Not so Great Marsh

Note: I started this because I wanted to casually experiment with narrating and it seemed like a fun idea. Apparently I would rather avoid writing even if it means not playing Pearl than play Pearl and write about it. Well, I've also been busy and I have been playing other games a lot, but still, I'm annoyed about this. So, after a year, I'm making an effort to start this up again...

I fly around, exploring. I find a swamp and check it out, winning money from trainers foolish enough to challenge me. Why are they hanging out in a swamp anyway? Enki has a drawn out battle against a Goldeen, but for the others, I generally just have Sekhmet rip them apart. I need stronger opponents. I find a house in the middle of this swamp. People live here? Just when I think I've cleared the swamp out, I find a dock with some fishermen. Sekhmet makes short work of all of them with a little help from Enki and Nanabozho. I don't even bother using the rest of my team this whole time. Everything is a water-type here. These trainers have never heard of balance, or something. Barboach is immune to electric attacks, at least, but still that's not enough to save these guys. And if I'd brought Ninhursag, they'd be even more doomed.

I am ambushed by a collector. Well, we all know what this means: three of the same pokemon. And it will be weak, whatever it is. It turns out that this collector uses Geodude. Enki's surf demolishes each one in a single hit. As usual, I'm so much better than everyone else that it's not even interesting.

There's a "scientist" standing around who finds it reassuring to be standing on the damp soil of the swamp. Is everyone in this world crazy? I pit Kazza against his Kadabra. Annoyingly enough it doesn't work. The Kadabra is far too weak to actually defeat Kazza, but is able to use deblitating moves to stall. I switch to Nanabozho to finish this one off. Next, I am ambushed by two "rangers." What do these professions even refer to? Is Sinnoh one big costume party? Even together, they stand no chance against Kazza.

I arrive at a place called "Pokemon Mansion." This might be worth checking out. I loot some berries and am challenged by a pair of elderly trainers. Perhaps they have lots of experience and will pose some sort of challenge? Nope. That was easy. I see a sign for Hearthome City, so I head there to heal. I return and am ambushed by two trainers again. I know what's going on now! I can't believe it took me so long to realize: my reputation precedes me. I have beaten so many trainers that now they've taken to challenging me in pairs because they think they might have a better chance that way. It all makes so much sense now. These two use Buneary and Luxio, so I play the same game, switching Enki for Sekhmet (close enough to Luxio, I suppose). I see the flaw in this double-teaming stratagem trainers have developed to combat me, though. If two trainers ambush me, each one with one or two weak pokemon, that's still only two to four weak pokemon against my six strong pokemon. So this isn't much of a threat. I head into the mansion.

There are a bunch of maids wandering around the mansion. Maybe the owner will be a powerful trainer. I doubt it. Well, at least I'm scoring some loot. Apparently no one minds if I just walk up and grab items. The maids are standing right there. They don't care. Property rights and the concept of theft may or may not exist in Sinnoh, I'm not sure yet. In one room, I find the owner of the mansion. He's a man named "Backlot." He is obviously insane. Next I go to his "trophy garden" which looks like a bunch of the same tall, pokemon-infested grass I see all over the whole continent. Yeah, definitely insane. I take out a few wild Roselias in the "garden." Enough of this. I fly away and look for more places to explore, especially with surf.

At first I don't find anything. Then I notice a narrow stream and surf along it, reaching some place called "Fuego Ironworks." My team is partially weakened from all the attacks by wild pokemon (mainly Tentacool). So I heal them with some potions and head inside. Maybe this is where all the competent trainers are hiding...