Kanto Week 15 Part 1 - Watching a Rival's Battle
- Location
- Elsewhere
[X] Vermillion City (Will arrive start of Week 17) - Traveling through the Rock Tunnel to Lavender Town and then heading through the forest towards Vermillion City would expose you to environments you haven't traveled through before.
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.
