A Journey of Two, a Pokemon Story

Magnemite and Gligar sat at opposite ends of the arena, while their trainers looked each other up and down seeking insight into their plans. Violet could hear Flynn faintly whispering to Gligar, providing orders well before the battle started while keeping his voice low enough that the young girl couldn't hear it properly. Yet body language told another story, as Violet caught the faint hint of an enthusiastic expression on Gligar followed by forced casualness. It reminded her of some of Magnemite's plots, where they would pretend to do one thing before doing another.

As she was thinking it over, the referee indicated the battle was about to start, leading Violet to give Magnemite some advice. "You have to rely on Gyro Ball," she unenthusiastically stated. It wasn't ideal, but it was one of the few choices available to her.

If she truly wanted to win, she likely would have used Chansey. But that wasn't what this fight was for. This fight was for Magnemite and Gligar so the two of them could improve their battling skills. The Fly Scorpion Pokemon was quick and tough, a combination she hadn't dealt with before. Supersonic would be difficult to hit, but if Flynn tried a poorly practiced move Magnemite may have a chance to land it. But it would only be a chance.

The referee signaled for the battle to begin, and Gligar rose into the air. Diving towards Magnemite, all indications seemed ready for a brutal opening series of rapid Acrobatics. Then Violet whispered so that only Magnemite could hear. "It's Sand Attack."

The Magnet Pokemon closed their eye just as Gligar dove prematurely, ripping sand from the ground and throwing it at Magnemite. A dirty crust formed, but if they hadn't been forewarned it would have been far worse. Magnemite spun rapidly a moment later, sadly far too late to have a chance of hitting.

Gligar suddenly sped up, a clear sign of using Quick Attack. "Acrobatics," Violet warned, noticing the faint disparity as Gligar switched moves, slamming into Magnemite and forcing the Magnet Pokemon to abort a second attempt at Gyro Ball.

"Don't fake it this time," Flynn declared with a frown. His voice was calm and collected, a notable change from his usual nervous demeanor. Then he added a second sentence quietly enough that Violet couldn't hear, but it was enough to confirm her suspicions.

"It's not an attack," Violet realized, "Magnemite, step into it!"

The Fly Scorpion Pokemon darted forward, using Sand Attack once more. But Magnemite had been ready this time and stepped into the attack. A foolish choice had it been any other attack, but in this case, it worked well.

The Magnet Pokemon spun, steel-type energy coating their frame with only a moment of preparation needed. Yet, that moment was enough for Gligar to begin flying upwards as fast as possible after coating Magnemite with yet another layer of sand, further degrading their sight and aim.

Gligar dived downwards once more, dragging his claws into the ground in a move Magnemite was sure was Sand Attack. Stepping into it once more, Violet suddenly shouted, "Magnemite that's not Sand Attack!"

It was too late, as Gligar suddenly accelerated, striking with Quick Attack hard enough to throw the Magnet Pokemon across the arena. "Don't let up," Flynn calmly ordered, "Keep up the deception for now."

Gligar's tail rose, but Violet knew better. Poison Sting on a Steel type? Really? "Sand Attack," she forewarned, allowing Magnemite to roll and prevent the coating of sand from being worse than it was. Yet, the Magnet Pokemon was still reeling from the previous blow, slowly getting to their metaphorical feet even as Gligar struck with another Acrobatics before switching to another Quick Attack.

However, the second attack was something Violet saw coming. Magnemite may be too slow to dodge or mitigate the damage, but there was something he could do. "Meet it! Tackle!" She yelled, surprising herself with her volume.

The two Pokemon clashed, and for the first time, Gligar came out of the exchange worse than Magnemite due to their steel frame. "Keep on it!" Violet heard Willow shout from the crowd, and she had no intention not to.

Still trying to right himself in the air, now was the perfect chance for Magnemite to land a blow. "Hit him hard Magnemite!"

"Go through them Gligar!" Flynn shouted as well, and Gligar immediately understood what he had to do. Scraping a claw on the ground to gain some degree of control, the Fly Scorpion Pokemon then forced himself forward through the use of his wings, voluntarily clashing with Magnemite head-on, Acrobatics versus Gyro Ball.

Once more, Gligar came out of the exchange with more damage, but the attack had launched them into the air where Flynn could take a moment to reevaluate the situation.

"So, feints aren't working…" Violet heard him mutter. "Gligar, full evasive."

The Fly Scorpion Pokemon began to dart through the skies, interspersing their movements with Quick Attack and Acrobatics. Trying to hit him now would be entirely luck-based, and based on Magnemite's halting movements, they didn't have much stamina left. "Take a moment Magnemite." Violet shifted her hat as she chose the only option that made sense. "Catch your breath while you can."

The Magnet Pokemon complied, tracking Gligar through the skies but making no move to attack or dodge. Instead, they simply rested for several seconds as a lull in the battle began. "So that's how it is…" Flynn muttered with a frown. "In that case, Gligar, Acrobatics, Acrobatics, Acrobatics!"

Dashing through the air, the Fly Scorpion Pokemon accelerated, darting in and out of Magnemite's range repeatedly. Left, right, front, back, above, each approach came from a different, unpredictable location. Violet's eyes darted through the skies, trying to track the unpredictable path and sometimes succeeding. "Magnemite, just keep trying to hit him. I believe in you!"

The Magnet Pokemon's eye narrowed as they spun and spun and spun. Steel energy was constantly used, the sheer exertion involved forcing them to rapidly begin to slow down. And yet, Gligar landed Acrobatics after Acrobatics, slowly but surely whittling down Magnemite with scratches and dents beginning to appear across their entire frame.

But despite the constant barrage of attacks, despite the significant speed advantage held by Gligar, neither Magnemite nor Violet gave up. Gyro Ball was used constantly, and eventually, luck turned against Gligar.

Guessing the Fly Scorpion's approach correctly, Magnemite spun clockwise with a slight upwards tilt. Meeting the Acrobatics head-on, they only half-heard the cheer of the crowd as the Magnet Pokemon spun with the hit, using Gligar's speed against him. The Fly Scorpion Pokemon bounced once, then twice across the ground, skittering to a halt before struggling to stand.

"Dig deep Magnemite! Just one more hit!" Violet yelled. "Don't bother with Gyro Ball, use Tackle!"

"Get in the air Gligar! Hurry!" Flynn ordered a nervous expression coloring his once calm demeanor.

It was rare to use Tackle at any level past the first gym badge. Often outclassed by other moves in potency and breadth, Tackle at its core was a basic move that was meant to be moved past. But in this situation where Gligar was just barely hanging on by a thread, it was the best move available.

Despite their clear exhaustion, Magnemite forced themselves to move. A picture-perfect Tackle was used, and if it hit, Gligar was done for.

It didn't land.

It wasn't a matter of inches that decided it, Gligar had simply recovered too quickly for that. Instead, the move was avoided with a comfortable margin to spare as Gligar rose into the air for one last Acrobatics.

Magnemite met it head-on, one last gamble that maybe the damage could be mitigated and they could land a final blow. At this point, both Pokemon had been pushed to the very edge of their limits, and each one was a step away from fainting.

Yet there would be no miracle, and after one last exchange, a heavily injured Gligar panted as he stood over the defeated Magnemite.

*Magnemite upgrades Health to C--*
*Magnemite upgrades Stamina to D+*
*Magnemite upgrades Attack to C--*
*Magnemite upgrades Defense to B-*
*Magnemite upgrades Speed to D*
*Magnemite upgrades Tackle to C++*
*Magnemite upgrades Gyro Ball to C*
*Magnemite upgrades Stamina to D+*
*Magnemite learned Screech at D++*

The Twentieth Week, Pick 2

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 still 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.
[] Buy and Use TMs/HMs - You're a big enough trainer to afford TMs and HMs for your Pokemon. You should take advantage of it when you can.
[-] 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.
[] Meet with Flynn - You were so close to winning last time, and some of the tricks he tried are giving you ideas. He seems to be the type to help you with your ideas.

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.

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

[] Travel to Saffron City - Heading to Saffron City would let you work towards challenging Sabrina. However, your parents would drive to visit you, and you would have to meet them. Tetsuya is also here.
[] Travel to Celadon City - Celadon City is rather nearby, and you do have plans on challenging the Gym Leader. That being said, you would have to meet your parents at home.
[] Travel to Fuchsia City - It's a longer trip than the others due to the lack of towns along the way, but it would make for a fun experience.
[] Travel to Cinnabar Island - There are a number of ferries to Cinnabar Island, which would let you fight one of the more remote gyms now rather than later.
[] Travel to Write-in - There are many locations in Kanto one could take a direct route towards.

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 is currently preparing to take on the Saffron City Gym and has spent several days constantly battling.
[] The Hotel - The Hotel Flynn had tickets for is very, very fancy. A four-star resort it'd be fantastic to just relax with your Pokemon and Willow.
[] Willow's Battle - Willow feels ready to take on the Vermillion City Gym. She attended your match with Flynn, it'd be good for you to see how she battles with her full team.

Alright, I'll be calling the vote here. Looks like you are going to be watching Willow's gym match. This match is a 4 vs 4, where Willow does manage to win, albeit it's a rather close fight overall. And now Violet has successfully figured out Willow's main strategies, which generally involve being very fast and very hard to hit. That and being very high energy.

As for the other winning option, that's currently a tie, so time for a d2

1 - Travel to Saffron City
2 - Explore Unconventional Locations

Violet found herself busy over the next day. Taking Magnemite to the Pokecenter and ensuring their health was nerve-wracking. She had never had one of her Pokemon faint before, and while she had been logically prepared, emotionally it was another story. While Magnemite had been fine, waking up within a matter of seconds, their injured body was worrying for Violet, which led to her spending the day in the Pokecenter while Willow prepared for her battle with Lieutenant Surge.

"You did great Magnemite," she remembered saying, and that they had. They managed to take the battle down to the final seconds, where one more successful attack would have won the battle for Magnemite. Flynn and Willow both said as much, with the former giving her his number in case they were in the same area again. Overall, the battle had been successful in its goal, improving Violet's Pokemon substantially. She could already see results across the board. Magnemite was stronger, faster, tougher, more energetic, and he had figured out how to use Screech, albeit poorly.

Violet couldn't wait to see what else she could make possible.

The next day, she joined the crowd of watchers in the gym. Unlike most of those present, she had a poster similar to the one Willow had written for her. On it, she'd simply written "Go, Willow!" She'd immediately started to regret it when she saw several people look at her, and one tried to drag her into a conversation about how Surge was going to win easily. Violet chose to ignore them rather than respond, which only served to make them angrier until they eventually gave up.

Distracted as she was by her own nerves, Violet almost missed the start of the battle as Staryu faced one of Lieutenant Surge's Voltorbs. It was then that she began to dislike the gym trainer after hearing his comments on Staryu. "You haven't evolved that one yet? That's a mistake."

Willow clearly took offense to that, with the energetic trainer lowering her voice from her usual high-energy demeanor to one that was slightly quieter but sharper. "Don't you worry, Staryu will show you what they're capable of!"

Immediately flowing into a planned series of Rapid Spins, Minimizes, and Swifts, Staryu was clipped by Voltorb's Charge Beam before they were even able to react. Managing to use a single Rapid Spin before a Minimize, Lieutenant Surge immediately put a stop to it. "Self-Destruct." The detonation was a surprise to Willow, as it had barely been a few seconds since the fight started. This resulted in Staryu taking the entire hit head-on, leading to the fainting of both Pokemon. "I'm not saying Starmie could handle that, but they'd have been far more capable of it."

Violet really didn't like Surge anymore, and by the looks of it, neither did Willow who had narrowed her expression considerably. Both trainers sent out their next Pokemon, a Jolteon and Bronzor before the battle continued.

Jolteon was incredibly fast, Violet realized. Faster than any Pokemon she had seen before, the Lightning Pokemon practically danced across the arena without issue. But Willow had experience with fast Pokemon as a trainer, which allowed her to slow the battle down through the use of Confuse Ray before landing a series of brutal Gyro Balls with Bronzor.

"So, you do have a few tricks up your sleeve…" Surge commented with what sounded like a compliment. Returning Jolteon and sending out Raichu, the Mouse Pokemon was immediately ambushed by another Gyro Ball.

"What?" Willow asked. "You didn't think I'd just let you switch, did you?"

Violet smiled at the frown on Surge's face. "No, you just caught me off guard is all." Rolling his shoulders, the gym leader chose to adopt a new strategy. "Raichu, keep your distance."

The Mouse Pokemon followed the order immediately, refusing to allow Bronzor to get anywhere near him and forcing a long-ranged fight, one which Bronzor was poorly built for with their moveset. And so, Violet chose not to play. Switching to Eevee, the Evolution Pokemon was just barely able to evade the use of Thunder before closing the distance with Quick Attack.

Then Surge shook his head in disapproval, "Another unevolved Pokemon?" Returning Raichu to their ball, Surge lazily sent Jolteon back in. "Kid, there's no reason to hold off on evolving your friend there. You're just handicapping him for no reason."

Willow frowned, returning Eevee to his Pokeball and sending out Bronzor. "I don't really like you …"

Surge shrugged, returning Jolteon before sending Magnemite. "Look, you're not a bad trainer, but unless your Pokemon don't want to evolve, there's no reason not to."

Willow's frown deepened, she clearly didn't like Surge's tone, but he wasn't entirely wrong. Violet realized something similar in that moment, Starmie did have better moves and was generally more physically capable than Staryu. It was similar with Eevee and their evolutions as well. "I'll think about it," Willow said neutrally, although Violet knew that meant she was seriously considering it.

Returning Bronzor and sending in Heracross, Surge responded by switching in Jolteon, resulting in the Lightning Pokemon being clipped by Heracross' Aerial Ace. This time, however, neither trainer chose to switch, with both Pokemon going at it with brutal tenacity. A close-range skirmish followed with Quick Attacks, Aerial Aces, Thunder Waves, and Horn Attacks. It only ended with Jolteon's Double Kick being caught by Heracross' Counter where Jolteon fainted but Heracross was left standing.

Surge sent in Raichu, and Willow switched to Eevee where the Evolution Pokemon was able to use his superior speed to win the fight, leaving Surge with just Magnemite. Magnemite then managed to beat Eevee, albeit not without a few scratches. But Heracross was sent back in, managing to win the battle thanks to their type advantage.

Immediately beginning to cheer for her friend, Violet stood up and let out a small cheer that was drowned out by the rest of the crowd's clapping. Mentally hyping herself up, the shy girl took a deep breath, then cheered louder, this time making her voice audible over the din of the crowd. Willow heard her, giving her a thumbs up. Then Violet blushed as she realized most of the crowd was looking at her with amused expressions.

After Willow earned her third badge, the two girls spent the day in the Pokecenter before leaving for Saffron City. With the journey being relatively short, the two of them had ample opportunity to have fun with both themselves and their Pokemon.

Pick 2. These interactions will be written up, all are assumed to happen.

[] Willow - Willow is proud of her third badge but has been thinking over Surge's words. Adding your thoughts could be useful.
[] Dratini - It feels like it's been a while since the two of you interacted one-on-one. There's even a lake on the way you can play in!
[] Pineco - Pineco would like to be carried along the way, desiring to see the sights. While the two of you do so, it'd be good to just talk.
[] Chansey - The Egg Pokemon has had fun in recent weeks, often being used in battle. It'd be good to talk to her about what she wants in life.
[] Magnemite - The Magnet Pokemon has grown rapidly due to their battle with Gligar. It'd be good to get their perspective on matters.