Now an airport isn't really what springs to mind when in the Pokémon world, mainly because each region is pretty segmented from each other besides Johto, Kanto and the tons of islands south of them.
But during my planning phase of a whole week, I theorised something interesting but didn't have any proof to back it up, then when I activated the archway in Entralink it gave me proof of the idea.
I'm not obligated to be restricted to the Unova region so why should I stay here?
So as a general plan I'll take a plane and leave, once I'm in another city I'll look for another access point to the Entralink, once I've done that, I'll do it again until I have archways in each major region.
With that, I'll have a lot more freedom to resources and meet new companions.
So, without ceremony, I arrive at the Airport and enter the terminal, there I find an electronic information board with lists of information.
The amount of information is daunting but after a few minutes of reading through the boards I find some things out.
Firstly, Alola and Kanto/Johto are off the table due to a monsoon over Alola making air travel near impossible, secondly, Hoenn and Kalos are overpriced compared to the rest since it seems they are about to start their league circuits which is drawing trainers.
I could afford to go to either of them, but it would wipe me out and as it turns out if you're not a sponsored trainer you have to pay to apply for the league circuits meaning the point of going during the rush would be unattainable.
That leaves Galar and Paldea, well I will say there are other options, but I have no idea where some of these places are and how to navigate them, like I have no idea about regions called Lental, Almia or Ferrum?
I do recognise Orre, but I remember it's mostly a desert and that just sounds unpleasant.
Since I have no idea, I'll play it safe and go to one I at least have some information about, I'm leaning towards Galar since I know more about it than Paldea since it was the last game I played, but a part of me wants to explore Paldea since it is a whole new region since I never played that region.
So, it doesn't take long for me to decide on which, to go to.
I'm going to Galar.
If it wasn't obvious I'm a cautious man, Galar offers more stability since I don't know the threats or evil team present there but I know that team yell were just cheerleaders, Little to no hostile presence and a pretty large variety of new and old Pokémon.
While I want to make a team of Pokémon who want to go with me, I have a preference that I would like to at least have some basic knowledge about them beforehand so I'm not trying to stick my hand out towards a Pokémon thinking it's a grass type or something then get attacked because it's a dark type.
Also, it might not seem like it, but the Galar region is more densely packed since it's a more modern region with each city connected via a railway, which means no travelling for days in the wilderness.
For these many reasons I booked my flight to Galar and did all the boarding checks, it only takes half an hour but I'm now in a seat on a cross-oceanic cargo plane to Galar.
When I was in the airport there were really 3 different types of planes that were available, each with variable prices, the first was a passenger-only plane meaning only humans, the second was referred to as a 'Playground' plane, specially made with facilities to be able to allow small to large Pokémon to be out of their ball to interact with other Pokémon.
The last type of plane accepting passengers was cargo, which essentially threw quality out the window and had passengers sit among the plane's full body spanning cargo hold if there is spare room, a note though is that this cargo is mostly regional export materials like wood or minerals, I'll also be searched on my way out to prove I haven't stolen something.
Of course, my option was dependent on the planes leaving the airport, it just so happens that the one heading to Galar was a Cargo. It's not like the fact it was the cheapest of all the flight options didn't affect my decision at all, not at all.
So that's how I found myself sitting in a dusty seat strapped to the bed of the cargo hold with duct tape and dreams, No one else was here since why would someone willingly take this option when at the same time a Playground plane was setting off a half an hour later to the same location.
All together it isn't a bad situation if you don't mind the weird rotting smells coming from some of the cargo crates.
Since I'm alone I just fiddle with my Xtransceiver and start adding to my plan since learning how'll have to battle shadows might affect some things.
One thing is while originally, I wanted to take it slow, after seeing the shadow on Skyla I now have a time limit to save her, shouldn't be impossible.
I have a chance since I have information, for one she's a Flying type gym leader so since I have Himiko I already have a type advantage over her, but if I have to face her when she's not holding back means Himiko needs to be at least her final evolution.
At least I already have the stone for her, but I have to time it correctly, Now you might think it would be needed when her form reaches the peak of her development but it also has another problem that became apparent when I scanned Himiko a week ago.
The information I gained about her species gave me details about the moves she can learn but one stupid thing is that for her species her Final Evolution doesn't learn any moves by 'level up'.
To compensate though her TM coverage is broad, she can learn attack moves from 13 of the 18 types which exclude Ghost, Psychic, Rock, Ground and Ice.
I'm so absorbed in my thoughts of planning and possible plans. That I didn't even notice when the Plane took off, It took around an hour of this hour and a half long plane ride for me to notice.
I would have continued to keep planning, but my focus was broken when I felt the plane shake and jostle, the impact actually tilted my seat so it's now at a weird vertical angle.
I Look out the window of the cargo hold and see a sight I wasn't expecting.
We're getting attacked by a Kettle of Vultures!
They look like vultures I mean but upon a second glance I notice they have very similar coloured miscoloured grey wings and a bone-coloured breast of plumage, also each has a bone stuck in a tuff of hair that looks like a goth hair tie.
Yeah, I don't remember these Pokémon, but regardless they're not happy, I know this since there now dive bombing the cargo plane's hull with beams of Dark energy.
Seeing the imminent danger, I release Himiko from her ball and then try to hold in my laughter as she gets catapulted into the rear cargo plane wall which acts as the cargo door.
I then realised that I found on of her weaknesses, seeing she was simply levitating in place, but the plane was still flying forward, she didn't have any tension to sync their velocity.
I sigh before returning the squished Himiko back to her ball, I sigh before unbuckling my seat and making my way to red marked crate that read emergency supplies.
Now you might be wondering why I'm doing this, well it's because I saw that the Whole kettle of the flying Pokémon is like 100+ strong and they look like they want whatever's ever rotting in the back of this plane.
So, when they either destroy the ship or break in and decompress the cargo hold, I'm gonna need a parachute since my chair wouldn't be able to keep me attached to the plane.
I might seem calm and composed in doing this but inside I'm cursing like an Irish sailor who just returned from sea to find his wife was cheating on him.
As if on cue once I get my parachute and wear it I hear the sound of bending metal and rushing air.
I have a quick moment where I see that the cargo bay's door has been damaged at the hinges in a synchronised attack from the Pokémon sending the whole bus-sized door flying away into the ocean.
I sigh as I feel the loss of pressure in the cabin and lose all sensations of friction with the floor, if I had been further in the plane, it wouldn't have happened, but the supplies were near the cargo door, so I'm sent flying out of the back of the plane due to the same physics which effected Himiko.
Luckily, I didn't hit any of those Pokémon on the way out, probably since they dodged out of the way of the door flying but now, I'm falling faster and faster till terminal velocity.
The first thing I do is control myself so my body is facing downward and not spinning. Since I'm unfamiliar with skydiving it takes a few moments to get flipping over right, from this position, I then figure out how to use the air to turn and slow down my rotation.
From that more stable situation, I will just say this step sucks without googles, the next thing I do Is look down and try and find land, luckily, I'm able to see an island in the distance from this height which looks like an anatomical heart.
At that I pull the Parachute's cord to release it, I feel a yanking sensation bleed off my momentum rapidly saving me but keeping me, air born as I am now gliding in the air.
Luckily it seems this parachute came with handles used to lean the parachute to control its direction, so seeing that the island is like a mile away I make my way there.
Also, since I'm no longer in danger and not its gonna take some time to land I release Himiko who appears slumped on my shoulder with a pouty face.
[Planes are bad]
"I'll agree with you, planes are bad."