably worried about his friend, an Abomasnow that lives in the cavern.

- Fine! I’ll go have a look. It’s probably being hassled by a swarm of zubats or a mass of digletts or something.

It takes me a little while to get used to the slippery floor, nearly falling on my face a couple of times and I bump into a jynx. Pokéball go.

Jynx: Um… the less said, the better.

- Welcome to the bench, Quelana

Quelana ♀ Lv. 39

Slipping and sliding around, trying not to get impaled on icicles, I eventually reach a chamber in which an abomasnow is being hassled by some flair folk.

Excellent specimen! It’ll do just fine for the plan, just think of all the energy we can extract from you.

- I don’t like the sound of that. Energy for what?

Oh great another brat. Goons, get him!

Yes Sir- uh Mable- er ma’am… Ma’am Mable?

I’m on it ma’am!

ZUUL!

Before the goons make a move Zuul pulls all the light from the cavern, leaving us in total darkness.

Kyaa!

By Arceus it burns!

The light returns and the goons are nowhere to be seen. Zuul looms over Mable, slowly inching closer to her.

They don’t pay me enough for this crap!

She runs out of the cavern while Zuul just grins at her. The abomasnow had been watching silently the whole time nods in appreciation.

Route 17

Riding on the back of a mamoswine gave me the time to appreciate the landscape. Here I can only see snow in all directions and the trench dug out by mamoswine behind us, which is slowly filling up with more snow.

Just when I’m about to fall asleep from boredom a delibird swoops down at me from the sky and drops a present in my lap. I open it to find delibird looking up at me, it leaps out the box and into one of my pokéballs.

Delibird: Did it just give you itself as a gift?

- Welcome to the bench, Velka.

Velka ♀ Lv. 39

Anistar City

I’m standing in a plaza, completely mesmerised by this giant shiny crystal sundial thing, when Serena approaches me.

I’ve decided!

- Decided what?

I’m going to train you to use mega evolution!

- What? Why?

If that bracer isn’t coming off any time soon then you might as well put it to use.

- Huh?

You think I didn’t see the bruises on your wrist?

- So… how are you going to train me?

Guess.

- Oh crap.

Go Meowstic!

- Go Zuul!

- Shadow ball!

Psychic!

Zuul produces a sphere of darkness and throws it at meowstic, robbing it of energy as the ball passes through it.

Right, nice warm up.

ZUUL.

Go Greninja!

- Thunderbolt!

Water shuriken!

Greninja throws some sharp looking star shapes made of water at Zuul who points at greninja and fires a lightning bolt at it.

Worried yet? Have you tried to imagine yourself in you pokémon’s place?

- I think you’re going easy on me, your greninja can do a lot more than throw wet shapes!

- Zuul return. Go Max!

Water shuriken!

Max leaves his pokéball to a flurry of sharp watery shames flung at his face.

- Grass pledge!

Dark pulse!

Greninja throws out a wave of darkness, causing a large amount of pain for Max who summons blades of grass from all around to whip at greninja until it passes out.

So it’s type advantages you want? Try this!

Go Flareon!

- Max return! Go Siegmeyer!

Lava plume!

Flareon spews a molten hot mass at Siegmeyer, burning him.

- Bulldoze!

Quick attack!

Flareon darts at Siegmeyer and gives him a swift kick before getting trampled as Siegmeyer stomps forward, breaking up the ground.

Come on! Can’t you see your nidoking is in pain?

- Siegmeyer return! Go Zuul!

Bite!

Flareon bites on Zuul’s leg as she leaves her pokéball.

ZUUL!!

Woah she sounds angry! Aren’t you mad too?

- Shut up!

- Shadow ball!

Bite!

The keystone on my wrist shimmers a little but nothing else happens before Zuul forms a ball of darkness and without letting go, mushes it into flareon’s face until it passes out from choking on it.

That was just mean!

Go Absol!

- Zuul return! Go Velen!

Night slash!

Absol phases through the shadows before leaping out and slashing at Velen, catching him by surprise and dealing critical damage.

- Aura sphere!

Slash!

Velen forms a ball of light between his hands and flings it in absol’s face, exploding on impact and leaving absol knocked out on the floor.

Yes, well. I think we made good progress today. Why don’t you try the gym while I visit the pokémon center?

The gym wasn’t far and stepping inside my first impression is that I’ve just walked into someone’s house. But as soon as I accidentally step onto the rune on the floor I feel like I just fell into the Distortion World again.

Left is up, down is blue and all that other stuff I remember. At least there’s no demon pokémon stalking me this time. Spending what feels like hours trying to make sense of the place and I’m almost at the point of vomiting; I find the gym leader’s arena, complete with gym leader.

Ah, welcome. A challenger?

- Yes.

Then we begin.

Go Sigilyph!

- Go Zuul!

- Shadow ball!

Psychic!

Zuul throws a dark orb at sigiliph, imploding on contact and leaving nothing behind.

ZUUL!

Go Slowking!

- Shadow ball!

Yawn!

Zuul lobs another shadow ball and it slaps slowking in the face before it yawns loudly in return.

- Thunderbolt!

Olympia sprays a hyper potion on slowking while Zuul electrocutes it with a lightning bolt. Zuul promptly falls asleep.

Zuu…

- Zuul return! Go Beatrice!

Psychic!

Beatrice seems quite annoyed at the mental assault from slowking.

- Charge beam!

Yawn!

While building up power, Beatrice fires a small electric beam at slowking. Slowking yawns back.

- Charge beam!

Olympia sprays another hyper potion on slowking while Beatrice electrocutes it, building up power too and then falling asleep.

- Charge beam!

Power gem!

Beatrice continues to snooze while slowking summons some shiny rocks from nowhere and flings them at her.

- Charge beam!

Power gem!

Beatrice wakes up and resumes gathering strength while zapping slowking who throws more shiny stones at her.

- Charge beam!

Power gem!

Beatrice gathers still more strength while she zaps slowking into submission.

Go Meowstic!

- Signal beam!

Shadow ball!

While meowstic is gathering darkness Beatrice fires a bright red beam that hits meowstic between the eyes, knocking it out cold.

Well done. The Psychic Badge is yours.

Be careful.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in Anistar City…

Come in Agent 13, do you read me? This is Agent 12, I need a report! Come in!

Agent 12′s silver ball lies motionless in her hand.

You’ve strayed from the script and the disruptions are getting worse! I’m going to have to nudge things in the right direction. If you can hear me I want you to prepare for the next phase, get the script back on track! Something big is coming and we’ve got to prevent it!

Agent 12 shoves the silver ball back in her purse in frustration and walks around from behind the pokémon center.

You there! I need your assistance with something.

Hm? Me?