A Journey of Two, a Pokemon Story

Alright, so I should begin this with the caveat that I do still have an ongoing family emergency so the soonest I can guarantee an update is Monday barring any unfortunate incidents.

That being said, behold! The sheer majesty that is a 46 round Pokemon battle. Which in my mind corresponds to around an hour of continuous back and forth exchanges. Here we have such hilarious incidents as me continuously mixing up what round I was on, Chansey bullying Marowak into just outright giving up, Haunter getting so sad at fighting Chansey that Violet sent in Magnemite, Haunter failing every one of their Nasty Plots, and Violet causing two enemy Pokemon with high levels of Stamina to run out of Stamina via a Chansey.

[X] Here We Go Again

Violet realized that there was an ebb and flow to Pokemon battles. A back and forth between opponents that was either sharp and swift or slow and elegant. Right now, the battle was in an ebb, a moment of relative tranquility within a larger moment of swift violence. Haunter's Spite having no effect on Chansey ensured it remained a slow, elegant battle with the Egg Pokemon using the moment to heal further.

Her foe realized just how poor of a match-up it was for Haunter and put Marowak back in, but by the time that swap was completed, Chansey puffed up her chest showing off her utter lack of injury. The opposing Marowak's eyes narrowed. He had taken the fight seriously the entire time, and now he would have to find another gear entirely to break through Chansey's formidable sturdiness.

Seeing his Headbutt grow weaker and weaker as the Egg Pokemon used Charm, he began to play a haunting melody that Violet recognized as Perish Song. But she had a plan for it. Holding Magnemite's Pokeball with one hand, she continued to direct Chansey. Finding a moment for another Life Dew, the injuries she sustained from Marowak's Headbutt. Then ordered the use of a rarely used Defense Curl to counter Marowak's attempt to use Tail Whip. Absorbing one last Headbutt, Chansey smiled as a red beam struck her.

A fraction of a second later, Marowak was also surrounded by a red glow, as Haunter stared down Magnemite, only for the Magnet Pokemon to withdraw a second later, allowing Chansey to brush off Haunter's Confuse Ray. Forced to switch back to Marowak once more, the Egg Pokemon took the moment to perform a quick twirl supplemented by yet another Life Dew. Marowak emerged from his Pokeball and grunted in annoyance.

Then to Violet's surprise, her opponent tried to catch her off guard with a switch to Haunter, but she wasn't so easily fooled. Calling out for a Disarming Voice, Chansey managed to force out a weak attack that affected Haunter. Albeit it was as effective as Violet yelling at Haunter, which is to say, not at all. Haunter's Payback was little better, with Chansey not even bothering to heal it, instead taking a moment to catch her breath from the lengthy battle.

A red beam struck Haunter, and Marowak emerged just in time to be hit with back-to-back Charms before it could even use Perish Song. Visibly weakened, Violet saw a chance to do a little damage and as Chansey absorbed Headbutt after Headbutt, she used Echoed Voice to minor effect, causing a few scratches to appear on Marowak.

Then both Pokemon switched out. And a moment later Chansey was back in, absorbing Haunter's Payback then using the time it took to swap back in Marowak to heal once more. The usual cycle of Charms and Headbutts continued, with the only deviation being a momentary stumble by Chansey where a Life Dew failed. Followed a moment later by Marowak finding his second wind, reenergizing himself for several minutes of hopelessly attempting to do more damage to Chansey than she could heal.

At this point, it'd been a long, long battle. With over 50 moves used, a number that was rarely encountered in a traditional 2 vs 2 battle. As Marowak fell to his knees in exhaustion, Chansey returned to full health, having used Life Dew four times in a row.

Violet saw into the opposing Pokemon's eyes. Eyes filled with the realization that Chansey was a wall he couldn't overcome. He could attack, attack, and attack again, but no matter what, the Egg Pokemon would heal it away. For all his skill, for all his durability, it was nothing compared to his opponent. What else could he do? What hope did he have of victory?

None.

He would lose in the end. It would take hours of fighting to do it. Yet it would happen in the end.

And so, Marowak chose the only option available to him. He gave up.

Staggering to his feet and returning to his Pokeball, Marowak withdrew from the battle entirely, and Haunter emerged once more.

What followed was one of the ugliest fights Violet had ever seen. It started off interesting, with Haunter's Hypnosis causing Chansey to fall asleep. Then it got boring when Haunter just kept hitting the sleeping Pokemon with Payback, doing barely anything until Chansey woke up and healed it away with Life Dew. When the Gas Pokemon stared down Disarming Voice without flinching, Violet realized that maybe another strategy was needed.

"Magnemite," she said in a calm voice. "It's your turn now."

In contrast to the healing wall that was Chansey, Magnemite didn't have a method of restoring their lost health. They couldn't avoid Haunter's attacks nor could they stay at range thanks to Nasty Plot. What they did have, however, were powerful electric attacks.

Which could only be used after Magnemite woke up, as the moment they entered the battle, Haunter hit them with Hypnosis. Normally, Violet would have withdrawn Magnemite for Chansey once more, allowing them to wake up out of battle. However, she never had to choose as Haunter repeatedly displayed his worst tendency, rushing things.

Nasty Plot fizzled out thrice, leaving Haunter beyond frustrated. Not so much that he didn't retain his normal evasiveness, however, as demonstrated by him barely avoiding Magnemite's well-aimed Thunder Shock. Annoyed and irritated, the Gas Pokemon charged in, facing his opponent head-on. Magnemite simply stared down their opponent and the two exchanged attacks, Hex and Thunder Shock colliding and exploding in the air, knocking both Pokemon backward.

A momentary cloud of dust coated the arena, causing Violet to lose track of Haunter for a single second. Time in which the Gas Pokemon sent Magnemite to sleep once more before once more rushing matters greatly, leaving a twin pair of Nasty Plots to fail. And then came the critical point.

At this point, the battle between Violet and the Channeller had gone on for nearly an hour. And everyone was tired. However, Haunter had been put into battle far before Magnemite. Not to mention Magnemite was slow and lazy, electing to avoid expending any energy whatsoever. Haunter by contrast practically flew around the arena in evasive, unpredictable patterns. It made him hard to hit, but it also made him very, very tired.

The exhaustion hit in waves. Moves grew harder to perform, a routine Hypnosis suddenly became a herculean effort. Haunter's movements slowed, yet the Pokemon forced himself to continue dodging as best they could. Yet, it wasn't enough.

Magnemite chased down his foe, and at long last a pair of two Thunder Shocks managed to best Haunter. And at long last, Violet emerged the victor.

As she looked upon the seventh floor and began to explore what her victory granted her, her mind briefly flashed to the trail Willow and her would take to Vermillion City.

[] The Fishing Docks and Route 11 - Home to a number of fishermen and water-type specialists, you can expect a few easy fights along the way.
[] To Silver Town and the Forests - The forest between Silver Town and Vermillion City is seldom traveled due to a curious lack of Pokemon within. It would be a unique experience.
[] Through the Skies on a Skarmory - A rare opportunity to see a Skarmory, a visiting trainer is luckily headed to Vermillion City herself. Considering the fact that you may want one in the future, it may be good to take a look.
[] Straight Through the Forests - A route that's almost never traveled due to the difficult terrain and lack of Pokemon, it would allow you to get some experience with traveling as fast as possible.
[] Write-in


GM Note: Hi all, while I'm glad to finish this update I'm unfortunately still dealing with a family emergency so updates will be once a week for 2-3 weeks as a result. That being said, at least things are getting better IRL, so I've got hope that my update speed will get back to normal soon. Next update will have the various stat upgrades attained by Chansey and Magnemite.

Alright, looks like flying on a Skarmory wins. An interesting choice, while it would be fun to see Wilow racing through the forest, it's also fun to write up Violet being carried by what's effectively a metal pterodactyl.

Chansey and Magnemite had both grown from the experience. The Egg Pokemon reached a new level when it came to her existing moves and developed two additional ones. While Fling would likely not see use until Violet managed to integrate items into her battles, Sing could apply useful status conditions during battle. Magnemite meanwhile had begun growing used to battle. His stamina and evasiveness grew notably during the battle as well as his skill with Thunder Shock.

The immediate aftermath of her victory was one of celebration, she was given an unofficial badge for managing it. While it didn't have any officiating body, it seemed that the Pokemon Tower was used by Channelers to measure the skill of trainers, teach experienced Ghost trainers the intricacies of Ghost Pokemon, and allow a place for the souls of dead Pokemon to rest. The Tower Badge as it was called was pleasant to have, even if it meant she'd have to think about where to keep it. Maybe a dedicated badge holder?

Pleased by her success, Violet had a slight smile on her face while walking over to the Pokecenter, where she was greeted by a smiling Willow. "Did you make it to the top?"

In response, the shy girl gave a simple nod, holding out the Tower Badge for her rival to see. It was a fairly simple badge, a black metal background with a gray tower.

"That's awesome!" Willow cheered before making a declaration. "Next time, I'll be the one that gets further, you can count on it!"

Violet had no doubt her rival would do everything in her power to ensure that was the case. "Good luck," was her reply.

The next day, the two girls began their trip to Vermilion City. But this wouldn't be a normal trip by any means. Instead of the planned forest route, Violet had decided upon an alternative option. A trainer was willing to ferry them for a small fee. If she hadn't been paying attention, she would have missed the offer, but a trainer by the name of Evelyn was advertising her services to the Pokecenter.

One of the lead trainers in the attack on Team Rocket's hideout in the Rock Tunnel, she was an intimidating woman notably older than Violet or Willow. She didn't talk much, but that suited Violet just fine. The journey itself would take place with each of them on one of Evelyn's Pokemon. The eldest trainer would be riding a Charizard, Willow a Tropius, and Violet a Skarmory.

The Armor Bird Pokemon was lovely. Strong and skilled, he eyed Violet with a look she was familiar with. After all, it was a look familiar to her. One of calm perception and analysis. She imagined that this was the look she gave others constantly, and a moment later she noticed Skarmory realizing something similar.

Willow similarly enjoyed the flight with Tropius, although that was more due to Willow loving the feeling of flying.

Violet was a bit more apprehensive about the flight. Even if Skarmory wouldn't drop her, and even if he did, he could catch her, there was the ever-present fear of falling. The ground was hundreds of feet below, long enough for her to regret ever flying before she slammed into it. Shaking off the darker thought, the shy girl forced herself to ask Evelyn a question. "So-so, where did you find Skarmory?"

"Stark Mountain," Evelyn said in a clipped tone. Violet took a moment to glance at the older woman, realizing that she wasn't against conversation, but also wasn't willing to talk about anything personal.

"Is that in Sinnoh?" Violet followed up on her prior question. While she knew one could find Skarmory in the Sinnoh Region, she didn't know much beyond that. She had been focused on Kanto geography. Sinnoh's geography was a bit beyond her knowledge.

"Yeah," came the reply. "It's a volcano in Sinnoh's northern island." Evelyn glanced over at Violet, "If you go there, stay out of the interior no matter what."

There was more to that warning than just what was present on the surface. There was a quiver in Evelyn's voice, one born of genuine fear. A part of Violet wanted to know what that fear was from, but she knew pressing the matter would lead to the conversation ending there. "Do-do you know where I can find a Skarmory in Kanto?"

Evelyn mulled the question over, "Your best bet is Cinnabar Island. Skarmorys tend to gather around volcanoes. And while they're not native to Kanto, there's always a few careless trainers that let them loose."

"Thanks," Violet replied. Skarmory was a pretty useful Pokemon. Skilled in multiple aspects of battle along with opening up a few new options for her, when she visited Cinnabar Island she'd have to try and find the Skarmory nests there.

The rest of the flight was fairly quiet. Willow started a few conversations here and there, but they were generally short and focused on landmasses they could see below them. The trip itself was rather short, a mere hour in total. Walking this distance would have taken them days, and both Willow and Violet were happy to avoid that experience.

As the two landed in Vermillion City, both Willow and Violet began to plan the next few days.

*Chansey upgrades Life Dew to B--*
*Chansey upgrades Charm to B--*
*Chansey learned Sing at C-*
*Chansey learned Fling at E*

*Magnemite upgrades Stamina to D-*
*Magnemite upgrades Evasion to D-*
*Magnemite upgrades Thunder Shock to B--*

The Seventeenth 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.
[] Help Willow Catch a Pokemon - Your rival is going to spend a few days exploring the area for a Pokemon to add to her team. Right now she's trying to find a Heracross but is open to a few other options as well.
[] Visit the Pokemon Fan Club - The Kanto branch of the Pokemon Fan Club holds regular meetings. Generally, you could expect a few highly experienced trainers to be around regardless of the occasion. Skarmory and his trainer for instance.

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.
[] Challenge Eveyln to a Battle - You're not going to win. But Evelyn is the strongest trainer you've ever seen (besides that woman with the Milotic years ago). You want to see what she can do.
[X] Challenge the Vermilion City Gym - A fight for the second badge is long overdue, and with your current level, you could easily take it entirely.
[] Explore the Construction Site - There's something clearly odd about it. A construction site that has been in the middle of construction for years without progress … You're sure there's something more to it.

Exploration Actions

[] See the Sights Inside the City - There are a number of interesting attractions in Vermillion City. The port is rather interesting and holds a fair few internationally-themed attractions.
[] Explore the Boats - A few boats from various regions are currently docked. Most of them have a policy of allowing trainers onboard to challenge others. It may be fun to check out the area.
[] See the Sights Outside the City - With Diglett Cave nearby, it could be fun to spend a few days exploring the cave system and see what interesting locations and Pokemon are within.
[] Explore Unorthodox Locations - There is a lighthouse nearby that's seldom visited. Spending a day or two to visit could be interesting.

Traveling Actions

*None available this turn

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 has begun heading south and just arrived in Saffron City.

GM Note: Things are still rather hectic IRL. They're improving, but do expect the next 2-3 updates to take a fair bit longer than normal.