[System Text]
"Talking"
Chapter Nine: Vermillion City Fun
I made good time down Route 5 but was stopped from entering Saffron City by a thirsty guard, so I needed to backtrack a little and travel through the underground passage leading me to Route 6 and allowing me to train up some more before I made it to Vermillion City and met a decent fisher man who after talking shop for a bit gave me a good rod that he no longer used. I went and spoke with the Pokémon fan club before I continued to explore the city. I eventually made my way down to the port so that I could explore the cruise ship sitting at the dock. I made no attempt to be subtle as I went around the town talking to people and exploring all of the areas around me. As I walked down the dock to the S.S. Ann, I was stopped by one of the sailors and asked why I was there, so I flashed my ticket and was let beyond him.
Once onboard the ship I found that I had a bed reserved in one of the first cabins where my Pokémon could be healed. After that discovery I began exploring the ship at my leisure. I went into the cabin next to mine and was challenged by the gentleman inside he led off with a level 26 Growlithe while I had Cathlulu now a level 30 Tentacruel out front who used scald to quickly take the Growlithe out. He followed that up with a level 26 Litleo who suffered the same fate ending the battle allowing me to continue my exploration. I made my way to the lower deck and went to the end of the passage before I started to explore the rooms. The first room had two people in it and the first one to challenge me Fisherman Barny with his three Pokémon. Barny started off with a level 25 Tentacool, so I switched Cathlulu out for Lanturn who was level 30 to take the water pulse from Tentacool. Lanturn used a shock wave to take Tentacool out quickly. Barny followed that up with a level 27 Arrokuda who suffered the same fate. Barny sent out his final Pokémon a level 26 Mantyke who also fell to Lanturn's shock wave ending the battle and allowing Sailor Phillip to challenge me with just his level 29 Meditite. Meditite survived Cathlulu's scald only to retaliate with a hi jump kick. Meditite got off a quick bullet punch before falling to Cathlulu who used thief allowing Cathlulu to level up to 31. The next room I went into only had one person, a sailor named Huey, who challenged me with his two Pokémon. He led off with a level 28 Croconaw, so I switched out Cathlulu for Rosa who was up to level 31 and had evolved into a Ludicolo after I used a water stone on her. Rosa tanked Croconaw's bite before using mega drain to recover some health, but Croconaw survived and retaliated with a flail before falling to a bullet seed. Huey sent out a level 28 Bibarel who lived through a mega drain only to use a hyper fang to hurt Rosa. Rosa ended the fight with another mega drain growing up to level 32. I found a rare candy in that room before heading on my path and ending up in a battle with another sailor in the next room he was named Dylan and had three Pokémon with him. Dylan started off with a level 28 Horsea who used focus energy while Cathlulu set up toxic spikes around the field. I switched out Cathlulu for Lanturn who tanked a twister from Horsea before knocking it out with a shock wave. Dylan then sent out a level 27 Clamperl that was instantly poisoned by the toxic spikes before falling to Lanturn's shock wave. The sailor's last Pokémon was a level 29 Ducklett who was flying over the toxic spikes but easily fell to Lanturn's shock wave giving me the win allowing me to find an either in that room before I moved on. The next room contained two sailors named Duncan and Leonard that challenged me to a double battle. They started off with a level 27 Lombre and a level 28 Corsola who faced off against Cathlulu and Rosa. Lombre used fake out causing Cathlulu to flinch while Rosa mega drain on Corsola knocking the opponent out. Cathlulu then used Venoshock on Lombre knocking it out as they did not replace Corsola it was a two on one fight and Rosa's aura beam failed. The pair sent out a level 26 Simipour as Cathlulu set up toxic spikes while Rosa took Simipour out with a barrage of bullet seeds. The last Pokémon that the pair had to send out was a level 28 Carvanha who was poisoned by the toxic spikes around the field before Cathlulu ended the battle with a simple Venoshock. With that done there were no more battles on the lower deck, but I did find a super potion and a hyper potion before I returned to my room and healed my Pokémon up before I continued to explore the ship.
As I entered the room next to mine, I was challenged by a gentleman named Arthur who scolded me for entering the rooms with out knocking and announcing myself. He started off the battle with a level 26 Nidorino. I switched Cathlulu out for Seisma who was now level 31 only for her to be poisoned by a poison sting. Seisma retaliated with a mud shot knocking Nidorino out and leveling up to level 32. Arthur sent out his second and final Pokémon a level 25 Zangoose who tanked a muddy water and retaliated with a devastating slash. Seisma ended the battle with a mud shot allowing me to return to my room so that I could heal up my team altogether before I continued to explore the ship. The next two rooms I explored had nothing of interest to me before I was challenged by some trainers in the fourth room down from my own. The first to challenge me was a Lass named Ann who had two Pokémon. The first one she sent out was a level 26 Furret who head-butted Cathlulu after she set up some toxic spikes around the field. Cathlulu then used scald only to take a critical head-butt to the face before finishing off the Furret with a quick thief. Ann's second Pokémon was a level 26 Minccino who was poisoned as it entered the battlefield and fell to Cathlulu's venoshock to end the battle. Afterwards I used a super potion to restore Cathlulu's health before giving her a pair of wise glasses to increase her special attack power. I was then challenged by a Youngster named Tyler who only had one Pokémon a level 27 Eiscue. Cathlulu used thief to break the ice around Eiscue's face before the pigeon struck with a tackle. Then Cathlulu ended the battle with a scald. The only other thing on that level was the kitchen in which I found three berries and a great ball before I healed my team up in my room and went out to the upper deck.
From the upper deck I went out to the prow deck of the ship where I was challenged by Sailor Edmond who started off the battle with a level 27 Gurdurr. Cathlulu started the battle off with a scald that burned the muscle-bound Pokémon only to be hit by a thrown rock. She finished off Gurdurr wi9th a second scald only for Edmond to have a second Pokémon a level 27 Palpitoad, so I switched Rosa in to tank a mud shot. Palpitoad set up an aqua ring only to fall to a mega drain from Rosa ending the battle in my favor. As I was trying to make my way back into the ship, I was challenged by another sailor named Trevor who started off with a level 27 Barboach. I switched Rosa in who tanked a magnitude with a rating of seven from the opponent before Rosa took it out with a mega drain. The next Pokémon Trevor sent out was a level 27 red stripe Basculin that fell to Rosa's barrage of bullet seeds allowing Rosa to level up to level 34. After I reentered the ship, I continued to explore the upper deck and in the second room I met with more trainers. The first to challenge me was Fisherman Dale who I noticed had three Pokémon with him. The first he sent out was a level 27 Tentacool, so I switched out Cathlulu for Lanturn to tank a water pulse. Tentacool survived a shock wave before retaliating with another water pulse and falling to a signal beam. The next Pokémon sent out was a level 27 Clobbopus who fell to Lanturn's shock wave. The final Pokémon sent out was a level 27 Corpish that also fell to a shock wave ending the battle. I was then challenged by a gentleman named Brooks who only had a level 28 Pikachu, so I switched Cathlulu out for Lanturn who took a feint with no trouble. After another feint from Pikachu Lanturn used a bubble beam to cripple the electric mouse. Pikachu got off another feint before falling to Lanturn's signal beam. In the next room that had trainers I was first challenged by a Lass named Dawn who started the battle off with a level 27 Kirlia who fell to Cathlulu using venoshock in one hit only to be replaced with a Morpeko. I switched Horny my level 32 Golden in to take a bite followed by a quick attack before she could use a waterfall to weaken it. After another bite Horny won the battle with a second waterfall. I was then challenged by Dawn's elderly gentleman friend Lamar who started the battle off with a level 27 Ponyta who fell to a single scald from Cathlulu only to be replaced by a level 26 Herdier. Herdier resisted the second scald that Cathlulu used and retaliated with a take down surviving through the recoil damage only to fall to a venoshock. After the battle was finished, I found the TM for rock polish before leaving the room. After that I left and found there was nothing else on this deck, so I went to see the captain.
I found the captain getting sick from seasickness in his cabin. After I rubbed his back, he felt better and gave me the HM 01 that contained cut. After stopping by my room to heal up my team I left the ship. I quickly beat Brendan and went through Diglette's Cave and back to Pallet Town for a spot of fishing then training and using rare candies to get a team up to level 34. Cathlulu was my lead as a Tentacruel followed by Lanturn the Lanturn and Seisma the Palpitoad. The second half of my team started off with Sucker a Gastrodon with Mudskip the Whiscash and ending with Horny who evolved into a Seaking. With that all set I went into the gym and saw a bunch of trashcans around the room. Before I could look into any of them, I was challenged by a sailor named Dwayne who led off with a level 28 Plusle. I switched Horny in as Plusle used Charge. Plusle then used charm before Horny could use waterfall to end the fight. Plusle used charge again before falling to another waterfall. Dwayne sent in a level 28 Minun who used fake tears as I switched Mudskip into the battlefield. Minun used charge only to fall to a critical hit from an earthquake ending the battle. I was then challenged by an engineer named Baily who led off with a level 28 Voltorb that struck Sucker with a swift as he replaced Cathlulu. Then Voltorb self-destructed before Sucker could use mud bomb. Baily sent out his other Pokémon a level 27 Emolga who used air cutter as Sucker used body slam. Emolga continued to use air cutter before falling to a water pulse which ended the battle. I was then challenged by the last understudy a gentleman named Tucker who only had a level 29 Electabuzz who used electric ball only for it to fail as I replaced Cathlulu with Mudskip. Electabuzz set up a light screen that was pointless against Mudskip using earthquake to end the battle. I then was told how to get through the door by finding switches in two of the trashcans that were next to each other.
It took me forever to find the right trashcans as they kept changing when I got the cans wrong. Once through the door I challenged the stuck-up gym leader Lieutenant Surge with his five Pokémon. He led off with a level 32 Pincurchin who had the electric surge ability that caused the field to be electrified before anything else could happen. Cathlulu set up toxic spikes before taking a discharge to the face and eating a sitrus berry. Cathlulu got off a venoshock before falling to another discharge. I sent out Lanturn to replace the fallen Cathlulu who used shock wave before taking a super effective hidden power. A second shock wave knocked Pincurchin out of the battle only to be replaced with a level 33 Vikavolt. Lanturn used scald to hurt the bug before he nearly feinted from an energy ball only to eat a sitrus berry to stay in the battle. After another Scald Vikavolt used roost to heal up only for the sequence to repeat. After Lanturn used scald a fourth time Vikavolt ended up burned before using bug buzz to finish Lanturn off. I sent Horny into the battle who used waterfall to knock Vikavolt out only for Surge to send in a level 34 Boltund who was poisoned by the toxic spikes Cathlulu left on the field. Boltund hurt Horny with psychic fangs before Horny ate her berry as she set up an aqua ring. Boltund then used the ineffective ice fang before taking a waterfall and falling below half health. A repeat of the previous turn caused Boltund to feint only to be replaced by a level 33 Alonlan Raichu. Raichu setup with a nasty plot as Horny used waterfall to cut Raichu's health in half. Raichu then took Horny out with a psyshock so I sent Sucker into the battle only to fall to a grass knot and be replaced by Seisma. Seisma did not stand a chance against Raichu's psyshock, so I had to send in my final Pokémon Mudskip as Raichu fell to poison, so Surge sent in his ace a level 34 Manectric. Manectric reacted to the mega ring that Surge had and used hidden power grass to nearly knock Mudskip out as she hit it with a mud bomb. Manectric used flamethrower to knock Mudskip out causing me to lose the battle and retreat to the Pokémon Center to heal my team and plan how I would take on the gym leader next time.
After reviewing my possible team members I decided to keep my team as it is but change up my lineup a little. Cathlulu still led off against Surge's Pincurchin setting up the toxic spikes only to receive a discharge and need to eat the berry she held before using flip turn to escape and continue to live as Lanturn used absorbed the second discharge. Lanturn used shock wave while Pincurchin used hidden power. A second shock wave by Lanturn was replied with a scald before Lanturn used a signal beam to knock out the Pincurchin. Surge then sent out his Vikavolt who was burned by a scald before using an energy ball to take out Lanturn. I sent in Horny who used waterfall before Vikavolt started to roost. I had Horny set up an aqua ring while Vikavolt continued to roost before Horny used waterfall as Vikavolt used bug buzz. Horny continued to use waterfall as Vikavolt used roost twice before Vikavolt flinched on the third turn and then fell to the fourth waterfall. Surge then sent out his Raichu who was poisoned and set up with another nasty plot as Horny used waterfall to weaken Raichu before using an aqua jet to knock out the Raichu. The next pokemon Surge sent out was Manectric who was also poisoned upon entering the battlefield. After reacting to the mega ring Manectric used hidden power to greatly weaken Horny before taking a waterfall to the face. Since Horny would not survive another hit I had her use an aqua jet which was a critical hit before she fell to the predicted hidden power. I sent in Cathlulu then switched her out for Seisma who was unaffected by the volt switch. I predicted the hidden power so switched back to Cathlulu who tanked it and watched as Manectric fell to the poison causing Surge to send in his final pokemon the Boltund. Boltund quickly dispatched Cathlulu with a psychic fang causing me to need to send in Mudskip. Mudskip wasted no time tanking another psychic fang before ending the battle with an earthquake leaving me the victor of the rematch. Surge called me special as he gave me the Thunder Badge and TM 92 which contained volt switch. I returned to the Pokemon Center to reset my team before heading out of town.
Current Team
Cathlulu: Level 34 Tentacruel
Moves: Flip Turn, Scald, Toxic Spikes, Venoshock
Lanturn: Level 34 Lanturn
Moves: Volt Switch, Signal Beam, Thunder Wave, Scald
Seisma: Level 34 Palpitoad
Moves: Aqua Ring, Mud Shot, Uproar, Muddy Water
Flop: Level 22 Gyaradose
Moves: Ice Fang, Tackle, Bite, Lear
Rocket: Level 34 Sharpedo
Moves: Bite, Ice Fang, Poison Fang, Psychic Fang
Max: Level 29 Azumarill
Moves: Play Rough, Aqua Tail, Power Up Punch, Ice Punch