Floaroma Town

This new town is called "Floaroma Town." Another portmanteau. I suppose that the great proclivity of this place to flowers (they are everywhere) is the inspiration for this. I try to run through the fields of flowers an encounter new pokemon, but no wild pokemon attack. All I find are some people who seem enchanted by the flowers. The aroma of these blooms may have a psychoactive quality not advertised by the sign. Best to leave the flowers for now.

One of the residents mentions that Team Galactic is causing problems in the meadow. I consider ignoring this, but I already dislike Team Galactic so much. I must investigate. I find two of the wretched gangsters between some trees. They complain about their assignment. They also ignore me. Forget it. I find some berries and pick them. The plants disappear once the berries are picked. Bizarre. I enter a shop and a woman, noticing that I am a trainer, requests that I water berries with a "Sprayduck Can." She then gives me such an item. I am confused, but she continues by explaining that I can plant berries in soft, earthy soil and watering them will make them grow. Another woman gives me a berry. Then I find out that this shop does not even take cash. They only accept berries. Whatever. Let's check out the local Poke Mart. They sell "net balls" that are more effective against bug and water pokemon. But they are rather expensive.

I barge into a cottage in town using my characteristic method of entering buildings. As always, the residents are unperturbed by my bad manners. They tell me about honey and how it can be used to lure wild pokemon. Interesting. I should acquire some. I have yet to see it for sale anywhere. I barge into another home. A little girl gives me a TM. I am starting to get used to all the gifts strangers offer me. It seems I have nowhere else to go in this town. North is blocked by those Team Galactic goons. I shall deal with them later. There is a road east, so I follow it.

I pick some berries. A young girl runs up to me. I assume that she's a trainer and prepare myself for battle, but she wants my help. Her father works at a place called the "Valley Windworks." People dressed like spacemen are mean and won't let her in. Does she mean Team Galactic. Unwise of them. Upset a little girl and she can't do anything. Upset a little girl that I come across and maybe I'll hunt you down.

I spot the Valley Windworks. Odd that the windmills are going when I cannot detect even a slight breeze. Forget it. A Team Galactic moron refuses to let me into the building. Sekhmet has something to say about that. His Glameow (a weird cat) hurts Sekhmet badly with a move called "fake out." I have her leer to weaken the other cat, then heal her with a potion. Leer again, but the scratches are hurting. I think the odds are against her in this battle, so I switch to Hanuman. Rock smash demolishes Glameow. This Galactic moron is a sore loser though, and locks himself in. He triumphantly states that I cannot get in because I do not have the other key. I consider having Hanuman rock smash the door, but it might be more fun to pay a visit to those other Galactic idiots and take the key from them by force.

I enter the flower meadow north of town. Those Galactic idiots are trying to extort honey from some guy. They see me. Afraid that I will run off to get help, they send out their pokemon to try and stop me. That has not worked out well for their brethren, but rather than bragging, I let Hanuman's ember do the talking. This works quite well, because Team Galactic is too clueless to use anything but bug pokemon most of the time, and fire is good against bug pokemon. The second Galactic idiot sends out Zubat. I switch to Sekhmet. It is an impressive battle. Sekhmet can barely stand when it's over, but the Zubat falls. The man that Team Galactic was trying to rob is so greatful, he gives me some honey. The Galactic idiots also dropped their Works Key while running away. How convenient. Now I can get into the Valley Windworks without even breaking any doors. I return to town for a quick healing, then run to the Windworks.

As soon as I barge into the building, the moron I beat earlier sees me and runs to get his "commander." I follow him. Another Galactic moron tries to stop me. He has a Silcoon, which appears to be a cocoon pokemon that can fire poison darts and go down in one hit against ember. I really am a lot better at this whole pokemon thing than these fools. Another moron intercepts me, babbling something about how they are going to get electricity from the Valley Windworks. If Sekhmet would just learn an electric attack, I could give him electricity myself. So I switch to her. He's using Wurmple anyway, which seems pretty weak. It does manage to get several hits in, but Sekhmet wins. He brings in Glameow. I almost have Sekhmet use leer, but I remember how hard this thing can hit when it first comes out, so I switch to Kazza to take the hit. Glameow uses growl. My mistake. Go Hanuman. One hit with rock smash ends that. I guess it's because rock smash is a fighting move and Glameow is weak to fighting moves.

A woman with outrageous red hair steps in my way...

"I am one of Team Galactic's three Commanders. We've been trying to create a new world that's better than this one...But people have shown little understanding about what we do. You don't understand either, do you? It's a little saddening...So let's have a battle to decide what what we should do next. If I win, you leave. If you win, we, Team Galactic , will leave!"

I know Apsu has no attacks, so I leave him out to take punishment while healing Sekhmet with a potion. Zubat uses leech life. Better leer twice: this Zubat seems strong. Then the Zubat uses a move called toxic. Sekhmet could be finished soon. I have a bad feeling about this. I have her press the attack. If she can finish the Zubat I should have an advantage in the battle. But Zubat's bite causes her to flinch and the poison weakens her. She manages to score one tackle, but the poison finishes her off. My opponent taunts me. She thinks she has this battle. But it's not over yet. I send in Hanuman for an ember. Zubat is burned by it. Zubat gets on leech life, and the second ember causes it to faint. The Team Galactic Commander sends out Purugly. I think this is probably the evolved form of Glameow. That's just a hunch, though. Hanuman's rock smash is more effective than the big cat's attacks, and he wins, albet barely. He learns fury swipes too. Excellent.

True to her word, my opponent whose name was Mars, gathers her minions and departs. The father of the little girl from earlier is reunited with his daughter. Before I leave, he mentions a visit from a balloon pokemon. I leave, but see no balloons of any sort. I'll have to come back later, I guess. I cross a bridge and some boy scout challenges me. He has a fire horse thing called "Ponyta" that beats up on Sekhmet, so I switch to Hanuman and have him try out his new fury swipes. It works reasonably well. Sekhmet learns bite, which sounds more useful than tackle. I run back to Floaroma town to heal. The boy I just beat mentioned Eterna Forest. If I'm going to trek through a forest, I intend to be prepared.

A big man in hiking gear challenges me. I switch to Hanuman for rock smash. Easy. He sends out another Geodude, but I have already switched to Ninhursag, knowing that mega drain is even better against Geodude. The hiker sends in Machop and I switch to Sekhmet. She should beat the Machop, but her last tackle misses. Poor thing. Ninhursag mega drains to finish Machop. The hiker sends out Bidoof. At this point, I am annoyed, so I bring out Articuno. This may be a mistake, because Articuno still refuses to obey me. In fact, Articuno falls asleep again. Eventually, Articuno uses ice beam, despite my call for aerial ace. But either one works.

I heal my team and continue. Another trainer challenges me, this one with Budew. Sekhmet's bites do appreciable damage and the grassy pokemon is down. Another boy scout challenges me. Geodude again. Rock smash again. Then I am abushed by another hiker. Oh, it's Onix, another rock pokemon. Rock smash? Of course. Another trainer, this one a strange woman in tights, challenges me with her Machop. I consider giving Sekhmet another shot, but I tire of seeing her get hurt. Articuno, do your thing. While Articuno disobeys me again and fails to use aerial ace, ice beam works just as well. No more Machop. A girl scout challenges me with Piplup. Good, this could be practice for fighting Slave again. I send out Sekhmet to see how she fares. She has the advantage with bite, and brings the cute little puffin thing down. I am pleased. I find a rest house. A woman there heals my pokemon.

Another trainer challenges me. This time, my opponent lads with Shinx. Sekhmet overpowers the weaker Shinx. The girl scout or whatever she is sends out Pachirisu. Sekhmet dominates that one too. I find that I have looped back around, so I return to the rest house and head north. There's Eterna Forest just ahead.