Current Curses: Cursed Bag - Want to use items outside of battle barring TMs? Well, sucks to be you.
First Encounter Clause - It's a nuzlocke without being a nuzlocke
So, stepping into Room 14 (not 7 because I totally graduated without the ability to read numbers correctly), we are faced with a disastrous problem. Now that I can only get one encounter per area with the fact that I kinda have to catch stuff due to potential curses that can forcibly remove team members, I have to roll the encounter dice and pray to Arceus that I get something viable for lategame, and since earlygame is flooded with bad mons, I have to get lucky. Even worse, I get three encounters before the end of Virbank City gym. Anyway, complaining aside, let's move on. I saved after beating Cheren, so let's get back in there and do our thing.
So after getting out of the gym, a wild Bianca appears and gives me the almighty, totally usable outside of battle Return TM, which will be perfect for Anubis when her happiness gets high and she evolves into Lucario...oh, and I guess we also get a C-Gear and Bianca has a reunion with Cheren, but who honestly cares about that? Believe it or not, Bianca will actually be useful to me in order to check when my Riolu is ready to evolve...but I can't use Rare Candies, so that sucks.
Anyway, with that out of the way, I went and healed up, and it was back to Floccesy Town for the final time. Of course, we get interrupted by Bianca to get the Habitat List, a feature that sort of came back in OR/AS, but never saw the light of day again, almost like horde battles, which was, in my opinion, a more effective EV training method than the SOS method of Sun and Moon...but we're not here to discuss competitive training preferences. At least Anubis has Force Palm now, so that will up my firepower a lot until she evolves. Now, onward to Virbank City, and potential encounters.
So after a father daughter dispute and a heal at the Pokemon Center, it's time to scout Virbank City and...that other area near Virbank for encounters. At least I wish I could say that but it turns out that the only grass in the general area is Virbank Complex outside and then the complex proper, so that means whatever I get, I either catch it or I get no new team member at all this episode. Let us hope, pray, and get our BlessRNGs ready.
I got a Growlithe from the grass inside the complex proper, and to be honest, I'm fine with this encounter. A Fire type would be nice for my team to cover for Grass types, and Roxie just so happens to have a Whirlipede as an ace. All in all, he can get some good milage, so I caught him and named him Blaze. Now that I have Blaze, it's time for the next step, and that is Audino grinding to prepare for the gym, especially now that I have a new addition to the team. So, let's do it!
Alright, so after a lot of running back and forth waiting for shaking grass, we're back. Braev finally evolved and learned Razor Shell, Blaze is caught up and has Flame Wheel, and Anubis is Lv. 19 because she will be seeing no action in the gym. She also got Copycat, but eh, Copycat sucks. Anyway, I took the chance to take care of business at Virbank Complex in order to fill up the wallet a little more, along with get the Thief and Rock Smash TMs...not that I'll be using either of them.
So with everything else done, all that remains is the gym, which should be fairly easy for the combined efforts of Blaze and Braev. Anyway, in the span of two battles, I got poisoned twice and had to use a Super Potion, all because of Poison Gas, the first guy's Koffing getting a crit Tackle, and more Poison Gas from the second Koffing. I don't want to go back and buy more Antidotes because that money can be saved for items later, so we're just gonna fight Roxie with what I got using Braev in the lead.
I was expecting to be poisoned turn 1...but the Koffing just died because Braev crit it with Razor Shell. I mean, I'm not complaining. Also, I honestly forgot Roxie only has two mons instead of three, so I was a bit surprised when she was sending in Whirlipede next. Blaze hit it like a truck after the Protect, but I got a low roll and didn't kill, giving her a chance to heal. The second time around, I still didn't kill, and with a third Flame Wheel, it went down, but not before poisoning me with Poison Point because of course it does. Either way, I still won. Venoshock is 100% useless to me right now, though, so the money is the only thing worth my time.
But with the second lord of the mansion defeated, it is time to continue our investigation. I may as well try the statue.
Ruby's Investigation Team
Braev (Dewott) Lv. 19 @ Nothing
Nature: Lax
Ability: Torrent
Moves: Tackle, Tail Whip, Razor Shell, Focus Energy
Anubis (Riolu) Lv. 19 @ Nothing
Nature: Bashful
Ability: Steadfast
Moves: Force Palm, Quick Attack, Copycat, Counter
Blaze (Growlithe) Lv. 19 @ Nothing
Nature: Brave
Ability: Intimidate
Moves: Ember, Reversal, Flame Wheel, Leer
