A Journey of Two, a Pokemon Story

Violet wasn't that ready to go through the Rock Tunnel again. But thanks to Willow inviting her to witness her battle with Misty, the shy girl could delay her journey for a few days to rest and relax. The local Pokecenter was unfortunately overwhelmed with trainers involved in the operation. So much so that the League brought in a ship to act as a makeshift center for less problematic cases.

Violet was glad for that, as Pineco was slightly hurt from her fight with Arbok. And her Potions hadn't completely removed some of the singed bark on her form. Thankfully one of the Joys managed to heal it, using a mixture of a Burn Heal and Potion. It was a short matter, one that she likely hadn't needed as it would have healed with time. Nonetheless, it was good to stay on top of injuries as even minor ones could cause issues if left untreated.

Willow hadn't made use of the Pokecenter, as her Pokemon were nearly uninjured from the battles. Instead, she had been exploring some of the sites Violet mentioned, namely the vista points that the shy girls had tracked down and traveled to. Unlike Violet, however, she didn't have to take the full hike. Instead, she was able to hitch a ride from another trainer whose Pidgeot wanted a trip to the higher peaks. Having decompressed from her fight with Team Rocket, Willow then ensured she was ready for the battle with Gym Leader Misty.

The next day, a small crowd of around 20 trainers gathered to witness the battle. While it wasn't a true gym, Misty had agreed to take challenges from trainers who had participated in the operation against Team Rocket. As such, she had been busy for the last day, conducting no less than 6 battles of varying skill levels thus far. And now it was Willow's turn to fight.

Violet found a spot at the front of the crowd, with Dratini wrapped around her neck looking at the arena curiously. Looking at the two trainers, Violet noticed Willow gleefully looking forward to the battle, all but certain she was going to have a breakthrough of some kind. Misty on the other hand looked at Willow with a sense of exasperated nostalgia, as if she reminded her of someone. The Pokemon themselves were surprising, with Misty using a Starmie and Willow her Bronzor.

The shy girls glanced between the Pokemon, watching how they moved, their emotions, and how they held themselves. Starmie was undoubtedly Misty's ace of this battle, a strong lead to break down the opponent's morale and sweep multiple Pokemon in succession. Bronzor on the other hand was a veritable wall, meant to hold out until the other Pokemon was exhausted. And with Misty having only one switch, it meant that unless she was willing to use it now, she was stuck.

Then the battle began, and Violet saw what she expected. Starmie used Confuse Ray before darting into an evasive pattern while Bronzor simply curled up on themselves, fully committing to the defensive whilst using a tentative Confusion. Even while disoriented, the Bronze Pokemon proved surprisingly accurate even if they missed Starmie. Then Starmie began to use a series of Minimizes and Brines, it seems Misty thought Hydro Pump would have been a bit too unfair for a two-badge fight.

Settling into a more comfortable position, Violet relaxed as the battle began to drag on. Willow was committed to the defensive, and it was working. The lack of Rapid Spin certainly helped, and Violet was rather sure her rival planned this out with that knowledge. This was her third fight with Misty's team, and by now she expected her rival to have a good understanding of its strengths and weaknesses.

After a drawn-out battle that lasted nearly thirty minutes, Starmie finally fainted. Exhausted and worn down, it mistimed a dodge for the last time, directing itself into another Confusion. Bronzor, however, didn't look particularly healthy. With dents all over its body and visibly panting, it was clear the Bronze Pokemon was on its last legs. Realizing this, Willow called for her first of two switches, and now Misty's Seaking faced Willow's Staryu.

Violet immediately perked up, this was going to be a much faster-paced fight. This was proven right when Willow immediately ordered a series of Rapid Spins and Water Guns. Seaking wasn't to be outdone, however, responding with Agility and Water Pulse. With both Pokemon rapidly gaining speed and agility they almost seemed to blur together as the battle became harder and harder to follow. Then Willow ordered a Minimize and Violet smiled, whoever won this exchange was going to win the entire battle.

And in the end, it was Willow. Staryu's experience and increased evasiveness from its smaller size allowed it to triumph. Looking at the fight, it was easy to see why. Rapid Spin doubled as a damaging move and a booster for Staryu, not to mention Seaking hadn't practiced Agility enough, leaving it vulnerable to hits throughout the battle.

Violet almost skipped the end but stuck around anyway. With Willow's Staryu having set themselves up, Misty's Staryu never stood a chance. They certainly gave a good showing, managing to chain three Rapid Spins before Willow's Pokemon was able to hit it. Unfortunately for Misty, that wasn't enough. And after a few additional exchanges, it was Willow's victory.

Clapping for her friend, Violet was struck with an idea. A traveling companion would be … nice. Even if it would force her to talk to people more often. She could try and invite Willow to travel with her to Vermillion City. But did she really want to do that?

[] Invite Willow - She's a friend and rival, and you can reconsider when you arrive. But it will certainly make your time more eventful and she does have a few unique perspectives when it comes to Pokemon.
[] Don't - You prefer the additional freedom traveling alone brings. Not to mention you've only had to deal with Willow in small bursts. That much energy may become annoying.

Alright, I'll be closing the vote here. Looks like Willow is being invited. Well, I believe this image is going to sum up their relationship


87 - Short, Peaceful Trip

The next few hours were spent in a Pokecenter where Willow was waiting for Bronzor and Staryu to heal from their injuries. As she sat in a chair surprisingly calm compared to normal, Violet thought now was the best time to approach her rival. "Th-that was a good battle."

Willow grinned at the praise, "I know, I spent weeks preparing and practicing for it." At those words, Eevee popped out of his Pokeball, looking annoyed that he wasn't used in the fight. "Come on Eevee, you know you were the ace in the hole."

The Evolution Pokemon whined in regretful acceptance. It was the problem with having a Pokemon meant to act in a specific circumstance, sometimes that didn't happen.

"D-did you plan that fight out beforehand?" Violet tentatively asked, while it wasn't what many would expect from Willow, the shy girl knew better. Willow was extroverted, not careless.

"Yep," she replied eagerly, emphasizing the word heavily. "Starmie was the trickiest one, so I had Bronzor prepare for them by practicing with Staryu. They just had to outlast Misty. Then Staryu could clean up with Eevee jumping in if Misty's Staryu managed to get the advantage."

Eevee puffed up proudly at that, clearly proud of his speed and evasiveness. Violet hummed in thought, wondering if that would have been enough. Eevee seemed to notice this, huffing in irritation as he claimed he could easily have managed Staryu.

"I-I'm sure you could," Violet said placatingly, mollifying the Evolution Pokemon.

"So, what's up?" Willow interjected, drawing Violet's attention back to her. "Not that I'm not happy you're here, but I thought you were headed to Vermillion City."

Violet squirmed, wondering how to ask what she came for. "I-I was wondering …" she hesitated, glancing at Willow to try and analyze her further. The energetic trainer was relaxed, willing to wait for Violet to finish her explanation despite preferring a faster-paced conversation. There was a sense of respect for Violet's skills throughout the conversation and during past interactions, with a particular emphasis on her battle skills and preparation. All in all, it wouldn't hurt to ask, even if it was hard for Violet to do so. "...D-did you." Violet paused, realizing that asking if Willow wanted to join her may be ambiguous. "...C-could you j-join me?"

The other trainer hadn't expected that but recovered swiftly. Leaping to her feet with a shout of, "Of course!" Willow immediately posed, with Dratini coming out of his Pokeball just to pose with her. "This is going to be so much fun! Violet and Willow, the second-best and best trainers respectively!"

"Y-you got that backward," Violet forced out, certain that her nerves were showing. She wasn't used to playful banter, having to see beneath the obvious was something she was good at. But Violet often associated the truth with negativity when it came to people. Even if Willow was mostly different, that didn't mean she could simply move passed her own thoughts and feelings.

"There's an easy way to tell," Willow said with a grin, "The moment you catch up to me, we battle!" The energetic girl pointed towards the two badges she had obtained, "The moment Nurse Joy finishes healing my Pokemon, we're out of here!"

Well, that was quicker than Violet had planned, but she always had the essentials with her. "That's fine." And with that, the two trainers had their next goal.

The first step was traveling through the Rock Tunnel, a trip Violet was already very familiar with. Moreover, there were several trainers still stationed within, just in case Team Rocket had any other ideas. As a result, it was little wonder that the trip through the tunnel took just a day to complete, without requiring them to camp within the tunnel itself.

Spending the night in Lavender Town, the two trainers began to think of what they would do before heading to Vermillion City.

The Sixteenth Week, Pick 1

Pokemon Actions

[-] Catch a fifth Pokemon - Now that your team has its core members, a fifth and sixth member would be useful and have more possible options. However, it's quite early for that. Locked.
[] Train with your Pokemon - All of your Pokemon are skilled in battle with unique skills. Several of them are near breakthroughs so training would help considerably.
[-] Train with Willow's Pokemon - While it would be nontraditional to train with your rival, both of you have unique skill sets that could complement each other. Unfortunately, Willow is busy this week.

Battling Actions

[] Challenge New Trainers - Now that you and your Pokemon have developed, fighting a few trainers in rapid succession would be easy.
[] Challenge an Experienced Trainer - Some trainers in the area have two badges, beating them may be a good experience.
[] Climb the Tower - Filled with Ghost Pokemon, this graveyard is a challenge for trainers seeking a fight. Willow has made it known she'll be climbing it and has invited Violet along if she's free.

Exploration Actions

[] See the Sights Inside the City - Lavender Town has a number of unique attractions such as numerous radio stations, Pokemon houses, and more. Exploring them would be fun.
[] See the Sights Outside the City - The Kanto Battle Dome is located nearby. While it won't have a battle tournament for another 11 weeks, it may be interesting to visit it and notable vista points in the area.
[] Explore Unorthodox Locations - Exploring in Lavender Town is common, but the mountains east of it are rarely explored due to a lack of interest. Spending a few days there may be interesting.

Traveling Actions

[X] Travel to Vermillion City - A popular seaport for Kanto, frequented by visitors and merchants from Johto. There are a number of regular ferries in the city.

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)

[] Call up your parents - Your parents are very curious about your new traveling companion and would like to ask about Willow.
[] Call Tetsuya - An old childhood friend of yours, the two of you drifted off recently. He surprisingly just managed to obtain his second badge from Celadon City.

veekie said:

Wait...wasn't there a team rocket operation in the tower?

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

There was a past operation in the tower around 20 weeks ago in universe. But since then you haven't heard of any Rockets being in the tower.

On that note, I think it's time to close the vote. Looks like it's time for a ghost hunt! Well, this should be unique.

Lavender Town was creepy, Violet thought as her eyes darted around, trying to find a hint of what was going on. It had started the moment they approached the Pokemon Tower, with Violet all but certain someone, or something, was watching them.

It was a shadow that was slightly off, the scraping of noise so quiet she wondered if it was her imagination, a pungent odor of spoiled eggs, the subtle taste of metal in the air. Needless to say, Violet's nerves were utterly gone. Willow by contrast was oblivious to the dangers, instead adopting an eager, upbeat attitude Violet had grown familiar with over the past days and weeks. At least it meant she wasn't the one who had to lead the way into a Pokemon burial ground.

Willow was quiet on the first floor, the air filled with a somber mood. Around them lay the graves of old Pokemon, a testament to death itself. May the souls of Pokemon rest easy, the words were carved into the walls around them, ensuring that every trainer that chose to challenge the tower understood this was a place for respect, not just for battle.

Violet hadn't thought about death until now, and ideally, she wouldn't have to face it for decades. Unfortunately, it was a fact of life. People and Pokemon were born, lived their lives, then died. Only a small handful would ever avoid the last step, and all the others could do was try to matter. Violet directed a glance to Willow, the energetic trainer in a pensive mood at the realization this wouldn't just be fun and games. The shy trainer opened her mouth to ask a question, or perhaps comfort her friend and rival. A moment later, she closed it. Willow looked introspective, she'd ask about it later, once she had time to mull it over.

The second floor was similar to the first, with more burial sites for Pokemon. But there was also an area for trainers to register and battle provided they understood not to disturb any of the ghosts that avoided their presence. Both Willow and Violet agreed, after which they had to wait a few minutes before being able to proceed to the third floor.

"Have you heard about Drifloom before?" Willow asked as they waited, her introspection coming to a close. Violet shook her head, she'd been focused on Pokemon in Kanto and Johto, and Drifloom wasn't in either region. "The Pokedex said it was formed by the spirits of people and Pokemon. Do you think that's true?"

Willow was scared, Violet realized. The signs were subtle, but there. A slight tremor in her hands, a few drops of sweat staining her shirt, and slightly heavier breathing than normal. Perhaps it was being faced with an unexpectedly sad battlefield, perhaps it was the realization that she may one day be a part of this tower. Or perhaps it was something else entirely. Violet shook her head in response after a few seconds of thought. The Pokedex was often exaggerated, but that wasn't the issue here either. "N-no, b-but that's not w-what you wanted to ask."

Violet mentally cursed how hesitant her voice sounded, words were hard, and when it came to such a heavy subject, they only became harder. "No, no it's not." Came Willow's reply. "I've just never had to think about death before."

"I-it's scary." Violet agreed a moment before Willow made a show of false bravado.

"Nah, I can handle it." She gave a wide smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Just follow my lead."

The shy girl stared for a moment before looking away, she wanted to say it was fine, but she could tell Willow was scared. But that was too hard to say. It was too direct, too confrontational. Too unlike who Violet was as a person. Instead, she chose an indirect approach. "A-a smile should reach your eyes."

It was indirect, easily brushed off and ignored. Willow appeared confused at her response, and this was usually when the person Violet was talking with ignored what she said and shifted the topic. "I thought I hid that better," Willow muttered, choosing an option Violet rarely saw people take. Listening to what she said and realizing what she was actually saying. "It's just not cool for a trainer to be scared. You don't see trainers on TV being scared, do you?"

No, Violet absolutely saw trainers on TV being scared. They all just hid it as best they could. Anxiousness and worry about losing was fine, but fear? Fear had to be bottled up and hidden. Fear was associated with cowards, not basic survival instincts. "A lot of trainers on TV are scared," Violet said softly, not bothering to elaborate on how she could tell. "I-I get scared a lot."

Violet felt her voice crack as she admitted that. Whenever she talked to people she felt nervous and fearful. It would ebb and flow between conversations, but it never truly went away. When she participated in the Contest Battle in Silver Town, Dratini had to break her out of paralyzing fear. Yet, that fear hadn't just vanished. Instead, it was merely reduced, content to simmer in her mind and linger. It would never truly go away, all that could be done was avoid being influenced by it. "I…" Willow began, the least confident Violet had ever seen her. "Can I give you a hug?"

The shy girl felt her own arms tighten around her, noticing tension in Willow that she hadn't noticed a few seconds ago. Giving a shaky nod, Violet felt her friend's arms wrap around her, slightly tighter than she expected. "I-I can't hug you like this."

Willow looked at her in confusion, before realizing Violet's arms were trapped between them. A moment before the embrace, Violet had been hugging herself, which led to the current predicament. Blushing at the mistake, Willow stepped back, letting Violet regain control of her arms. And a second later, the shy girl was the one to initiate the hug. "Are you ready to climb this tower?" Willow asked with a more confident grin than before. "With the two of us together, we can get all the way to the top."

Violet wasn't sure about that, there were all sorts of challenging Pokemon and Channelers in the Pokemon Tower. But perhaps, perhaps they could do it. "I'm willing to try."

Marching through the third floor, Violet and Willow almost immediately felt their confidence take a blow. Three Ghastlys stepped up to challenge them, with Violet noticing the hidden presence of several Channelers behind them. Willow took point, choosing to face two of them, leaving Violet with the third. It was here where the Ghastlys proved to be a dangerous foe able to wear down Pokemon with a combination of Curse, Payback, Mean Look, and Confuse Ray. When the battle ended, Eevee, Staryu, and Magnemite had taken a beating, even if they emerged victorious.

Then they marched to the fourth floor, and the process repeated. This time Violet was forced into a double battle, while Willow faced the more experienced trainer in a 2 vs 2. This time Pineco and Dratini were sent out, taking a significant beating in what would end in their victory eventually. Bronzor, however, had a harder fight, their typing proving both a blessing and a curse. While they won the fight eventually, it ended in a mutual knockout, leaving Willow down to two Pokemon.

They marched to the fifth floor, where their journey upwards would likely end. There, they were immediately challenged by 4 Channelers and placed into simultaneous double battles.


Violet's Perceptive Trait Kicks in!

Gastly 1 will use Curse on the strongest Pokemon before using a combination of Confuse Ray and Hypnosis. If a Pokemon closes range with them, they'll use Lick.

Gastly 2 will use Mean Look to ensure the fight stays as is, followed by utilizing a combination of Payback if hit and Confuse Ray.

Dratini's HP: 70%
Pineco's HP: 72%
Magnemite's HP: 51%
Chansey's HP: 100%

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