The Team Magma member turned suddenly and disappeared behind a huge rock. By the time she got there, there was no sign of him. Lucki looked all around her, trying to see some clue as to where he'd vanished, but there was nothing. He must have gotten into the trees while the boulder was blocking her view and either hidden or moved fast enough to be out of sight. Lucki sighed. She'd been so close...! She turned to go.

Her foot caught on something round and spongy, and she tripped, letting out an "Oof!" At the same time, something shouted "Spoink!"

Lucki rolled over to see an irate spoink near her foot righting itself and continuing to bounce, the giant pink pearl balanced perfectly atop its head between its ears. "Spoi! Poi!" it yelled.

Wow, who would have thought I'd trip over the very pokemon I wanted to find?

The spoink continued to yell. "Spoink poi!" Another grey spoink popped out of the sooty grass, and then another.

What was a group of Spoink called? Lucki couldn't remember. The only thing that came to mind was a murder of murkrow, which was not encouraging. Lucki scrambled to her feet and found herself narrowly avoiding a psywave attack. "Ah!"

She thought it would be a good time to leave and turned to go, only to find herself face to face with an equally irate grumpig.

The black and purple manipulate pokemon looked every bit a dependable fighter, and pretty imposing at that, despite the fact the two black pearls lined up along its muzzle and third pearl on its stomach looked almost clownlike. It was an inch sort of three feet, but, Lucki reflected, it was amazing how intimidating that could be when it easily outweighed you, even with the combined weight of your bag.

But she did need more pokemon for her team. Lucki sent out Flare. She had been hoping for a chance to get a spoink, and a grumpig would be even better.

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