Eterna City

I leave my nap or whatever feeling refreshed. I cannot remember what I dreamt, but something seems to be urging me to continue raising Apsu. I chat with some fishermen at the docks just outside the next town. Not all fish pokemon are useless. One of them has Goldeen, which seems decent. Another repeatedly uses Magikarp and I have Apsu beat each one because it amuses me. This takes a lot longer than Sekhmet would, but I'm in no hurry.

Another fisherman uses Magikarp against me. These guys must have some sense of humor. Apsu has no more "PP" left for tackle. I do not understand what this mean, but somehow, he can no longer tackle, so I switch to Sekhmet. This time, the opposing Goldeen actually does significant damage. Sekhmet learns spark. Finally, the lightning has arrived. Congratulations, Sekhmet. And that was the last fisherman.

I explore to the north and pick some berries. Planting berries is for losers, so I leave the soil bare. Then I go back to the main road and enter Eterna City. If this city is ever destroyed, its name will seem delightfully ironic. Someone gloats about how fun riding a bicycle can be. Braggart. I consider teaching this oaf some manners, when I spot one of the Team Galactic people. Oh no. Must I deal with you here as well? This one is intimidated by me, though. He says that I can keep my pokemon? What, like you were going to take them? Whatever. A sign in front of the nearby building reads...

"Team Galactic Eterna Building. We Want Your Pokemon!"

Come and get them, Team Galactic. Just you try it. I cannot get any closer to tell them this, because bushes block the entrance to the building. I am really starting to want that "cut" move. A woman in black approaches me. She does not look like one of Team Galactic. Then I see that she isn't. In fact, she's on my side...

"Oh, is that a pokedex? You must be helping Professor Rowan? What's your name?"

I tell her.

"OK, hello, Master. I'll be sure to remember that name! My name is Cynthia. I'm a trainer just like you. I've been studying pokemon mythology lately, just out of curiosity." She turns around to make sure no one is watching us, then continues, "Here in Eterna City, there is a statue of an ancient pokemon. According to myth, it was an extremely powerful pokemon. Who knows? You may encounter something like it while you're traveling with your pokedex. Try using this. It should help you on your way." Then she gives me the HM for cut. How helpful. I like this Cynthia person already. Now, should I check out that statue or teach someone cut? I decide on the latter, for now. Ninhursag and Hanuman can both learn the move, so I replace Ninhursag's unimpressive water sport with cut. She still cannot cut down the bushes though. Oh, I forgot. Badges. Cutting will have to wait.

I examine the statue. It looks familiar. There is an inscription, but parts of it are completely illegible. Then, all at once, I understand: this is the phantom from my dream. That phantom was some sort of ancient and powerful pokemon. Anxiously, I read what I can. This pokemon is supposedly the creator of dimensions and might now be dead or alive or neither and is probably in a different universe. I can't tell. Forboding. I leave and barge into the nearest building. It turns out to be a shop for herbal medicine. Too bad I am already in the pockets of Big Pharma, hahaha. Wait, what? Forget it.

Some woman in the Poke Center thinks I am cute, so she gives me an app for my poketch. I forgot about that thing, actually. A boy complains that Team Galactic stole his pokemon. Is there a rule that says I cannot just have Articuno ice beam their whole building? I find a bicycle shop, but cannot purchase a much-needed velocipede from the proprietor, as he is absent. Gone to the Team Galactic building, in fact. A boy in the condominium I just barged into wants to trade his Chatot for Buizel. I take note of that. An old woman gives me a TM. A girl tells me that the Gym Leader here sometimes goes to Eterna Forest. Wait, Gym Leader? I could use another badge.

The sign outside the gym betrays the fact that Gardenia, the Gym Leader here, uses "vivid plant pokemon." Hanuman, you will soon have an opportunity to do what you do best. Gardenia greets me, then says that I cannot challenge her until I beat all of the other trainers in the gym. I follow her into an artificial forest thing. I see how this works. The trainers hide in forest. I have to find them. Well, fortunately, I am an expert woodsman. This should be easy.