Pineapples of Mars: An Artist's Tale #7 - You are Challenged by a Rock!

Healed. Now, Nacrene City. If I remember rightly, there should be an art supplier in one of these warehouses.

Oh, this must be the place, then.

Great! I’d like to see your paint range.

Now that I’ve done that, I can use this time to watch some TV and unwind. That reminds me, I still need to buy a TV and monitor. Although, I guess I should get a laptop instead, considering I’m wandering the country now.

What the hell?

You were watching me? This is freaking creepy. I’m gonna see what else this town has.

Knock knock. What do you have for me?

It sure is.

Thanks for the seed. What does it grow into?

Hey, I’m an artist. I know who Burgh is. I also know he’s not very good.

This show seems more like one Bianca would watch.

What the hell?! Where are these people watching me?

…

Dog, nurse, hippy, bat, zebra or pebble. There’s also some more in some kind of digital dimension.

I like to think so. We made Cheren cry the first day Raph came to town.

Ah, a documentary. Maybe I can get some tips about raising a zebra.

What. The. Hell.

This is like the fucking Truman Show. Where are the cameras? Are they watching me right now?

Sure do!

Absolutely!

Damn.

I am an artist. I paint things.

It seems like you just spend your days watching TV. Speaking of which…

The Number One? That can’t possibly be me.

Ah. Somehow, I’m Number One in an activity that I’ve never done before. Extracting Pokémon from fossils? Wait, maybe they think Aerodactyl…

I’ll be honest; I have bigger mysteries to solve.

It’s not great. Better than bagpipes, though.

The city is cool but I reckon Cheren or Bianca should be able to handle this area for Pokémon Professor. I’ll push on ahead.

Well, Raph’s still learning moves. Do you have a move he can learn?

Thanks! I think I’ll wait to teach it to him.

I have two! Take that, sign!

Oh, it’s these guys again.

Sounds like they’re having a private rally in here. I think it would be very awkward if I tried to press through this.

Well, I need to do something to kill the time. And since the road into the forest is blocked, I’ll go to the challenge rock.

Isn’t this kind of thing unethical?

Well, I guess you can always heal your Munna later.

You’re paying me for hurting your Pokémon? Isn’t that even more unethical?

Thanks, Shery! Except they’re all extremely healthy…

Well, a little kid. This should be easy enough for Pillow.

Very soon, I’m gonna get me some candy money.

Okay, that Cottonee is doing better than I thought it would.

Ooh, I like this part.

Pillow shares the love. But that thing’s Mega Drain and Leech Seed are healing it faster than Pillow can hurt it.

God dammit. It’s going to keep its heals going.

I’m not winning this battle. I’m losing to a preschooler.

Pokémon number three. Divine intervention is exactly what I need right now.

Thorse was ready for you that time. By the way, Thorse, where did you get the berry from?

So much healing.

Come on!

Fourth times the charm.

Stop doing that!

And that!

Finally! Tennant can always get us out of a bind.

And Pillow becomes reliable. So far, that doesn't make up for this humiliation.

Is that what that guy wanted me to trade with?

I’ve gotta say, that Cottonee seems way more impressive than that Petilil. Speaking of making it worth it…

That’s better.

Well… That could have gone badly. I really hope the cameras weren’t rolling for that one.

Just don’t ask what happened to them.

It’s a Roggenrola.

It couldn’t stand against the power of love.

More of this junk.

Where did this railroad go? It’s a puddle at this end and a fence at the other end. The city’s full of warehouses so I guess this is a freight line but there’s nowhere for the freight to come from.

I’m sassy and impish.

Ever since Pillow learnt an attack, he’s kicking ass. But there’s someone who can do better against these tadpoles.

Zebras, the natural enemy of tadpoles everywhere.

While my impish sass is as strong as ever!

The boy seemed to be bold and brave ‘cause he had these things.

This thing is proving annoyingly hard to catch. Putting it to sleep seems like the best idea.

Not my greatest name, I'll admit

This Tympole ate four of my off-brand Pokéballs and two of the real ones. What else lives around here?

Oh, I get it. These things dismantled the railroad. That’s why it doesn’t go anywhere.

Thorse, a true show-pony.

If they never put them down, how could they be considered helpful?

Batter up!

The sign said these would be important. I haven’t needed one yet.

It’s a black belt! Soundwave, stonewall it!

That looks like it hurt. Hurt it back, Soundwave!

Good job! I think he almost felt those.

Well, bugger. A move like that might come in useful, though.

Great. Now use it!

This is going nowhere fast. Raph, switch to capture routine!

You mean there are four more of these things around here? We gotta leave here fast.

Daemian Lucifer named this. Now it just needs its own rock-themed video game.

A quick change to the party composition and we’re good to go. Let’s find us this rock.

Pfft, they’ll be no match for the Pokémon I caught yesterday!

Rollout? That’s not a good attack.

Oh, you’re gonna try it again?

And again? Now it’s starting to get dangerous.

How could you miss? You had the thing beat! And now you’ve fainted. Brilliant. Well, I guess Tennant should be able to take this match.

How did I forget about that?!

Wait, you stopped using Rollout? Hey Pebble, we win!

Raphael’s got quite a throwing arm.

You were onto a good thing with that Venipede. Where can I get one of those?

How many times have you been admitted to a hospital for your shattered hand?

And after one attack each, the situation is:

Bad.

Well, Tennant always has friends to help him out. And if one of them is a Norse God zebra, so be it.

Ass-kicking tax.

It’s why I came all this way.

Don’t you have a job? How do you get all those hours off to train?

We’re off to a bad start. Just a fair warning, Pebble, you’re about to get very badly hurt.

Another critical? Raph should be able to take this Timburr.

Take that!

Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me.

Shit. Who could possibly save us from this lucky Timburr?

Huh. I thought Soundwave was the weakest member of my team but she’s just proven herself tougher than Raph and The Pebble. She truly is superior.

Or, in other words, a rock.

Yes, use that TM I didn’t teach you.

This rock is a star? Shouldn’t that be super dangerous?

Where's the nearest court? I bet I can get it in from here. Go the Nuvema Town Sharpedos!

You learnt a better way to use your nose! I approve. It’s getting late, I’m gonna head back to town.

First, a Gym in a museum? A great combination! Secondly, that backbone shit? I will stab whoever came up with it. I bet it came from that poet guy.

Oh, hey again, N. What are you doing here?

So you came for the microscopic exhibit. I heard that that was really good.

Yeah. I browse the net for photos of microscopic stuff. Inspiring for my art. So how are you going with that ‘changing the world’ thing? That’s what you wanted to do the last time we met.