The Rescue

Wednesday, June 29, 2011. 10:15PM

The Pokemon stared out at me, its yellow-green eyes empty. How long had it been stuck on the GTS was a mystery, but it had probably been there a while or worse, it had been passed about as a bartering tool. It was a shiny Golett; demand for something that rare never really dies down. Offering up a shiny Pokemon is a guarantee that you will receive whatever you want. My heart in my throat, I checked what the Trainer was asking for in return. A moment later, I felt my heart sink: the tariff was a level 100 Rayquaza.

I pursed my lips. That was doable, but not on my copy of Black. My Rayquaza was only at level 70. It would take days to get it up to 100 and by then the Golett would be gone. Of course, I could level one up on Emerald and send it over, but it hadn't been 24 hours since I had transferred Pokemon from Emerald to Pearl, making a Pal Park transfer impossible. I sighed, shook my head and resigned everything to fate: I already had two shinies. This one would have to remain just outside of my grasp.

Only I couldn't simply leave it be. I pride myself as a Golett rescuer; I take in the Goletts that no one else wants. I've leveled up a Snivy to 50 just to grab a Golett that had languished on the GTS for three days, chain traded for Legendaries to buy a few little ones their freedom and parted with some Mystery Mews to grab some newly hatched Goletts. If it's doable, I will do it, just to get that Golett.

I can't help myself. I think that they are adorable.

With a sigh, I began looking for level 100 Rayquazas. What most asked for in return were hack jobs: they wanted level 9 and under Legendaries, making those trades impossible. I thought I was sunk until I came across an Ace Trainer in Japan who wanted something reasonable--a Zekrom.

That was definitely doable, as I had an extra. So I began the trade. Imagine my irritation when the screens on my DS went blue and I received this message:

Communication error.
Please turn off the power.

Swearing under my breath, I turned off the power to my DS, then switched it back on. If the Fates were kind and Primus was with me, the Rayquaza would still be there. I just had to find it. Two minutes later, I was back on the GTS, the Zekrom in my party, searching for the elusive Rayquaza.

I found it in about 10 seconds. Within a few moments, the Rayquaza was mine.

My heart was pounding as I began to search for the shiny Golett. For all I knew, the trade could have been for naught: someone else could have beaten me to it. But thankfully, it was still there, waiting. Without a second's hesitation, I hit "Trade".

Another Golett made its way into my possession. When it arrived in my party, I smiled and said softly, "Welcome home, little guy."

To a competitive battler, this Golett would be skippable: its Nature is Sassy, which won't raise Attack and its Ability is Klutz, meaning it can't use any held items. The only thing it had going for it was the fact that it was shiny. To most players, this little one was a bargaining chip or a novelty, nothing more.

But not to me.

It doesn't matter to me that its Nature isn't great or its Ability isn't what I'd like. Hell, it doesn't even matter to me that its shiny! It's a Golett. That's all that really matters in the end. And now, it has a home.

That Golett will never see the inside of the GTS again, not unless he's in my party while I'm on another "rescue mission". No matter what, he'll stay with me. All of my rescued Goletts will. They've been given sanctuary because that's just what a rescuer does. It's what I do and I do it well.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to hit the GTS. Pokemon to trade, Goletts to rescue... a Rescuer's work is never done.