Khali

The pokedex says that Misdreavus gets nourishment from fear. Oh yes, Misdreavus, we were meant for each other. Without hesitation, I name her Khali. Then I run back to town for her. I check the computer in the Poke Center, it has access to three different PC's: mine, Rowan's, and "someone's." I check mine. No pokemon. I check Rowan's. All it does is give me a report on my progress in the pokedex project. Useless. I check "someone's." It sends me to a pokemon storage system. Nanabozho and Khali are both being kept here. Why are my pokemon being kept in someone's PC? Who is someone, anyway? At this point, I really have no choice but to work with this. Perhaps it's normal for the world of pokemon. It seems wrong. Still, I am able to modify my team. Even though I can only carry six pokemon, I can choose any six of the eight I have.

I give the matter some thought. Right now, these are the pokemon I have...

• Articuno: Level 60. Even though I lack the means to properly control it, this can be my insurance. Nothing has so much as threatened Articuno so far. That is reason enough to keep Articuno on my team.
• Hanuman: Level 19. My first pokemon and a true powerhouse of my team. I might as well keep him around.
• Sekhmet: Level 17. She has yet to learn any electric moves and I am disappointed with that. She is getting stronger though and has become one of my more reliable pokemon.
• Apsu: Level 16. He can take punishment now, but deals little damage. I have been waiting for him to do something and I am tired of waiting.
• Kazza: Level 16: Confusion is good, but he lacks other effective moves and refuses to cooperate much like Articuno.
• Ninhursag: Level 15. Stun spore and mega drain are both good. I don't use her much, but keeping her around seems like a good idea.
• Khali: Level 11. I have never used her before, but she is totally going to see some action soon.
• Nanabozho: Level 10. Untested and the lowest level out of all my pokemon.

Eventually, I make the decision to leave Nanabozho and Kazza behind for now. It seems that I can always move something else onto "someone's" PC and bring either of them onto the team later. At present, they stay behind. Khali emerges to feed on the terror of a pair of hapless wild Bunearies. It is then that I find out that ghost moves do not work on normal pokemon. Also, normal moves do work on ghost pokemon if foresight has been used first. Good thing I'm taking notes on all this. Psywave is sufficient to dismantle Buneary anyway.

Two psychics ambush us on the trail. They both use Abra. I switch to Khali. Abra may be dangerous and have psychic powers or whatever, but Khali can terrify them so much, they won't be able to think. Both Abras beat Chansey up with hidden power. I learn that ghost moves are good against psychic pokemon. Good thing I'm taking notes here. Astonish seems sort of weak, but it is the only ghost move I have right now. Apsu and Khali both gain levels. In my next encounter with wild pokemon, I realize that astonish, although weak, can make things flinch, which cause them to lose their turns.

Khali spreads terror and chaos throughout the forest. I am enjoying my new spectral friend so much that I forget I'm even with Cheryl. Two bug-catchers ambush us. I have nothing against insects or other such creatures, but in this world, it seems that they are rather weak. These trainers should really try to use more than just bug-types. Forget it. That's all their problem anyway. Khali and I will be happy to ruin them no matter what they do. Khali's powers bring down the weird pokemon called "Burmy." The bug-catcher replaces Burmy with Kricketune. The evolved form of Kricketot? Kricketune and the Wurmple that has been fighting Chansey use moves to slow the fight down and weaken the attacking power of our team. But they cannot harm Khali and Chansey recovers from the damage they deal to her, so our attacks count for more. Psywave continues to sap their strength. Kricketune falls. Wurmple faints too, but is replaced by Dustox, a moth pokemon. Khali learns confuse ray, so I test it out on Dustox. My opponent has the same idea, and directs his Dustox to use confusion on Khali. This only serves to make Khali grow stronger and teach me the power of confuse ray. The bug-catcher is still not done, and sends out Cascoon. Khali makes quick work of that one.

How much more forest is there? Khali is catching up to the rest of the team, which is good. Another ambush by psychics. Why are they hanging out in this forest? They are probably trying to read my mind for some reason. I will probably have to kill them later. These two send out Psyduck and a little onion-head guy called Meditite. Astonish easily dispenses with Meditite. Psyduck is more difficult. She keeps blasting Khali with water gun. The combined attacks of Khali and Chansey bring her down. One of these nuts tells me after the battle that there is nothing strange about my victory. Indeed.

We pass by a fence with some bushes that I cannot pass. Hanuman's flame wheel might be useful for this. On the other hand, no need to start a forest fire. I can always come back later, and the exit is in sight. Cheryl thanks me for helping her get through the forest and we part ways. I will miss her for her healing, however she did it.