While out in the Cold Storage area training Fall, Black once again came to appreciate the existence of wild audino. Giving four to six times the experience of other Pokemon in the area, it made grinding much less of a chore. Black was also grateful that Fall was fairly powerful with her selection of attacks. While the occasional double slap would cause Black to have a minor panic attack, she was able to withstand everything and Black would switch her out for another of his team.
The only real problem Black encountered while raising Fall to an appropriate level was how often she wouldn't attack her foe. While she obeyed his commands, she seemed to have a strange habit of becoming attracted to the very Pokemon she was supposed to be fighting. No less than five times, a male audino succeeded attracting her, and once a male minccinos cute charm made her succumb to his good looks. To make matters worse, Fall didn't appear to be sorry for allowing this to happen to her so frequently. Once she was at the same level as the rest of Black's lower-leveled team, he began to train not only her, but the others as well.
It was long after sunset when he decided he had had enough of that. He was still depressed about having lost Nuts, and so he decided to turn in for the night. When morning came, he still felt sad, but knew he had to get a move on and leave Driftveil as soon as possible if he wanted to stop feeling so gloomy. First thing he did was go to the gym, Kenny and Maria both at the ready. Sure enough the elevator he had seen the day before took him deep beneath the surface. Clay welcomed him, stating that he very much wanted to see for himself what Elesa saw in him.
Much to Black's delight, the battle was over very quickly. Against Krokorok, Kenny wiped the floor with a single water pulse. Excadrill proved just slightly tougher, withstanding a water pulse just long enough to use hone claws before being torn apart by her razor shell. Palpitoad was released last, and Maria was switched in just as quickly, cleaning the young frog's clock with her giga drain. Clay was left very impressed with Black's skills. He cheerfully handed over the Quake badge, and told Black to meet him outside of Chargestone Cave near Route 6. He also informed Black that he would give him the customary TM then.
Accepting these terms, Black returned to the surface, gave a short prayer to Arceus for Nuts at her grave, and went to see how Route 6 was. Before he could do much more than lay eyes on it, he was stopped by none other than Bianca, who wanted to battle as they had not done so for awhile. Herdier versus Ashley, pansage versus Fall, musharna versus Fenrir, and pignite versus Kenny. All four fights were over and done within three or less turns. Bianca smiled and complimented Black on how his fighting style really seemed to fit him and his team. Black was puzzled by the hint of sadness in her voice, but as always she perked up again and gave him a gift. It was an HM for fly, and she told him that her father had given it to her, probably so that she could return home whenever she wanted.
When Bianca left Black to go heal at the Pokemon Center, he took a moment to teach the new move to Fairy. With that done, he entered Route 6. To his delight, a deerling was the first Pokemon he encountered. Kenny chipped away at its health using water attacks, and Black once more had a minor panic attack when the deerling used take down on the turn just before he intended to use a Pokeball. Fortunately Arceus must have seen Black's recent loss as enough, and he was able to catch the wild one with a single attempt. He named her Veronica and sent her on her way to the PC. He figured if he ever lost Maria for whatever reason, the new one would make a decent replacement.
He shook his head and berated himself for thinking something like that so soon after what had happened the day before. He pressed further into the route, taking a moment now and then to appreciate the river that ran through the middle of it. He decided Kenny and Fenrir should join him, as well as Fall. He almost regretted doing so when he noticed that Fall had taken one look at the dog and smiled brightly.
"Um…Black…" Fenrir muttered, attempting to hide behind his trainer. "She's scaring me."
Kenny narrowed her eyes and prodded Fall. "This is no time to be making googley-eyes at others. You realize we have to stay vigilant or we could die, right?"
Fall huffed, but stopped staring at the herdier, much to both his and Black's relief. As they explored the route, and fought various wild, and even captured, Pokemon, Black became aware of a fact that disturbed him just thinking about. More than half of the deerling he faced would finish themselves off using take down. While they could be revived easily, he couldn't help but feel queasy imagining how Veronica had nearly been just as suicidal. Forcing himself to stop thinking about it, he entered what looked like a small researching building. The scientists there told him that they were studying the effects of the seasons on Pokemon, and asked that if he ever had the time, they would like him to bring them a deerling during the four different seasons. Black agreed, although he muttered inwardly that it was not likely to actually happen.
Further along the route, he came across what looked like discarded Pokeballs. He was startled when two of them came to life, jumped around, and attacked him. They were wild foongus, and Black laughed at his own mistaking them. Just as any other Pokemon he had encountered on the route, Fenrir defeated them with a few tackles and strengths. When the dog reached Kenny's level, he began to glow and both Black and Kenny cheering as he evolved. Fall blushed as she watched Fenrir shake his head upon finishing.
"Well, this is odd." He stated, looking down at his own moustache. "I like it!" Fall appeared to have said something too, as his next statement was a rather sharp, "You should keep listening to what Kenny told you earlier," to the fiery one. She frowned, but this time she did not take her eyes off of him as they continued exploring.
As they reached the northernmost portion of Route 6, Black spied what looked like the opening of the cave he was supposed to meet Clay at. He could see why Clay had wanted to meet him there. Over the entire mouth of Chargestone Cave was a cobweb, and the air around it felt very static-y. Black decided to sit and wait with his team for the gym leader to show up. It didn't take long, and Black recalled his team when he spotted the man approaching.
"Thanks fer waitin'." The gym leader said, eyeing the cobweb over the mouth of the cave. "Looks like th' nest of an Electric-type Pokemon called Galvantula. Don't know why there's a nest here, but if there are folks havin' problems, th' GymLeader's th' one ta fix it." He plucked a Pokeball from his waist and released the one within. "Krokorok! Take it out!" The crocodile stepped forward and swiftly tore through the electrified web. He returned to his trainer and was returned.
"Couldn't Ashley have done that with her flame charge? Not like she takes damage from electricity." Black thought to himself, but thanked Clay nonetheless.
"And this here TM's yours." Clay told Black, handing it over. He went on to explain what the attack was and what it did. He laughed and said that Black hadn't had a chance to see it in action because of how strong his team was. "I don't know how good you really are, but if ya think ya can go, go wherever, and if ya think ya can do somethin', keep doin' it. Do things how ya want! Decide yer own limits."
He tipped his hat to Black, and the trainer thanked him once more before Clay returned to Driftveil. Black smiled as he turned to the cave he was about to enter. Despite his first impression, he found Clay to be very fair with his treatment and quite friendly. He decided that for the first time, he actually liked a gym leader he had battled against.
Audino, the best thing to happen to grinding low-level Pokemon since the Exp. All became the Exp. Share and a hold item...
I told you my addiction was almost over! And I meant it! This time around, less happened, but I hope the pacing was more pleasant. Oh and, I'm not joking about how often Fall got attracted to wild Pokemon, nor about the suicidal deerling. Those things were almost as eager to die as voltorbs!
And while I forgot to mark down what my team was like after beating Clay, here's what they are just before my entering Chargestone Cave...
Kenny the level 32 Dewott- Cut, Water Pulse, Water Gun, Razor Shell
Fenrir the level 32 Stoutland- Tackle, Strength, Crunch, Bite
Ashley the level 31 Zebstrika- Spark, Flame Charge, Stomp, Shock Wave
Fairy the level 30 Tranquill- Gust, Air Cutter, Fly, Quick Attack
Maria the level 30 Cottonee- Razor Leaf, Leech Seed, PoisonPowder, Giga Drain- Holding a Miracle Seed
Fall the level 30 Darumaka- Fire Fang, Fire Punch, Thrash, Facade- Holding a Charcoal