Part I: Pre-Battle Shakes

I'm ready to face off against Roxanne. Or at least, I'd better be ready. I'm worried that my team won't make it...Richard and Spencer are in the most trouble, but Spencer's also my heavy hitter. I need his Double Kick to beat down Geodude and Nosepass before they can do serious damage. I have Rebecca as his back up, but...I can't afford to lose her. I can't afford to lose any of them. This is only the first gym, but it will probably be the toughest battle I'll have for the whole game. Right now I really wish I had found a Shroomish in Petalburg Forest, or a Wingull on Route 104.

I hope I don't have to write down any casualties...

Part II: My First Badge

I will never again underestimate the power of Pickup. Thanks to Zachary's ability, while I was grinding I was able to get not just Super Potions, but Proteins, Full Heals/Restores, and Rare Candies, too! I was overjoyed upon discovering the first of these treasures, and ecstatic when they kept pouring in.

After some grinding and Rare Candy use, I challenged Roxanne with Spencer leading the charge. Her Geodude hit him pretty hard with Rock Tomb, but Double Kick managed to smash it to pieces. When her Nosepass came out I swapped Spencer out for Screamo, who had plenty of HP to take a hit or two. Using a combination of Howl, Astonish, and Potions, I managed to weaken it until I switched back to Spencer just when she uses a Potion. Thankfully, Double Kick connected first the next round and sent Nosepass packing. I've collected my first, and possibly most difficult badge, and am ready to take on Dewford.

Let's just hope I get my next power player there...

Part III: You Shall Be a GOD

I have secured myself the ultimate weapon of mass destruction. With this addition to my team, no one will be able to stand before me. Trainers and wild Pokemon alike will tremble in fear of me. Mountains will be swept aside, rivers will flood, oceans will be surfed, waterfalls will be climbed! For I have caught...!

A Magikarp. That will soon become a Gyarados. Yes...soon, my precious destroyer of dreams...

In addition to Sapphire the death bringer, I've also caught a Tentacool named R'yleh and Bruce, "The Goddamn" Zubat(man). I'm disappointed I couldn't get an Aron first, but I love Bruce all the same. R'yleh will be an interesting challenge for me; I've never raised a Tentacool, but now that I have no choice, I think I find myself looking forward to the experience.

Time for some quick training, and then I challenge Brawly...

Part IV: Good Night, Sweet Prince

Spencer...Richard...no... I lost two good friends today. Brawly's Makuhita proved to be a far superior opponent than I had anticipated. I'd keep whittling him down only to be forced to heal and watch as he does the same. Then, when I thought I had him beat, Arm Thrust struck 5 times, with two critical hits. Spencer fell, collapsing to the Gym floor. I was angry, horrified, and shocked; my most powerful and oldest Pokemon, taken down at only the second Gym...this can't be happening.

I sent out Richard to deliver the swift hand of vengeance, but disaster struck yet again...another full hit Arm Thrust, and another critical...the Bird Boy Wonder died not long after my other feathered friend. In spite of my grief, I managed to pull myself together to understand the situation: the only two Pokemon I had with Flying-Type moves were dead, and what I had left were two Normal-Types, a Level 12 Bruce, and Rebecca. I couldn't bear the thought of losing her, too, but I knew that if she couldn't defeat Makuhita, no one would.

Luckily my prayers were answered, and one blast of Confusion took him down. But it is a Pyrrhic victory...what I've lost can never be replaced, in my team nor in my heart. Spencer...Richard...I'm sorry I was so careless. I won't make that mistake again. I'll train harder, longer, and I will ensure your deaths were not in vain.

Though you may be gone, you will never be forgotten...

Part V: A New Hope

One thing I realized after the loss of Spencer and Richard was that I needed more training. And not just more training, but better type advantages. And since my main enemy is Team Aqua, and I have to take down Kyogre, I set out to Route 110, where I know Electrike and Plusle reside.

Imagine my surprise, then, when I ran into neither of these, but an Oddish. An adorable little Oddish. I immediately caught her and bequothed unto her the name Sprout, for though she was small now, I knew she would one day grow strong. Not long after her capture, I set off for the museum, knowing she would be plenty strong enough to take on the Grunts I'd encounter.

Sure enough, no sooner did the battles start than were they over, her Absorb eliminating Carvana and Zubat. She only gained one level, but I used a TM to teach her Bullet Seed and she learned Poison Powder as well. With her at my side, I know I'll be able to handle the long stretches of ocean that are present in Hoenn with little worry.

I have a feeling this is the start of a beautiful friendship...

Part VI: Death Strikes Back

Why did this have to happen? Why so soon? Am I that inept of a Trainer? Sprout...you were so young, so fresh. You had barely leveled up, only to be cut down before you could bloom. The wild Zigzagoon we encountered in the very same place we first met was far stronger than I could have anticipated. It was two levels lower, and poisoned, too. But still, it was too quick, and with a fierce, critical hit landing Headbutt, you were gone. Zachary went in to avenge you, but I think you know. I think that was you, watch over us, in the form of your poison. And you had your revenge on your killer, taking away the last few bits of its HP...

I'm going back to Petalburg and Rustboro. I'm not ready to go beyond Dewford, at the very least. I'll train harder than before, for hours and days on end. I'll make sure we're good and ready to face what may come. I won't move on until I can promise I won't lose anymore of my friends.

No matter how long it takes...

Part VII: Hat Trick Evolution

After many hours of training, I finally returned to Route 110, ready to go through it again. By now Screamo, Rebecca, and most importantly Sapphire had all evolved, turning them into major powerhouses for my weakened team. Zachary and Bruce aren't too far behind, needing only two levels each. R'yleh is going to take a while; by the time she evolves everyone will have reached their final stage of evolution save Screamo.

With three evolved teammates under my belt, one of which was a Gyarados, I challenged the Trick Master's House to get some more experience. It went by very quickly, with Zachary and Bruce getting one level closer to their own evolutions. After that, I decided to take on May with my band of misfits.

I sent out R'yleh to get her some much needed experience against the Shroomish, who was taken down very quickly by a volley of Poison Stings. I kept R'yleh in to fight the Numel, but quickly switched out to Sapphire to test out her newly gained power. Two Bites for Numel and two for Marshtomp and that was that. I managed to get my weakest teammate more up to speed, and saw just how capable Sapphire was. Unfortunately, the next Gym is Electric, so she's not coming out of her ball until after that.

Looks like it's back to training...

Part VIII: Wally and Hotaru

I was very glad when I saw Wally standing outside the Mauville Gym, as I remembered that he still only had a Ralts. I knew that he'd be able to seriously hurt Bruce and R'yleh if I let them on the field, but I also knew that Bruce was not only faster and stronger, but had learned Bite, and was definitely going to be able to beat a level 16 Ralts with one attack. Sure enough I was right, and the experience gained allowed Bruce to not only level up, but evolve. Now he's even faster and stronger than he was before, and it won't be long now before he evolves again, granting him even more strength.

Instead of immediately challenging the Gym, I headed off to Verdanturf Town in order to get some more training in an potentially get a new teammate. Several Trainers were there as well, making Route 117 just as difficult to anyone wishing to avoid confrontation as I remember. After beating everyone there, having Zachary evolve, and stopping in Verdanturf for a quick Pokemon Center visit, I charged into the grass, hoping to encounter a new Pokemon.

And luckily, I did. A Volbeat, who's use of Moonlight had me nearly tearing out my whenever he broke out of a Pokeball. Finally, I just decided to use a Great Ball, and caught him. I named him Hotaru, and am keeping him in the PC for now. I want everyone to be ready for Watson before I start training him. I have to be very careful this time; the last gym I went to saw my Starter and Flyer dead. I have to be sure that my team can strike hard, and take hits. Going into an Electric Gym I have very little hopes of outmatching their speed, but if they can barely hurt me I'll be better off.

I'm almost certain it's going to just be Rebecca and Screamo taking on this Gym. Zachary isn't quite able to take hits or dish them out, and the rest are weak to Electric. Screamo is a tank of a Pokemon, and Rebecca's Confusion has taken down most of her opponents with one hit. There's more training to be done, but I know I can count on my team.

No chance I'm letting anyone die again...