Tactics

I slept 'till the arrival at Cinnabar. I wasn't that excited, since i was left apart the events at the boat. But after i first saw the Cinnabar Volcano, I got my strenght back and willed to go offboard and begin my search for a water-type pokemon as soon as possible. I named Charmander Levi, after all, i want him to become a Charizard.

As soon as I dropped off the boat, I tried walking around searching for a water pkmn that might be goofing around. I found a funny Krabby goofing around, and sent Levi to fight him. But as he approached, it threw a bubblebeam blast at my dear pkmn, who immediately fell down. I called him back and ran to the PkCenter (PCt) where i healed him.

I did not give up, of course, and walking around I found a Poliwag. I thought twice before sending charmander to fight him. There were some chances of that pkmn wiping out Levi just as the other did. So instead I tried watching him for a while, waiting for a good chance to send Levi or throw the pk ball. And then luck came to my aid. It just started to take a nap!

I threw the pkball as hard as i could and then it was pulled inside it. I saw it jumping and rolling but he was mine. Actually, it was a She, a female Poliwag. I called her Poli. By playing with her, i figured out she can hypnosis as well as use water attacks. That meand I was gonna use her not only to defeat Sandalfon, but also to catch some pkmn.

By the way, i came to find a TL1 trainer down there. His name is Joshua. He chose a water type pkmn as his first and decided to go south to get Cinnabar bronze badge first but he soon found out that type-advantages do not win a battle. I battled him (a potion was the prize, or $300, since i had no potions). I used Charmander (who needed battle experience) and he sent Totodile. I thought that was it, but i soon came to know that type-advantages are not that though. Specially because it had no water-type attack experience. I started scratching as usual, and he tried scratching too. After some scratches, it used a leer technique that made Charmander flinch a little. But since he was copying our scratch attack, i tried asking Charmander to use the same leer technique. With a soul-freezing stare (ok, maybe i'm exagerating a little) he showed totodile who's the boss and scratched him down!

I got my potion, and decided to go to the PS, since i had not have lunch after i arrived. Joshua came with me, for he had nothing better to do.

After lunch, walking around the city, I found out that Cinnabar Islands was quite boring for non-surfing trianers. There were few pokemon around (mostly farfetch'd and pidgeys/pidgeottos) but they fly away instead of fighting. There's no trainer attractions so i have nothng else to do but take sandalfon's challenge. Of coure there was the CinnabarVolcano tour, but it was TL30 to poke around by yourself or $500 just to have a visitting tour...

I arrived at the gym at 3 o clock (after getting tired of running after pidgeys) and i met Joshua again there. He challenged me, saying his pkmn had gotten better. I took the challenge, puttng $500 as a prize. He agreeed and sent totodile.

I sent Levi, since he lacked some battle experience, and used the leer technique first. Toto withdrawed a little, but then tried a Water Gun attack. He missed, for he seemed to be using it for the 1st time in a battle, and Levi answered with a quick tackle attack. Then i just took my advantage from toto's fall and shouted for charmander to bite him. At first he looked puzzled but then he bitted toto right on the nose. With that mouth of him, charmander was not able to deal that much damage but it worked as a flinching move. Having a third attack in a row he scratched him, on the nose again. Toto cried out loudly and was called back by Joshua. He told me that even though toto was defeated, it learned how to aim a water gun attack and would do better against the gym. i sincerely hope so.

Some guys inside the gym said I should train a little more before i entered the challenge, but i thought i would never be fit to fight anywhere if i didn't try it now. Alas, you can only challenge a gym once per TL, so it means if i lose i'd have to come back just after winning a badge at least... Add that to my shortage of money and you'll understand why winning was so important to me.

The first match was against a local rookie. Thought it would be easy but it was 3 against 3... i had only 2, so i thought i'd catch another pkmn before the next match. If i win this. The first one he sent was Growlithe. I chose Levi first.

Leering was the most logical thing to do as a 1st attack, so i called for it. Growlithe then surprised the hell out of me by digging a hole in the ground. I called back charmander and sent Poli - at least poli wasn't weak against ground-type moves. She took the dig up move quite well, and then I thought he would do it again until it was over... so i called for hypnosis which worked quite well. Since a water attack would probably wake him up (though not for sure), i asked for a tackle move which hit growlithe in the face. As he continued to sleep, i attacked him with a water gun move. Poli knew how to do that well, and it took down Growlithe.

Next one was easier, it was a Sandshrew. I have no idea what it was doing in a Fire-type Gym, but it just made me aware that gym matches are well balanced. Though he was unlucky he had to fight Poli. As for the last pkmn, it was a Charmander also.

I thought I would easily win with Poli, but i guess that rookie thought the same: that was probably why he sent sandshrew first. he just scratched Poli twice, but then Charmander jumped out over her and hit her with both his back paws... then he hit her hard with the tail. I had to call her back, but Levi wouldn't be enough... so i thougt of hypnosis. It.. didn't work... and poli took another Tail Whip and a scratch, which sent her to the floor. Then I sent Levi. I was afraid he wouldn't do it.

The other charmander just tried to hit him, but Levi just dodged... i called for a cold enraged leer but at the very moment the enemy char cried a supersonic scream... my char seemed confused... and started singing. My, he sings real bad... the song had a pitch high note in the end, and both charmanders seemed confused... couldn't help laughing... then the opponent's pokemon hit itself, Levi managed to bite him (or kiss him, couldn't see, was rolling on the floor, laughing out loudly).

The opponen's char shook his head, as if recovering from confusion, but Levi bit his tail (this time it was a bite - the enemy char jumped). Now it was Levi who was laughing. The opoonent char hit him in the nose with a scratch attack. Levi answered to that with a scratch also, and it seemed they would both fall tackling to the ground. But since i started the battle using leer i got a small advantage - which saved me. and I won.

I won't be coming back 'till i've got another pkmn, but at least i won some money ($400).

Joshua wants to challenge me again, but i'll just give it a rest to both my pkmn. i'm resting at the PS now.

My stats:
Carrying: PKDX, PKGR, PKball x4, Tripbook, Potion, $2100 (need $400 more to return to the mainland)
Pokémon: Levi - the singer Charmander, and Poli, the Poliwag.
Levi: stats OK not holding any item. seemed to like the idea of singing.
Poli: stats OK not holding any item. seems a bit sad.