Begin Part 3

You’re not eager to get back into that joke of a dress anytime soon, and you’re a bit tired of being a cowgirl. It doesn’t suit the personality of a cool, sophisticated lady like yourself at all. With a huff of resignation, you pull on your tank top and short skirt, complete with your g-string that may as well not be there at all.

This whole issue of a missing Gym Leader has you stumped, so you might as well call Professor Stump! Hehe, good one, you. You boot up the laptop in your room and dial up Stump for a video call.

“Professor Stump, I’m stumped!” you declare. There it is. The sigh and the fingers to the forehead. Aww, you thought that was a good one.

“I’m glad you’re in good spirits, at least,” she says with a roll of her eyes. “So what business do you have with your ‘Pokemon Professor’ this time?” You explain that the Saffron Gym Leader is a lazy, good for nothing bum who skips out on working, and that you can’t earn a badge from her until she returns in several days. “Well, you could always, I don’t know… wait patiently? Like an adult?” Stump replies with condescension. “Really, what kind of rush are you in?”

“I’m in a rush to become a Pokemon Master! My ambitions can’t wait around like that! I have to do something, I’ve made up my mind and I can’t just start spinning my wheels now!” you practically shout.

“Sheesh, you really are a handful,” the professor states with another sigh. She wheels her chair away for a second before returning to her screen with a pamphlet in hand. She holds it up to the screen and says, “Here’s a map of Kanto. Do you see how the roads connect in Saffron? If you really feel like you need to keep going, head to Vermilion City next, followed by Fuchsia City, then Celadon City. Then return to Saffron. Your ‘good-for-nothing’ Gym Leader should have returned by that time, and you can get your battle then.”

“Ohhhh, that’s a good idea!” you cheer. A small hint of a smile dawns on her face, but it’s gone as quickly as it came when she replies, “Seriously, you’d be a goner out there without me. Don’t hesitate to come back if you need a break.”

You thank Professor Stump for her advice and her concern, and with that, your new destination is set: Vermilion City!

You notice on your way out of the Pokemon Center that a small line has formed at the counter in the lobby, but Nurse Joy is nowhere to be found. Strange, she’s typically on top of things but it looks like she’s busy with something else. Maybe she’s picking up her favorite verbal punching bags around the city… You pay it little attention and make your way to the eastern border, enduring the usual looks of hunger that are apparently the norm here. You’re relieved to finally be free as you reach the path out of the city, and head south with the determination to make your time in Vermilion City more fruitful than your time here.