Harsh sands ripped at her skin, being thrown at her from sharp gusts that felt like thousands of saw blades, ripping through the air. Her raven colored locks whipped behind her in the wind, each strand seeming to want to go in it's own direction, as though the girl's head were about to explode, and each of them wanted off as fast as they could.

Her arms foled over her chest, trying to keep herself shielded from the harsh desert winds as best she could. She couldn't hep but flinch every time another grain of sand flew onto the plastic exterior of her go-goggles. It just reminded her too much of being traped in some cage as wild animals clawed at it. Why had she even come out to this awful place anway? Oh yeah, that's right. She was deathly afraid of the fiery path. Yet somehow, this horrible sand storm was a better option? All of this just to get to Fallarbor...

Another rip began to form itself within her ill-fitted khakis. he had bought these just to spare her good clothing the desert trip, and evidently, buying them in an unfashionable size was cheaper. he harsh winds whipped the excess around.

This was insane. She was going to die out here. And for what? A way to reach Fallarbor that didn't involve running away frightened from all those Koffing and Grimer? She'd kill to have to face one right now if she could just be delivered sanctuary.

A dry cough escaped her mouth. Her right hand flew out of it's bracing position to clutch her throat. She could immediately feel the stinging bite of the sands against her breast as the arm was gone, and she utterd a shocked cry, immediately bringing her arms back to their bracing.

She began to feel something tugging at her pant leg. Oh please, merciful god, don't let that be some pokémon. Her Goldeen, and Kirlia had already both been wrought unconcious by the desert's denizens. Without them, whatever lived here could easily make a meal of her.

She looked down nervously, and her worst fears came true. She saw, a small, green, ball-like form. Atop it's head rested a small, yellow flower. Small, almost invisble spines lined it's body, much larger ones seeming to produce spikes. It's lips seemed to be connected by odd, organic bonds, and it's yellow eyes seemed to be sunken within it's skull. Perhaps that was to protect against the perpetual sandstoms.

The creature's arm raised into the air, and mad a waving motion, as it jauntily walked off, occasionally stopping to allow her to catch up to him. Slowly, but surely, he brought the strange human across a vast length of the desert, until they found something that made the female's eyes twinkle with delight, the kind of delight you'd get when a friend, whom you'd taken for dead, came knocking at the door.

An oasis. Sunken ito a deep valley, the watering hole was beneath the harsh desert winds. She immediately rushed over to it, almost tripping as she did so. Shemade her way over in but a few seconds, ad bent down to the edge. Her hands reached down into the water, and he brought the life-saving liquid to her lips, and drank heartily. The Cacnea made it's way over to her, in a somewhat wobbly walk. It seemed to waddle whenever it moved. He watched the human eagerly.

She was glad. She looked own a her own reflection, and let out a mild gasp. My god, she looked horrible. Maybe it was to be expected whe braving a sandstorm, but it didn't matter. She continued to drink to her heart's content, her body feeling rather refreshed. All the troubles of the world began to slide away.

She looked down at the Cacnea, and with amazing speed ripped an empty pokéball off of her belt, ad chucked it forcefully at the Cacnea. She stepped back a bit, and got ready to run if it failed. But she had caught it by surprise. The small cactus pokémon had never even seen a human in his life, so this was all very strange to him. That, coupled with his surprise, and he was an easy catch. She reached down, clipping the ball to her belt wth a smirk. Now she had something to fight her way through the desert with!

With a renewed confidence, she stepped out of the valley, and braved the sandstorm once more. She marched right into it, not a care in the world. She was on top of the word now! The sands being thrown at her bit at her skin, but she didn't care! She marched through the remaining stretch of desert with relative ease.

After little more than a few hours, she could see the end of the desert. She could see the sands fading, and giving way to the grass, in thinning amounts, as though it were slowly fighting a losing battle, and lost.

She broke out into a run. She began to make a beeline for the finish line, like some athlete getting his second wind with the end in sight. But she fell forward, and a sharp pain course through her foot. She found that her foot was trapped in something, and gave her leg a sharp tug, to free it, but it was useless.

She looked, and saw that her foot was stuck in the mouth of a Trapinch. Evidently she must've stepped in one of their little inverted ant-hills, and it got her foot. She'd be alarmed, but now she could fend it off! She unclipped her new catch's ball, and with a smug look, threw it against the ground, and in an almost blinding flash of light, the Cactus was there.

He let out a jolly cry, and looked at his trainer's foot. Before she even gave any commands, he began to fire all sorts of pins at the attacker. Small jets of blood flew into the sky, as the Trapinch reared back it's head in pain, releasing the trainer's foot. She drew back her leg, recalling the new catch into it's ball.

Her ankle felt a bit weak, but it was no matter. She managed to limp her way out of the desert. Once she was finally out of the god forsaken place, she immediately threw herself to the grass, and began to kiss the jagged plan blades. It was a miracle she had gotten out of here. But, she thought in her mind, I guess it's just because i'm really strong! Nothing can defeat me! With these cocky thoughts swimming in her head, she marched away, ignoring the odd stares kids were giving her.