Inanna

Two identical twin girls challenge me to a doubles battle. Apsu takes out their Mime Jr. in one hit, but Bonsly is a bit more trouble, wounding both Khali and Apsu before they bring it down. I also battle a girl dressed as Pikachu. She uses Pikachu. Khali dominates Pikachu. These weak trainers are becoming annoying. I meet another breeder, who wants to see what I've got. Mime Jr. is popular around here for some reason. It seems pretty ineffectual to me, but maybe it evolves into something good? Cleffa is up next. Some sort of pink homunculus. Apsu does what he does best. I switch to Hanuman for a flame wheel on the unfortunate Budew that follows.

I come to a strange structure. The remains of a tower? Something is telling me that the odd keystone would be a perfect fit here. That makes no sense. I am looking at the ruins and this ring of stone is huge. The odd keystone is tiny. Where would it go? Also, it's called a keystone presumably because it is one. I do not see any arches, so where would a keystone go? Forget it. I do not want to end up as crazy as the man who gave me this thing. Maybe later, when I am feeling more adventurous or something. For now, let's continue with my adventure.

I use my bicycle to get up one of those muddy slopes, and as soon as I have done so, a trainer ambushes me. She is some sort of hick and apparently thinks using several Bidoofs is a good idea. Apsu has some fun with them and learns a new move called dragon rage. Capital. I find some calcium and a TM. A man standing in front of the tower I am approaching refers to it as "lost tower." The name is stupid, but I recall what that trainer said in Hearthome City. I can already guess that I will have to fight my way to the top of this thing in exchange for some reward, possibly the HM for that strength move. This isn't that hard to figure out. But I will rest my team at Solaceon Town first if possible.

Two people running around like morons feel that I am intruding, so they challenge me to a doubles battle. They use Meditite and Machop. Fighting pokemon. Khali's psybeam presents an elegant solution. As soon as I get into Solaceon Town, someone gives me a Poketch app. Someone else, on seeing that I am a trainer, mentions that the town has no gym, but that Veilstone and Pastoria both do. I also find a day care. They can raise my pokemon. Well, some of my pokemon are not seeing any use, so maybe they'll be happier in this place. I leave Phlogeus and Cai Shen at the daycare. I must remember to pick them back up eventually.

I barge into houses of course, and receive a seal case in one of them. I'd rather not have. There really is not much in this town. I do find some ruins though. Big ones. An archaeologist or whatever is down here and he challenges me. Apsu uses Dragon Rage and easily sweeps away two Geodudes, but my opponent's Bronzor is more problematic, using hypnosis to put Apsu to sleep, then confuse ray, which I still cannot believe works. When Apsu wakes up, he hurts himself, but then still beats the Bronzor with bite. I make a note to myself to buy some awakenings.

When I walk away, I encounter a wild Unown. That was what my opponent meant when he babbled something about the place being filled with Unowns, then. Weak little things, it seems. Not worth worrying about. I find a nice trove of items, even though really it seems that other explorers should have located them already: this place is quite easy to navigate. Maybe someone is leaving items there like Boo Radley or something. Forget it.

I return to town and buy some supplies. I can either head north or check out the "lost tower." Towers are alright, I suppose. This tower is filled with headstones for some reason. A cemetery tower? As I investigate, a crazy blue-cap boy attacks me with his pokemon, screaming that I am a ghost. I summon Khali and show him a real ghost. He uses Stunky. Dark type, so a ghost might not have been best, but Khali wins anyway because she is awesome. I use Hanuman for some reason against Shellos. I guess I wasn't thinking. But fury swipes works well enough. My opponent's last pokemon is Kricketune. Flame wheel for the win.

This tower is inhabited by ghost pokemon. Of course. Headstones, therefore ghosts. Do ghost pokemon have an overdeveloped sense of irony? Some grieving trainers challenge me. Presumably their strong pokemon died and have been interred here, which is why they are so easy to defeat. How do pokemon die anyway? They seem to take blows that should kill anything and recover at and Poke Center. Maybe they age? In any case, the trainers are quite easy, mostly I have Khali use psybeam, although Apsu and Sekhmet pitch in too.

A wild Misdreavus brings Sekhmet down. She was already paralyzed and confuse ray kept her from getting a single hit in. Apsu gets revenge with a quick bite. A couple, possibly mentally ill, challenge me, each afraid to lose and embarrass the other. Both will have their fears realized. They use Misdreavus and Murkrow, a bird. Apsu's bite destroys Misdreavus in one hit. Khali's confuse ray disables Murkrow. But then the next turn, I find that Murkrow is immune to psybeam and resists bite. Dark type? Dragon rage finishes it next turn, so I guess it's no problem. The couple inform me that the pokemon who brought them together was buried here. So maybe they aren't mentally ill.

Two weird old ladies stand together on the top floor of the tower. One of them gives me an HM. Predictable. Also a bit strange even though I expected it. Before I get a chance to talk to her companion, we are interrupted by a Zubat. Pesky creature. Psybeam. The other lady gives me a "cleanse tag." She says that it will make my journey out of the tower easier. If the first pokemon on my team is holding it, wild pokemon will be held back. Forget that. I have nothing to fear from this place. I train with ghost pokemon all the time. I am practically king of the ghosts.

I heal my team at the Poke Center and head north, stopping only to be ambushed by some hicks with Glameow and Stunky. Confuse ray on the Stunky, Bite the Glameow, finish Glameow with psybeam and dragon rage the Stunky, following up with tackle to end the battle. I notice that Apsu still has splash. I teach Apsu strength to replace the useless move. I will have to get some badge to use it outside of battle, but we will worry about that later.

A wandering pokemon breeder challenges me. Her Cleffa uses copycat and psybeams Khali after absorbing a psybeam. I can only assume that copycat uses whatever move I used. But Cleffa is nearly done for anyway, so I apply a second psybeam. I switch to Hanuman against the next pokemon, Clefairy. Clefairy must be the evolved form of Cleffa. Hanuman rock smashes and the breeder uses Happiny next. Rock smash works well there too.

Some psyducks block the road north. For some reason, I am unable to battle them or otherwise get rid of them. They are an immovable obstacle. I return to Solaceon Town. On my way back, the egg I've been carrying around hatches. I have a brand new baby Happiny! I name her Inanna. My own baby pokemon that I hatched from an egg. This is great, but she's still only Level 1, which makes sense because she just hatched. I equip her with the experience share. Rest now, Inanna. When we next set out, you will have some growing to do.