Right?! I guess it's to make the game harder, but honestly I'd rather have an item to stop SOS rather than to start it.You'd think a 'potamanz masstur' would be able to decide which 'mon to throw a pokéball at if there was more than one wild 'mon. I didn't mind the scene, but I think they should've had types that wouldn't wreck you before you got to a pokécenter. First time in ~20 years that I was nearly fainted by a wild pokémon before having a center heal me. It screwed up my grind plans, but thankfully, I don't X-locke.
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I also find it funny that there's an item to make SOS occur, but no item to stop it.