I don't recall Route 3 being very long, so this shouldn't be such a terrible trip.
Excuse me, I just need to get through--
Yes, I'm aware that the road is closed, but I have to get to Herne.
Well, I've got a Snorlax with me if I really have to clear the way, and besides, if there was another place I needed to be as badly as I need to be in Herne, I'd be on my way there instead.
You say there's no real way to stop me from going since the police are off doing other things?
Well then...I guess I'm off to Herne.
...thanks for the warning, though.
Yeesh, now I remember. It's gonna be hell getting through this, but--
Holy hell, where exactly are my priorities? I've got Elekid in intensive care back in Isis, I've got a business to establish in Chloris, I've got to meet up with my friends in Kahu so that we can travel together through to Mastam in order to help find the S.S. Anne and her passengers...and I'm heading back to Herne to meet a man about dragon-hunting? It doesn't seem right...but no, if we've had to deal with frenzied killer bees and riots, who knows what will be waiting for us in Kahu, let alone Mastam or Seraph...if we even get that far. We need power on our side; I don't know what Kevin or Arturo have been up to, but I can't rely on them perchance acquiring strong enough Pokemon to carry us through this little adventure. I need to carry my own weight...and carry it right over this wrecked road.
Chinchou! Come out and give me some light while I work this out.
Gligar, come out and carve a way through this rubble!
Rock's too hard, huh? Looks like we have to do this the old-fashioned way--
OOMPH!
Where did this hole come from?! Christ, my fucking chin! Ugh, I think I chipped a tooth on that rock--
Oh, come on, now...really? Well, at least he's slow. Maybe I can just back away--
Oh shit, I'm kinda stuck down here...
Is...is that thing trying to headbutt me with that pointy rock-horn?
Oh shit, it IS! GLIGAR! DIG!
Uh oh...it's still coming! If that thing hits me in the sternum, it could puncture my heart! Well, not today, rock-boy!
CLAP-GRAB!
Holy hell, that actually worked?! I got the thing by the rock-horn! Now, Gligar!
Kaboom! That got him good--
Uh oh...I think we broke it.
I guess there's no harm in holding onto this hard stone as a sort of memento.
I think I can see a light over there in the distance. Say, I seem to recall seeing high tension power-lines around here that lead to Herne. Maybe that light is from the generating station; I could follow the lines right back to Herne and not have to deal with this road--
But I am not about to get lost in these woods. Gligar, use Fury Cutter to mark our way along the trees so we can find our way back.
Jesus, Gligar, I didn't mean for you to cut down the trees! I just wanted to--
Oh no...Fury Cutter gets stronger with each use, doesn't it? Well, that certainly makes a clear path. Proceed, I guess...
Excellent! I knew we would find a generating--
Does anyone else feel like the forest...hates them right now? Because I can almost feel the heat from some hateful eyes right on me--
Oh boy...I remember this thing--
And this thing--
Oh, there's a whole bunch of these little shockers, aren't there?
Of course! The generating station! It's drawing them here and--
And I just destroyed part of their home. Alright...let's think of a way to solve this pickle we find ourselves in.
I only have a quarter of a bottle left of PokeLure, and I need that to show Arturo's father. Gligar, get ready to Fury Cutter on my mark. I'm going to try to be diplomatic.
Electric woodland rodents! I did not mean to destroy your habitat. I am in search of--
THEY'RE ATTACKING! THEY'RE CUTE, BUT THEY'RE TRYING TO KILL ME! GLIGAR, NOW!
Great shot! You hit it right--
OOMPH! Guh, you couldn't have hit it hard enough to knock it off its trajectory? God, I'm gonna get killed out here if I don't start acting with great bias towards self-preservation.
Chinchou! Get in there! Bubble all of the things! I'm gonna hide in this bush!
That's the spirit! Keep it up!
They just will not stop, but keep hitting them, Gligar! Switch it up with some Quick Attacks!
That's it! Take them out one at a time! These little electric rats won't be able to--
Wait a minute...I just thought of a great idea!
POKEBALL, GO!
When Elekid gets out of the hospital, I'm sure he'd be thrilled to have some new Electric-type friends.
C'mon, you bastard...
Come oooooon....
Hell yeah! We got one! Now, let's mop up the rest of these suckers! Gligar, dig down and focus on the blue squirrels! Chinchou! Use Confuse Ray on the remaining flier and bring him down--
Chinchou, look out!
Chinchou, hang in there! Confuse it and bring it down with Flail!
Good hit, Gligar! You sent that little guy flying! Only one squirrel left...give it all you've got!
Boy, am I grateful that Gligar is a Ground-type--
He's hurt! Gligar, pin it to the tree and keep it still!
POKEBALL, GO!
Shoot! Sorry, Gligar! I was honestly aiming for the squirrel! Let's try this again...Gligar, duck!
POKEBALL, GO AGAIN!
Nailed it!
Wiggle...
Wiggle...
YES! Victory! And according to the Pokedex, that's one Emolga and one Pachirisu added to the PC...
But good God, if we run into more Pokemon like that, I won't make it out of this clearing. Chinchou, return...maybe a little darkness will help mask our escape. Gligar, you, too--
Gligar? You're...you're glowing, too?
Oh my God, it's finally happening! Gligar, we did it!
Woah, she's getting a little big--
Holy shit.
Gliscor is...uh...Gliscor's a little fuckin' terrifying. But hey, she's even bigger than me, so that should--
Wait a second...I have an idea.
...
...
...
Gliscor...do you think you could fly while carrying a full-grown man? It sure would save us time getting to Herne if you could--
WAIT NO I'M NOT READY YET AHHHHHHHH!
*ZIP*
*WHOOSH*
*THUD*
Yep...should have figured...Gliscor can't fly; Gliscor can only glide.
Alright, girl, we're walking. Let's just follow the power-lines.
These things should lead us directly to Herne if we just--
Wait, did you just see that spark, girl? It didn't look like it came from any electric source--
Hold on...weren't Joltik supposed to be really small--?
There's another tiny spark! Let's just check the Pokedex...
Those are definitely Joltiks up there! Now's our chance to--
...
...
...
No.
You know what? I'm not prepared to die tonight. I'm gonna go to Herne, get some sleep, hit the mountains in the morning, then come back here on my way back to Kahu. Gliscor, remember this place. Burn it into your mind. We're coming back later.
Self-preservation...good job, Tom. I'm proud of you. Thanks, Tom. No, I mean it. This may be the smartest decision you've made all day.
Certainly wasn't trying to subdue rampaging Pokemon of vastly greater strength than yours in a major metropolis.
Or rushing down to a rocky and unstable shoreline to try to rescue an injured Lapras.
Or spraying PokeLure on your hand to attract the Lapras.
Or diving headlong into a citywide riot in an attempt to stop it.
Or braving a broken and hazardous road for the second time when you've suffered a concussion and received several bloody wounds mere hours prior.
Or trying to fly to Herne with a newly-evolved Pokemon that can only really glide.
Yep...definitely best decision all day.
