Flit circled the small section of Tall Grass and came back with no findings. Not a single wild Pokémon jumped him. Did Shalin herself have to enter the prairie to find a Pokémon? "Guess you as a player have to be physically inside the grass's bounds for a wild Pokémon to appear," Shalin speculated.

Inexperienced as she was, Shalin gave Saria a pat on her sprout. "Mind holding onto me in case something jumps me and I'm not ready, girl?" she kindly asked, the Bulbasaur extending one of her vines and lightly wrapping it around her off arm. The two took their first step into the grass taller than they were, the rustling sure to attract a predator!

Once Shalin and her Pokémon had moved far enough from the wild insect for it to despawn, they returned to the same patch of Tall Grass, not comfortable venturing too far from the spire that served as their salvation from the vicious lightning storm brewing above them. While the Pokémon in the zone were highly desirable, hunting them came with risks. Not only were the Pokémon themselves higher level, but environmental damage was a serious risk. Were Flit to be struck by lightning, he would almost certainly be wiped out in one hit.

Her eyes as vigilant as those of her Bulbasaur, Shalin's grass-type continued to gently hold Shalin's arm. She could still fight with just one of her two vines, and being able to yank her trainer out of combat at a moment's notice was important. A Vulpix would be nice, but there were surely other Pokémon that would pique her interest!

Phew, the Pokémon in the Surge Steppes were aggressive! Thankfully, Saria was self-sufficient. As a break in the storm came, the Bulbasaur basked in the column of sunlight, rejuvenating herself with her SYNTHESIS. It would be an unreliable means of healing, as once the clouds filled in that gap, the rate of restoration wouldn't even be worth the time it took for her to feast.

Once the ROCK TOMB had despawned, Shalin turned around yet again, this time making sure to remain on the edge of the Tall Grass. So far, the open environment looked well-built. And flat. Flat surfaces were not conducive for collision oversights to take place. Perhaps deeper in the Steppes and beyond the next zone would be better, but she wasn't going too deep without a reliable party. First things first!

The lashes were perfectly timed, striking the Phanpy right on the schnoz! Even so, it wasn't out of the fight completely. Leaving a Phanpy at low HP was quite dangerous; while Saria was still recovering from the force of her whips' recoil, the wild rush in and desperately FLAILED all over her, the still-functioning trunk finding purchase beneath her and ejecting her from the battle.

With only a single Pokémon left, Flit would have to pick up the slack, and fast. She pointed toward the wild and commanded a QUICK ATTACK from the zipping insect. With dizzying agility, the Yanma chomped toward the ground-type with his mandibles.