Party Status:
- Exde: Lv 18 Nuzleaf
- Luna: Lv 18 Mightyena
- Leiden: Lv 18 Sableye
{Outside the Oceanic Museum:}
Scott: Huh? I'm sure I met you somewhere before. Have I introduced myself to you? If not, my name's Scott. I just saw Team Aqua run away from here like they were stung. Let me guess—you drove them away?
Shay: Yes. (I don't know if he's smarter or dumber than I thought.)
{Scott turns away}
Scott: Hmm... Maybe, just maybe, this Trainer... {Turns back} All right! I think you're going to become a good friend.
Shay: (I don't.)
Scott: So, let's register each other in our Pokenavs.
Shay: (Well, if he can call me, he might not keep showing up in front of me.) Fine.
Scott: What I'd like to do is tag along with you, but I do want to keep an eye on the talents of other people, too. So I'll be off to roam other towns a bit more. Be seeing you, Shay!
{Scott leaves}
Shay: ... Mr. Stone? I delivered your goods to Stern.
Stone: Oh, good, Shay! Did you know that Devon was building the Rusturf Tunnel? But we shut down the operation to protect the Pokemon in the area. It's a no-brainer, really. It's more important to let Pokemon livee in peace than worry about our own convenience.
Shay: Yes, I'd heard. But isn't there a safe way to finish the job? ...Or would traffic upset the Whismur too? (Sigh) {Click}
{On a whim, Shay buys some Harbor mail at the Pokemart, and withdraws Treecko from the PC}
Shay: I don't know what we'll find up ahead. Cut may come in handy.
{On route 110, Team Aqua has left that area too.}
Pokefan Isabel: Ahahaha! I would go anywhere to show off my delightful Pokemon.
Pokefan Kaleb: When cute Pokemon help each other... You won't see a more adorable sight!
{Double challenge! Each has a Plusle and Minun, and they send out the opposite ones to start with. Leiden and Exde take down one trainer first, then the other. In the course of the battle, Exde learns Fake Out over Bide.}
Isabel: Oh, dear, this won't do...
Kaleb: Have you no compassion or pity?
Isabel: That wasn't close to what I could do to show off my Pokemon. I'll have you as my captive audience as often as possible!
{Registered Isabel in the Pokenav. One trip to the Pokemon center later:}
Shay: What's this house? The sign says "Three steps > and two steps ^ to reach the wonderous Trick House." I guess it's worth a look.
{In the Trick House:}
(Hidden): You're being watched.
Shay: (There was a glint from the table just then...) !
(Hidden): Hah? Grrr... How did you know I concealed myself beneath this desk? You're sharp!
Trick Master: Behold! For I am the greatest living mystery of a man in all of Hoenn! They all me... The Trick Master! Wahahaha! Glad to meet you!
Shay: Glad to meet you too.
Trick Master: You, you've come to challenge my Trick House, haven't you? That's why you're here, isn't it? Yes, it is! Consider your challenge accepted! Enter through the scroll there, and let your challenge commence! I shall be waiting in the back!
{Trick Master vanishes}
Shay: There is a big hole behind the scroll! I thought there might be.
{In the puzzle Chamber:}
Lass Sally: I'll hack and slash my way to victory with the Cut we just learned!
{Luna takes on Sally's Oddish}
Sally: Why are you so serious? ...I never get tired of hacking and slashing!
Shay: (O...kay. Anyway, it looks like Cut is needed to get through here. I didn't expect to see these trees growing in a building.)
Youngster Eddie: I wandered into this weird house by accident...
{Eddie uses Two Zigzagoon. Luna wins easily.}
Eddie: And now I've lost... i lost my way, I lost a battle, and I'm now even more lost... i can't get out...
Shay: The path is clear for now. Just take it.
Shay: Here's the door to the back. It's locked. ...On closer inspection, it says "Write the secret code here." The code should be somewhere in this maze...
{Shay finds an Orange mail in a dead end.}
Lass Robin: Just who is the Trick Master?
{Robin uses a Skitty, Shroomish, and a Marril.}
Robin: I lost while I was lost in thought! You're strong! Just who are you?
Shy: Sure you want to know? It would take quite a bit of the mystery out of life. Ah, this scroll... you've got to be kidding me.
{Shay returns to the door.}
Shay: "Trick Master is fabulous."... It opened!
Trick Master: Aak! You've made it to me? Hmm... You're sharp! It took me all night to plant all those trees... You're almost my equal in greatness by one, two, three, four, five, six places!
Shay: Hmmm... {smiling}
Trick Master: Fine! You have earned this reward!
Shay: (It's a Rare Candy. I wonder when would be the best time to use it?)
Trick Master: Scrub that smug smirk from your face! It's much too early to think you've won! I'll make new tricks to stump you, I will. Yo may mock me only when you're done. Come back for the next exciting installment!
{Trick Master disappears. Shay finds a tunnel back to the front room. After healing and restocking at Slateport, shay checks out the Trick House again.}
Trick Master: For the next time, I'll use this trick, and that scheme, and those ruses... Mufufufu... If I may say so, it's brilliantly difficult, even for me! ! Ha? What!? Oh, it's you! I'm in the midst of devising new tricky challenges! It's not too much to ask for a bit more time for me to think, is it now? You wouldn't begrudge me that? Come back in a little while!
Shay: Well, he obviously needs time to set up. I should check out the rest of this route. Bicycling road is off limits, of course... And to the west we have... Route 103? So this is what's across that river...
Blackbelt Rhett: Whoa! How'd you get into a space this small?
Shay: I Cut my way in.
{Rhett uses a Makuhita. Leiden takes him on.}
Rhett: Whoa! The kid can rock!
Guitarist Marcos: Did my guitar's wailing draw you in?
{Marcos uses a Voltorb. Exde takes it on.}
Marcos: My one man show is ruined...
{Shay finds some Cheri and Leppa berries. And a PP up.}
Aroma Lady Daisy: Did you feel the tug of our soul-soothing fragrance?
{Daisy uses a Shroomish and Roselia. The party works together to take them down.}
Daisy: You weren't led astray by our aroma...
Twin Liv: We battle together as a team.
{Amy and Liv use Plusle and Minun. Luna and Exde take them on.}
Liv: Oh, we lost, big sister... Really, we're a lot better... It's true! We'll show you next time! {Registered in the Pokenav}
Pokefan Miguel: My Pokemon is delightfully adorable! Don't be shy—I'll show you!
{Miguel uses a Skitty. Luna wins easily.}
Miguel: Oh my gosh! My darling Pokemon!
Shay: Maybe there are some people I shouldn't be fighting.
Miguel: I'll get you to come out and look in on my delightful Pokemon again! {Registered in the Pokenav}
Fisherman Andrew: Gah! My fishing line's all snarled up! I'm getting frustraed and mean! That's it! Battle me!
{Andrew uses 2 Magikarp and a Tentacool}
Andrew: Gah! Lost it! I'm even more annoyed now!
Cooltrainer?: If you cross the sea from here, it'll be a shortcut to Oldale Town. Fufufu, that's useful, isn't it?
Shay: So close, yet so far.
{Shay decides to check out the lower path of Route 110 (as opposed to the elevated Cycling Road)}
Youngster Timmy: I found some cool Pokemon in the grass around here!
{Timmy uses an Aron and an Electrike. The party works together to take them down.}
Timmy: Being cool isn't enough to win... It's hard to battle with Pokemon you just caught.
Brendan: Hey, Shay. So this is where you were.
Shay: Oh, you've been traveling around more than I expected, too.
Brendan: How's it going?
Shay: Can't complain. I've got a strong half-team of elites, did a few errands for a big business, and I'm trying to collect the Badges.
Brendan: Have you been raising your Pokemon? I'll check for you.
{Rival Battle: Versus Pokemon Trainer Brendan 3}
{Brendan sends out a Wingull.}
Shay: Luna, it's your move. Bite attack.
{Turn 1: Wingull uses Supersonic first. Bite goes through anyway.}
Shay: Just once more!
{Turn 2: Wingull Growls, Luna succeeds with Bite. Wingull faints. Brendan prepares to send out Combusken.}
Shay: Leiden, it's your move. Night Shade.
{Turn 3: Combusken uses Ember first.}
Shay: (They're pretty evenly matched...)
{Turn 4: Combusken uses Ember first. Both their HP is low...}
Shay: Time for a heal.
{Turn 5: Combusken uses Ember again. It's more powerful.}
Shay: (How? Ah, that's right. The starters have the Ability that boosts moves of their type when they get weak. But it won't be enough.) Night Shade again.
{Turn 6: Combusken focuses it's energy, but is taken down immediately afterwards. Brendan prepares to send out Lombre.}
Shay: It wouldn't be fair to leave Exde out of the fun. Fake out!
{turn 7: Fake Out causes Lombre to Flinch.}
Shay: (That only works on the first turn.) Now, Nature power!
{Turn 8: Nature Power becomes Swift. Lombre strikes back with Astonish.}
Shay: This is... just sad...
{Turn 9: One last Swift takes down Lombre.}
Brendan: Hmm... You're pretty good.
Shay: ... (My team was slightly higher level, but... why is this so easy?)
{Battle end.}
Brendan: shay, you've trained without me noticing... Good enough! Here, take this.
Shay: What?
Brendan: That's an Itemfinder. Use it to root around for Items that aren't visible. If it senses something, it emits a sound. Anyway, I'm off to look for new Pokemon.
{Brendan uncollapses a Bicycle from inside his backpack and rides away.}
Shay: Brendan... he's changed a bit. I wonder if I have?
