Pokemon Hopes & Dreams: Sinnoh Beginnings

Heading just north past some fountains, you came to the PokeCentre soon enough, which'd make this your first time using one, you just realised. You found the inside of the local hospital a little cramped, as it also shared space with the town's PokeMart, but the place was admittedly more modern than the Miltank barns where you usually saw Pokemon getting healed out in the country.

With the blinking of the machine your weary Pokémon were healed back to full, and after you received back their PokeBalls you naturally stopped over at the local Mart to peruse.

Total PokeDollars: $30.00
[ ] Poke Ball $2.00 (Your Bag: x2)
[ ] Potion $1.00 (Your Bag: x6)
[ ] Antidote $1.00 (Your Bag: x3)
[ ] Paralyse Heal $2.00 (Your Bag: x3)
[ ] Awakening $2.00 (Your bag: x3)
[ ] Don't buy.

Afterwards, you took a little tour of Hearthome City before meeting back with Cynthia. There were several distinctive sights, like the looming white spires of the city cathedral, its highest point almost in the shape of the nearby Mt. Coronet's peak. According to a sign near the front of the building, it had been built partly as homage to and cultural exchange with several other Regions around the globe. For instance, two of its stained glass windows had designs reminiscent of nearby Almia and Kanto, but walking around you could see decorations based on further away, like Galar, Kalos, and Raido.

Then there was a small library, a sign saying the place had collected tales from around the Hearthome region. You recalled a similar, and even smaller, place like it back in Solaceon, which mostly had books talking about the Towers and the Ruins, there not being much else around, and some scribblings about the Unown, a Pokemon which dwelt within. That instantly made you think about some of the wild things you'd heard about the Unown, how they could bend reality and spirit people away, but any you'd encountered had surprisingly been quite weak and harmless.

Right next to the Hearthome Library was what looked to be one of these new Internet cafes, probably the first in Sinnoh you thought, or at least the first outside Jubilife. There was a strawberry blonde girl just younger than you sitting transfixed to one of the computers there... with what looked like an Eevee tail poking out of her backpack.

After that was, er, a closed archway at the very north end of town, saying it was going to be the site of the up-and-coming 'Amity Square', a place for walking around with and showing off cute Pokemon. You supposed that made sense, Sinnoh's terrain being notoriously treacherous, so giving less hardy Pokemon their own stomping grounds was a positive development.

"Feh, this place is just 'cause they wanna soften Hearthome's image," a voice next to you suddenly said. You turned around to see a greasy, spiky-haired girl wearing a white, checkered jumpsuit, and holding a helmet under her arm.
"Oh hey, sorry 'bout that, forgot ta introduce myself," she then said, her expression abruptly brightening as she gave a thumbs up "Name's Dusty, I'm the Gym Leader here in Hearthome, although," her bright expression sighed "I'm kinda wonderin' if this town and me have grown apart. Used to be rougher and wilder here... but forget about me, I'm just whinin' when I'm not even that old" she smiled back at you.

"Yeah, Evelyn is it? Cool, Gym's to the East if you're interested, and you can find me performing in the Cool Contests at our Hall here" Dusty went on, gesturing at the nearby looming Contest Hall, which possibly rivalled the cathedral in size "And I like ta train out on Route 208 by speedin' down the mountain sides, got my start as a delivery girl after all. Well, hope ta see ya!" she cheerily waved goodbye for now as she dashed off.

Passing 'round by this Gym of hers, you then completed your own circuit around Hearthome, walking up to what looked to be a Hotel, after all trainers needed their rest too, next to a 'Pokémon Fan Club'. A pretty crowded place too, from what you could see inside the windows, and from the wealthy look of some of the members, you wondered if these were the same people funding Amity Square's construction.

That left you right back where you started, at the PokeCentre with Cynthia heading your way.
"So then, Evelyn, you up for a battle? I know I am," she smirked "Since Solaceon really, but I'm no Trainer to battle someo0ne at a disadvantage", she then grabbed and was about to throw her first Ball. Chimchar or Gible you thought, till it occurred to you that Cynthia could've easily caught another by now.

[ ] Send out Foster the Turtwig, your first and signature.
[ ] Send out Saarinen the Starly, she'd performed quite well against that Admin.
[ ] Send out Gehry the Ralts, Psychic and Fairy sure was a combination.
[ ] Send out Barma the Alolan Vulpix, a different form might take her off-guard.

(QM's Note: Had someone different than Fantina as, while she's arguably old enough that she could still be a Gym Leader a decade earlier, it's more likely she'd be back overseas and focusing on contest at this stage in her life, and Dusty was inspired by how Hearthome's RL counterpart is known for drift-racing.)

Well Saarinen was getting swatted around because it was going up against a Mon with the 90-power Hyper Voice this early on, plus Fury Cutter+Technician.

You sent out Saarinen the same time as Cynthia sent out... neither Gible nor Monferno, but a Roselia. Okay, that caught you off-guard, but no problem, as it looked like Saarinen had the Type advantage over this rose creature, so this ought to be over quickly.

And it was, but not without some hitches. Cynthia, rather than call back her Grass-type, instead braced herself and called out "Roselia, Leech Seed!", as you'd told Saarinen to Peck rather than say keep distance with Gust or Echoed Voice. Her Roselia was hit, but not before spraying your Saarinen with both sapping seeds and, from the purple dots sprouting up around her, also poisoning your bird on contact.

Only then did Cynthia call for her Roselia to switch out, "Good job, and appears luck's on my side too" she grinned as Roselia returned to its ball. She then sent out her Gible, who you thought you'd still have an immunity over, so used one of your antidotes on Saarinen while she was switching.

But Cynthia had seemingly thought of this too, and told her Gible "Okay, now Rock Tomb!", having her tiny landshark scoop up rocks to pile them all on Saarinen. Your bird tried to swat them away with her wings, but still wasn't able to blow them all away, being sent falling down to the ground anyway.

Gible then tried to jump over to claw and bite at Saarinen, but your Starly still had enough speed to get to her feet and jab back at Gible with her beak. However, that still left Starly reeling from Gible's rough skin scraping against her, especially since while the poison was gone, the seeds on her were still there.

On instinct, you used one of your newly bought Potions on Saarinen, before telling her to try pushing the air back against Gible with her wings. Once you see the miniature gale was keeping Gible held back, almost tripping, it was then you called back Saarinen and switched to Foster.

The gust having subsided, Cynthia's Gible ran up to attack Foster, with your Turtwig able to get off a withdrawal into his shell to try and protect himself. While Gible tried to chomp down hard, Foster then took this chance to counter-attack and batter Gible head on, as an Absorb would otherwise be canceled out, hitting it square under the jaw.

This finally forced Cynthia to recall Gible, which still left a major problem for Foster, her Monferno. As the fiery monkey leapt out of its Ball, it would've shot an ember blast at Foster had you not recalled him to, switching back to Saarinen one last time. This still left your bird to take the embers, with her flapping her wings trying to put them out.

However, your Starly was able to get the first hit off next turn, swooping over and knocking into Monferno with her wings. The Monferno tried to send more flames her way, but Saarinen's quickness enabled her to dodge those sparks. Saarinen then swooped back and threw Monferno to the ground by grabbing its tail with her beak.

Monferno was still able to toss one last flame up at Saarinen but, battered and bruised by now but still barely holding on, Saarinen managed one last swoop down at Monferno, bowling it over and knocking it out.

As a gasping Cynthia recalled Monferno, you saw your Starly chirp loudly and pulse with light, and with some time evolve into the larger, swirl-haired bird Staravia. True, Saarinen could seriously use another trip to the PokeCentre after all that, but nevertheless you both livened up, as victory was yours.

Cynthia couldn't help but laugh at herself, coming to you to admit "Okay, maybe I had been a bit too eager to challenge you, maybe I let all my hype get to my head. Regardless, good battle there!" she smiled as she shook your hand.

"So, now that's been taken care of, where were you planning to head to next, Evelyn?" she inquired, a question that seriously got you thinking.

[ ] To the Hearthome Gym, ready to challenge Dusty.
[ ] To the Contest hall, your interest has been peaked.
[ ] West, up through Mt. Coronet and over to Oreburgh, you still had your fossil lying around after all.
[ ] South, down to Pastoria City and the Great Marsh, to get the chance to greatly expand your Dex.
[ ] Around Hearthome again, to see some of the sights a bit more fully this time.
[ ] Write-in.

(QM's Note: Was kinda hard to choose a version of Cynthia's theme here, since most remixes sound far more late-game, naturally.)