A Journey of Two, a Pokemon Story

A bit late, but I'll be calling the vote here. Looks like you're travelling to Electricville.


59 - Mountaintop Camping

The path to Electricville was unique. Due to the closure of the Rock Tunnel for trainers with under 6 badges, Violet had to charge a route herself through the mountains. Initially, she had thought about relying on her current maps, but a brief exchange with her parents led to her mom sending a set of topographical maps of the area. Violet had blushed at that exchange, but she couldn't deny that the high-fidelity maps were extremely helpful.

The trailblazing involved a series of hikes with significant elevation changes, but there was no true rock climbing involved. Instead, Violet found herself in the enviable position of camping atop mountains and valleys, with her favorite being the camp she made on the second day of her travel. Atop one of the many peaks that made up the mountain range above the Rock Tunnel, the shy girl had realized that she was at the highest point for miles around. When combined with the setting sun, Violet made her decision to stay in the scenic location and spent time with her Pokemon as usual.

Pineco was glad for it. Looking down at the world around her, the Bagworm Pokemon appeared utterly serene as she tried to determine what exactly was out there. After a few minutes of this, Violet tapped Pineco's head, before handing her the Pokedex with the maps her parents had sent. This caused Pineco to entirely focus on sight-seeing, leaving Violet to simply look on amused at her Pokemon's behavior.

Dratini and Chansey spent hours playing, the two of them chasing each other around the area (even if Dratini had to go easy on his playmate). It was adorable, and Violet made sure to send a picture to her friends and family. Which did get her some responses. Tetsuya had just returned to Celadon City and was planning on heading to Saffron City. He only stopped in the area to visit his family. Willow on the other hand was more exciting, with the energetic trainer explaining that Team Rocket was trying to shut down the Power Plant entirely which would plunge Kanto into a state of darkness for weeks. Perhaps even months if Johto decided to add some political pressure should they deem it in their interests.

Team Rocket would have to be stopped! Violet thought to herself. While much of the battle at play was hinged on Gym Leader Misty's Pokemon holding a chokepoint at the Rock Tunnel, significant progress was being made by the trainers at Lavender Town. They had managed to push through much of the Rock Tunnel and were only a few days from being able to strike Team Rocket from the rear. Unfortunately, there were still multiple more difficult pathways they could take in the Rock Tunnel, which had led to several off-angle assaults on the Power Plant both through blending in with civilians in Electricville and through several mountaineering raids.

Violet turned towards a somewhat sullen Magnemite who was currently holding her lighter. She thought it was a bit amusing for a way to mess with her, as the Magnet Pokemon expected her to enter a game of tag with them. They were a little disappointed that she had responded by using her backup matches. "Do you still want to play?" She asked, to which the Magnet Pokemon enthusiastically nodded.

This was followed by an hour of the two chasing each other around, using the lighter as a baton to hand over each time they caught the other. Surprisingly, Violet was faster, more agile, and had higher endurance. Something which embarrassed Magnemite considerably. Thankfully for the Magnet Pokemon, the trainer wasn't the type of person to rub it in, choosing to lighten up on her performance during the game. While it was clear to observers (Pineco) that Violet was letting Magnemite catch and evade her at times, no one said anything about it. And the game ended with one very happy Electric Pokemon.

Reaching Electricville in the mid-afternoon, Violet was struck by the sheer difference in tone that was present when she had been here a mere three weeks prior. Rather than the light-hearted feeling of a small town, she was greeted by the worry of a populace under siege. Raids from Team Rocket had been happening daily, with groups of 3-4 trainers wreaking havoc before running away. A few individuals had been calling for the Elite 4 to be called in, but it seemed that Misty's presence and the seemingly inevitable victory had prevented that from going through.

Adjusting her hat, Violet looked at the situation and made her decision.

The Fourteenth Week, Pick 1

Battling Actions

[] Guard the Power Plant - You will face small groups of 1-2 skilled Team Rocket trainers who make use of the mountains to get close. Expect the fights to be quick, but brutal.
[] Roam the Mountains - Roaming the mountains to slow the flow of Team Rocket trainers to the area is more dangerous due to the risk of being ambushed. But with your perception, the risk is minimized.
[] Police Electricville - Assisting Officer Jenny, this will involve short, sharp battles against 3-4 trainers at once but reinforcements will arrive within minutes.
[] Battle inside the Tunnel - A risky proposition and one where you will face trainers far above your skill level, it is nonetheless the most critical front.

Social Actions (For socials, it's assumed you keep up a basic level of contact through text, choosing a social means I write it up)

[X] Meet Willow - The trainer you recently defeated, she seems fun if exhausting. She was going to meet you without giving you a chance to reject, but thankfully she held herself back and asked. You suppose you have time to meet her.

Alright, I'll be calling the vote here. Looks like Roaming the Mountains wins. Time for Violet to act as the Predator for a bit . After she deals with the energetic powerhouse that is Willow.

Walking into Electricville, Violet absentmindedly pet Dratini as she headed to wear Willow and she would meet. The two girls had been conversing semi-regularly in the past few days, and the energetic trainer was looking forward to seeing her rival once more. Violet was a bit more hesitant, having to mentally prepare herself for the high-energy encounter to come. Unsurprisingly, Violet spotted Willow first.

The trainer in question was currently involved in a game of tag with two of her Pokemon, Eevee and Staryu. One she was losing in an almost embarrassing fashion. Despite the significant exertion and panting breaths, Willow looked like she was enjoying herself. Violet hummed to herself, glancing between Staryu, who had grown considerably since she last saw him, and Eevee, who was the fastest Pokemon Violet had seen in person. Realizing that she was staring, Violet brushed some of the hair from her eyes before hesitantly raising a hand, "H-Hi!" She called out in a louder voice than normal.

Willow turned to her with a broad grin. "My Rival!" Violet could hear the capitalization in her voice. Both Staryu and Eevee turned towards the shy girl, the former eyeing Dratini with an appraising eye, and the latter practically vibrating in place at the possibility of adding another player to their current game. "It's so good to see you again! How is Dratini? You caught a Chansey too, can I see her?"

Violet flinched back at the barrage of questions. Forcing herself to remain in the moment, she didn't say anything as Willow trailed off, realizing that she was rambling. Instead of an answer, Violet tossed out Chansey's Pokeball, and the Egg Pokemon emerged looking rather excited at meeting a new person. "Dratini is good," Violet added, scratching Dratini just under the chin, causing the Mirage Pokemon to hum in content. "He's growing quickly."

Willow nodded rapidly, turning between Chansey and Dratini, the trainer seemed torn on who to address first before landing on the former. "It's so nice to meet you Chansey," extending her hand, Willow gave a little gleeful hop when the Egg Pokemon replied with a handshake. "She's said so much about you, I can't wait to battle against the full team." Willow let out a delighted giggle at the thought, causing Violet to give a small smile.

She didn't say anything at first, content to watch her rival and Chansey interact with each other. Nearby, Eevee dragged Staryu into a game of tag once more, one that the Evolution Pokemon was handily winning thanks to the use of the occasional Quick Attack and Detect. Letting Pineco out of her Pokeball, the Bagworm Pokemon moved to a better vantage point for people-watching. And now Violet did something she rarely did. Enter a conversation she could easily avoid.

Before she could psyche herself up, Willow interrupted her. "Congratulations on the fight with Misty, I can't believe you soloed her with Dratini! That's super impressive, I saw the full video. She's rather grumpy over the loss even if she's impressed herself."

"Thanks," Violet replied. She wasn't sure if Willow noticed her discomfort with initiating the conversation, but she wasn't about to complain. "I-I heard you challenged her for your second badge."

"Third times the charm!" Willow said confidently, "I beat 2 of 3 last time! Once Team Rocket is defeated here! I'll get my second badge! Which gym are you going to face for your second?"

"I - " Violet hesitated, she hadn't thought about it extensively beyond the basics. Somewhere in the southeast of Kanto was all she knew. "I dunno? I was thinking of waiting before deciding."

Willow seemed almost scandalized at the thought, "No way, you're ready!" The energetic trainer pointed towards Dratini and Chansey with each of her arms. "You can absolutely win the next badge with them! There's no way you need to wait."

Violet visibly blushed, glancing away from Willow to stave off some of the embarrassment. "I - I don't know."

Dratini let out an amused snort, realizing that this was about to be so very entertaining.

Willow snapped her fingers, coming up with a solution on the spot. "I know exactly what to do!" The energetic trainer spun around in a circle, attracting the attention of her Pokemon. "We're going to beat Team Rocket's faces in! Then you'll see that you're ready to get your second badge!"

…Violet could get behind that, she supposed. After a brief conversation, Violet successfully convinced Willow that they'd be best used in the mountains. Combining their skillsets to make for an extremely dangerous team compared to the groups Team Rocket was sending. But before they headed there, they had to come up with a strategy.

[] Violet's Idea - By combing the mountains carefully, you can isolate 1-2 Team Rocket trainers and attack them with overwhelming force. Safe and straightforward, it's almost evil as to how unfair it is.
[] Willow's Idea - Rapidly moving through the mountains using your eyes to avoid dangerously large groups. You will blitz Team Rocket trainers rapidly and swiftly. The most aggressive idea, it would deal the most damage to Team Rocket.
[] Pineco's Idea - Observing the Team Rocket trainers from a distance and organizing less experienced trainers into a movable picket would mean relying on inexperienced trainers. But if it works, it'd completely shut down the ability of Team Rocket to move forces through the mountains.
[] Staryu's Idea - Rapidly moving between isolated Team Rocket trainers with only one trainer pausing at any given point, this will be an exhausting, high-speed endeavor. But it'd deal considerable damage to Team Rocket as a whole.
[] Magnemite's Idea - Acting at night for the most part and ambushing various Team Rocket trainers, this would be outright bullying due to the advantages it'd provide. However, trying to hike at night will be difficult, and coordination with Willow will be nearly impossible.
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