Alright, I'll be closing the vote here. Looks like An Uncomfortable Situation wins rather handily. And it wound up working rather well overall with you getting both hazards out onto the field along with removing Alakazam from the battle. Now you have a Mr. Mime who is looking a good bit less confident based on what just transpired.
Health: C
Stamina: C
Attack: D++
Defense: C-
Special Attack: B--
Special Defense: B+
Speed: C++
Evasion: B--
Moves
Mimic: E++
Baton Pass: B--
Copycat: D++
Encore: C+
Guard Swap: E++
Pound: D++
Power Swap: E++
Quick Guard: C++
Wide Guard:
Confusion: D++
Role Play: D++
Protect: C++
Recycle: E++
Psychic: C
Calm Mind: B--
Special Skills
Soundproof
Round 1 Alakazam: Mr. Mime switches in for Alakazam.
Round 1 Pineco: Pineco used Stealth Rock (DC30: 48). Pineco laid a field of stones!
Round 2 Mr. Mime: Mr. Mime used Calm Mind (DC15: 75). Mr. Mime's Special Attack increased from C++ to B-.
Round 2 Pineco: Pineco used Spikes (DC30: 74). Pineco lays a trap of thorns on the field!
Round 3 Mr. Mime: Mr. Mime used Baton Pass. Alakazam took his place. Alakazam's Special Attack is now S–. The rocks hurt Alakazam. Alakazam loses 13% of his HP (87%). The thorns dig into Alakazam. Alakazam loses 13% of his HP (74%).
Round 3 Pineco: Pineco feinted Spikes (DC??: ??). Alakazam fell for the feint! Pineco used Bug Bite (DC50-15=35: 36). Alakazam lost 74% of his HP (0%). Alakazam fainted!
Sabrina sent out Mr. Mime. The rocks hurt Mr. Mime. Mr. Mime loses 13% of his HP (87%). The thorns dig into Mr. Mime. Mr. Mime loses 13% of his HP (74%).
Scheduled vote count started by Daemon Hunter on Aug 2, 2024 at 9:30 PM, finished with 19 posts and 6 votes.
Send out: Pineco
Stance: Aggressive (-5% chance to dodge, +5% chance to hit)
Turn 1: Use Stealth Rock.
Turn 2: Use Spikes.
Turn 3: Feint using Spikes again but use Bug Bite instead.
If Mr. Mime attempts to stay in rather than using Baton Pass to get Alakazam back in then swap with Magnemite who will use Flash Cannon Recklessly. If one of Stealth Rock or Spikes doesn't succeed use Bug Bite Recklessly instead of Aggressively, if neither succeeds use Self Destruct Recklessly, if Bug Bite misses then feint going for another Bug Bite but use Self Destruct Aggressively if both hazards succeeded, and Self Destruct Recklessly otherwise instead.
It wasn't a great situation, Violet mused. Buying time to think by slowly pulling out Pineco's Pokeball, she had an idea of what would be needed.
Any plan that didn't involve preventing an Alakazam boosted by Calm Mind from remaining was doomed to fail, and so that had to be her first priority. Tossing Pineco onto the field, Violet loudly told her what was needed, "Pineco," she forced out, pitching her voice so both the audience and Sabrina could hear. "As soon as the battle starts, use Stealth Rock."
The gym leader clamped down on her reaction, flicking her eyes to one of the Pokeballs Violet could tell there was a faint grimace. Good, that meant her assumption of the fourth Pokemon being a Bug-type was accurate. Glancing at the attendant who had begun the countdown, her mind raced as she tried to determine what was best.
Dragon Tail was her first idea, timing it carefully so that Dratini could force a switch just as Alakazam hit. Considering the Psi Pokemon's frailty, a crit may even knock him out of the match. Letting a hand drift towards his Pokeball she then recalled teaching Dratini Outrage for this very reason. A single hit with that would remove Alakazam from play. But what if he missed?
There wasn't a good backup in that situation, and it'd force her to improvise while facing a buffed Alakazam that could one-shot everyone besides maybe Chansey. A second before the battle began, Violet was still trying to figure out a plan.
Then she heard simultaneous sounds, one of which was much louder than the other. "YOU GOT THIS VIOLET!!!"
Flinching at the sheer volume from Tetsuya, Violet glared at the display before shaking her head to clear her thoughts. Turning towards the second sound, she locked eyes with Pineco who had voiced her confidence in handling the Pokemon before her. Both trainer and Pokemon nodded simultaneously as a plan fell into place within both their minds at once.
"Let the battle begin!" The attendant declared as a red light turned green. Immediately Pineco jumped into the air, throwing out dozens of floating rocks into the air while Sabrina switched in Mr. Mime.
"Spikes," Violet intoned in a serious voice, her mind focused entirely on the Barrier Pokemon as she waited to see what he would do. As expected, Mr. Mime closed his eyes and concentrated, allowing a field of thorns to coat Sabrina's side of the arena. Then the Pokemon opened his eyes which glowed with power.
"Keep it up Pineco," Violet said as she pitched her voice oddly. To a stranger, it would have sounded nervous, a very understandable situation thanks to Mr. Mime mining a bow, exiting the stage using Baton Pass, leading to an extremely dangerous Alakazam returning to the field.
Buffeted by Stealth Rock and wincing from the Spikes, the Psi Pokemon appeared to be bursting with Psychic energy. Loose rocks floated in the air at will, Violet's hair stood on end as her skin began to crawl with goosebumps. Her throat turned dry as Alakazam stepped forward, attempting to avoid being struck by a second set of Spikes.
Yet, it was all a bluff on the part of Violet and Pineco. The Bagworm Pokemon shifted, turning the use of Spikes into a lunge as her mouth glowed with Bug-type energy. Too late, Alakazam shifted trying to close the hole opened in his guard by the cunning feint.
With a thunderous crash, Pineco struck the Psi Pokemon, tearing into his frame with the super-effective move. Alakazam bounced once, landing in a heap on the floor as the power gained from Calm Mind vanished.
Struggling to stand, the Psi Pokemon managed to use his arms to force himself into a crawling position before the damage truly claimed him. Falling to the ground, Alakazam's eyes glazed over as he fainted.
And on the other side of the arena, Pineco began to glow a blinding white as her body began to morph. Her frame seemed to almost split, pine bark turning into a white ceramic while a strip of red appeared in the middle. Four protrusions emerged from the red strip as the Pokemon grew taller, stronger, and heavier.
When Violet blinked the stars from her eyes, she saw a Forretress where Pineco once was and grinned widely. This battle was hers to lose!
*Pineco evolved into Forretress*
*Forretress improved Health to B*
*Forretress improved Attack to B*
*Forretress improved Defense to A-*
*Forretress improved Special Attack to C*
*Forretress improved Special Defense to B--*
*Forretress improved Speed to D--*
Health: C
Stamina: C
Attack: D++
Defense: C-
Special Attack: C++
Special Defense: B+
Speed: C++
Evasion: B–
Moves
Mimic: E++
Baton Pass: B--
Copycat: D++
Encore: C+
Guard Swap: E++
Pound: D++
Power Swap: E++
Quick Guard: C++
Wide Guard: F++
Confusion: D++
Role Play: D++
Protect: C++
Recycle: E++
Psychic: C
Calm Mind: B–
Special Skills
Soundproof
Violet's Thoughts: A fast Pokemon whose evasiveness when combined with Calm Mind makes them very hard to face in extended battles. He cannot be allowed to set up. Starting off already injured does help, however.
Violet's Perceptive Trait Kicks in!
Mr. Mime will use a Stand-off stance throughout the fight and will do whatever he can to avoid entering a close-ranged fight. He will use Calm Mind twice before switching to an Aggressive stance and using Psychic.
If Forretress stays in and uses Spikes in Round 5 and 6, Mr. Mime will use Protect instead of Psychic due to expecting her to use Self Destruct in Round 7.
If Magnemite switches in during Round 4, he will forgo using a second Calm Mind and rely on staggered alternations of Protect and Psychic to try and win the ranged duel assuming Magnemite uses Flash Cannon continuously. During this fight, he'll use an Evasive stance.
[]
Send out: Forretress
Stance: Aggressive (-5% chance to dodge, +5% chance to hit)
Round 5: Spikes
Round 6: Spikes
Round 7: If Spikes failed once, use Spikes again. Otherwise, use Curse.
Round 8: If Mr. Mime's Protect works a second time, use Curse. Otherwise, use Self Destruct. Repeat as needed.
Send out: Magnemite
Stance: Aggressive (-5% chance to dodge, +5% chance to hit)
Round 5: Thunder Wave
Round 6+: Thunder Wave if it missed, otherwise use Flash Cannon
[] Write-in
Round 1 Alakazam: Mr. Mime switches in for Alakazam.
Round 1 Pineco: Pineco used Stealth Rock (DC30: 48). Pineco laid a field of stones!
Round 2 Mr. Mime: Mr. Mime used Calm Mind (DC15: 75). Mr. Mime's Special Attack increased from C++ to B-.
Round 2 Pineco: Pineco used Spikes (DC30: 74). Pineco lays a trap of thorns on the field!
Round 3 Mr. Mime: Mr. Mime used Baton Pass. Alakazam took his place. Alakazam's Special Attack is now S–. The rocks hurt Alakazam. Alakazam loses 13% of his HP (87%). The thorns dig into Alakazam. Alakazam loses 13% of his HP (74%).
Round 3 Pineco: Pineco feinted Spikes (DC??: ??). Alakazam fell for the feint! Pineco used Bug Bite (DC50-15=35: 36). Alakazam lost 74% of his HP (0%). Alakazam fainted!
Sabrina sent out Mr. Mime. The rocks hurt Mr. Mime. Mr. Mime loses 13% of his HP (87%). The thorns dig into Mr. Mime. Mr. Mime loses 13% of his HP (74%).
I for one completely endorse this strategy which is actually rather viable. I will also say that evolutions are very powerful just due to the increase in base stats. Although some evolutions are instead represented by seeing a boost to XP afterwards which effectively amounts to the same thing following a training action or two.
I would like to preface this by saying I feel very, very bad for this poor Mr. Mime. He literally used a single Calm Mind, hurt himself in confusion, and then spent the rest of the fight paralyzed.
Round 4 Mr. Mime: Mr. Mime used Calm Mind (DC15: 29). Mr. Mime's Special Attack increased from C++ to B-.
Round 4 Magnemite: Magnemite feinted with Flash Cannon. Mr. Mime saw through the feint! Magnemite used Supersonic (DC60: 77). Mr. Mime was confused!
Round 5 Mr. Mime: Mr. Mime used Psychic (DC25: 16). Mr. Mime hurt itself in his Confusion! Mr. Mime lost 8% of his HP (66%). (DC75: 89) Mr. Mime snapped out of his confusion.
Round 5 Magnemite: Magnemite feinted with Flash Cannon. Mr. Mime fell for the feint! Magnemite used Thunder Wave (DC20: 64). Mr. Mime was paralyzed.
Round 6 Mr. Mime: Mr. Mime used Protect (DC25: 8). Mr. Mime is paralyzed!
Round 6 Magnemite: Magnemite took a moment to rest.
Round 7 Mr. Mime: Mr. Mime used Psychic (DC25: 18). Mr. Mime is paralyzed!
Round 7 Magnemite: Magnemite used Flash Cannon (DC20: 31). Mr. Mime lost 42% of his HP (24%).
Round 8 Mr. Mime: Mr. Mime used Psychic (DC25: 4). Mr. Mime is paralyzed!
Round 8 Magnemite: Magnemite used Flash Cannon (DC20: 68). Mr. Mime lost 24% of his HP (0%). Mr. Mime fainted!
Scheduled vote count started by Daemon Hunter on Aug 5, 2024 at 9:35 PM, finished with 9 posts and 4 votes.
Stance: Aggressive (-5% chance to dodge, +5% chance to hit)
Round 4+: Supersonic until it hits, Thunder Wave until it hits, and then Flash Cannon
Feint Flash Cannon when going for Supersonic, and Thunder Wave. Take a breather during the turns where Mr. Mime uses Protect. And, swap to the Reckless stance when using Flash Cannon.
Violet looked at Forretress then let herself glance down at Magnemite's Pokeball. Forretress could almost certainly win this on her own, a single use of Bug Bite may even be enough to defeat Mr. Mime. But in this moment, Violet was riding the high of a flawless fight. "Forretress," she said with confidence, "take a breather for the moment."
The Bagworm Pokemon looked at Violet and then back at her opponent. With a confident shrug, she conveyed the message that she could win this, but if Violet was sure then Magnemite could have a turn. Forretress' expression then turned slightly smug as she wondered if she could have swept the gym on her own.
Violet smiled at her friend's confidence before finally making the switch. Throwing Magnemite onto the field of battle, she lowered her voice to give him orders. "Add some feints and fakes at the start, I know you're good at it." The Magnet Pokemon appeared excited and almost missed Violet's next words. "Alright, Magnemite! Let's win this thing!"
Mr. Mime cracked his knuckles, stretching his arms and rolling his shoulders in a very human manner. In response, Magnemite simply changed the frequency of their hum, tilting back and forth in a facsimile of stretching.
Then the battle resumed once more, Magnemite charging up a Flash Cannon while Mr. Mime stood there utterly unconcerned. Briefly closing his eyes, the Barrier Pokemon used Calm Mind while Violet ordered, "Supersonic, don't let him see straight."
A wave of noise crashed into Mr. Mime, causing him to step back and open his eyes. While too late to disrupt his prior move, Violet could see the clouded confusion in his eyes whilst he stumbled ungainly on his feet. Instinctively trying to use Psychic, he held up a hand miming the move, only to lose control of the building energy which quite literally blew up in his face.
"Thunder Wave," Violet ordered, unwilling to squander the advantage to which Magnemite momentarily pretended not to hear it, instead gathering both Steel-type and Electric-type energy at once.
Mr. Mime on the other hand waved the dust away from his face, a serious expression covering his face as Sabrina gave him orders. Taking a series of unpredictable steps, he prepared to use Protect after Magnemite's attack. Hoping to dodge the first and then block the second, the Barrier Pokemon's plan stumbled after the Magnet Pokemon abruptly stopped gathering Steel-type energy.
Having expected the use of Flash Cannon, Mr. Mime's brain momentarily locked up, leaving him vulnerable despite mental orders from Sabrina to move. A wave of electricity flowed from Magnemite to the Barrier Pokemon, locking up limbs and halting all attempts to act.
"He's going to use Protect," Violet observed, understanding the movements used by the Barrier Pokemon. "Hold off for a moment."
Magnemite held back for a moment, taking a moment to breathe as a panicked Mr. Mime acted to defend himself despite being unable to move. Instinctively using Protect, the Barrier Pokemon was distracted by the electricity coursing through his veins causing the move to simply fizzle out.
A second later, Mr. Mime tried to use Psychic once more, as Sabrina hoped that a brief ranged duel would allow her Pokemon time and space to recover. Unfortunately, the paralysis proved too much as Mr. Mime's locked-up limbs prevented him from doing more than writhe on the floor.
Magnemite, on the other hand, felt a little bad for what they were about to do. One Flash Cannon fired, causing Mr. Mime to roll across the floor. Another desperate attempt at Psychic failed, leaving Magnemite with a clear and easy target.
They fired their second Flash Cannon of the match and Mr. Mime fainted.
Violet smiled in response as the crowd watching went wild. Sabrina's gym had one of the highest win rates in Kanto which made every trainer that challenged her an underdog. To have said underdog knock out two of her Pokemon without taking a single hit was absurdly rare and the crowd was loving it.
Sabrina, however, was not. Despite dampening her emotions below a psychic wall in her mind, the gym leader seemed to think the fight had been too easy for Violet. Glancing over at her attendants, Sabrina briefly frowned at the memory of their prior conversations. While they gave good advice, she shouldn't have listened to them previously. She should have gone all out against this trainer from the start, but now it was likely too late. Restricted to only a Slowpoke and Butterfree against an array of hazards, Sabrina would be facing an uphill battle.
Forcing her thoughts to grind to a halt, the gym leader calmed herself down in a manner superficially similar to the use of Calm Mind in Pokemon. Gazing into the mind of the trainer before her, Sabrina looked down in the real world while perusing some of Violet's thoughts. It wasn't complete mind reading, but for a fight, it was enough.
Her attendants gave her a look, trying to silently convey the idea that it wasn't acceptable to implement strategies used against the Elite 4 against a trainer with two badges. Sabrina supposed they had a point. She'd restrict herself to mind reading. At least for now.
Health: D++
Stamina: D++
Attack: D
Defense: D++
Special Attack: B--
Special Defense: C
Speed: A
Evasion: A++
Moves
Bug Bite: E++
Gust: E++
Harden: E++
String Shot: C+
Tackle: F++
Supersonic: D++
Confusion: E++
Poison Powder: B-
Sleep Powder: D++
Stun Spore: D++
Psybeam: C++
Whirlwind: B--
Air Slash: D++
Safeguard: C++
Substitute: C++
Special Skills
Tinted Lens
Violet's Thoughts: A glass cannon, Butterfree is fast, agile, and hits hard. Whirlwind allows her to cycle through problematic Pokemon while Poison Powder places a needed time limit on the battle due to her poor stamina. At range, Supersonic and Psybeam are her usual go-to. She cannot survive in close range, however.
Butterfree will use Whirlwind which will replace Magnemite with Dratini. She'll then use a series of Psybeams due to being too weak to absorb a hit but will use a Substitute if she gets a chance. If Dratini uses Thunder Wave, she'll use Safeguard. If Dratini uses Protect, she'll take a moment to rest.
Should Violet switch to one of her other Pokemon, Butterfree will adapt her strategy. Against Magnemite she'll open with a Reckless Psybeam, against Chansey she'll use Poison Powder, against Forretress Substitute. After which she'll begin using a series of Psybeams as needed. If Magnemite uses Thunder Wave, she'll use Safeguard.
Butterfree will switch freely between Evasive, Aggressive, Stand-off, and Reckless stances based on what is most useful for her at that time thanks to Sabrina's guidance.
Magnemite's Stance: Aggressive (-5% chance to dodge, +5% chance to hit)
Round 11: Thunder Wave
Round 12+: Repeatedly use Thunder Shock
[] Write-in
Round 4 Mr. Mime: Mr. Mime used Calm Mind (DC15: 29). Mr. Mime's Special Attack increased from C++ to B-.
Round 4 Magnemite: Magnemite feinted with Flash Cannon. Mr. Mime saw through the feint! Magnemite used Supersonic (DC60: 77). Mr. Mime was confused!
Round 5 Mr. Mime: Mr. Mime used Psychic (DC25: 16). Mr. Mime hurt itself in his Confusion! Mr. Mime lost 8% of his HP (66%). (DC75: 89) Mr. Mime snapped out of his confusion.
Round 5 Magnemite: Magnemite feinted with Flash Cannon. Mr. Mime fell for the feint! Magnemite used Thunder Wave (DC20: 64). Mr. Mime was paralyzed.
Round 6 Mr. Mime: Mr. Mime used Protect (DC25: 8). Mr. Mime is paralyzed!
Round 6 Magnemite: Magnemite took a moment to rest.
Round 7 Mr. Mime: Mr. Mime used Psychic (DC25: 18). Mr. Mime is paralyzed!
Round 7 Magnemite: Magnemite used Flash Cannon (DC20: 31). Mr. Mime lost 42% of his HP (24%).
Round 8 Mr. Mime: Mr. Mime used Psychic (DC25: 4). Mr. Mime is paralyzed!
Round 8 Magnemite: Magnemite used Flash Cannon (DC20: 68). Mr. Mime lost 24% of his HP (0%). Mr. Mime fainted!
Sabrina sent out Butterfree. The rocks hurt Butterfree. Butterfree loses 50% of her HP (50%). The thorns dig into Butterfree. Butterfree loses 13% of her HP (37%).
Alright, I'm calling the vote a little late, but here are the results.
As you can see, congrats on achieving the literal perfect result. A truly flawless run with three evolutions. Moreover, Dratini discovered the Style over Substance Stance (-10% chance to dodge, -10% chance to hit, requires a relevant skill from Pokemon or Trainer). Additionally Sabrina is now deeply unhappy and wants a rematch.
Thankfully she understands it's in bad form to demand a rematch as a gym leader. Instead she'll just fight you at the conference championships.
Novice Trainer -> Skilled Trainer
Achievement: Win your third badge
Achievement: Earn the Marsh badge
Achievement: Win a battle without taking damage
Achievement: Win a gym battle without taking damage
Achievement: Use a strategy that catches a telepath off guard
Achievement: Gain the respect/attention/irritation of Gym Leader Sabrina
Achievement: Convince Sabrina to attend the Indigo League Conference so she can get a rematch
Achievement: Evolve a Pokemon during a battle
Achievement: Evolve two Pokemon during the same battle
Achievement: Evolve three Pokemon during the same battle
Achievement: Have a Pokemon independently discover an aspect of Pokemon battles
Round 9 Magnemite: Magnemite used Thunder Shock (DC60: 100). A critical hit! Butterfree lost 37% of her HP (0%). Butterfree fainted.
Magnemite evolves into Magneton
Sabrina sent out Slowpoke. The rocks hurt Slowpoke. Slowpoke loses 13% of her HP (87%). The thorns dig into Slowpoke. Slowpoke loses 13% of her HP (74%).
Violet sent out Dratini
Round 10 Dratini: Dratini used Thunder Wave stylishly (DC10: 11). Slowpoke was paralyzed.
Round 10 Slowpoke: Slowpoke used Curse (DC40: 13). But it failed!
Round 11 Dratini: Dratini used Twister stylishly (DC10: 62). Slowpoke lost 20% of her HP (54%).
Round 11 Slowpoke: Slowpoke used Curse (DC40: 13). Slowpoke's Attack increased from C to C+. Slowpoke's Defense increased from C to C+. Slowpoke's Speed fell from E-- to F++. Slowpoke's Evasion fell from E– to F++.
Round 12 Dratini: Dratini used Protect stylishly (DC35: 58). Dratini protected himself!
Round 12 Slowpoke: Slowpoke used Zen Headbutt (DC30: 60). Dratini negated the damage!
Round 13 Dratini: Dratini used Dragon Tail stylishly (DC10: 3). Slowpoke avoided the attack!
Round 13 Slowpoke: Slowpoke used Yawn (DC25: 69). Dratini became drowsy.
Dratini evolves into Dragonair
Round 14 Dratini: Dratini used Outrage stylishly (DC10: 97). A critical hit! Slowpoke lost 54% of her HP (0%). Slowpoke fainted.
Scheduled vote count started by Daemon Hunter on Aug 7, 2024 at 9:27 PM, finished with 8 posts and 5 votes.
Magnemite will stay in. Otherwise, you're confident your Pokemon can handle themselves for the remainder of the battle. You'll simply spend the battle feeding them information on Sabrina's plans, and they can react as they wish. Spend any spare time you have thinking about how exactly you'll slightly change the placement of all the furniture in Sabrina's house later so that she stubs her toes for the next few weeks while walking around the place.
If Magnemite evolves Dratini is up next to try for his evolution, and Chansey is after him.
Something changed in Sabrina's posture, Violet noticed. Initially, she had noticed the planned Whirlwind from Butterfree and had planned on immediately sending Magnemite back in. But the gym leader already seemed to know that she knew. Perhaps she was simply being cold-read?
Taking a closer look, Violet frowned as she noticed that Sabrina's eyes were visibly glowing while her hair appeared to drift upwards. The gym leader locked eyes with her and raised an eyebrow.
The message was clear, she was taking the gloves off.
'Not all of them, just one.'
Violet flinched at the telepathic sound, surprised at hearing Sabrina speak to her again. Trying to think of a counter to her mind being read, she looked at Magnemite's pristine form before glancing at a battered Butterfree.
An idea came to her.
"Magnemite," Violet said, "have fun."
The Magnet Pokemon looked at her with a confused expression, then turned back towards Butterfree. The match was about to resume and they had been expecting a set of orders, not being given free reign to do what they wished. An amused expression slowly took over their form. This would be unique.
"Watch out for Whirlwind," Violet warned, adding her thoughts to the matter.
The battle resumed a second later, Butterfree darting into the skies as her wings beat furiously, channeling a Whirlwind as fast as physically possible. Violet on the other hand pointedly did her best not to look or think about Magnemite, a task that was far harder than she initially thought.
Trying to distract herself, Violet looked at Sabrina's chair. She wondered if the gym leader would notice if she shifted everything in the gym a few inches to the right.
'Wait, what?'
A thunderous crack could be heard as a streak of lightning shot out from Magnemite towards Butterfree. Having expected a second of warning from Sabrina, the Pokemon was caught off guard and thrown to the ground by the super-effective Thunder Shock. It took a few seconds for Violet to realize what happened as the bright flash had momentarily blinded her. And the odd white glow afterward had her furiously blinking her eyes until it finally died down.
When she could see again, Violet looked over at the scene in front of her. Magneton floated serenely above a fainted Butterfree while Sabrina looked like she desperately wanted to switch her fourth Pokemon to something stronger. A fifth Pokeball floated behind her as Violet held her breath. Then one of the attendants pointedly coughed, causing Sabrina to glare their way. A second later, she put down the fifth Pokeball, sending out the Slowpoke she had planned to use originally.
"Dratini," Violet said with a happy smile, "it's your turn now."
Having heard her prior order to Magneton, the Mirage Pokemon burst from his Pokeball and bowed toward the audience. Preening on stage, Dratini made it seem as if he was in the middle of a Contest Battle rather than a Gym Battle. Yet, Violet couldn't find it in herself to change his fighting style. She trusted him to know his limits. And if he lost due to showboating, it'd be a valuable lesson.
Sabrina visibly twitched at her thoughts, causing Violet to raise a hand to her mouth to suppress a giggle. This had been a challenging but fun battle. And right now, there was a chance she could win without taking a single hit. All she had to do was feed Dratini Slowpoke's plans while distracting herself by thinking of rearranging the Saffron Gym.
'I should have used my older Alakazam,' Sabrina complained in her mind.
It probably didn't help that Dratini had coated the field with Thunder Wave, allowing the move to unfold in a straightforward pattern that would have been trivial for most Pokemon to dodge. Slowpoke, however, wasn't most Pokemon. Yawning widely, she instead tried to use the reprieve to use Curse, only for the electricity to strike her, throwing off her timing.
Dratini took the moment to pose. While he was disappointed in the lack of a musical beat, he could improvise well enough. Coiling around himself, the Mirage Pokemon gathered together a Twister. The telegraphed strike gave Slowpoke enough time to boost her attack and defense with Curse, but in exchange, she was thrown backward.
Playing to the crowd, Dratini looked at the monitors and bowed, causing the audience to clap and applaud. Distracted, he would have turned around to use Outrage had Violet not been observing Slowpoke. "Incoming."
Dratini turned, using the move taught to him by Forretress. Zen Headbutt clashed with Protect and the latter emerged victorious. As both Pokemon were momentarily thrown back, Dratini ensured he landed smoothly.
Following the landing, the Mirage Pokemon coated his tail with Dragon-type energy. Clearly using Dragon Tail, it was little surprise that Slowpoke managed to avoid the blow, using Yawn to make Dratini drowsy whilst doing so.
However, the Mirage Pokemon thought this was where the fight should come to an end. Leaning forward in an imitation of a Tauros about to charge, he used Outrage.
Slamming directly into Slowpoke, the Dopey Pokemon flew backward into the wall while Dratini curled upon himself, beginning to glow a bright white. He'd won the fight, now it was time to get into a victory pose.
Somewhat distracted by the thought of rearranging the rooms within the gym to something more challenging, it took Violet a moment to realize Dratini was evolving. "That was incredible, Dratini!" She yelled out, watching her oldest friend evolve into Dragonair. His body grew in length and girth while his color shifted towards a brighter blue. Bulbs appeared on his neck and tail while he slept and his eyes grew larger.
All the while Sabrina sighed, hiding the expression on her face from the world. She hadn't even landed a hit on the girl's Pokemon. Three of them evolved during the battle and she just knew there were going to be memes about her expressions throughout the fight. For a psychic, she'd been surprised most of the fight.
That couldn't stand, her eyes glowed under her hand as she peered into Violet's mind. Looking at her goals and long-term plans, Sabrina was glad to see that she planned on fighting in the Indigo Plateau in the future. She hadn't fought in it for years, but perhaps it was time to return.
After all, Sabrina thought. She needed a rematch with the girl before her. This time at full strength. Smiling at the thought, she felt a twinge of fear go through the girl before her. Right … it probably wasn't comforting for the psychic you just beat in humiliating fashion to smile ominously with glowing eyes.
The following twinge of amusement from Violet was almost insulting.
The 24th Week, 1 Locked, 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. You could add another member to your roster now.
[] Train with your Pokemon - All of your Pokemon are skilled in battle with unique skills. Three of them just evolved and may need some time to adapt to their evolutions.
[] 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.
[] Review Past Battles - You were so close to beating Flynn, and some of the tricks he tried are giving you ideas. As did Sabrina. Review them and see what you can learn.
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.
[] Look into the Surge in Wild Pokemon Encounters - An emergency has been declared due to an unusually aggressive pack of Eevees. The gym attendant who was sent has been missing for two weeks. The Saffron Gym is now mobilizing for this, trainers with 2 badges or more are requested to assist. Willow and Tetsuya are both planning to do so.
Exploration Actions
[] See the Sights Inside the City - There are a number of interesting attractions in Saffron City. You saw a fair few last time you were here, but far from all.
[] 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 - Saffron City is a large metropolis with a number of rather unconventional places to explore. See what you can find.
Traveling Actions
[] Head to another City - Now that you've beat the Saffron Gym, you could leave. However, Willow would remain behind for a few days to her current plans.
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 your parents - Your parents want to spend time with you before heading back to Celadon City. They hope that you'll have fun touring Diglett cave with them.
[] Meet Tetsuya - An old childhood friend of yours, the two of you drifted off recently. He will be at the gym to try and challenge Sabrina in the next few days. You could meet him before that.
[-] Meet Willow's Family - You're currently staying with Willow's family but they are rather busy with Willow who is herself busy visiting people she knows in the city. It'd be awkward to join her.
Round 9 Magnemite: Magnemite used Thunder Shock (DC60: 100). A critical hit! Butterfree lost 37% of her HP (0%). Butterfree fainted.
Magnemite evolves into Magneton!
Sabrina sent out Slowpoke. The rocks hurt Slowpoke. Slowpoke loses 13% of her HP (87%). The thorns dig into Slowpoke. Slowpoke loses 13% of her HP (74%).
Violet sent out Dratini
Round 10 Dratini: Dratini used Thunder Wave stylishly (DC10: 11). Slowpoke was paralyzed.
Round 10 Slowpoke: Slowpoke used Curse (DC40: 13). But it failed!
Round 11 Dratini: Dratini used Twister stylishly (DC10: 62). Slowpoke lost 20% of her HP (54%).
Round 11 Slowpoke: Slowpoke used Curse (DC40: 13). Slowpoke's Attack increased from C to C+. Slowpoke's Defense increased from C to C+. Slowpoke's Speed fell from E-- to F++. Slowpoke's Evasion fell from E– to F++.
Round 12 Dratini: Dratini used Protect stylishly (DC35: 58). Dratini protected himself!
Round 12 Slowpoke: Slowpoke used Zen Headbutt (DC30: 60). Dratini negated the damage!
Round 13 Dratini: Dratini used Dragon Tail stylishly (DC10: 3). Slowpoke avoided the attack!
Round 13 Slowpoke: Slowpoke used Yawn (DC25: 69). Dratini became drowsy.
Dratini evolves into Dragonair!
Round 14 Dratini: Dratini used Outrage stylishly (DC10: 97). A critical hit! Slowpoke lost 54% of her HP (0%). Slowpoke fainted.
Alright, looks like it's time for another adventure! But first, your mandatory slice of life exploration of a cave system.
Scheduled vote count started by Daemon Hunter on Aug 9, 2024 at 9:24 PM, finished with 11 posts and 10 votes.
[X] Look into the Surge in Wild Pokemon Encounters - An emergency has been declared due to an unusually aggressive pack of Eevees. The gym attendant who was sent has been missing for two weeks. The Saffron Gym is now mobilizing for this, trainers with 2 badges or more are requested to assist. Willow and Tetsuya are both planning to do so.
[X] Look into the Surge in Wild Pokemon Encounters - An emergency has been declared due to an unusually aggressive pack of Eevees. The gym attendant who was sent has been missing for two weeks. The Saffron Gym is now mobilizing for this, trainers with 2 badges or more are requested to assist. Willow and Tetsuya are both planning to do so.
Violet rode the high of victory for a full day. Not having to even visit the Pokecenter was a massive ego boost both for her and all her Pokemon. Chansey was a little put out at not being given a chance to evolve, but a swift conversation alleviated her worries. After all, it was only a matter of time until she evolved into Blissey based on how everyone was developing.
With her gym battle completed, Violet made sure to track down her parents afterward. Finding them after the battle, her mother and father both congratulated her extensively. It was a nice feeling, albeit slightly suffocating. Tetsuya had left before she could find him, but she suspected she'd be meeting him soon again based on her plans for the week. However, while talking with her parents, her mother expressed interest in touring some of the caves nearby.
Feeling uncharacteristically confident, Violet volunteered to engage in extended social activity. "There's an entrance to Diglett's Cave nearby," she mentioned, "I can guide us through it."
"That would be wonderful," her mother replied after a moment of surprise at the offer. Usually getting Violet involved in a social activity required them to push for it. To have Violet volunteer it herself was clearly unexpected but welcome.
The three of them arrived at the entrance the next day. Despite Violet's initial plans to hike a few miles to the cave, her parents insisted on renting a car for the trip. "Not all of us have the stamina of a Pokemon trainer," her father had joked. "The hike there and back would be an all-day event for us."
"We could camp in the cave," Violet had responded. "I have the supplies for it."
"We aren't as adventurous as you Violet," her mother had said. "Camping in a cave is too much for me."
When they arrived at the cave, Violet made sure to go over the list of equipment she had asked her parents to bring. Each of them had a headlamp, a backup headlamp, a handheld flashlight, and a backup flashlight. All of them had good shoes and were in clothes that they could accept getting dirty. They'd brought food and water for two days in the cave, while Violet herself brought her usual caving gear including a climbing harness and rope. She didn't expect to use it, especially as Diglett Cave was flat without any verticality, but she wanted to be prepared.
Standing by the entrance, her mother finished adjusting her headlamp and put on her backpack. "It's nice to do something different," she began. "We've never done something like this before."
"It's … nice." Violet agreed after a moment of contemplation. Recalling that her mother had just bought her two high-end flashlights for the journey, the shy trainer remembered to thank her for it. "The new flashlight is cool."
Her father finished adjusting his backpack, "Your mother was so proud to have found that," his words caused her mother to blush slightly. "I hope it comes in handy."
"It …" Violet paused, glancing over at her parents' expectant faces wondering if she should tell the truth or embellish it slightly. "It's less weight to carry." The downside was that it wasn't as sturdy as her older flashlights, but that tradeoff was rather difficult to calculate. Was it worth it? She honestly couldn't say, but her mother wouldn't appreciate that answer.
"I'm glad," her mother said, grasping Violet's shoulder and giving it a slight squeeze. "You're growing up so fast, it's hard to do things for you."
"It always was," her father joked, causing Violet's mood to worsen. "We were happy to get more than five words out of you in a day a few years ago."
Violet didn't like how that sounded like a veiled insult. She could tell her father hadn't meant anything by it, but she didn't like his words. Taking a deep breath, Violet turned towards the cave. "We should get going."
With her parents following close behind, Violet led the way into the cold, dimly lit tunnel feeling more confident with each step forward. Behind her, her parents held a whispered argument over her father's words.
Inside the cave, the walls slowly began to close in, with the air growing colder. Every now and then there was the splash as one of them stepped into a small puddle or the sound of water dripping from the ceiling. Leading the way, Violet's headlamp cut a narrow beam through the darkness, revealing stone walls carved by Digletts and Dugtrios. Her senses felt amplified, as she scanned the surroundings for any sign of motion.
"Violet," her father uttered, distracting her from the silence. Slowing her pace but not turning around due in part to her emotions and the slightly poor terrain, she tilted her head so he knew she was listening. "I'm proud of what you've managed. Winning that battle so easily was incredible."
"Thanks, dad," Violet said neutrally, recognizing the indirect apology as her father trying to avoid bringing up the prior sentence that had clearly irritated her. Trying to push her negative feelings to the side, she was glad that they were coming to the first of the main sites in the cave.
"Really Violet," her father said, trying to push the point. "I didn't mean to upset you, you've come a long way and I'm glad to share this experience with you."
Violet wasn't sure how to respond to that, but some of her emotions must have shown as her mother interrupted. "This is a fun hike, I've never done anything like this before. Being underground is like visiting a whole new world."
The trainer allowed herself a small smile, feeling some of the tension melt away. "It's … different from the outside."
Continuing deeper into the cave, they arrived in a small chamber where the tunnel opened up and split apart. Now at the main cave itself, the walls sparkled faintly with hardened crystals that the underground Pokemon had struggled to remove entirely. The headlamps added to the effect, causing the crystals to glitter with each slight motion made.
They spend a while there, admiring the crystals and taking a few pictures. During this period Violet spotted a group of Digletts looking at them from a distance who immediately ran the moment they noticed Violet saw them. Smiling slightly, Violet was glad that this experience was turning out to be enjoyable for everyone.
After spelunking through more of the cave, the Mills family eventually called it a day. Traveling back to Saffron City, Violet said goodbye to her parents who had a late-night trip back to Celadon City. Violet herself had to sleep early due to her plans to join the trainers who planned to help with the aggressive wild Pokemon.
Pick 1 Group to Join
[] The Scout Group - Joining a small group of 3 trainers, Violet will be tasked with locating the Eevee groups and calling in trainers to converge on their location. She'll be among the first to meet the Pokemon, which puts her in a rather active area. Willow will be among the three trainers.
[] The Elite Group - Joining a group of 10 4-badge trainers, Violet is only allowed to join due to her performance against Sabrina. This group is tasked with battling the evolved Eevee and ensuring no one is injured during the battle. Sabrina is leading this group.
[] The Rescue Group - Three groups of 10 trainers tasked with finding and rescuing the gym attendant who has been missing for three weeks, this group will be out of the expected combat zone but should be ready for anything. Tetsuya will be present here.
[] The Main Patrol Group - The main group of trainers nearly 80 in number, this group is effectively intended to patrol the borders of Saffron City and ensure none of the Pokemon cause problems for the city itself.
Daemon Hunter is Sabrina's style of gym intentional by the Pokemon League?
We've discussed before how the league is a training program run by the government that's designed to facilitate the development of potential soldiers in addition to providing many other benefits after all. And, her style of gym fits quite well into such a program due to its central nature meaning that practically no matter where you start in the region you'll challenge it as your third, fourth, or fifth badge fight allowing it to function as an ego check for aspiring trainers that will teach them how to take a loss.
That's not to say I believe her to be aware of such considerations as I'm almost certain that she does seriously think that a trainer going for their third badge should be capable of beating her over leveled teams who have access to several TM moves. Rather I'd infer that due to her nature as a prodigy which leads to her consistently fielding over-strength teams, and her willingness to escalate battles if a challenger is performing well that the League purposely selected her for the position of Saffron City gym leader as these qualities make her perfect for the role.
Her being unaware of this just so happens to be incidental.
To an extent yes. As it is, the gym predated the Kanto League structure as @veekie mentioned, but the way they were used before that was essentially an improvised method to train and create a pseudo-military force for the city. At the time Saffron City had both Sabrina's Gym and what is now known as the Fighting Dojo. The Kanto League when it formed then wanted to only have one official gym in the area to effectively act as one of the eight aspects of their training program.
With a choice between Sabrina and the head of the Fighting Dojo, the League had a number of reasons to prefer Sabrina. As you surmised, her central location coupled with her gym battles being skewed meant that she was a very effective ego buster for trainers that were aiming for their 3rd-6th badge. Additionally, she's one of the few high-level psychics in Kanto, and the League really wanted one of their gyms to have a method of producing high-end psychics. As a result, when they were deciding who would be the official leader they elected to organize a battle between Sabrina and the Dojo rather than conduct a broader analysis or any other method.
It's caused a few issues locally as a result, mainly due to the Fighting Dojo complaining endlessly about the decision which has caused some concerns from the League that's led to it being funded as an unofficial gym in order to prevent defections to Johto.
As far as Sabrina is concerned, she hasn't really given any thought to the broader geopolitical realm or internal politics. As far as she's concerned, her battles are fair and reasonable. It helps that the League has an internal policy to downgrade complaints of excessive difficulty for challenges in the Saffron Gym. While they do occasionally put their foot down, it's almost always with the equivalent of a slap on the wrist.
Brock meanwhile is effectively the opposite having been designated as effectively a "freebie badge" due to the League wanting a training pipeline that doesn't alienate new trainers and instead draws them in.
On that note, it's time for me to close the vote. It seems that you'll be a part of the Rescue Force which means you're in for some very exciting times. Next update we get to see two of the groups get ambushed by a pack of unnaturally aggressive Eevee led by a series of unusually skilled evolved forms.
Scheduled vote count started by Daemon Hunter on Aug 12, 2024 at 9:45 PM, finished with 13 posts and 11 votes.
[X] The Rescue Group - Three groups of 10 trainers tasked with finding and rescuing the gym attendant who has been missing for three weeks, this group will be out of the expected combat zone but should be ready for anything. Tetsuya will be present here.
[X] The Elite Group - Joining a group of 10 4-badge trainers, Violet is only allowed to join due to her performance against Sabrina. This group is tasked with battling the evolved Eevee and ensuring no one is injured during the battle. Sabrina is leading this group.
[X] The Scout Group - Joining a small group of 3 trainers, Violet will be tasked with locating the Eevee groups and calling in trainers to converge on their location. She'll be among the first to meet the Pokemon, which puts her in a rather active area. Willow will be among the three trainers.
