ppe16: Quick, after them!

[xaq_the_aereon]

[TEAM STATUS]
Dogmeat, Lv 33
Belfries, Lv 33
Astra, Lv 34
Atlas, Lv 32
Tessa, Lv 33
Nala, Lv 34

We take off after the Galactigrunt heading for Lake Valor. With all the time I spent lallygagging prior to this, he's probably halfway there and back by now.

[OR HE COULD BE AT THE EXIT TO TOWN]
*facepalm*

He tells me not to chase after him, so that's obviously what I'm gonna oh hi Clint, nice of you to STOP for a change....but dude, seriously? NOW!?

[VS. Clint and His Horrible Timing]
[Round 1: vs. Starly]
HOW HAVE YOU NOT EVOLVED IT INTO A STARAVIA YET!? It Quick Claws for a Double Team to boost its evasiveness, showing that it isn't holding an item that prevents evolving...or getting one-shot by Thunder Fang.

[Round 2: vs. Buizel]
Is he just holding his team back on purpose? This time Nala gets the Quick Claw boost, but it Quick Attacks her first anyway before eating a Spark and dropping.

[Round 3: vs. Ponyta]
I let Atlas take this one on. Its Flame Wheel brushes off, while Bulldoze pancakes it.

[Round 4: vs. Grotle]
Oh sure, THIS one he lets evolve. >_< I leave Atlas out, and Mega Drain proves this to be a mistake. I tag in Dogmeat and use a turn to Revive Atlas, letting Razor Leaf do a little damage. Fire Fang misses, and it sets up Stealth Rocks to make tagging in/out a pain. A second Fire Fang hits home and causes major damage, and another Razor Leaf compels Dogmeat to use her Oran Berry before finishing the fight with one last Fire Fang.

[YOU REALLY GOTTA START GROWING SOME SITRUS BERRIES]
I know, right? :/ Anyway, he tells me I should go after the Galactigrunt...y'know, like I was about to BEFORE HE STOPPED ME AND NECESSITATED A POKECEN STOP...imbecile. I'm sorry, I know he's supposed to be my buddy/rival in this game, but honestly, Clint has been nothing but a pain in the ass so far.

Anyway, past all that we come across the entrance to a beach. Which naturally leads to running into a beach-goer or two.

[VS. Beauty Cyndy]
[vs. Glameow]
Dogmeat unleashes a 3-member Beat Up on it. Just fighting like cats and dogs here, aren't we?

Noting the level discrepancy, and the fact she's not as fond of me as the rest of the team, I move Atlas to the front. I have a chat with a fisherman a short ways later after checking out Dr. Footstep's office (nothing of note there). Guess I caused him to lose a catch.

[VS. Fisher Kenneth]
[Round 1: vs. Magikarp]
Atlas somehow survives a Splash and Stomps it out of commission.

[Round 2: vs. Gyarados]
Twister doesn't do much, while Ice Fang shaves off roughly 1/5 its HP. Waterfall hits a LOT harder, and Stomp puts it at about half. I tag out for Nala, who gets Leered into lower Defense before Sparking it out of play.

[Round 3: vs. Remoraid]
I tag Atlas back in to heal her up with a Moomoo Milk, while Psybeam does a little damage to her. Another Psybeam does a little more, while Ice Fang takes most of its HP. Aurora Beam does some decent damage, but a Stomp finishes it up.

The Grunt is up ahead, taking a breather to talk out loud about their boss being a super-genius before running off again. Chasing them leads us to a hotel complex that is built a bit like a labyrinth.

[LOVELY, AND US WITHOUT ANY SPOOLS OF THREAD]

We manage to find our way through to where the Grunt has stopped to yammer again. Still not interested in battling us, I see. I try to take advantage of my "plot moves at my speed" powers by going east, but a power outage leaves a man blocking my path, so back after the Grunt we go...who got as far as getting off-screen before stopping again. Guess he's done running.

[DON'T RUN, YOU'LL ONLY DIE TIRED]
[Vs. TG Grunt]
[vs. Glameow]
[...ACTUALLY NOW I SEE WHY YOU RAN]

Charm lowers Atlas' Attack a ways, leaving Stomp not as effective as I'd like. Another Charm lowers it even further, but Bulldoze uses Special Attack and thus hits like a ton of bricks.

And with that, he...walks off. Just ahead, I run into Cynthia.

[MAYBE HE'S LUCKY HE STOPPED WHEN HE DID?]

Indeed, but what's she doing here? Ah, she's researching a legend about a Pokemon on the lake. She mentions the Psyducks back on Route 210, and gives me some Secret Medicine to help them out.

[PRETTY SURE NALA COULD HANDLE THEM]
To the left, at the lake entrance, some Professors keep the entrance blocked, one mentioning a man named Cyrus wanting to protect it. Yay for him, I guess? Anyway, I Fly back to Solaceon town to see about those Psyducks. As I make a run for them, I run into a Breeder I passed by earlier. Whoops.

[VS. Sitting Duck Amber]
[Round 1: vs. Cleffa]
Ice Fang is more than enough here.

[Round 2: vs. Clefairy]
I tag in Belfries for this one to see if we can put another notch on the Cross Poison OTK bar. Turns out we can.

[Round 3: vs. Happiny]
I bring Atlas back out since Cross Poison here would just be cruel. Turns out Ice Fang isn't much nicer.

Past her, we meet the Psyducks again and give them the Secret Medicine. Their headaches gone, they run off. Cynthia shows up moments later to thank me for using the medicine...though if she was coming this way anyway, couldn't she have just done so herself? After that, she asks me to deliver an Old Charm to her granny in Celestic Town, the city we just gained access to.

[JUST CHECKED IT IN THE INVENTORY, IT'S MADE OF POKEMON BONES]
...Ick? Anyway, we head up and get ambushed by one of the Ninja Trio. He claims he has to battle us since we discovered him. Does it count since he outed himself, though?

[VS. Ninja Boy Fabian]
[All 3 rounds: vs. Geodudes]
Ice Fang FTW, with only 1 Rock Throw ever coming our way.
[NINJA VANISH!!]

I go a short ways up and holy crap things get foggy. I can barely make my way through...I think I may have dodged a Black Belt, but someone else attacked.

[VS. Ninja Boy Joel]
[Round 1: vs. Zubat]
Poison Fang doesn't do much to Atlas, while Ice Fang misses. I tag out for Nala who dodges a Poison Fang and nails it with a Shock Wave.

[Round 2: vs. Skorupi]
Bug/Poison, right? I tag in Dogmeat and Fire Fang it.

[Round 3: vs. another Zubat]
Back to Nala for the Shock Wave...

[Round 4: vs. Golbat]
And one more for the road!
[NINJA VANISH!! AGAIN!!]
Not that difficult in this fog. Makes it impossible to see where I'm going or where the Ace Trainer I run into was. Sorry about that!

[NOT AS SORRY AS THEY'RE ABOUT TO BE]
[Vs. Ace Trainer Aylssa]
[Round 1: vs. Ponyta]

Ember is rather harmless, while Bulldoze scores a one-shot.

[Round 2: vs. Grotle]
Dogmeat takes the lead, and Fire Fang takes the win.

We make our way up a hill and get ambushed by a double-team. Joy.

[Vs. The Suite Life of Zac & Jen]
[vs. Raichu & Gyarados]
Belfries Cross Poisons the Gyarados and gets Nuzzled by the Raichu to induce paralysis. Waterfall hits her kinda hard, while Bulldoze nails the Raichu pretty while without affecting Gyarados or Belfries.

Another Cross Poison takes out the Gyarados, but Thunderbolt almost KOs Belfries before Bulldoze can finish the job...on the Raichu, I mean. Belfries flew right over that.

It takes some doing to continue on, but I manage to make out a bridge and get across it. The Black Belt on the other end is a bit harder to spot, though.

[VS. Black Belt Adam]
[vs. Machoke]
Fighting is a bad matchup for Rock, so I tag out for Astra. It uses Focus Energy to pump itself up, but Aerial Ace utterly deflates it.

Climbing down a stairwell I manage to find makes the upper portion of the cliff easier to see...too bad it doesn't stop me from blundering into another trainer.

[VS. Bird Keeper Brianna]
[Round 1: vs. Hoothoot]
Exttrasensory causes Atlas to flinch, but its Growl doesn't stop Ice Fang from scoring a one-shot.

[Round 2: vs. Noctowl]
Atlas' PP for Ice Fang is running low, but I keep her at it. Peck glances off her, and Ice Fang takes most of its HP. Extrasensory doesn't flinch her this time, but Ice Fang misses. Another Extrasensory puts her in the yellow, but a final Ice Fang scores Atlas the win.

...And I blunder into another trainer.

[Vs. Veteran Brian]
[Round 1: vs. Buizel]
Atlas gets Tail Whipped and then uses Scary Face due to my thumb slipping. Aqua Jet hits and reminds me I should have healed her up first, forcing me to switch to Nala and revive Atlas for the third time this session. Bite does a little damage, as does Aqua Jet, while Spark gets rid of the little weasel.

[Round 2: vs. Girafarig]
I tag in Dogmeat to Beat Up the Normal/Psychic 'mon.

[Round 3: vs. Machoke]
Astra comes out to play and scores a swift win with Aerial Ace.

And with that we FINALLY reach Celestic Town...good grief, why couldn't I have Defog by now!?

After stopping by the Pokecen, we talk to a lady who says a Galactigrunt is planning to bomb the town.

[WHAT A JERK! YOU SHOULD TEACH HIM A LESSON!]
And I will!
[GOOD]
Just as soon as I get done with a Grand Underground session, which means this entry is coming to a close.
[*FACEPLANT*]

[TEAM STATUS]
Atlas, Lv 34
Belfries, Lv 36
Astra, Lv 36
Dogmeat, Lv 34
Tessa, Lv 35
Nala, Lv 36

[FOR CRYING OUT LOUD...]
Bye!