>>RRRIIIIIING<< >>RRRIIIIIING<< >>RRRIIIIIING<<
That was...a somewhat uneventful nap. Nothing in the way of dreams, but not much in the way of rest either. You know, the whole please-don't-send-me-into-a-nightmare-realm-if-I-close-my-eyes thing is a bit of an anxiety when you're trying to go to sleep, and it doesn't help that whenever I try to get to sleep, someone either tells a Pokemon to wake me up or drags me into an alternate dimension or calls me on the fucking phone...but no matter. I've taken the edge off my post-gangfight exhaustion and I think I'm ready to deal with people again. Hello?
Jess? Erik? Hey, you two. What's up? You guys patch things up, I take it?
Oh, so you took her to the Dream World? Maybe that's why I was able to sleep without incident. Did you--?
YOU DID WHAT?! WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?! WHAT HELLISH ODYSSEY DID YOU SEND HER ON, ERIK?!?!
ERIK: Tom...who ever said you left the Dream World?
I...
But...
...Elekid?
No...no, you're here. We aren't there. You didn't come last time. Erik, do not fuck with me like that. I'm not what medical professionals would call stable at the moment--
You're both on your way here? Okay, what--
Jess, you want to battle to prep for the gym? Sure, I'll be outside the Pokemon Center waiting.
Now let's see...what time is it exactly?
5:00pm. You've got to be kidding me. I swear, time couldn't pass in Cythos if you got behind it and pushed. Well, maybe Tera sent over the beta formulas. Let's check the inbox.
Nothing. Well, she's a gym leader, so her schedule's pretty hectic. I should get it by tomorrow, I'm sure. Guess there's not much to do now but wait and just sort of...be with my thoughts.
Tyre...we're going to need to face him if we want to get our hands on those bike vouchers, but how to go about beating him...
Let's see. Tyre specializes in Fighting-type Pokemon, so that means that anyone I have with Flying-type moves will be my strongest offensive combatants, and any Bug-type, Flying-type, or Poison-type Pokemon I have will be my strongest defensive combatants, since I don't have a Ghost-type.
Elekid is definitely my fastest Pokemon and I trust him implicitly, but he's fallen against the strongest Pokemon every gym leader has had thus far, and when he falls...he falls hard.
Emolga and Joltik would have a resistance to Fighting-type moves, but because they're still relatively weak when compared to my other Pokemon and because a Rock-type move would probably crush them, I'd rather wait to use them in important battles like this. And if Tyre is playing it safe against Flying-types, he's gonna have a Rock-type move packed away somewhere.
Bagon, Jolteon, Pachirisu and Vullaby aren't my best options. They'll take regular damage from a Fighting-type assault, but they're too untested to warrant use here.
All things considered, Nidorino should be my safest bet. His Poison-type will resist any Fighting-type move Tyre could muster, and considering the weaknesses of Fighting-type Pokemon, it's doubtful that he'll prepare Ground-type or Psychic-type moves to seriously wound Nidorino. However, Nidorino knows Peck, and that will be a great advantage.
Pidgeotto is clearly one of my stronger Pokemon, and as a Flying-type, he'll be able to use his speed and ferocity as my strongest offensive asset...but the possibility of a move like Rock Throw or Ice Punch scares me for his sake. He'll need to be a quick in-and-out fighter if I want to keep him active for as long as possible.
Gliscor and Pinsir really are strong assets here. Tyre won't be able to find a Pokemon that can resist any of Pinsir's attacks, and Gliscor's defensive capabilities have tremendous potential...but Pinsir won't hold up against a more seasoned Fighting-type Pokemon if it couldn't take out that Axew, and if Gliscor gets hit with so much as a glancing Ice Punch, she's gone. Besides, she has almost zero offensive capabilities based on her attacks. If only she knew a Flying-type move--
WOAH! Did I just see someone leap out of the waterfall on the underside of the gym?! Who in their right mind would--?
Oh, it's Kevin. Never mind, then.
Hey Kevin. Nice--
Is that...the Kahu Gym badge? You won?! I want details! Was it hard? I mean, of course it was hard...but how hard? It looks like your Skarmory is okay, but--
Dee is...you only Pokemon left conscious? Christ, what did he hit you with that took out your entire team?
...what do you mean everything?! How could he hit you with everything?!
It's called the Terrain Badge? I see...but what TM did he give you? I still don't quite understand.
How do you not remember what TM you got?! There's only three things that happens when you beat a gym: you get the badge, you get the money, and you get the leader's technical machine! You mean to tell me you don't remember the TM?! Fine...I'll figure it out when I get there. Do you at least have any advice?
Flying-types...yeah, I've got my share of Flying-types. The only thing I have more of than Flying-types is Electric-types--
Revives? Uh, no, I don't have anymore. I figured that I would break between trainer battles and heal up at the Pokemon Center--
Ready?! No, there's no way I'm ready for the gym yet. I need to train a while before I'm good enough to take on Tyre. I was hoping that tomorrow I would--
Hey! I know it's important to get to Mastam as soon as possible, but there's nothing wrong with being cautious. I'm meeting Jess here in a short while so that we can both bolster our teams before we hit the gym. It pays to be a little strategic, you know--
"Learn on the go"? Listen, I've been training Pokemon seriously for only about four days now; I've acquired twenty different Pokemon, I've invented the Pokemon equivalent of crystal meth, and I've come face-to-face with my own death more times than I've had a meal. I think I'm decent at learning on the go, but that doesn't mean that's the only way I need to get stronger as a trainer. Sometimes patience and planning--
...your Poochyena is critical? You think it might also be a concussion? Well, I mean, you brought in a Dark-type into a Fighting-type gym. This is one of those instances where planning--
Yes, I do believe we all need to be on the same page, but different people work at different speeds, you know--?
What drives me? I mean, I want the eight Cythos badges, too...but rushing forward won't necessarily make things go any faster. That's an easy way to get yourself or one of your Pokemon killed and I don't--
You know what? I know what would make me feel better if you want to keep pushing me to challenge this gym. How many Pokemon are you willing to throw back into the gauntlet? If you battle me here and now, we'll both get stronger and I'll feel a little better about taking on the gym in my current state.
Two Pokemon apiece? Fine by me.
Okay, we'll do it in the town center. We don't need to do this for money, let's just do this for us. Four moves per Pokemon, standard League rules--
Yeah, uh...you can answer that text first. Okay, now let's do it!
His Corphish, huh? And he called her into that decorative whirlpool in the center of town? I was gonna call out Gliscor, but seeing as how this is quickly becoming a poor battleground for her, I might want to adjust for that. Go, Chinchou!
Juanita disappeared under the water, but a Thunder Wave ought to bring that lobster floating up to the surface. Go!
You...can't find it? Well, you're a fish. Hop into the water and shock it from there.
Chinchou, are you...are you having difficulty swimming in there? Yeesh, it was a mistake sending you in there. Chinchou, return--
Fuck, you're moving to fast. I can't hit you with the return beam. Chinchou, use Flail and try to flop to a calmer place in the water--
Chinchou?! Chinchou, where did you go?! Chinchou! Return--!
GAH! HIS POKE BALL! I DROPPED HIS POKE BALL IN THE WATER!
Kevin! Time out! I've got to save my Chinchou!
Dee? Kevin, can Dee retrieve Chinchou from that whirlpool?
Come on, Dee...you can find him...
...
...
Oh, thank God you're alright! Chinchou, return--
...Kevin, would it be too much to ask if Dee or Juanita got Chinchou's Poke Ball for me? God, I feel like such an idiot--
You wanted to have a battle here so that I could feel out the terrain? I mean, there wasn't much to take in here: just some sidewalk and a whirlpool--
Sign? What sign?
If you saw this sign, why the hell would you throw your Corphish in there?! What's wrong with you?!
Yes, I threw my Pokemon in there, too...but I thought you knew what you were doing!
Dee! Did you find something?
That looks like a TM...that's not Chinchou's Poke Ball--
Register another ball? I don't have another ball, Kevin! Chinchou wouldn't be stuck out here until I earned enough money for a new one. Give up if you want, but I won't. I can get that ball. Elekid, go!
TOM: Elekid, do you see that whirlpool?
ELEKID: Yeah, it's got a big sign next to it. It's kind of hard to miss--
TOM: I lost Chinchou's Poke Ball down there.
ELEKID: Tom...come on. We've done better than this.
TOM: The Poke Ball is metallic, so if you send a Shock Wave into the water, you should be able to illuminate it.
ELEKID: I'm worried about you, Tom.
Alright, so...there are three things that lit up? I have no idea which one is the ball. Elekid, use Swift and knock them all up.
Hey hey, there's the Poke Ball!
...and a magnet and a $500 coin. Oh, well okay then. Elekid, you can keep the magnet. It's a gift.
Okay, Kevin. Time in--!
You're right, you we do have two Pokemon out. I guess there's no harm in turning this into a double-battle--
Chinchou! Elekid! Take cover! That Skarmory isn't playing nice! If you can Elekid, send a Shock Wave into the spin-pool and light up that Corphish!
Nothing? How could there be nothing? That move never misses. It didn't climb out of the whirlpool, and it's not like it dug deeper beneath the--
IT DUG OUT OF THE WHIRLPOOL! ELEKID, LOOK OUT!
OH GOD, ELEKID!
All I have left is Chinchou...he can't take on both Juanita and Dee.
Guys...return. It's over.
I don't deserve this. Let someone else pick this up.
I knew it. Kevin had a game-plan from the start. He caught me off guard and I rushed into the battle without thinking about strategy. That's why I lost.
KEVIN: Tom?
Just...just keep walking, Tom. This is what a winner of the Terrain Badge needs to fight like. This is the kind of trainer that can beat Tyre. I'm not that good. That's not me. Not yet.
Nurse Joy, I need you to heal these two Pokemon for me, please. Thank you.
I've never been so out-classed before. Sure, Prodiga was tough an nearly killed my Elekid, but if Tyre nearly killed five of Kevin's Pokemon and he whooped me so soundly, I can't even imagine how strong Tyre is. Kevin was tough when we fought for that Pinsir, but good god, if I can't beat a Flying-type and a Water-type with two Electric-types, I need to seriously reconsider whether I'm even any good at this. I've been so incredibly lucky...is that all it's been? Luck?
A text message?
<<My tactic was terrain. Something the gym leader boasts as a factor.
It is true. Don't be disheartened. I have faith in your abilities.
And you need to think outside the box. - Kevin>>
I'm glad you have faith in my abilities, Kevin...
...I wish I did.
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