“I ran into a Rattata in the grass, and I’m trying to complete my Pokedex, so I figured it’d be an easy catch,” Basil told reporters. “I nearly knocked him out in a single hit. I reached into my bag, felt a round ball--I didn’t know it was the Master Ball!”
Basil claims that he realized his mistake almost instantly, but it was too late; the ball was already soaring towards the Rattata, which was captured. Now he’s got a low-level Pokemon he’ll likely never use in battle and no guaranteed way to catch the legendary creature he’s been hoping to find.
As most people know, Master Pokeballs are extremely rare; a trainer might only get one for his or her entire career. Trainers tend to guard them carefully, unleashing them only for the most hard-to-capture legendary Pokemon. The story of Basil’s mistake quickly spread throughout Unova, which he says is affecting his reputation as a trainer. “No one respects me,” he said dejectedly. “I’m a laughingstock. At Pokemon Centers, at gyms, I’m the guy who used a Master Ball on a Rattata. Even the preschoolers make fun of me right before they force me to battle!”
Basil reluctantly admits he can’t exactly blame people for laughing. “Who does that?” he said out loud. “What kind of trainer am I? Maybe I should’ve stayed home, become a… actually, I have no idea what adults do if they’re not catching, raising, or stealing Pokemon.”
Despite his costly error, Basil still plans to make the journey to challenge the Elite Four. He hopes that beating them, a feat few have managed, will help people forget about the Master Ball incident. “It’s like all the great stuff I’ve done doesn’t matter. I’m ten years old, and I live on my own in the wilderness and fight wild animals. I have eight gym badges! But no,” he says sadly, “I’m just the kid who threw away a Master Ball.”
Basil’s new Rattata, meanwhile, is happily learning new skills in Unova’s Pokemon Day Care.
Not Really News is a weekly feature where we take games too seriously. Check back every week to see us report on the events in games as if they were actually happening. None of this is true, or based on reality, so just sit back and enjoy the silliness. Oh, and while you're reading this siliness, be sure to check out our Pokemon X and Y review.
