MY BEAUTIFUL FACE!

Elekid! I'm so glad you're back! Everybody get out here! Group hug!

Okay, Pidgey...we'll hug later.  Say, what's that you've got in your hand, Elekid?

A CD? Is it a good album? I wonder if the Professor--

Awww...who's this little guy! Hey there, little fella! You sleepy? Aww, where did you come from--?

Wait...what are you--?

GAAAH!!!!! MY FACE! MY BEAUTIFUL FACE!

Elekid, what the fuck is wrong with this guy?!?!?

ELEKID:   Slakoth! No! Bad! What the fuck did you do that for?!

SLAKOTH:   I...I panicked.

ELEKID:   We don't cut this guy in the face!

SLAKOTH:   I...I've never seen a human before, and I just reacted--

ELEKID:   Remember how I saved you? Well, he saved me, so we like him.

SLAKOTH:   Are we sure we like him?

ELEKID:   Yes, we're sure!

SLAKOTH:   ...okay.

Elekid, you seem very fond of that Pokemon.  Lemme check it out...

Hey, I got it working.  Let's see...Slakoth, the slacker Pokemon.  It evolves into...

It evolves into THAT?!?!

Hey, Elekid...do you want me to try to catch this Slakoth?

You do! Okay, let's try this! Poke ball, go!

Wiggle...

BREAK!

SLAKOTH:   What is this sorcery?

ELEKID:   It's okay.  It's gonna be a little scary at first, but when you're in there, it's really just like a really big nap.

SLAKOTH:   A nap?

ELEKID:   Yeah!

SLAKOTH:   ...are you sure--?

ELEKID:   Yes, I'm sure! Trust me on this.  I wouldn't steer you wrong.

SLAKOTH:   ...okay.

Let's try this again, shall we? Poke ball...please fucking work.

Wiggle...

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Wiggle...

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Wiggle...

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CAUGHT! Yeah, I caught a Slakoth! Hmm, let's check the inventory now...

Well...shit.

Hey, Professor, here's a question.  I got this CD and I'm curious as to what band this is--

Oh, it's a TM.  What's a TM?

Okay...well, what move does it teach?

Return...interesting.  What does it do?

So...it's an attack that gains strength the more my Pokemon likes me? Well, that sounds like a move that Pidgey shouldn't learn--

Frustration? What's that?

Oh...a move that gains strength the more my Pokemon hates me? That's certainly sounds like a strong move for Pidgey, but isn't it a little unethical to treat Pokemon horribly in order to get them to hate you in order to increase the power of this attack?

Oh? Therapeutic, you say? Well, I imagine Pidgey would find that move useful--

You have a copy of Frustration? Would you be willing to sell it to me?

$500? Sure, I'll take it off your hands.

This disc seems...evil.  So, how does Pidgey learn the move? Do I...do I feed it to him--?

Oh, that would be more sensible to use the machine.  Well let's start with Elekid and Return.

Hmm...this is a pretty complicated piece of machinery.  Let's see here...

Oh, that's it? That was easy! Let's do Pidgey now!

Wow, this thing is really simple once you get use to it--

What's that grinding noise, and what smells like burning?

Umm...I'm sorry about your machine, Professor.  It still looks pretty functional, though, but there goes a $500 investment.  I just hope Pidgey can get some use out of it.

Well, I guess the best thing to do now is check out how things are doing in the neighboring cities.  Isis seems to be the closest, but the road to the south is blocked.  Is there any other way there?

Oh.

Say, isn't that the cave that Arturo went through and ended up almost getting killed? Yeah...that doesn't sound like the best of options at this juncture.

You have another move-teachy machine that might be able to help? Well, what is it?

Flash.  That might be useful if it does what I think it does...

...okay, I don't know what that does.  What does it do?

OH! OOH! Say, can Elekid learn that? He can? Well, let's hook him up!

You, uh...you may want to handle this, Professor.  I don't want to break it.

Well, if the Earthen Cave is as dangerous as Arturo says, we'd be better off in a bigger group with a guide.

You know of one? Who? Where?

His name is Hitch, eh?

Hmm...if Arturo is hiring him for a tour of the abandoned mine shafts up in the Citadel Mountains, maybe we should tag along and see if he's worth his salt.  Then, we might be able to hire him to lead us through the Earthen Cave.

Ooh...rare and interesting Pokemon in the mountains, you say?! Well, count me in--!

Ugh...this doesn't look hopeful.  But hey, one ball is better than no balls.

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That sounded weird.