The comment was like a slap in the face.
"What's that even supposed to mean?" Sophia shouted after Oscar.
"Is that supposed to be deep and meaningful somehow? And what do you know, anyway? Last I checked, you were just starting out too." Oscar didn't answer. Sophia gritted her teeth as she watched him walk away, another shudder running through her. The sight of him disappearing brought an unexpected sense of missed opportunity. Just then... She'd almost had a friend.
It didn't matter. He could suit himself. Besides, as she'd been told over and over, she was more than average. More than these people. She didn't need them. With a huff, she set off.
Her head pounded from the unrelenting sunlight. Groaning, she took out her parasol and opened it the conventional way. No fancy tricks this time. Swaying a little as she walked, she peered around the streets. She'd show them. She'd be the first to catch a Pokemon... She had to... She staggered, leaning against a tree. The shade from the parasol wasn't enough. She had no choice but to rest. As she slumped down onto a tree stump next to a patch of grass, Gothita stared, alarmed. "Go-thi?" The Pokemon ran over to her.
Sophia managed a weak smile.
"Hey. There's nothing to worry about. I'll be fine," she said. At least this Pokemon was her friend. She could take comfort in that.
Gothita's attention switched to something at Sophia's feet.
"Huh?" Sophia looked down.
"Hey!" A Pokemon was rolling around on the ground, pawing at one of the ribbons on her skirt. It jumped up and scurried away in a purple blur, leaping into a shrub and looking out at her with slitted green eyes.
She knew what it was. She'd seen many of them in Unova. Even so, once she'd re-tied the ribbon, she tried out her Pokedex.
"Purrloin, the Devious Pokemon. Their cute act is a ruse. They trick people and steal their valuables just to see the looks on their faces."
As Sophia checked to make sure everything valuable she had with her was still there, Gothita approached the Purrloin. With a rustling sound, it left the shrub and faced Gothita as if challenging her.
This was Sophia's chance... Almost calling Confusion, she remembered what her mother had said about Psychic-type attacks having no effect against Dark types.
"Gothita, use Pound!" she called instead. Before Gothita could move in, the Purrloin lashed out with its claws. Gothita stumbled, but steadied herself and slapped the Dark-type Pokemon.
"Now, Pound again!" The second scratch from the Purrloin further weakened Gothita, but she remained standing and responded with another slap. Sophia grabbed a Pokeball, throwing it at the wild Pokemon. The Purrloin vanished into the ball, which rocked a few times and stopped moving.
"Yes!" The success slightly lifted the trainer's spirits as she picked up the Pokeball and clipped it to her belt.
"You ok, Gothita?" Gothita nodded, albeit wearily. Returning Gothita to her Pokeball, Sophia retraced her steps to the Pokemon Centre to heal up both her companions. Both of them... Her feeling of accomplishment was starting to return. She truly could do this.