I do not Pokemon. This story exists for entertainment purposes only.

Chapter Ten: Panic in Fuchsia City!


After winning the fourth Gym Badge from Erika, Lolcat took his weary team to the Pokemon Center for a hard-earned rest. The fifth Badge was Lolcat's next target, and that Badge lies in either Fuschia City in the south or the beleaguered Saffron City. Since Team Rocket nearly had Saffron City on lock-down, Lolcat sprawled his Town Map on the table and pointed at south Kanto's most populous city. With Fuchsia City ahead, Lolcat picked up his bike and pedaled west onto Route 16.

The quickest route to Fuchsia is down Cycling Road, a man-made bike slope spanning central Kanto and connecting Routes 16 and 18. However, Cycling Road is one-way; the slope's steep incline sends anyone trying to ride up hurtling back towards Fuschia. After Meowth sliced the trees blocking the way, Lolcat met a young couple and initiated a double battle. Fearow and Vaporeon took on a Rapidash and a Ninetales. It takes more than couple Fire Pokemon to take down Vaporeon, and the battle was won with a pair of Water Pulses. A guard gate was beyond the two trainers, so Lolcat entered the gate and marched on to the western half of the Route.

This end of the Route was little more than a dusty plain; the only interesting feature was a run-down shack behind a fence about a quarter-mile away. Deciding to investigate, Lolcat ran over to the one-room hideaway. A lone Trainer was spotted in the distance, and Lolcat initiated a conversation:

"Hello.", spoke Lolcat.

"Crap! I was hoping that nobody would find me here. I cannot tell you much, but I must remain in hiding here for the time being. I am a Team Rocket deserter, and I cannot let my former boss know that I bailed on the Saffron attack. Please, if you keep my location secret, it will be worth your while."

Lolcat agreed and was presented with his bribe: a Hidden Machine for the move Fly. This disc made Fearow one happy bird.

Back on Route 16, Lolcat saw a guardhouse in the distance. However, this guardhouse was guarded by a sleeping Snorlax! Any rookie Trainer knows that the big white lummox can sleep for days on end, so Lolcat dug through his backpack for something that could awaken the beast. Pulling out Mr. Fuji's gift, Lolcat played the Poke Flute for about a minute until the melody forced the Sleeping Pokemon awake.

"SNNNNNNNOOOOORR! LAX LAX LAX!", growled the seven-foot tall bear of a Pokemon. Enraged that his nap ended prematurely, the Snorlax attacked Lolcat, who defended himself with Vaporeon. Vaporeon shot a Water Pulse at the Snorlax, but the foe simply continued growling at Lolcat instead of attacking.

Snorlax yawned at Vaporeon after the water dog fired another ring of water, which provoked Lolcat to withdraw Vaporeon and announce,

"Get back, Vaporeon! Go, Graveler! Fire off a Magnitude!"

A Magnitude 7 struck the Snorlax dead on, dropping Snorlax's health well below half. Snorlax retaliated with another Yawn aimed at Graveler, quickly putting Lolcat's Pokemon to sleep.

"Hmm..." thought Lolcat, "That Snorlax has taken three hits from my Pokemon and still hasn't gone down? That thing might make a valuable addition to the team..."

Withdrawing the sleeping Graveler, Lolcat ordered his Vileplume to the battlefield, taking a Yawn attack during the switch. With only one turn to act, Vileplume launched a plume of spores at the Snorlax in order to facilitate the capture. Much to Lolcat's dismay, the cloud of Sleep Powder sailed wide as Snorlax wasn't affected. With Vileplume vulnerable and asleep, Snorlax rammed its head into Vileplume. Fearing that a critical Headbutt could end Vileplume's life, Lolcat retreated to Graveler to take a couple hits and shake off his sleep. After four turns of sleeping, Graveler attacked the Snorlax with a Rock Throw attack with the intent of bringing it into capture range.

However, Lolcat underestimated his Pokemon's strength, and the Rock Throw put Snorlax to sleep for good. No catch for Lolcat .

Though the Snorlax didn't join Lolcat's team, it did leave the area. Nothing blocked Lolcat from Cycling Road anymore, so Lolcat strolled through the guard shack and stared down the largest hill in Kanto. The trail was a harrowing, steep slope on top of Kanto's largest body of water. Cycling Road was riddled with forking paths, angry bikers, dusty trails and lakes precariously bounded by guardrails that don't seem like they would hold a cyclist hurtling down the Road at fifty miles per hour. As Lolcat was surveying the descent, a gruff voice exploded in his ears:

"Hey, man, whatchu doin' on our turf! Donchu know who we are? We da Kanto Biker Federation, and dis Cycle Road be our HQ! If yoo wanna get to de otha side of da Road, yous gotta pay us da tribute! Yeah! cuz we own dis place!"

The cronies behind him gave a nod, saying:

"Yeahs! No kid gets to use da Road widdout respectin' da toll!"

Before Lolcat could tell the goons off, the first Biker threw out a Grimer. Vaporeon nuked it. Then a Koffing. Vaporeon nuked it.

The second biker approached Lolcat,

"Ay! Yoo doesn't be disrespectin da Biker bros! Cuz wen ya does dat yous be disrespectin da Biker bros!"

Wondering whether or not that eloquent gentleman was literate, Lolcat threw out Vaporeon's Pokeball. Three KOs later, Lolcat moved on to the third Biker.

"Dawg! Whys you gotta be not paying the tribute! Now da things gets bad for yoo! Hahaha!"

Dugtrio one-shots Mankey. Then Duggy knocks down the man's Machop.

The fourth of the half dozen Bikers approached Lolcat, succintly declaring,

"Kill stop kid Biker Weezing kill money law of the land omfghax0rs biker yeah cueball!"

True to his word, the man produced a Weezing from a Poke Ball. Realizing that this could actually be a challenge, Lolcat withdrew Dugtrio and sent out Graveler. Before Graveler could launch an attack, it took a pair of Sludge attacks. Graveler doubled over after the second Sludge, coughing up a few rocks and succumbing to Poison. Since Vileplume can't get poisoned, Lolcat switched to the Flower Pokemon to take a hit. Vileplume launched a Sleep Powder after taking another two Sludges, then Lolcat went to Fearow to finish the job. Crashing into Weezing with a pair of Secret Powers, Fearow dispatched the Biker's Pokemon without a hitch.

The fifth Biker challenged Lolcat immediately with a Weezing, which Fearow put down quickly. Two quick knockouts later, Fearow defeated the Biker easily. With only one Biker left, Lolcat challenged the sixth Biker to a duel so he could get back to the Pokemon Center and heal his Graveler. The man possessed a Machop and Mankey. Dugtrio took both out with 19 HP to spare.

Realizing that the descent to Fuchsia would have to wait a day, Lolcat got back on his bike and rode to Celadon.

One day later, Lolcat returned to a pleasingly Biker-free Cycling Road. The grassy hill stood before the Trainer, and Lolcat put his bike in gear and charged right into a grass patch, where the next possible member of the Nuzlocke Squad might be. After about a second of riding, a wild Doduo charged Lolcat and knocked him right off his bike!

Alarmed, Lolcat threw out the first Pokeball he could find and threw it. Dugtrio emerged from the Ball, but his Ground moves would be ineffective against the flightless bird. Lolcat withdrew Duggy, but not before the mole took a double-power Pursuit on the switch. Vaporeon came out and, after taking a four-hit Fury Attack, Bit the bird right in the face. Before another move could be made, Lolcat took out an empty Poke Ball and snagged the Level 26 bird.

After picking up his Bike, Lolcat decided to go back to Celadon and check out his new Pokemon. However, while slowly pedaling the Bike up the steep hill, a Cue Ball charged him from behind, screaming:

"Yo! You're the kid that beat up on my gang the other day! Well, get a load of THIS! Machop, Knock him out!"

Scoffing at the weak Machop, Lolcat threw out Dugtrio's Pokeball, hoping to get some easy experience from the little Machop. One Dig attack later, Machop was reeling on the ground.

Expecting an easy win, the Cue Ball sent out his second and final Pokemon: a Machamp.

Though this Pokemon was a lot bigger than its baby form, Lolcat decided to handle it in the same manner. Dugtrio readied a Dig attack, while the Cue Ball barked out another command:

"Machamp, use Revenge!"

The Biker's words felt louder than the Tin Tower's bells. The Machamp's attack was meaningless; Dugtrio was three feet underground while Machamp swung at thin air. The Cue Ball's words were a taunt; a declaration that Lolcat was to pay for clearing out the man's Biker gang.

A Dugtrio's Dig is not strong enough to defeat a healthy Machamp. A Machamp's Revenge is strong enough to defeat a healthy Dugtrio.

Having no choice but to watch as the battle played out, Lolcat waited five arduous seconds before Dugtrio re-emerged and struck the Fighting champion with a Dig, depleting about half of its health. The Cue Ball just sat on his Bike and smiled.

Lolcat knew exactly what was about to happen.

"Machamp, use Revenge", the man said solemnly.

The giant stepped back, then raised its top two arms and slugged the mole with a Revenge attack. There was no need to watch, as the outcome was obvious to both sides.

Dugtrio died on impact.

Lolcat was dumbstruck, then furious. Throwing out Fearow's Pokeball, Lolcat watched with glee as the fearsome bird Aerial Aced the Machamp, knocking it out in a matter of seconds. Tears streaming from his eyes, Lolcat didn't call Fearow back.

"You like Revenge, do you? Well try this! Fearow, Fury Attack this asshole for killing Dugtrio!"

Fearow didn't know what to do. His owner was asking him to attack another Trainer. While the bird hesitated, the Cue Ball mounted his Bike and quickly rode away. After he returned to his senses, Lolcat thanked Fearow for not hurting the Biker. What lingered on both Lolcat and his Pokemon's minds was interring Dugtrio. The deceased Pokemon returned with Lolcat to Celadon, where Lolcat told the city's undertaker to transport Dugtrio to Pokemon Tower. Though Dugtrio might not get the warmest welcome from Wartortle and Butterfree, at least he can finally rest in peace.

As he solemnly rode back to Route 17, Lolcat's brain was firing on all cylinders forming a new battle plan for Koga. Dugtrio's high-powered Ground moves would have flattened the Poison Gym, and Graveler isn't tough enough to finish Koga off by himself. However, the most important issue now is simply getting to Fuschia without losing another warrior.

The Nuzlocke Team needed a replacement for Dugtrio, and the recently caught Doduo would have to fill the void. Though Doduo and his evolution are pretty much redundant with Fearow leading the squad, Doduo's access to Tri Attack and Fly would make him a serious competitor on this team if he survives training.

Doduo started his first battle against a Cue Ball, who sent out a Weezing. Not wanting to risk Poison or an Explosion, Lolcat switched out the fledgling bird for the veteran Vileplume, who wore it down with Bullet Seeds and Absorbs. The second Pokemon, a Koffing, was defeated in the same manner. The battle was won quickly, but Doduo didn't gain much experience from the sidelines. The next battle was against a Biker who possessed a high-level Muk. Since Doduo couldn't take a high-level Muk, Graveler took it out with a pair of Magnitudes.

The last challenge was against a Trainer with five Pokemon. The first was a Koffing at a lower level than Doduo. Deciding that Doduo could probably take the little smog ball, Lolcat kept it in. Doduo handled it excellently, but was switched out when big brother Weezing came out. Lolcat switched to Fearow, and Fearow cleared the rest of the team until one final Weezing came out and Sludged the bird, infecting it with Poison. Not wanting to risk another death, Fearow Flew back to Celadon to heal the poison. Fuchsia would have to wait another day.

That night, Lolcat slept in the Pokemon Center. However, this sleep was restless, as a certain dream decided to haunt him...

Lolcat awoke on his knees a tile floor. He had no idea where he was, what floor he was on, or what this building was, but as he rose to his feet he was shoved down by a black-cloaked mountain of a man. Before Lolcat could utter a word, the furious man barked at Lolcat:

"Do you see what you do? You're a failure, you've always been a failure, and you will always be a failure! You sent your own Dugtrio to its death and almost committed a federal offense in rage! You think some hothead kid like yourself is going to become a Champion? Pah!"

The man spits on Lolcat, then turns his seven-foot frame around.

"You'll see what I mean soon enough. Pick yourself up; you'll be dead before you see Fuschia."

Each dream was more unsettling than the last, but giving up now would make Wartortle's, Butterfree's, and Dugtrio's deaths in vain. Most Trainers on Cycling Road had already been beaten, and Lolcat's team was still plenty strong even without Dugtrio. And as if his team needed any more Physical offense, Lolcat's Doduo is nearing evolution. Lolcat rode a different route down Cycling Road and was ambushed by another Cue Ball. This guy boasted about the Fighting Pokemon he possessed, and Lolcat saw this as a golden opportunity for Doduo to level up and possibly evolve.

This battle would be different. Lolcat stared down the Cue Ball with determination; where one three-headed Pokemon fell, another would be born. Doduo, on the cusp of evolution, entered the battlefield knowing that evolution awaited.

The Cue Ball's first Mankey fell to a single hit. The second Mankey fell to a single hit. The Cue Ball's last Pokemon, however, sent a shiver down Lolcat's spine.

"Machamp, teach this kid a lesson!"

The more things change, the more they stay the same. As if the first tragedy had never happened, Lolcat yelled,

"This time's different! Doduo, take to the sky! Fly!"

Doduo flapped his tiny brown wings and awkwardly stuttered in the air. Lolcat, struck with deja vu, watched as Machamp rattled off a Revenge attack that didn't have a chance of hitting. Doduo drilled his two beaks right into Machamp, and Machamp was knocked clean off its feet. Lolcat closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he expected to see a Dodrio standing before him.

What he saw was much, much different.

Machamp's eyes opened. With strength neither Trainer could believe, Machamp lifted itself onto its six limbs and lunged at Doduo, ripping one of its brown, fuzzy heads straight off of its pencil-thin neck.

Anger didn't come. You get angry when you make a mistake that costs your Pokemon its life. When you do that twice, on the same route, against the same Pokemon, you just lose all sense of reality. You question whether or not you're cut out for Pokemon training. You turn from invincible future Champion with four badges into a nervous wreck, a Trainer with no confidence in his strategy.

Fearow cleaned up the Machamp, but both Lolcat and his Pokemon knew they had scored only a Pyrrhic victory.

Cycling Road turned into Route 18, the short Route connecting Cycling Road with Fuchsia. A new route means a new Pokemon, and Route 18's fresh meat is...another Doduo! Redemption was the one word on Lolcat's mind; this Doduo would fulfill the role intended for the former. The capture was simple, the training would be anything but.

Lolcat took on a weak-looking Bird Keeper with Doduo 2.0. The Bird Keeper possessed a lone Dodrio, who Doduo didn't stand a chance against. Deciding to wall it with Graveler, Lolcat switched out the new bird in favor of the rock Pokemon. Dodrio unleashed an elemental beam from each of its mouths, and Graveler sustained a burn from the Tri Attack.

"Of fucking course", though Lolcat.

Lolcat called Graveler back and threw out Vaporeon's Pokeball. Dodrio used Fury Attack on the switch, and Vaporeon shrugged it off. Before Vaporeon could move, Dodrio launched a Tri Attack at the Water Pokemon, and Vaporeon's health began to deplete...

all the way to 0.

Vaporeon let out one last roar before its eyes rolled back in its head. Lolcat's head dropped like a falling rock while his knees gave out. On his hands and knees with tears streaming from his broken face, Lolcat quietly ordered Fearow to finish the battle. Lolcat carried Vaporeon across his chest all the way to Fuschia Pokemon Center. Four Pokemon saw Nurse Joy for the umpteenth time while two were delivered to the mortician's office.

Fuschia City's main attraction was its world-renowned Safari Zone, a forty-acre expanse riddled with exotic Pokemon found nowhere else in Kanto. Pokemon such as the stalwart Chansey, the ferocious Tauros, the fearsome Venomoth all infest the Safari Zone. Lolcat paid the 500-Pokedollar entry fee and stepped inside. The first Pokemon he found in the Safari Zone was...

a useless Rhyhorn. Instead of a Tauros, or a Nidorino, or a Venomoth, Lolcat got the Lite version of Graveler. The journey through the Safari Zone concluded with a visit to the Secret House, a shack tucked away in a hidden alcove of the Zone where Lolcat scored a sweet HM for Strength. The Strength HM proved handy when the Warden needed help around the house, and Lolcat was rewarded with the Surf HM for his troubles. With the two strongest HMs in Kanto in his back pocket, Lolcat felt ready to charge into Koga's lair.

The last place to get a Pokemon before the date with destiny is the pond in Fuschia City. Since Lolcat recently acquired a Good Rod, he decided to use it and hopefully pick up something worthwhile.

Level 5 Goldeen. Never mind.

The next stop in Fuschia City is the ominous Pokemon Gym. The futuristic glass doors sleekly slid open, and Lolcat began to navigate the maze of invisible walls that served as this Gym's puzzle. Scattered throughout the Gym were Koga's six Gym Trainers, each positioned so Lolcat would have to challenge them all. The first man, a Juggler by trade, sent out a Level 38 Hypno in hopes of ending Lolcat's journey.

Level 38. Stronger than any Pokemon Lolcat had seen in his life, including his own. Fearow defeated it soundly, but he knew that whatever these Trainers had, Koga would have something better.

After a trip to the Pokemon Center, Lolcat challenged the second Trainer. This one led with a weaker, Level 31 Drowzee. Sending out the young Doduo and realizing the three-level disadvantage his Pokemon had, Lolcat made a bold play.

"Doduo! I want you to stay in! Tri Attack!"

Doduo defeated the Drowzee in two attacks, and the opponent was surprised at Lolcat's boldness. To regain the momentum, the Trainer sent out another Drowzee. This Drowzee fell in two his, but used Poison Gas to force it off the battlefield. The Juggler's next Pokemon surprised Lolcat: a Kadabra. Kadabra, sensing the switch to Fearow, set up a Reflect to soften Fearow's blows. It takes more than a blue screen to stop Fearow, who plunged right through the Reflect and ended Kadabra with an almighty Secret Power.

After taking a break at the Pokemon Center, Lolcat challenged the third Trainer. This one led with an Arbok; a Poison type that differed from all the Psychics seen in this Gym. Graveler felled it with Magnitude, but Arbok got off a Glare attack before going under. Koga's trainee threw a Sandslash onto the battlefield; Vileplume accepted Sandslash's challenge and knocked it out with Absorb and Bullet Seed. Arbok returned as the third Pokemon, but it didn't last long against Graveler.

The next Trainer led with Sandslash. Making another bold move, Lolcat kept Doduo in because Lolcat knew that Sandslash's Ground attacks couldn't touch Doduo. Doduo took a little longer because of Sandslash's Sand-attack, but the bird came out victorious. Arbok was the man's second Pokemon, so Lolcat reacted by sending Graveler to the field. During the switch, Arbok wrapped itself around Graveler and infected it with Poison Sting. Graveler leaped into the air and caused a Magnitude 6, but the damage from Arbok's Poison made Lolcat go back to Doduo. Although the recent team tragedies would suggest a cautious approach training Doduo, Lolcat knew it was more important to get his Doduo to evolve so it could hold its own against Koga and beyond. By letting it into so many battles, Doduo was now only one tussle away from evolution at Level 31.

The fifth Gym Trainer possessed a Drowzee and Hypno, and a lucky Tri Attack freeze jumped Doduo to the magic Level 31. Doduo collapsed to the floor, and Lolcat's eyes filled with joyous tears. The wimpy dodo was evolving into the fearsome Dodrio, a Pokemon whose strength Lolcat has seen firsthand when it felled Vaporeon in two hits. When the evolution ended, a six-foot tall, three-headed pecking monster stood where Doduo once stood.

After Dodrio ripped through the final Trainer, Lolcat scheduled a duel at dawn with Koga for the fifth Gym Badge. In his room at the Pokemon Center, Lolcat gave his team of Fearow, Graveler, Vileplume, and Dodrio a pep talk they would surely need.

"Okay, team. Tomorrow we're battling Koga for the fifth badge. I'm going to say one thing to you all and I hope you understand it: This is going to be the hardest battle you've ever fought. The odds are stacked against us in every way possible: we don't have Vaporeon to take hits, we don't have Dugtrio to rip through the Poison-types, and every one of Koga's Pokemon is going to be higher leveled than each one of you. But you four Pokemon, you four, powerful, warriors among Pokemon, are on this team for a reason. Each of you has a role that makes this team much greater than the sum of its parts.

Fearow and Dodrio, you two are the power hitters on this team. Dodrio, even though you're only Level 31 you have the highest Attack out of anyone here. Believe in your power, you can do anything that any veteran on this squad could do. Both of you should be faster than every Pokemon Koga has on his team. Vileplume, you don't have anything to hit Poison types with, but your Sleep Powder might very well be the difference between victory and defeat. Aim your shots carefully, because you don't resist Poison. Our goal is to take as few hits as possible, and we'll take all the free shots we can get.

I want to add one final thing: I do not expect every one of you to come out of this alive. There's nothing I want more than to see the four of us come out with the badge, but we all know what we're up against. More Trainers have their journeys ended by Koga than by any other Gym Leader. Koga's going to have Pokemon above Level 40, but you all took on his Gym Trainers like they were nothing. Koga is tough. He probably has more tricks up his sleeve than we can imagine. But we have one thing he doesn't: this team is more closely bonded than any team in Kanto, and no Gym Leader on this planet will stop us. Fight for the Pokemon next to you. Fight so that your teammates may survive. If you're staring death in the face, punch him in the jaw!

This is your fight."

The team dispersed, but Lolcat called Graveler back for a moment.

"Take this Berry as a good luck charm. If it's not looking good, eat it."

Lolcat handed a Pecha Berry to Graveler before going to sleep.

-Twenty Hours Later-

A wall of sound erupted from the two thousand fans that sat in the stands surrounding the battlefield. An MC from Fuschia's largest local TV station, sitting high above the field from the press box, would be calling the battle as it happened.

"Welcome, everybody, to Fuchsia Gym Challenge on Channel Four, the only channel bringing you live Pokemon Battles straight from Fuchsia Gym itself! Tonight's battle is shaping up to be a good one, with Lolcat from Pallet Town against Koga, the strongest Trainer in Fuchsia! For all of you gamblers, remember, the favorite in this match is Koga by one Pokemon! Now, let's go down to the field where the battle is about to begin!"

Lolcat stepped to the center of the small, wooden stage where one of the many ceiling spotlights shone on him. Standing in front of him was none other than Fuschia's Gym Leader, Koga.

"Good luck", the two foes said to each other as they shook hands before the match.

The MC continued, "Koga leads off the match with a Koffing, and it looks like Lolcat's throwing out Dodrio! Koffing's got a nice, six-level advantage over the bird, but that Dodrio's probably going to get the first move!"

All three of Dodrio's heads stared through Koffing before his three mouths fired three beams of energy at Koga's Pokemon, who erupted a plume of smoke that sent Dodrio hacking and wheezing.

"Dodrio is indeed faster and opened the match with a Tri Attack, hitting Koga's Koffing dead center, but Koffing retaliated with a powerful Smokescreen! Dodrio's eyes are looking smoggy; I'm not sure if Dodrio can land its next attack!"

Taking a small risk, Lolcat orders another Tri Attack at the Koffing, which strikes it as accurately as the first one.

"But the pressure didn't get to Dodrio, and Lolcat takes an early lead!"

The fans erupted, and a chant of "Do-dri-o! Do-dri-o!" filled the stadium.

"But Koga's not going anywhere; it looks like Muk is his second Pokemon. With a hefty seven-level advantage over Dodrio, I'm not sure if Lolcat's going to keep Dodrio in against this powerhouse!"

Expecting an attempt to poison Dodrio, Lolcat immediately switched out the big bird and sent out Vileplume.

"I'm not sure if Lolcat's a Psychic or just mad, but he reads Koga perfectly and sends out Vileplume to take a failed Toxic attack! With the momentum in hand, it's going to be interesting to see Lolcat's next move!"

Vileplume's flower erupted, releasing pollen spores at the garbage heap. Muk nodded off to sleep.

In the meantime, Lolcat switched back to Graveler for the kill. However, luck was not on his side as the MC announced,

"Looks like Lolcat's sleep strategy backfired, as Muk woke up just as quickly as it was put to sleep! That one-turn sleep was a lucky break for Koga, as Muk was able to fire off a Minimize and is going to move again before Graveler can fire a single attack!"

Koga said two words that Lolcat would prefer to never hear again: "Acid Armor".

"Graveler, I trust you! You need to pull through here; MAGNITUDE!"

Graveler stood back, jumped a whopping four feet into the air and came crashing down with a force that shook the stadium. The entire stadium was rattled, and one section of the audience was knocked off its feet. A grin appeared on Lolcat's face.

Magnitude Ten.

"I can't believe it, Koga's Muk just withstood a magnitude TEN and is responding with a Toxic attack! If Lolcat doesn't have a Special attacker on his team, then this match might be as good as over!"

However, what was even more surprising than the massive Magnitude was the fact that Muk still stood. That Acid Armor really buffed it up. Muk retaliated with a Toxic, and Graveler's Pecha Berry kicked in. Graveler's second Magnitude only managed a meager 5, and Koga threw a Hyper Potion at Muk.
It was time for a long, bloody stall war.
Muk shrouded itself in more Acid Armor, while Graveler shook the earth with a Magnitude 9. Muk's health entered the middle yellow, and it looked like another Magnitude wasn't going to be enough to send Muk to its grave.

"Koga's regained the momentum here, as that Muk looks pretty much impenetrable at this point. If Lolcat doesn't pull something off here then this is going to be a short battle!"

Lolcat's faith in the rocky underdog never wavered. While Koga began to whittle Graveler's health down with a Sludge, Lolcat demanded Graveler to batter Muk with Magnitude.

And boy, did it pay off.

Magnitude 8 split the ground and knocked some fans from their seats, but most importantly, Muk fell over. The referee ran up to the unconscious Muk and announced:

"One!
Two!
Three!
Muk is unable to battle!"

Lolcat was elated that Graveler could take down a fearsome Muk with four Defense boosts, but knew that the battle was only halfway over.

Koga sent out another Koffing, and Lolcat switched to Fearow. Two Secret Powers later, Koga was staring down a five-Pokemon disadvantage.

"Koga's really on the ropes here; it looks like Lolcat might be able to sweep this match! But wait, what's that? Is it Koga's last Pokemon? Yes it is! A Level forty-three Weezing has entered the field! With a five-level advantage over Lolcat's strongest Pokemon, this match is still in the air!"

Lolcat knew that Koga's first three Pokemon only existed to weaken his opponent; Weezing was the real deal. Predicting another Toxic attempt, Lolcat switched Fearow out to his Level 34 Vileplume. Before firing off a Sleep Powder, Vileplume took two Sludges that knocked it down to barely 1/4 of its HP.

Koga used a Full Heal. Vileplume didn't have enough in him to use another Sleep Powder. It was time to throw caution to the wind.

"Get back in there, Graveler! This is your fight!"

Lolcat sent Graveler to end this battle. While Lolcat was switching Pokemon, Weezing prepared a stream of Sludge that turned Graveler's skin purple. Graveler took two Sludges, but Lolcat said a prayer and kept Graveler in the fight.

"Rollout!"

Graveler, fighting back the searing pain of Poison, scrunched his body up and began a high speed roll right at Weezing.

Graveler's attack hit only air.

The missed Rollout ended Lolcat's hopes of winning this battle six-to-zero. It was time to make sacrifices, and the one Pokemon Lolcat called useless entered the battlefield.

"Graveler, return! Go, Rhyhorn!"

Rhyhorn entered the arena, ready to serve its purpose in this fight. Though he looks like switch fodder, he's actually much more than that.

"Rhyhorn, Scary Face!"

Rhyhorn struck fear into Weezing's soul despite the gigantic level disparity, and Weezing slowed down so any of Lolcat's Pokemon could outpace it. The first phase of Lolcat's new plan succeeded. It was time for the second.

"Rhyhorn, Tail Whip that thing 'till you croak!"

Koga's Weezing launched a Toxic attack at Rhyhorn that gradually defeated it, but not before Rhyhorn landed three Defense-lowering Tail Whips at the poison monster. Next, it was time for the cleanup crew. Lolcat barked out the name of the Pokemon that would seal Koga's fate:

"Dodrio, let's go! Tri Attack and that's the game!"

Not looking at the field because he knew it was over, Lolcat closed his eyes and Dodrio delivered the strongest Tri Attack he had ever used.

The MC announced: "And that's going to be it! I don't think anyone expected Scary Face and Tail Whip to be the demise of the great Koga, but two simple, stat-lowering tactics and a massive Tri Attack from Dodrio knocked Weezing to red health!"

Weezing was on its last legs, but had enough in him for one last attack. Lolcat knew his Dodrio was tough enough to take an attack. Koga stated, "You might have won this battle, but you will not win the war. Weezing, claim your rightful kill."

Weezing launched a Sludge attack at Dodrio, and Dodrio didn't see the critical hit coming.

Dodrio wouldn't be seeing anything anymore, actually.

Koga goes down, but so does Dodrio! You just can't teach Weezing to attack like that; Koga's masterful tactic at least lets him go down swinging!"

Lolcat opened his eyes and saw a nightmare. Weezing healthily floated above Dodrio's corpse, and Lolcat felt the agony of losing a second Pokemon to Koga. Claiming his victory, Lolcat threw out Fearow's Pokeball and ended the match with a Tri Attack.

Koga shook hands with Lolcat, then handed him a Soul Badge, a TM for Toxic, and the standard cash reward. Lolcat's face remained taut until he left the public eye, but his face exploded in tears the moment he found privacy back at the Pokemon Center.

Staring himself down in a mirror, Lolcat cursed everything that crossed his mind.

"Why the hell does this happen! I have Koga strung up by the balls, then his fucking Weezing takes down my best Pokemon! Dodrio was the future of this team, Dodrio was going to do everything Fearow could but better! Why do I even try anymore, why don't I just release every one of these Pokemon, admit I'm the failure I always have been, and let assholes like Blue or Gio-fucking-Vanni win the damn Pokemon League? Why the hell is Pokemon training even legal, huh?"

Lolcat slammed his fists into the mirror, expecting his reflection to answer his questions.

"Four fucking Pokemon died between this battle and the last! I caught and raised four Pokemon from the damn wild, trained them to be killing machines, and watched them die to the stupidest shit! A fucking critical hit from a Weezing! Some asshole Dodrio landing a lucky attack! And not to mention those fucking Bikers and their goddamn Machamps! You know, that asshole in my dream had a fucking point: a lot less shit would be dying if I just gave up this idiot challenge!"

Venting complete, Lolcat went back to his quarters with only three trained Pokemon to his name.

End of Chapter Ten.

Alive:

Graveler, Level 34, Careful
-Rock Throw
-Rollout
-Magnitude
-Defense Curl

Vileplume, Level 34, Naive
-Absorb
-Bullet Seed
-Acid
-Sleep Powder

Fearow, Level 36, Jolly
-Fly
-Secret Power
-Aerial Ace
-Fury Attack

Boxed:

Assorted weak Pokemon

Dead:

Wartortle, Lv. 21
Butterfree, Lv. 19
Butterfree, Lv. 13

Dugtrio, Lv. 32

Doduo, Lv. 26

Vaporeon, Lv. 33

Dodrio, Lv. 32

Dodrio, Lv. 32


Sorry for taking so long, here's Chapter Ten. I recently went off to college, so Nuzlocke writing slipped a little in my priorities list. However, I'm all settled in and I do wish to finish this story and continue writing Nuzlockes.

Next chapter, Lolcat attempts to enter Saffron City! Stay tuned, the next chapter won't take 2 months!