Lenore Region

[The Scientist]

Chapter IV: Sweet Syrup, Sweeter Victory! Part 4

The sky had started to turn orange as the sun began its descent. He knew that the Murkrow would just fly away the moment it saw Goliath advance, so like with his battle against Shane's Staravia, Neiteio let Brandy attack first. "Alright, let's start this off with a Peck!" Instead of flying toward Goliath like Neiteio expected, it darted along the ground.

Based on its pattern of movement, Neiteio noted that its small wings were most likely not suited for flying. He also quickly determined that a Bind or Vice Grip move probably wouldn't connect with its small body. His conclusion: Fury Attack.

Neiteio watched the Murkrow advance, waiting for it to reach the "point of no return", a point where if it suddenly stopped or changed direction, Goliath was close enough to move in and grab it. As Raven neared the imaginary line, Neiteio ordered Goliath to use a Fury Attack. The distance compensated for the attack's windup, and Raven ran right into the madly swinging horns; Goliath was able to hit his target three times before it escaped.

As soon as Raven was out of Goliath's range, Brandy ordered it to use Pursuit. Quicker than a Quick Attack, the Murkrow rocketed toward its target and successfully connected, as Goliath had no time to react. Having learned her lesson, Raven ricocheted off to a safe distance before cawing loudly. In response to this new threat, Goliath spontaneously used his new Harden technique, flashing white for a moment while his shell was fortified; his shell sparkled with a glossy sheen when the move finished.

Brandy knew what just happened and how to deal with it. "Ha! Your Harden can't save you, Raven, use Haze!"

Raven flapped up into the air, bringing with it a black smoke that drifted over towards Goliath. Remembering the gray Slugma's Smog attack, Neiteio had a distrust of any vapor-related attacks, and thus called out, "Goliath, get out of there!"

Goliath retreated towards his trainers voice, and emerged from the smoke seemingly unharmed, save the fact that the Hardened gleam in his shell was gone.

When the smoke cleared, Neiteio noticed that Brandy looked quite smug. "Look's like we've found your weak point! Raven, use Pursuit!" Like before, the disarmingly fast attack connected with Goliath's body and she darted away before he could retaliate.

"It's Pursuit is too fast... The only way to hit it would be to sneak up on it, but..."

Believing that she could counter all of Goliath's possible moves, she ordered more Pursuit attacks. All Neiteio could do was hope that running into Goliath's spiked horns would do some damage. "Goliath, hold an attack position."

Lowered on the ground spikes forward, Raven's first Pursuit did, in fact, damage the attacker. While stunned from ramming into the horns, Goliath took the time to deliver a 5-hit Fury Attack. This didn't seem to bother Brandy much at all, and she shouted to Raven, "Mix it up!"

The next Pursuit attack came in from an odd angle, and Neiteio had no time to issue a clock direction correction. The next two Pursuits were the same, striking from unexpected angles. Goliath was losing, badly. Raven had every advantage: small size, flight, speed...

"Sneak up on it..." Neiteio remembered that the gray Slugma used a black Smokescreen to mask its movements... unable to see it, Goliath had no way to avoid the following Ember...

"Goliath, use Harden!" Like before, his shell glossed over as it was reinforced.

"Ha! You don't get it, do you!? Raven, hit it with another Haze!"

Making sure to not let Brandy hear him, Neiteio said quietly to Goliath, "Remember where it shoots the Haze from." Confident now that his Trainer appeared to have formulated a plan, Goliath snapped his horns as the black cloud formed. As soon as it was large enough to block Raven's view, Neiteio shouted, "Now, go!"

Unable to see it's opponent's advance, Raven didn't know what Neiteio's command was supposed to mean. Things became clear when Goliath burst from the black cloud and caught it with a mid-air Bind attack.

"Krow! Krow! Krow!" Raven cried in pain and surprise as the shock of landing pushed the spikes into her body. The look on Brandy's face was priceless. The concept of using an opponent's baited attack against them was a level of foresight that she had never experienced before. Knowing that Raven wouldn't be able to escape the mad Pinsir's Bind, she looked over at Neiteio and called out, "Not bad!"

Without waiting for Raven to suffer more damage, Brandy targeted her with her PokeBall's red recall beam. Murkrow was transformed into a blob of red light and pulled to safety.

"Yeah, not bad at all... I'll be looking out for you!" Brandy ran back towards the Pokemon Center to treat Raven. Goliath had suffered extensive injury as well, and Neiteio was surprised that he was still standing. He recalled Goliath to his PokeBall and headed back to the Center to have him treated as well. With the knowledge that Goliath would resist Kent's most dangerous Grass-type attacks, he was confident that he would leave the Gym the next morning considerably richer.

 

[Neiko Star]

Chapter Four: Part III

Renka sighed, plopping herself down on the grass. She took out her three Pokeballs and opened them lightly. Three bursts of light escaped from them, taking form on the grass next to her.

"All right, you three!" Renka said happily. "I've decided!"

The three Pokemon exchanged worried glances. Only Ledyba, who was new, did not know how creepy it was for Renka to act like this.

"You--" Renka pointed at Skorupi. "--will be called Skori, Hoppip will be Hoppy, and Ledyba will be Ledy!" She beamed at her 'brilliant' nicknames.

Skorupi stared, alarmed, at its trainer. Hoppip was equally intrigued, but it, for one, did not mind at all. Ledyba cocked its head, puzzled.

This is bad! We have to cure her! Skorupi screeched urgently.

Why? I like her like this! She's nicer! Hoppip squeaked in protest.

What are you guys talking about? Ledyba chittered curiously.

"Okay, Skori, Hoppy, Ledy!" Renka exclaimed, hopping to her feet. "Let's go to the Pokemon Center and reserve a room!"

She returned her Pokemon to her Pokeball. Then, suddenly, she started to feel a strange tingling in her spine. She shrugged, then started towards the city.

She noticed the red roof of the Pokemon Center right away.She skipped towards it, dancing in as the glass doors opened. She halted in front of the nurse's desk, ringing the bell.

"Yes?" Nurse Joy asked, turning around.

"I'd like to reserve a room, please!" Renka chimed.

"Are you a trainer?" the nurse asked. Renka nodded. "Then I'd like your identification, please."

Renka took out her Pokedex and placed it gently on the desk. Nurse Joy opened it, and pressed on the round, blue button in the corner. At once, the Pokedex lighted up and recited in a straight, digital voice:

Name: Renka Flameswell
Age: 12
Given Pokemon legally by Professor Oak.

"Good," Nurse Joy approved, satisfied, as the image that popped up matched Renka's face. She reached under her desk and pulled out a small key. She offered it to Renka. "Here's your key. Your room number is 107."

"Thank you!" Renka smiled. She raced up the stairs and down the corridors, searching for the number 107. Finally, she spotted it at the end of the hall. She ran, and stopped abruptly in front of the door. She thrust the key into the knob and turned. The door clicked open.

She flung herself onto the bed. It was nice and soft. But suddenly, she felt the room tilt around her. Shaking her head, she got back up, and went back outside, locking the door behind her. Her stomach rumbled. She would get something to eat.

Spinning as she walked, she suddenly bumped into something hard. Staggering, she looked up, and stared into the face of a young, handsome man. Blushing, she looked down and said apologetically, "S-Sorry."

The man had fresh green hair and was quite muscular. His pale, green eyes twinkled at her. "No problem. It was my fault, anyway. So..." He scratched his head. "...to repay you...how about I treat you to lunch?"

Renka was about to open her mouth to refuse when she suddenly had the sneaky urge to have a free lunch by taking advantage of this guy. Gulping, she instead said, "All right, but...I'll pay for half."

The man blinked. "That's fine with me. So anyway...my name's Kent. What's yours?"

"Renka," she replied.

Kent took her hand and started walking down the hall. "Renka, huh? That's a pretty special name! So what do you do?"

"I'm a Pokemon trainer," Renka answered. "What about you?"

He shrugged. "Nothing special."

They had arrived at the bottom of the stairs. Renka suddenly felt hot as people gaped at her. What was wrong with them? Couldn't they leave a girl alone?

"I know this really great pizza place," Kent said excitedly, snapping her out of her thoughts."It's a few blocks down here. Do you mind walking?"

"No, it's fine," Renka said a bit bluntly. Kent glanced at her in surprise. She shook herself, then followed Kent out of the doors.

The afternoon sun was bright outside. Renka raised one hand, trying to cover the blinding light. Kent nudged her, and they started down the pavement. People continued staring at her, and Renka suddenly felt a small, but bubbling drop of annoyance. What was up with those people?

A few blocks later, they arrived in front of a modest-looking building. Kent opened the door for her, gesturing politely with his arm. As Renka stepped inside, the delicious smell of pepporoni and bread met her nose.

"It smells good, doesn't it?" Kent whispered. He pointed to an isolated table at the far off corner. "Let's go there." He called for a waiter, who eyed the two of them in interest.

"That's quite a good haul you got there, Miss," he commented.

Renka frowned, puzzled. Kent cleared his throat. "Right," he said loudly. "So...I'll be ordering one large cheese pizza." He looked anxiously at Renka. "If that's okay with you, that is."

Renka nodded. "That's fine. I prefer cheese anyway."

Ten minutes later, the order arrived. Renka breathed in the heavenly smell of freshly-baked cheese. She bit in the first piece eagerly. It was like a piece of heaven.

"So, uh..." Kent shifted uneasily in his chair. "There's...something I have to tell you."

Renka glanced up curiously. "What is it?"

"Well...." Kent looked down, ashamed. "I'm actually...the Gym Leader....yeah."

Renka continued chewing. "Oh, really? That's cool." She took another big bite.

Kent stared at her, mouth hanging open. "Y-You...don't care?"

Renka frowned. "Why should I care? That just means that you own a Gym. You're just potentially rich."

Kent continued gaping. "But-But! Girls talk with me all the time! They even follow me around, I mean, I've got a few stalkers, seriously! I get bombarded with letters in the morning and I even have a doubt about my bath time! You don't mind that?"

Renka eyed him suspiciously. "Why should I mind if you're just treating me to lunch?"

Aha. Vital point. "Uh, well, um..." Kent stammered. "Well...I thought...maybe...that...we could...you know?"

Renka twitched with annoyance. "I know what?"

Kent blushed and began staring at his hands. "Uh...be friends?"

There was a moment of silence. Finally, Renka spoke.

"Oh, is that all?" she asked, relieved. "Well, then I don't mind at all. Why should I care if you have a bunch of girls stalking you around?"

Kent blinked. "Uh...that's...great, then."

"Oh, wait!" Renka exclaimed. "How about I challenge your Gym?"

Kent suddenly looked serious. "I don't think that's a good idea."

Renka shot him a questioning look. "Why not?"

Kent twiddled his thumbs. "Um...how to say...you might lose?"

Renka puffed. "Is that all? Don't worry, I'm strong."

Kent looked at her disbelievingly. "Right. So...see you later." All of a sudden, he got up, sliding a few sheets of paper across the table, and left.

"What's up with him?" Renka muttered.

 

[Monochrome]

After the green haired boy placed down the fertilizer He placed his hands into his pockets and tossed out two balls covered in a bit of moss, "I'm new at this so I apologize if I seem a bit inexperienced" he said tossing the two balls up in the air.

"It's fine," Damian said pulling out his pokedex and pointed it at the gym leaders two Pokemon, "I'm new to this whole battling scene as well"

Bulbasaur
For some time after its birth, it grows by gaining nourishment from the seed on its back.
​

Chikorita
It uses the leaf on its head to determine the temperature and humidity. It loves to sunbathe.

"Go Buzz, go Shroom!" his two Pokemon jumped forwards and braced themselves.

"Okay Chickorita, Bulbasaur, Both of you use your rushing tackle attack and strike that Shroomish!" The two grass starters nodded and zigzagged around each other rushing at Shroom. Their intricate movements became completely unpredictable.

"Buzz, quickly lift Shroom up off the ground and then launch him towards Bulbasaur! Shroom when he tosses you use your tackle!" The Pokemon complied and Shroom was lifted up off the ground, the two grass starters stopped dead short of slamming into each other and just as they were about to recover Bulbasaur was slammed with a tackle attack from Shroom.

Bulbasaur tumbled backwards but quickly pulled up to his feet, Kent was shuffling nervously, "Uhh.. Okay Bulbasaur you grab the Shroomish with your vine whipe and toss him up ion the air and then you use your razor leaf Chikorita!" Suddenly before Damian had time to react a set of vines wrapped around Shroom and he was launched into the air, green leaves launched towards Shroom cutting into him and doing extreme amounts of damage before Shroom fell to the ground weakened from the attack.

"Buzz use your sonic boom on Chikorita and then follow up with you quick attack on Bulbasaur, Shroom you use false swipe on Chikorita and then leech seed on Bulbasaur!" Damian yelled out trying to think on his feet. His two Pokemon mobilized and quickly executed the plan. The Chikorita clenched its whole body tight as it was struck by the Sonic Boom attack and as it tried to lift itself up it was duped by Shroomish who tackled him after faking out a first tackle. Buzz then rushed into Bulbasaur who was too stunned to move, he was knocked backwards and then wrapped up in a net produced from Shrooms leech seed.

The Bulbasaurs whole body was convulsing as the leech seed sapped away its life and weakened it. Kent was starting to get upset now, his lack of experience was going to cost him the battle, his nervous frown transformed into a confident grin as he seemed to remember something. "Bulbasaur break out of that leech seed attack using leaf storm!"

It al happened so fast, A gigantic vortex of leaves surrounded the small bulb Pokemon cutting everything within its range, trees got scars, grass was cut flat, and most noticeably Shroom and Chikorita were hit b a large barrage of leaves cutting them and throwing them both on their backs. "Chikorita use your synthesis quickly!" Kent yelled hoping his pokemon would be able to save itself.

"Sonic boom now Buzz!" Damian pointed towards Chikorita who was blasted by a gigantic wave of sound that sent it backwards into a tree knockin it out.

Kent stomped his foot in frustration."Chikorita return!" He looked at Damian for a second who was too trying to return one of his pokemon, Shroom had been knocked unconscious from the leaf storm attack. At least the fight was still even. "Bulbasaur, strike the Yanma down with your vine whip, if we can get it out of the sky it doesn't stand a chance!"

Two vines extended from the bulb slapping Buzz around weakening him greatly. "Buzz use your double team go!" Copies of Buzz appeared around Bulbasaur causing him to become confused and start striking the clones, Buzz flew back and took the next command from his trainer. "Buzz use quick attack!" Buzz rushed into Bulbasaur leaving a trail of white energy in his wake. Bulbasaur took the hit hard and got slammed into a nearby boulder and fell into the stream that ran through the gym.

Bulbasaur tried fighting against the soft stream but it lost so much energy it couldnt even pick itself up. The fight was over and Damian had earned his first badge. Kent returned his Pokemon and the expression on his face was unreadible. He looked down at the ground and said, "That was just..... AWESOME!" He looked up and showed off a wide grin. He ran up to Damian and started shaking his hand with enthusiastic force smiling.

When he let go Damian looked down into his palm to see a badge and looked up at Kent. "By the rules of the Lenore Region league association I hereby give you the Maple Badge, congratulations, you really deserve it!" Damian smiled with excitement and walked strode out of the gym with pride as he pinned the badge to his ski cap. "How about we celebrate!" He smiled at Buzz as they headed out of the gym and back into the town.
​

 

[Wolfwhispers]

Tristin the Xatu: Great battle against Murkrow! Oh, and when you use Fury Attack, you don't need to say five or four hit or whatever. Simply describing what happens is more than enough. Anyway, Goliath grew to level 15!
Neiko Star: Alright, you've nicknamed your pokemon! On to the next post!
Summer: Congrats! You have won the Maple Badge! And Shroom has grown to level 13 and learned Leech Seed! Buzz has grown to level 16!

EDIT:

Attack of the Trees!
(2-4 posts)​

For those who have no yet completed the gym, that's ok, go ahead and catch up. Take your time. As for those who are done with the gym, you are obviously eager to head to the next town. And so you begin to head south down a new route: Rocky Trails. But what's this? Oh no! Sudowoodo have blocked the exit, and only water will get them to move!

(You are allowed to capture a Sudowoodo when the time comes)
Name: Sudowoodo
Ability: Sturdy or Rocky Head
Levels: 10-14
Attacks: Copy Cat, Flail, Low Kick, Rock Throw

However, as you all don't have a water type pokemon, there is, luckily enough, a lake just next to the beginning of the trail! There you may rent a boat and capture ONE water pokemon.
(Abilities will be made later. Serebii down right now)
Common:

Name: Lotad
Levels: 10-13
Attacks: Absorb, Astonish, Growl, Water Gun

Name: Poliwag
Levels: 10-14
Attacks: Water Sport, Bubble, Hypnosis, Water Gun

Uncommon:

Name: Spheal
Levels: 10-12
Attacks: Water Gun, Powder Snow, Defense Curl, Growl, Encore

Name: Buizel
Levels: 10-14
Attacks: Growl, Water Sport, Sonic Boom, Quick Attack, Water Gun, Pursuit

Rare:

Name: Squirtle
Levels: 9-14
Attacks: Tackle, Tail Whip, Bubble, Withdraw, Water Gun

Super Rare:

Name: Vaporeon
Levels: 9-14
Attacks: Bubble, Tackle, Tail Whip, Helping Hand, Sand Attack

Note, that if you do not like any of these pokemon, the lake man, owner of the lake where you rent boats to capture pokemon, will rent you out a pokemon (whichever you like), but you may not keep it. This is for anyone who doesn't want these water pokemon. :)​

 

[Neiko Star]

Chapter Four: Part IV

Renka's eyes snapped open. She stared at the ceiling. Then she cursed loudly.

"I swear, I am never going to breathe around maple syrup again!" she said through gritted teeth. She jumped off the bed and snatched up her three Pokeballs. She winced at the third one.

"Great, I even caught another bug," she muttered. She pushed the door open and raced down the stairs. I better go training again. I'll go challenge the Gym after that.

She ran out the doors. Soon, she was knee-length in tall grass. She threw her Pokeballs into the air. With three distinctive pops, flashes of light took form in front of her.

"All right, guys," Renka grunted. "We're going to do some training."

Skorupi and Hoppip exchanged glances. Had their trainer changed personality again? Ledyba looked confusedly at them.

But almost at once, they were interrupted by the rustle of grass. Renka squinted. Three other Ledyba were crawling towards them. She grimaced. More bugs.

"Skorupi, use Poison Sting on the one on the left!" Renka commanded. "Hoppip, you use Confusion and take the middle one! Ledyba, you use Comet Punch on the last one!"

The Pokemon obeyed. Hoppip finished its enemy quickly. The young Ledyba, unsuspecting, cried out in surprise as it was thrown into the wall of a nearby building. Skorupi and Ledyba didn't have theirs as easy. Both Ledyba evaded the attacks swiftly.

Renka growled. "Darn those things!" Then suddenly, she felt a strange, soft sensation overwhelm her. She blinked. She knew what to do.

"Skorupi, turn around and use Pursuit!" she yelled. "Ledyba, use Supersonic!"

Her Pokemon looked surprised, but they did as they were told. Skorupi let out a burst of dark energy. It hit the Ledyba, who was expecting a direct physical attack, squarely on the shoulder. Renka's Ledyba screeched and let out sonic waves. They hit the other Ledyba, who started spinning around, confused.

"Good," Renka said, satisfied. "Now, Skorupi, while it's still hurt! Bite it on the wings! And Ledyba, now use Comet Punch!"

Skorupi jumped, and then sank its fangs deeply in the still injured Ledyba's wings. It let out a cry of pain as the scorpion Pokemon's fangs pierced its light wings. Meanwhile, Renka's Ledyba's fist began glowing brightly, and, as its trainer nodded, it released the energy, punching the foe brutally on the chest. The other Ledyba groaned, then fell to the ground with a thud.

"Finish it!" Renka ordered. "Ledyba, one last Tackle!"

Ledyba swooped down and plummeted into its opponent with full force. The other Ledyba screeched as a crunch was hit. Quickly, it quieted down, then fell unconscious. Skorupi was about to do the same to its own enemy when Renka intervened.

"Wait!" she cried. "I want to try something. Skorupi, do you remember that time, against the Slugma? Your Poison Sting was bigger, right?" Skorupi nodded. "Okay then, I want you to try and do that again. Hoppip, you hold that Ledyba in place until Skorupi gets it."

Hoppip squeaked and envelopped the nearly beaten Ledyba's body with shining blue light. During that time, Skorupi was busy concentrating its power. It wasn't sure how to do this. So, it went with creating a Poison Sting, but larger and stronger than before. For this, Skorupi charged up. A purple aura wrapped itself over its tail. Then, with a powerful blast, it released it. A larger, poisonous lance was shot out of its tail, and hit the Ledyba. It caused the ground to slightly crack where it hit. The Ledyba, of course, was knocked out at once.

"Awesome," Renka breathed. "That'll definitely come in useful later. Good work, Skorupi, Hoppip, Ledyba."

They stared at her.

Renka twitched, remembering one little detail. "Look, I am not going to call you guys by those stupid names," she snapped. They continued to stare. She hissed. "Fine! But not Skori, Hoppy, and Ledy. Definitely not." The Pokemon seemed to be snickering. "Arrgh!" Renka yelled, exasperated. "Okay, okay! I'll call you guys...um..." She racked her brains for something that didn't sound stupid. Unfortunately, she was never very creative. "...Do I have to?"

At first, her Pokemon were silent. Then, they burst out with chitters, squeaks, screeches and squeals. Renka sighed, relieved.

Whew.

 

[Royal]

Part I

After getting the Maple Badge from Kent, I couldn't wait to get past Rocky Trails and to the next town. Heracross was at my side most of the way and I haven't seen any wild Pokemon lately. I just shrugged it off as we walked.

As we got closer to Rocky Trails, I could see some odd trees covering the only way past. I realized they were Sudowoodo. I grit my teeth and Heracross looked up at me eagerly. "Alright, try using Aerial Ace on one of them, Heracross!" I told him.

My Pokemon nodded and flew up at the closest Sudowoodo and swiped at it with his wing. However, it didn't budge! Suddenly, the Sudowoodo lifted its legs and kicked Heracross right in the gut. I heard the air rush from Heracross's lungs as he flew back to my feet. Damn! That was powerful!

I quickly helped Heracross to his feet and he looked angrily at the group of Sudowoodo blocking our path. "Don't worry about it," I told him. "There's a lake nearby. Maybe we can get water Pokemon there." Heracross took a long time, but then nodded. I smiled and we both headed off to the lake.

Once we got close, we were welcome by a chubby man with a long brown beard. He had a long smile and he was near a boating dock. "Hello there, young traveler!" he said cheery. "Come to fish here?"

"Actually," I began. "There's a bunch of Sudowoodo blocking the road ahead. I came to see if I can catch a water Pokemon." The man blinked and burst out laughing.

"Of course!" he said. He gestured toward some boats. "You can use one of them boats there."

I smiled and nodded. "Thank you,"

"Not the slightest problem." He said warmly.

Heracross and I quickly got into a large enough boat and Heracross pushed it into the water, quickly jumping into the boat as he felt water splash his feet.

It wasn't long until we were floating in the middle of the lake. And it wasn't long until we were greeted by a Pokemon. A tiny blue Pokemon in a shell swam up the boat and looked at us curiously. I bent over. "Hello, little guy." I said warmly. I recognized it as a Squirtle. I turned to Heracross. "Use Fury Swipes. I want this Squirtle," I told him.

"Hera," he nodded and flew out of the water, grabbing the Squirtle quickly and smacking it quickly with its claws. The Squirtle gave a startled cry as it was flung up and hit down, back into the water.

"Again," I said. But when Heracross dived down to snatch the Squirtle, it surfaced and spat a funnel of water at him. Heracross used his claws as a shield, but was knocked back by the strong current of water.

Heracross steadied himself in the air and quickly swooped down, slashing the Squirtle with his wings in an Aerial Ace attack. It did a somersault in the air and quickly shot another funnel of water at Heracross. This time, it missed.

"Knock it with Fury Swipes and put it in the boat," I told Heracross. He quickly nodded and flew down at the Squirtle and smacked it around again with its claws. When the Squirtle was weak and tired, he dumped it into the boat.

I took a Pokeball off my belt and lightly threw it at the Squirtle. I watched a red light engulf the Squirtle, and the Pokeball began to shake, the button on the front blinking a bright red…

 

[The Scientist]

Chapter IV: Sweet Syrup, Sweeter Victory! Part 5

When Kent saw the unusually-colored beetle standing across from him, he groaned. "Ahh... I keep getting beaten by these people with weird-colored Bug Pokemon. Let me guess, Shirk City?"

Neiteio nodded; he was tired and didn't feel like talking much. He had woken up early so that after his Gym battle he would have a lot of daylight by which to travel Route 2.

"Oh well... maybe today'll be my lucky day! Let's go, Bulbasaur!" He tossed a PokeBall into the arena, and when it hit the ground it released a flash of light that instantly took the shape of his Bulbasaur. Goliath stood ready on his respective side.

Still uncomfortable with his role as Leader, Kent began reciting the passage from the Gym Leader guidebook regarding the conditions of battle. "Alright, since you're here, this must be your first Gym battle. This will be a standard one-on-one battle; the first trainer to run out of usable Pokemon loses. If you win, you will receive the Maple Badge, a symbol of your victory. Do you understand these conditions?"

Neiteio nodded again, this time trying to release a stuck yawn. (OOC: Don't you hate it when that happens?)

On seeing his agreement to the terms, the green-haired Leader and his similarly-green Bulbasaur took a battle stance. "Vine Whip go!" shouted Kent enthusiastically. Hidden tendrils extended from beneath Bulbasaur's bulb and started stretching across the battlefield.

From watching various videos the night prior, Neiteio had seen that typically, there are two ways a Pokemon can use Vine Whip: they can actually whip their opponent with the vines, or pick them up and turn the move into an improvised Seismic Toss. In the first scenario, the Pokemon tend to raise their vines high vertically, and in the second, the vines stretch along the ground.

The moment Neiteio saw the vines rising into the air, he shouted, "Charge and Bind!" Goliath took off at full speed, which wasn't very fast, but the displacement was enough to avoid most of the Vine Whip's damage. As the distance between the Pokemon closed, Kent became clearly anxious. Bulbasaur was a ranged fighter, and the last thing he wanted was for it to be near those vicious-looking horns.

"Stop it with a Leaf Storm!" The Bulbasaur's bulb glowed white for a moment before launching a hurricane of blade-like leaves. Although the move was definitely impressive, Goliath didn't take much damage, thanks to his natural resistance to Grass-type moves. Recovering quickly from the blast, Goliath closed the final gap between the two.

When he got close enough, Goliath snatched up the Bulbasaur and held it above his head, squeezing it with the spiked horns. "Bulba!" It cried out pitifully, but Pinsir seldom show mercy. The Bind attack continued, but under the increased pressure, Kent composed himself and started remembering strategy.

"Hit it with a Leech Seed!"

Neiteio's studies had taught him that Leech Seed was a particularly nasty move that slowly sapped the afflicted's vitality, transferring it to the caster. As Bulbasaur's bulb prepared the seed, Neiteio shouted, "Seismic Toss!" Before the Leech Seed had even been fired, Goliath angrily swung the Bulbasaur around and tossed it in the Gym Leader's direction. Its body bounced a good distance before skidding and ultimately coming to a halt. The move was a success: the Leech Seed fired in midair and hit the ceiling. Knowing that Bulbasaur was a ranged fighter, Neiteio didn't give it the opportunity to gain any breathing room.

"Keep up the pressure, Fury Attack!"

Bulbasaur was already standing, but it looked unstable. Kent decided to take the defensive and called out, "Use Growl!" If he could dampen the Pinsir's blows, Bulbasaur may not defeat him, but Chikorita would definitely have an easier time. Bulbasaur took a deep breath before letting out a low, threatening Growl that seemed too sinister for its tiny body. To Kent's dismay, Pinsir remained unaffected and connected with a full-power Fury Attack.

Deciding to help the novice leader, Neiteio informed him that, "Pinsir have an ability that prevent them from being intimidated or weakened." The news was too late for Kent though, who recalled his unconscious Bulbasaur.

Kent was still smiling. "You're pretty good to beat Bulbasaur, but you'll need a lot more to handle this next one! Come on out, Chikorita!" He tossed his last PokeBall towards the middle of the arena, and while Chikorita was still being re-formed (i.e. before Goliath could close in), he shouted, "Razor Leaf go!"

As before, the blade-leaves merely glanced off of Goliath's shell, but this time, some of them cut deep and inflicted decent damage. Ignoring the stinging, Goliath advanced and tried to catch the Chikorita in a Bind attack. But being small and agile, it dodged the move with almost no effort.

Using the close range to his advantage, Kent shouted, "Quick, Poisonpowder!" The Chikorita gently waved its leaf, triggering the release of a visible purple powder. As soon as Neiteio heard the name "Poisonpowder", he knew that he had to get Goliath to safety immediately.

"Knock it away with a Fury Attack!" Goliath did as he was told and knocked the toxic Pokemon away with a sweep of his horns. This Chikorita was agile, and it landed on its feet ready to retaliate with a fast Tackle. After the impact, Goliath snapped his horns to try and catch the little imp, but it was too small and quick. It rolled and dodged, subtly increasing their distance. When it was out of Goliath's range, Kent called out, "use Synthesis!"

Chikorita's leaf glowed white as the nutrients it processed from the ambient light accelerated its natural healing. Naturally, Goliath rushed in to interrupt it, but it had already healed itself a decent amount. It was still somewhat vulnerable from its Synthesis, so Goliath used his strongest attack, Seismic Toss. The Chikorita was smashed viciously into the ground, and suffered more damage than it had recovered. Kent was desperate. Never before had he seen his own moves used against him, and a healing move at that! The Pinsir resisted Razor Leaf, was immune to Growl, and could avoid Poisonpowder. His only option was to hope that repeated Tackles could take the brute down.

It didn't work. On its second successful Tackle, Goliath was able to flip Chikorita over by swinging his horns around him like a wall of pain. On its back, it was prey to Goliath's Vice Grip, which was too much for it. Chikorita waved its leaf once before fainting.

Kent shook his head as he recalled Chikorita.

"You guys are pretty strong. What do they teach you all in Shirk City?!"

No response. The intensity of the battle over, Neiteio felt tired and antisocial again.

"Well, the battles showed me that I really need to do some studying on Pokemon abilities... Oh!" Remembering his duty as Gym Leader, he ran back to his end of the arena and returned with a small box. He seemed more relaxed than he did during his introduction, as his parting words were clearly not quoted from a manual. "Here!" he exclaimed, offering the box to Neiteio. "It's the Maple Badge, proof of our awesome battle!" Neiteio opened the box, and in one of the slots on the felt-covered interior was the bronze leaf-shaped Maple badge. Neiteio slyly lifted the edge of the felt board and saw a card had been slipped inside, a preloaded gift card of some sort. He had gotten everything he came for. He took Kent's eagerly outstretched hand, and turned way to visit the Pokemon Center one last time. As he stepped off the arena, he heard Kent still chatting behind him.

"You know, I feel that I learned a lot by battling you! You're a pretty good teacher!"

 

[Wolfwhispers]

Neiko Star: Great post! Congrats, Skorupi grew to level 12 and leared Pin Missle! p Ledyba grew to level 10 and Hoppip grew to level 9!
Royal: I'm sorry, but that doesn't come close for a Squirtle. The rarer the pokemon, the much more graphic and longer the post it must be. So, unfortunately, with several shakes, Squirtle popped out, but it still looked like it wanted to fight. Quick, there's your chance!

 

[Royal]

[OOC: Hope this is better.]

When I thought the Pokeball containing the Squirtle had stopped shaking, it opened in a flash of white light. I quickly grit my teeth as the Squirtle appeared on the boat, facing me after the explosion of white light.

"Squir!" it shouted angrily, opening its mouth and shooting out several bubbles – at me! Heracross quickly swooped in and swiped them away before they hit, using his claws as shields.

"Herrr," he hissed as the bubbles bruised his purple armor. I turned my head as the Squirtle turned to the lake and jumped.

"Grab it before it gets back into the water!" I shouted. Heracross nodded and grabbed the Squirtle before it could jump back into the water and submerge.

"Go up!"

"Squirtle, squirt!" the turtle Pokemon hissed angrily as it squirmed in Heracross's tight prison of claws as my Pokemon flew up in the air, flapping his wings vigorously.

"Horn Attack!" I shouted. Heracross quickly threw up the Squirtle with all his might and flew up at him, but the Squirtle was ready. It took in a breath and spat out a large funnel of water. Heracross's eyes grew wide as it was hit head on by the rapid water attack. He flew down, only do hit the water hard with a slap of a boom echoing off the water as well as making me wince.

"Hera, hera!" my Pokemon shouted franticly, trying to swim around. I quickly bent over the side and grabbed his claws.

"Ugh," I groaned as I hoisted Heracross back into the boat just as the Squirtle dived into the water.

Heracross was breathing heavily from the fight, but he knew I wasn't going to let this Squirtle go so easily.

"You'll be alright, right Heracross?" I asked, looking at one of his badly bruised claws.

"Her," he nodded reassuring me. I knew, however, he wouldn't be able to fight in the next few days until the bruises went away.

"Now, where's that Squirtle?" I said, looking around.

Just on cue, the tiny turtle jumped out of the water, shouting an angry, "Squirtle!" before shooting a powerful, rapid funnel of water at both of us.

We both gasped, but Heracross quickly flew up to take the blow. He was knocked back into the boat from the force. He was grimacing from the pain.

"Heracross, we can't do this," I said. "That Pokemon may be tiny, but it's strong." I turned my head to see the Squirtle smirking in the water as it slowly swam toward us, still wanting a fight.

"Cro, cro," my Pokemon whispered, shaking his head. I smiled. What a strong Pokemon he was – ready to take on a Pokemon that was much stronger than him!

Heracross slowly got to his feet, his knees shaking and arms bruised as he faced the Squirtle with a determined expression.

"Squir!" the tiny Pokemon shouted as it shot yet another funnel of water at Heracross. This time, my Pokemon flew up as the water just barely flew over my boat, but still got me soaking wet.

He lunged at the Pokemon and grabbed it with his injured claws and threw it up. He quickly flew up as fast as he can and hit the Squirtle dead on in the middle of the chest.

"SQUI!" it shouted painfully.

"F-Fury Swipes!" I shouted. Heracross did not nod, but he did obey. He swiped the Squirtle with his claws, using all the strength he could conjure up.

"SQUIRTLE!" the tiny turtle shouted again, painfully. Its eyes closed painfully as Heracross grabbed and swooped down to me. I fumbled with another Pokeball and threw it at the turtle Pokemon. With a clunk on its head, the Squirtle was quickly transported into the Pokeball through a flash of red light.

The Pokeball fell onto the boat and began to shake while the indicator started to flash red…

 

[Pikalover10]

Chapter 5, Pt. I:

Max sighed as he stood in front of the line of motionless trees. Scyther stoo in front of one of the trees, sniffing it and occasionally poking it with his scythe. Max looked around the route, trying to see if there was another way to get around. Max took out his Pokedex and scaned the hard, stiff tree. It had to be a Pokemon...tress weren't planted like that in a row...or atleast on a route!

Species: Sudowoodo, the Imitation Pokemon.
Entry: Despite appearing to be a tree, its body is closer to rocks and stones. It is very weak to water. When motionless, the only thing to make it move or enrage it is with water.

Max groaned and placed the Pokedex in his pocket. He looked around again and saw a small little lake off the route road a little. Scyther was still trying to make one of the trees move, but to no avail.

Max took out Scyther's Pokeball and returned him. Scyther suddenly disappeared in to his Pokeball, even though he preffered to walk. Max licked his lips and dashed forward towards the boat. He slid to a halt, seeing that there were a few boats and a boat rental shop.

He smirked and then casually walked up to the rent booth. The man at the booth was probably around 18, maybe 19 or 20. He looked up at Max, obviously bored. He yawned and sat up straighter, taking out a little map.

"Watta ya want? Information to somewhere?" obviously barely anyone dropped by, and when they did most of them asked for directions.

"Uh not exactly...I was wondering, if I could rent a boat to the middle of the lake?" Max asked.

"Uhm...sure! It won't even cost ya a thing since we barely get any activity here anyway...come on." he said. The man opened a door in the back and walked out of the booth. He wore a rose colored polo shirt, a black jacket, and black pants. His hair was spiked up, but poorly and it was a golden brownish color...his eyes were a golden brownish color too.

He motioned for Max to follow, and they borded a small boat, but most of it was a big spot to catch Pokemon on without breaking anything. Max stood eaning against the railing as the man started the engine and they started moving foreward.

"So why ya wanna go out to this 'ere lake?" the man asked.

"Uhm...a bunch of Sudowoodo blocking the routes path. I need a water Pokemon to get them to move." Max said.

"Ok. So...what's your name?" the man asked.

Max looked up and then looked straight down. "Uh, Max." he said.

"Nice to meet ya Max. Name's Fred. I have a twin brother...name's Edward Collen. Looks just like me, except his hair is better. ever heard of him?" Fred asked.

"Edward Collen? Isn't he like some bat Pokemon collector? Isn't he like a wonderful Pokemon battler? No I haven't met him, but I've heard of him...wish I could meet him that would be awesome." Max looked in to the water.

They didn't speak much after that. Fred was to busy thinking about his better twin, and busy driving the boat. Max was to busy searching for a water type he wanted...nothing caught his interest.

Suddenly, a spray of lake water splashed all over Max, and a orange sea weasel Pokemon leapt on to the deck of the ship. It looked at Max and smirked, it had squirted Max on purpose. Max smirked back at the Pokemon...he liked this weasel's spunk.

"Stop the boat...I found the one I want." Max said.

END
I'll do battle in next post.

 

[Wolfwhispers]

Tristin the Xatu: Great battle! And it seems like we posted at the same time, almost. :) Anyway, Goliath grew to level 18 and learned Revenge!
Royal: Much better! Congrats, you have captured a level 10 Squirtle!
Pikalover: Good post, and a battle against my favorite water type!

 

[Monochrome]

Damian and his two Pokemon were heading down the path filled with new energy from their recent victory. Damian glared over towards beautiful lake in the distance, the way the sun glimmered off the water hypnotised Damian and he could see clear to the bottom. It was one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen in his whole life. He just had to get closer. He approached the lake and sat down next to a man fishing in the lake looking into the water with heavy concentration.


The man turned to his right and said, "You know you could've just said you wanted to battle, you didn't need to sit down next to me and scare away all the fish!"

"But I was just.." Damian started.

"Nuh uh uh no wasting time, the faster we get this done with the faster I can get back to fishing." The fisherman interrupted. "Okay, go Shellder!" He swung around his rod and a Pokemon came out of the ball.

Shellder
It swims backward by opening and closing its two shells. Its large tongue is always kept hanging out.

Damian sighed and pointed out to the battle field ahead, "Go Shroom use tackle!" Shroom jumped at Shellder.

"Clamp attack Shellder!" The Shellder slammed its shell shut on Shroom's head queezing hard until eventually Shellder released him. "Great job Shellder, now use icicle spear!" The small clam started shooting icicles out of its mouth hitting Shroom with several and sending him barreling backwards.

"Shroom use your false swipe and follow up with absorb!" Shroom Rushed at Shellder but stopped short and dealt a sneak attack knocking Shellder on its head. Once Shellder was knocked on his back Shroom began using absorb stealing the Shellders energy and healing himself with it.

"Shellder, use your icicle spear again!" The clam opened wide and shot another barrage of icicles towards Shroom interrupting the absorb attack.

"Shroom, quickly use your leech seed and trap Shellder!" Shroom spit a small seed at Shellder which grew and grew eventually trapping Shellders whole body in wines and inflicting damage by sapping health.

"Shellder break free with whirlpool attack!" The fisherman said in a focused tone. His Pokemon opened its mouth and a gigantic whirlpool destroyed the vines setting it free. "Great now use Brine!" The Shellder opened wide and released a torrent of water towards the tiny mushroom doing what looked like more damage than it normally would.

"Hang in there Shroom! Come now, let's use false swipe and then leech seed and absorb combo!" Shroom nodded and jumped forward preparing his attack.

"Shellder, don't let him approach, use you icicle spear!" The shelder shot its signature icicles towards Shroom attempting to finish him.

"Shroom jump on the icicles and sway false swipe for tackle!" Shroom steadily dogded most icicles and used the others as stepping stones to get close to Shellder, once close up he tackles the Shellder with all his strength and wrapped him in a leech seed attack. Combined with that the absorb attack made quick work of Shellder knocking him unconscious.

The fisherman returned his Pokemon. "Their happy?" He said as if Damian had really interrupted him. " Now if you really want to get to the enxt gym i suggest you keep following the same path and DON'T go near the lake and scare the fishes.

Damian went to thank the odd man but he was already back to his fishing spot happily humming to himself and Damian guessed it would be best to leave him alone. As he came to the end of the path it seemed like a complete dead end. Damian looked around but all he was was a tree like object obstructing his way. Damian tried pulling kicking pushing and yelling but no matter what he did the tree wouldn't budge.

Then all of a sudden, from behin him an unfamiliar voice sounded. "Hey kid, I bet I could help you get through there, for a price at least...."
​

 

[Wolfwhispers]

Summer: Great post with creepy old fishermen! Anyway, Shroom grew to level 15! And I'm curious as to who this 'mysterious' man is. :)

 

[Monochrome]

Damian looked to his right to see an odd man with black hair wearing a cloak of sorts staring at him.

"I'm listening..." Damian said and the boy smiled.

"Well you see... That tree standing in your way is actually a Pokemon you see, and I am a Pokemon collector of sorts... In fact you could call me a Pokemaniac of sorts.... Pokemaniac Colson that is." He grinned wide.

"So what's stopping you from catching it yourself? Obviously know know how to get it moving again..." Damian said trying to get more information and stopping to aim his pokedex at the tree.

Sudowoodo
Despite appearing to be a tree, its body is closer to rocks and stones. It is very weak to water.
​

He continued not noticing Damian had pointed his pokedex at the Pokemon. "Well you see, I'm no trainer, just a collector... That's is where our little deal comes in you see, I'll tell you how to get by this Sudowoodo and in exchange I need you to catch it for me." He smiled marveling at his own genius.

"Well," Damian said lifting up his pokedex, "Thanks to this little thing here, I can easily slip right by the Sudowoodo with some water..." The mans face dropped. "So no deal, obviously this Pokemon is worth something if you want it so badly and I could use a rock type for myself." Damian shoved his pokedex back into his pocket and began walking back to the lake to grab some water when from behind him a frantic voice cried out.

"Please wait! Here here I'll trade you one of my Pokemon for the Sudowoodo and I'll give you this pail filled with water so you don't even have to go back to the lake!" Damian smiled, he fell for it hook line and sinker, Damian didn't really want to catch the Sudowoodo, he just wanted to see how much he could get for his effort.

"Great!" Damian said turning around tying to hold back a sly grin. "Give me the pail and we will get don to business." The boy handed Damian the pail.

"Okay Shroom," He nodded to his Pokemon, "Get up close to the Sudowoodo and be ready for it to pounce!" Shroom neared the diguised Pokemon and the minute the water touched Sudowoodo it let out an ear peircing screech and started jumping up and down. Shroom slammed into it as hard as he could with a tackle attack.

The attack didn't do to much damage due to the type disadvantage but it did get Sudowoodos attention. " Quickly use your false swipe attack." Shroom turned and attempted his usual dupe going to slam into Sudowoodo but the stone tree Pokemon did exactly the same thing, he was copying Shroom.

The two collided and Shroom was sent flying backwards. Sudowoodo flexed his arms and proudly pronounced its name. "Shroom use your leech seed go!" Damian yelled and his Pokemon obeyed spitting a small seed in Sudowoodos direction. Sudowoodo was caught unawares and the vines completely covered his entire body and began sapping at his health.

Sudowoodo began flailing wildly back and forth tearing the vines apart and releasing himself from the attack. It picked up a nearby boulder and launched it at Shroom knocking him back and sending him into unconsciousness.

This Pokemon was tough, Damian could see why Colson would want it. As he returned Shroom to his pokeball he could hear from behind him, "Hey what're you doing? I thought you were a good trainer!? Use your environment!" That comment frustrated Damian and he pointed out to the battle field.

"Go Buzz use your quick attack!" Buzz flew forward and slammed into Sudowoodo taking his attention. "Good job Buzz, fly towards the lake!" Buzz flew away and was followed by Sudowoodo who was running at full pace just to keep up. Sudowoodo wasn't even paying attention to the path in front of him and eventually ended up leaning back trying not to fall in the lake.

As soon as he regained balanced he stood up straight and wiped his hand on his head in relief. Damian ran up and kicked Sudowoodo as hard as he could in the back of the head to knock him into the water. Sudowoodo flailed crying loudly trying to get close o shore slowly sinking in. Sudowoodo got back on shore and began choking out coughs of water, he fell to the ground exhausted. Damian pulled a pokeball out of his pocket and tossed it at the Pokemon.

Next to him Colson yelled out "Great job man, that was some quick thinking!" The Ball rocked back and forth once... Twice....
​

 

[Wolfwhispers]

Summer: Congragulation! You have caught a level 10 Sudowoodo! You may now trade it.

 

[Neiko Star]

OOC: Whew. This one took a bit longer.

Chapter Four: Part V

Renka wrenched the door open. To her disgust, the scent she smelled right now was no doubtly grass. She glanced around. The large field was covered with short, green stuff. The Pokeball symbol was traced on the ground with white paint.

And there he was. Green hair sticking out irritatingly, Kent did not looked surprised to see her. In fact, his expression was delighted. He came running.

"Renka!" he exclaimed, sliding to a halt. "I'm so glad you came!"

Renka shot him a venemous look.

He flinched. "Um...are you okay?" he asked uneasily. Then he bit his lip. "Uh...if it's about earlier, I'm sorry....I did pay for the bill though...sorry, I know I shouldn't have left you like that..."

Renka curled up her fists. In a flash, she raised one hand and slapped Kent fiercely on the face. The Gym echoed with the loud sound of the slap. He choked in surprise.

"R-Renka?" he coughed. Renka's strength must have caught him off guard. He looked shocked.

"That's for holding my hands, you weed-haired blockhead," Renka said through clenched teeth. Kent stared blankly at her. "And this--" She inhaled deeply. "IS FOR TRYING TO FLIRT WITH ME, YOU PERVERT!"

He never saw it coming. Renka raised her knee and kicked him brutally in the nuts. He yelped, bending over in pain.

Renka had regretted it later. It had taken Kent fifteen minutes before he could stand up again. But when he did, she saw that all the soft emotion was gone from his eyes. Now they were hard as stone, and they stared fiercely at her, blazing with a competitive flame.

"All right, Renka. I hope you're ready," he warned. "I won't hold back just because you're a girl."

Renka resisted the temptation to kick him again. She contented herself with simply a mocking snort.

"And you don't go crying because you were beaten by a girl," she sneered. Kent's face hardened.

He took out two Pokeballs from his pockets. He threw them into the air and, with a double popping sound, the flashes of light transformed into two small, green creatures. The Pokedex in Renka's own pocket rang out:

Bulbasaur #01 : Seed Pokemon
Grass/Poison
The seed on its back can store nutrients. By soaking up the sun's rays, the seed grows progressively larger.

Chikorita #152 : Leaf Pokemon
Grass
It waves its leaf around to keep foes at bay. A sweet fragrance also wafts from the leaf, creating a friendly atmosphere and becalming any battling Pokemon. It loves to bask in sunlight.

"It'll be a double battle," Kent declared. "So you choose two of your Pokemon."

Renka bit her lip. Skorupi and Ledyba have the type advantage, but with Hoppip's Confusion, we could hold one enemy in place...but what about the other one?
Suddenly, an image flashed in her mind. She grinned.

"All right," she smirked. "Let's do this."

She tossed two Pokeballs. They clicked open in mid-air, and, with two flashes of light, Skorupi and Hoppip stood on the grass. Kent frowned.

He shook his head. "Okay. I'll let you have the first move."

Big mistake, weedhair! "Hoppip!" Renka yelled. "Use Confusion on Bulbasaur! Out!"

Hoppip understood. It lifted Bulbasaur into the air, then, to Kent's surprise, sent the grass Pokemon flying out the window.

Renka grinned evilly. "Now, Hoppip, use Confusion on Chikorita to hold it in place!"

Before Kent could react, Chikorita was being engulfed in bright blue light. It strained its body; it couldn't move a muscle.

"Too easy," Renka said under her breath. "All right, Skorupi! Pin Missile!"

Skorupi raised its stinger. It shot out several sharp, glowing needles. They flew into Chikorita, slashing and cutting up the leaf Pokemon. It whimpered.

"Chikorita!" Kent shouted frantically. "Use your Poison Powder!"

Chikorita couldn't move. But it didn't need to in order to spray its purple, poisonous powder into the air. Skorupi, of course, was not affected in the least. However, Hoppip squealed as it inhaled the poison. It started panting, and then crumbled down to the ground, barely conscious. Of course Poison attacks were super effective against it. Hoppip's Confusion released its hold on Chikorita. It sighed with relief as it found it could move again.

"Darn!" Renka muttered. She raised one Pokeball. "Return, Hoppip." She gritted her teeth. "Okay. No more playing games. Skorupi, use Poison Sting! Unavoidable mode!"

Skorupi shot out poison particles in every direction. Chikorita stumbled around trying to avoid them, but they pierced into it like needles anyway. There were too many.

"Quantity can be good sometimes too." Renka was grinning again. "Okay, Skorupi. Finish it with Pursuit!"

Skorupi nodded. A dark, sinister aura began forming around its tail. Then, with one, straight jerk, it shot it out at the Chikorita. The latter tried to dodge, but for some reason, it realized that it couldn't move properly. Its vision blurred. It cried out in pain as the Pursuit hit it. It fell to the ground. It gave one last twitch before it fell unconscious.

"Return," Kent said, sounding disappointed. He gazed at Renka from across the field. "You're quite strong, you know."

Renka twitched with annoyance. "Yeah, I know. Now hurry up and give me your stupid badge."

Strangely, Kent smiled. "You don't know that yet. After all, we both have one Pokemon left."

Renka frowned, puzzled. "What? Chikorita's out."

"I know," Kent replied evenly. "But when we started this battle, we both had two Pokemon, right?"

Renka looked at him disbelievingly. Is he saying…?

Kent grinned. "Who said Bulbasaur was out?"

Just as he spoke, a dark figure jumped in from the window. Pieces of shattered glass flew across the Gym. Bulbasaur stood, in front of its trainer, ready to fight.

Renka gaped. "But how? I thought…" Hoppip had most probably thrown Bulbasaur out the window as hard as possible. Not to mention that there were good chances that it would hit a building as it fell. But Bulbasaur hardly had a scratch. It didn't even look hurt.

"Bulbasaur's tough," Kent answered, eyes sparkling. "A lot tougher than Chikorita. Don't think you'll beat it easily. Bulbasaur's in a whole different league."

Tougher or not, it's still a Grass-type! "Skorupi, use Poison Sting!" Renka commanded.

"Bulbasaur, dodge it!" Kent ordered his Pokemon.

Skorupi fired a row of poison particles. Bulbasaur leaped into the air, avoiding the attack just in time.

"Now, use Leech Seed!" Kent yelled.

Bulbasaur, still in mid-air, grunted as a small seed sprouted from the plant on its back. The seed fell, landing on Skorupi's back. It screeched in surprise. As the seed cracked open, vines grew from it, wrapping Skorupi in a tangle of vines. Renka watched in horror as the vines began sucking the scorpion Pokemon's energy. It was weakening by the second.

"Skorupi, use Bite" Renka ordered, scowling at Kent.

Skorupi bit into a vine. It snapped apart considerably easily. Skorupi started slowly gnawing at each vine. Finally, it shook itself, as pieces of torn vines fell to the ground.

"Ha," Renka murmured.

"Impressive," Kent said approvingly. "But not good enough. Bulbasaur, use Razor Leaf!"

This time razor-sharp leaves flew out of the Pokemon's bulb. They spun towards Skorupi.

"Skorupi, use Pin Missile," Renka said, half-distracted. She had noticed something interesting.

The scorpion Pokemon released a series of sharp needles. They flew into the leaves, exploding as they collided. They were an even match.

"Skorupi, use Pin Missile again," Renka ordered.

Skorupi repeated the process. It shot out the missiles more forcefully now, hoping to hit Bulbasaur.
"Bulbasaur, guard with Vine Whip," Kent said, grinning.

Two dark vines grew out of Bulbasaur's back. The latter waved them around, easily deflecting the Pin Missile attack, only slightly wincing at the pain.

However, for some strange reason, Renka was smiling. "I've got you now," she said slyly. "Skorupi, use Poison Sting! This time, aim for the bulb on its back!"

Skorupi shot out the largest number of particles yet. There were so many that they made the room slightly purple. They all flew in different directions, but they were all aimed at one single thing. The bulb.

Kent panicked. "Bulbasaur! Use Leaf Storm!"

Renka watched in amazement as thousands, maybe millions of sharp, green leaves flew out of Bulbasaur's back. They spun around in a whirl of wind, destroying all of Skorupi's poison needles.

"Skorupi, do it again," Renka said flatly.

Kent stared at her like she was crazy. Skorupi nodded, and with a bit more difficulty than last time, created the same amount of poison particles, then shot them all out towards Bulbasaur's bulb.

"Use Leaf Storm again!" Kent yelled nervously.

This time, less leaves shot out of the plant Pokemon's bulb. It seemed like Leaf Storm's immense power came at a heavy price. Bulbasaur was panting, barely able to hold itself up with its shaky little legs.

"Now!" Renka roared. "Quickly!"

Skorupi fired out several thin, poisonous barbs. Kent opened his mouth to say something, but was too late. Bulbasaur, not having enough energy to dodge, yelped as a few poison needles struck its bulb. At once, it began trembling, then slumped down on the ground dazedly.

So it was its weakness spot. Ha! I was right! Now to see if my other theory works too…

"Skorupi, Pin Missile!" Renka shouted.

Skorupi jumped slightly into the air as glowing needles rained down from its stinger. Bulbasaur winced as the sharp objects slashed down at it.

Kent looked like he was in a frenzy. He wringed his hands, muttering about something.
"Bulbasaur!" he ordered shakily. "Charge in and use Tackle!"

Bulbasaur seemed to let out a groan. Using all of its efforts, it heaved itself up. Staggering, it tried to find its balance. Then, when it was stable, it started charging at Skorupi.

"Skorupi! Avoid close combat!" Renka advised. "Jump up and get behind him!"

Bulbasaur attempted to slam itself into Skorupi. The scorpion Pokemon managed to jump at the very last moment. It landed behind Bulbasaur.

"Good, now use Poison Sting to hold it in place!" Renka commanded, having an idea.

Skorupi looked surprised, but obeyed. It shot out four particles, each pinning Bulbasaur down.

"Now move back. It might break free and Tackle you again," Renka told it. Skorupi skidded a few feet away. "All right." Renka took a deep breath. "Skorupi. Do it."

Skorupi jumped, startled. But, seeing the serious look on its trainer's face, it braced itself. Purple energy began accumulating around its tail. It concentrated every drop of energy it had into its stinger. Then, as Renka nodded, it fired. The gigantic, poisonous needle flew out, shooting towards Bulbasaur at an incredible speed.

"I call this Venom Sting," Renka whispered.

It pierced Bulbasaur's bulb completely, even managing to crack the ground behind it. Bulbasaur screeched at the intense pain, then fell unconscious at once. The poison dispersed into the air, breaking into tiny purple shimmers. Kent looked dumbfounded.

"Well? Now do I get my badge?" Renka asked, a grin spreading on her face.

 

[Wolfwhispers]

Neiko Star: Great battle! And boy, does Renka have the most bipolar personality ever! Anyway, Hoppip grew to level 10 and learned Tackle! Skorupi grew to level 15! You may now head onto the next chapter!

If people would like to trade pokemon, you must ask me. If you find an item (other than berries), end off with so-and-so picking up an interesting item. I will then tell you what it is. :)

 

[Neiko Star]

Chapter Five: Part I

Renka gazed at the shiny, amber-coloured badge in her palm. It was shaped like a maple leaf resting on a golden butterfly. Renka snorted. The Maple Badge. They sure weren't very creative with the name and the design.

Kent looked at her dazedly. "I still can't believe you beat me."

Renka glanced at him. "Well, I still can't believe I had so much trouble beating you. Congrats on that."

Kent pursed his lips. "You're kinda touchy, aren't you?"

Renka growled. "Kent, I advise you shut up."

He shrugged. "Anyway, here." He thrust something into her hands.

Renka widened her eyes. He had just given her...one, two, three, four...five thousand dollars! "What's this?"

Kent looked at her strangely. "Uh...that's the prize money. You get some each time you beat a Gym Leader." He shifted his weight uneasily. "Or...is that...less than what you expected?" He seemed frightened at the thought.

Renka sighed. "No, that's not it. Well..." She gulped. "T-T-T-T-Thannnksss...for the money. I'll need it." More like my family will.

Kent jumped, startled. "W-what...well...y-your welcome..." he stammered.

Renka shot him an annoyed look. Then, she turned her back on him and walked out without a word. Once outside, she glanced at the sky. The sun was setting; it would be evening soon. She shrugged. It's not like I'm afraid of the dark. But she would prefer making it to the next town before midnight.

She quickened her pace. She took the small route south. A wooden sign indicated that it was called the Rocky Trails. Renka could see why. Stones and rocks were scattered everywhere. Definitely not the best home for Grass-types.

Good. Then I guess that means that I won't be seeing any pollen-heads for a long time.

However, just as she said this, a thick tree bounced at her. It slammed into the ground where she was standing only seconds ago. Renka stared. No, not a tree...more like a Pokemon imitating one...where had she read this before?

Her Pokedex answered her question. The female, digital voice recited:

Sudowoodo #185 : Imitation Pokemon
Rock
It camouflages itself as a tree to avoid being attacked by enemies. However, because its forelegs remain green throughout the whole year, the Pokemon is easily identified as a fake during winter. It is vulnerable to water.

Renka gritted her teeth. So it's not a plant, but it's pretending to be one? What is up with that?

"Darn," she muttered as she realized she had no water Pokemon. Luckily, as she glanced around, she spotted a nearby lake.

She tossed a Pokeball into the air. Hoppip appeared in a flash of light.

"All right, Hoppip," Renka ordered. "Use Confusion on the water over there!"

Hoppip squeaked. It lifted the water, shaping it into one big wave. Then, it crashed it into the Sudowoodo, who cried out in horror as the water soaked it.

"Great," Renka murmured. She eyed the small cabin at the edge of the lake. "Now let's run for it!"

Renka kept Hoppip on her shoulder, just in case. She raced to the lake and, before another Sudowoodo could ambush her, slipped into the wooden cabin. She closed the door with a clunk, sighing with relief. It was not until she looked up that she realized that an old man was staring at her, mouth hanging open.

"What?" she snapped. She had no more patience with old grandpas than she did with people her age.

The old man scratched his nearly bald head. "It's not everyday I see a pretty little girl like you run into my shop," he rasped. "It's quite surprising."

Renka narrowed her eyes. Is this old man flirting? "Huh. I guess so. So...this is a shop?" She looked around. The walls were full of wooden shelves crammed with books, gear, and fishing equipment. A shabby-looking counter stood boredly in one corner. A narrow staircase led downstairs.

He nodded. "It isn't much, but I love it here. I used to be a sailor, you know. So living near a lake is heaven for an old chap like me." He chuckled. "So what brings you here today?"

Renka thought fast. "Are there any water Pokemon living in that lake?"

"Of course!" the old man replied. "What would a lake be without Pokemon? How do you think I earn enough money to keep m'self living?" He laughed. Renka did not find it funny at all.

"So, can I like, rent a boat or something?" she asked, trying to be polite. It would be a problem if he refused.

"Sure," he answered. His old, beady eyes flickered. "But you'll have to pay up. Fifty dollars for a wooden boat. Seventy for a sailboat. What's it gonna be?"

Renka considered it for a moment. "I'll take the sailboat." She dug into her pockets and took out a (tiny) piece of her prize money. She handed the money to the man.

He accepted it greedily. "The sailboat's docked outside. You can use it as long as you like." And with that, he waddled away towards the stairs.

"Greedy old man," Renka grunted as she walked back outside. She spotted the white sailboat immediately. It looked like it was in pretty good condition.

She climbed aboard and once she was in, she told Hoppip to unchain the boat with its Confusion. The Pokemon was greatly amused.

"Good, now push us into the water," Renka told it.

Hoppip, delighted at having so many things to do, accidentally lifted the boat into the air. Then, realizing its mistake, it dropped the sailboat onto the lake. Renka gripped the sides of the boat as it shook, water pouring in.

"Hoppip, get rid of this water right now," she said through clenched teeth.

Hoppip, still happy, obeyed. It raised all of the water in the boat and threw it off board.

Renka raised her head, exasperated. This was one reason she wanted to catch a water Pokemon!

"Hop!" Hoppip squeaked. It seemed excited. Renka leaned over to see what it was looking at.

To her surprise, she saw a long, thick lane of ice running across the sides of the lake. She could see many small figures playing and rolling on it.

"Well, that isn't something you see everyday," Renka said, raising her eyebrows. "Come on, Hoppip, let's go. Slowly." Hoppip made the boat slide closer to the ice slopes.

"Stop here," Renka told it. She cautiously stepped on onto the frozen ice. It wasn't as slippery as she imagined.

She slowly skated her way up the lane, pushing herself forward with her feet like she had seen skaters do on TV. Suddenly, she tripped. Swearing, she rubbed her knee, then glanced at what she had tripped against. She frowned at the unknown object.

What the heck is that?

​

 

[Wolfwhispers]

Neiko Star: That was certainly an interesting idea... confusing the lake. :) Anyway, what's this!? Renka found the item Nevermelt Ice! Hey, that's what you get for finding an item on ice. : Oh, and Hoppip grew just a little from that water trick.

 

[Neiko Star]

Chapter Five: Part II

Renka turned the Nevermelt Ice around in her hands. Its surface was nice and cold, but no matter how much time she kept it in her hands, it never melted in the least.

Renka glanced around. Here and there, small balls were rolling around. Her Pokedex rang out:

Spheal #363 : Clap Pokemon
Water/Ice
It is much faster when rolling than when walking. When the season for ice floes arrives, this Pokemon can be seen rolling about on ice to cross the sea. Its entire body is covered in plushy fur. As a result, it never feels the cold even when it is diving in the sea.

Renka bit her lip, a habit she had developped when she was thinking. Normally, I would use Hoppip, but it's so cold here and this Spheal is an Ice-type...Ledyba wouldn't do either. But...Skorupi can't stand on this ice...so Ledyba it is.

Renka opened the Pokeball in her hand, not wanting to throw anything precious onto this slippery ice. With the usual pop, Ledyba appeared, hovering in the air.

"Ledyba, use Tackle!" Renka ordered.

Ledyba flew in, then tackled the Spheal. It had no effect whatsoever. The attack simply bounced off the Spheal like rubber.

"Dang it," Renka muttered. It's the blubber. So how do I pierce it? The word 'pierce' brought an idea to her head. Cruel, yes, but she had no choice. She took out her other Pokeball. "Skorupi, I hope you're cold-resistant!"

Skorupi appeared. It skittered on the ice, trying to find something to grip on, but the only thing its small, claw-like legs found was the smooth and frozen ice.

"Skoru!" it screeched.

Renka sighed. "Hoppip, help Skorupi out."

Hoppip, still on her shoulder, was extremely proud as it slowly lifted Skorupi off its feet, to leave the scorpion Pokemon floating in mid-air.

"All right, Skorupi," Renka told it. "Prepare one Venom Sting." Skorupi nodded. She turned to Ledyba. "And you use Supersonic."

Ledyba flew higher into the air. It opened its mouth and screeched. Powerful sonic waves spread across the air. The Spheal blinked, confused. It started rolling around on its back, hitting its head ont the hard ice. During that time, Skorupi concentrated. It gathered all of its energy into the tip of its tail.

"Okay, Ledyba, use Comet Punch on the ice!" Renka commanded.

Ledyba's fist glowed brightly. In a streak of white light, it punched the ice beneath it. Large cracks began forming. Ledyba continued slamming its fist into the ice until it finally gave away. Cold water flew everywhere. Ledyba flinched away.

"Now, Hoppip, get in the water!" Renka ordered it.

Hoppip looked at her incredously. That water was freezing cold! But, under its trainer's glare, it unwillingly plopped down into the small pool, wincing as the cold bit away at its delicate skin. It grumbled.

"Good." Renka said, satisfied. "Now use Confusion under the water!"

Hoppip finally understood. It glowed blue as it concentrated its psychic energy. It spread its power into the huge mass of cold water below, reaching and drawing in as much liquid as possible.

"Burst it up!" Renka exclaimed, grinning.

The ice shattered as the gigantic wave of water exploded. It took on the form of a dragon, twisting around menacingly. Then, swiftly, it dived down, crashing into the Spheal, who, still confused, forgot to hold its breath and choked as the freezing liquid poured down its throat.

"Skorupi! Now!" Renka cried.

Skorupi had gathered an amazing amount of energy into its tail, which, by consequence was glowing feverishly purple. It was quite relieved when it heard Renka's order; with a loud bang, it released all of its power, forming the huge, poisonous stinger. The stinger then flew into the Spheal's back, piercing its thick blubber and reaching the skin. Spheal squeaked in pain.

Renka acted quickly. She threw one of her remaining Pokeballs. The ball opened up, then absorbed the Spheal into it. It fell to the ice with a soft thunk, rolling back into Renka's hands. She stared at it. The ball was still shaking: one, two, three...