"That has got to be one of the world's most useless routes," Ginan pointed out as her and Angelica stood at the entrance to Violet city, having left Cherrygrove earlier that morning after Angelica's contest victory.
The coordinator frowned. "Yeah…that was a pretty useless route, actually. Not even the most secluded routes in Hoenn were like that."
The teen shrugged nonchalantly. "Eh, I guess Johto can be a little rural at times. The path from Cherrygrove didn't have much except for some shrubs, and a few creepy bugs." Chattering away, the two girls entered Violet city together. Draped in a rustic hue, the city looked like a replica of sorts from the past. Wide cobblestoned streets crisscrossed through it, and the buildings were all faded, and had an old time look to them. Even the pokemon center and pokemart seemed as if they had blended into the historic scenery. "Well, this city is pretty at least…" Ginan remarked as they made their way to the pokemon center.
As they entered what was possibly the newest and most innovated building the city had to offer, Angelica went to make a room reservation, and Ginan snagged a bag of chips from the cafeteria, and sat down in the longue, grabbing an edition of Pokemon Trainer Digest from the coffee table. As she flipped through the pages, reading about various gyms and the best up and coming pokemon trainers, she heard a delicate voice above her.
"Excuse me, are you Ginan Montgomery?" Ginan looked up to see a pretty black haired lady in an elegant pink and green kimono standing above her.
"That's me," Ginan responded, wondering if her mother had sent this lady.
"My name is Zuki," She explained, reaching into the broad silk bag she was carrying. "Professor Elm sent me to give you this," Zuki pulled out a large white oval with small pink and blue triangles on it, sealed in a cylindrical incubator.
The aspiring trainer marveled as she accepted the item. "Wow… this looks like a pokemon egg!"
The Kimono girl smiled. "Indeed, it is. Professor elm believed that it would be best off with a new trainer like you. Well, take good care off it!"
"Thanks, I'll be sure to!" Ginan replied as Zuki bowed politely and exited the center.
"Nice egg," Angelica commented as she plopped down next to Ginan. "It looks like it'll hatch into something good!"
Ginan smiled. "I bet it will," She rubbed the warm incubator. "It's so warm and cozy to hold this…like there's a little beating heart in there. Well, I'm really glad that Elm trusted me with this egg in any case."
Angelica nodded in consensus. "Pokemon eggs are always great. I remember seeing plenty of them back in Hoenn, hatching into all sorts of cute babies," She reminisced. "But anyway, do you have a plan for the next gym yet?"
"Oh right," Ginan sat up, leafing through her magazine. "I saw something in here about the Violet city gym…ah, here it is." The trainer pointed to a page at the beginning, portraying a purple haired man, the gym leader Falkner. "Well that sounds boring, it says in here that I have to get all the way through the Sprout tower before I can challenge the gym," She frowned, reading over the following page showing a large and rustic tower that seemed to sway back and forth with the wind. "That tower doesn't even look safe."
"The whole thing is probably just a test for beginning trainers, and it would be good to get some training in before your battle," Angelica reasoned as she glanced over another coordinating magazine. "You'll be fine."
Ginan tossed the magazine back onto the coffee table. "Well, I hope so," She sighed and glanced out of the window, where the aged and historical city seemed to glimmer a deep violet in the afternoon sunshine, casting a mystical aura around the place. "But since it's getting late as it is, why don't I just get it over with now?"
"I don't see why not. And actually, I think I'll come with you," Angelica replied, tucking her freshly maintained pokeballs with her rested pokemon into her front pocket, as Ginan did the same with Bentlie and Whisker's pokeballs. "I could use a bit of extra training too, and I kind of want to see the tower for myself."
"Great, it'll be more entertaining with the two of us," Ginan laughed; as the two rounded out the door and made their way across the archaic city to the tower, which lay on the Northern end. Sprout tower itself was rather tall, being three or four stories high. It was made of old and battered brown wood with three purple roofs, and a golden tip pointing to the heavens. The whole structure actually swayed slightly in the breeze, balancing along with the wind. For a moment, Ginan wondered if it was actually safe, but then again she knew monks practically made their whole lives in the tower, so it was probably just some sort of strange technique.
The smell of musty cloth and old men struck the girl's noses as they entered the structure, and a number of Rattata and small green plant pokemon they identified as Bellsprouts scuttled in the corners. Ginan wondered how anyone could stand this creepy old place, let out alone live in it.
"Ah, trainers I see," Angelica and Ginan turned to see an old monk clad in unflattering black robes walking toward them, pulling a pokeball out of his sleeve. "Care for a battle?"
"You bet," Ginan grinned, stepping forward while withdrawing her own pokeball. "Just think…after I beat all these guys, my first gym is next! Let's do it, Whiskers!" She tossed her pokeball forward to reveal her Sentret, while the monk released a Bellsprout like the ones they'd seen crawling around earlier.
"Vine whip!" Her opponent began. His Bellsprout unleashed a green vine which it slashed forward.
"Use quick attack to dodge, then strike!" Ginan countered, smiling at when of her favorite strategies to use so far. Whiskers shot upwards and past the vine with a burst of speed, and then nailed the grass type head on, as the small flower pokemon reeled backwards. "Now, scratch!"
"Vine whip again, Bellsprout," As Whiskers reached its claw in toward the grass type; it unleashed another vine, this time catching the normal type's arm before throwing backwards. "Try one more!"
Ginan bit her lip. "Whiskers, try using defense curl!" As the green whip prepared to whip him again, the Sentret curled up tightly, causing the vine whip to bounce off with less of an impact. "Quick attack!" Whiskers burst forth once more, hitting Bellsprout with another speedy impact, as the pokemon fell backward in defeat.
"Nice one!" Angelica clapped as the monk recalled his Bellsprout.
"Indeed, well done, best of luck in your future challenges," He bowed before walking back off into the depths of the tower.
The victorious trainer grinned alongside her Sentret as the three advanced up the next rickety latter. As they did so, the entire tower began to shake again, as Ginan grabbed the railing with a yelp of fright.
"Guess there's a battle going on here somewhere," Angelica noted as she carefully clambered off the ladder.
"Ugh, that just freaks me out every time," Ginan sighed as she began walking again, the flimsy floorboards creaking under her feet. The two girls began advancing through the floor, finding some more Bellsprout and Rattata and a few miscellaneous items.
"More young trainers, I see,"
"A fun challenge," Two monks emerged out of the shadows, clutching pokeballs. "I presume you two girls are here for the challenge, yes?" The first asked a slight grin on his face.
"That's right!" The duo responded together, taking out their pokeballs.
"This should be a fun challenge, Jordy," Angelica called, releasing her Vulpix.
Ginan grabbed Bentlie's pokeball. "Let's go for round two!"
Meanwhile, the two monks each sent forth their pokemon, which consisted of another Bellsprout and a small brown owl that Ginan identified as a Hoothoot.
"Start with ember on Bellsprout!" Jordy shot a barrage of small flames at the grass type, who quickly leaned back, avoiding the onslaught.
"Peck!" Hoothoot rushed forward, and jabbed Bentlie with its beak, causing the Eevee to squeak in pain.
"Fight back with tackle!" Ginan commanded. Her Eevee nodded and rammed into Hoothoot, sending the owl pokemon reeling backwards.
Angelica pointed forward. "Jordy, go in with quick attack!" Jordy rushed forward and rammed into Hoothoot, supplementing Bentlie's attack.
"Bellsprout, vine whip!" At this, the grass type unleashed a green vine to whip its opponents, slapping Bentlie and Jordy. The two pokemon winced and retreated, as Hoothoot dipped down.
"Leer," Its owner commanded. The owl pokemon's large, bright eyes flashed in an intimidating manner at Bentlie and Jordy, who gulped in fear and retreated back even further.
"Bentlie, try and get back in there with sand attack!" Ginan tried. Her Eevee kicked up a small cloud of sand into Hoothoot's face, causing the flying type to squawk and shake its head feverishly.
"Follow it up with ember, Jordy!" At this, the Vulpix let forth a hail of small flames at Bellsprout who took the attack right on, wincing in pain. "Finish with quick attack!"
"Vine whip!" Jordy rushed forward just as the grass type let loose it grassy whip, deflecting the quick attack.
Ginan glanced over at the Bellsprout, and then at Hoothoot, who was still struggling with the sand in its eyes. "Bentlie, use tackle on Bellsprout," She ordered, wanting to take the grass type out. Nodding, the normal type charged toward Bellsprout and hit it hard with its full body strength, causing the Sprout pokemon to wilt and fall down in defeat, as the monk recalled it, praising its effort.
"Jordie, use ember on that Hoothoot!" Angelica followed up. Jordy fired off another round of flames, which barely missed the elusive owl as it drifted upward, having gotten most of the sand out of its eye.
"Hoothoot, use peck!" The second monk commanded pointing at Bentlie and Jordie. With a hoot, the flying type swooped down and harshly pecked at the two pokemon with its beak, as they yelped and sprang aside, obviously impacted.
"It's doing more because of that leer," Angelica muttered. "Jordie, counter it with quick attack!"
"You too, Bentlie!" Jordy crouched down and sprang up at Hoothoot with a burst of speed, as Bentlie did the same. The double onslaught proved too much for the small owl, and it plummeted to the floor, knocked out.
"Yes! Nice going, guys!" Angelica and Ginan complemented their pokemon as the monk returned his Hoothoot. He smiled and bowed politely to the two girls, then slinked back into the depths of the tower.
Angelica turned to Ginan. "I think there's only one floor left! We're almost through!" The two turned to the rickety ladder and clambered up it, steadying them as the tower swayed again.
"Only one more battle left before I can finally challenge the gym!" Ginan chirped happily as the two emerged onto the last floor. Ginan immediately frowned and furrowed her brow as she saw her red haired nemesis, Silver, standing there. A portly man with white brows and a white beard stood before him. The two exchanged a few words before Silver snorted, and slid down a rope to exit the tower. Ginan glared after him, wishing such assholes did not have to exist on her journey.
"Ah, welcome!" The old monk said happily as he saw Ginan and Angelica. "Are you both here for the Sprout tower challenge?"
Ginan stepped forward. "No, only me, I'd like to be able to challenge the Violet gym as well."
The elderly monk grinned. "Well, you'll have to defeat me first. I am Elder Li, the head monk here and the last object for trainers wishing to challenge the gym. Now then, shall we get started?"
The teen grinned and withdrew a pokeball, actually feeling a rush of excitement before starting this battle. "You bet! Let's go, Whiskers!" Her Sentret squeaked and stood up high on his tail, ready for battle, as Li called out his pokemon, which proved to be yet another Bellsprout.
"You may have the first move," He told Ginan kindly.
"Okay then, use scratch!" She commanded as Whiskers clambered forward, his paw outstretched.
"Vine whip!" Bellsprout's whip caught Whiskers' arm, stopping him in place. "Throw it back!" The grass type obeyed, and hurled the ensnared Sentret back toward the wall. He crashed into it and quickly struggle back to his feet, looking slightly disorientated.
"Whiskers, quick attack!" The normal type grunted, then shot forth with a burst of speed, managing to whack the Bellsprout's flower and send it stumbling back.
"Vine whip once more!"
"Scratch!" As the green whip lashed out, Whiskers quickly scratched his way through it and hit Bellsprout with his outreached paw. The poison type wince and tumbled back, knocked out. Ginan grinned as Li returned Bellsprout and took out another pokeball, this one revealing another Hoothoot like the one they'd just battled.
"Start with scratch again!" Ginan said, wanting to get in close. Whiskers outstretched his paw again and lunged toward the flying type, who quickly flitted aside.
"Hypnosis," Li commanded. As Whiskers stepped back, Hoothoot bent down and look him in the eye, his own large, orb like eyes glowing a bright white and emitting truncating waves of energy. At this, Whiskers yawned and drooped down, fast asleep.
"No!" Ginan gasped as Hoothoot hovered around her normal type.
"Peck," Li commanded calmly. Hoothoot swooped down and barraged the sleeping Sentret with its beak, hitting him all over.
"Whiskers, wake up!" Ginan pleaded, but to no avail. With a last sharp and precise peck, Hoothoot rammed Whiskers in the side, and sent him crashing into the wall, out called. "You did really good, return," She said, biting her lip and releasing Bentlie.
"Hypnosis once more," Li instructed calmly.
Ginan shook her head. "Not again, use sand attack!" As Hoothoot's glowing eyes bared down and Bentlie, she turned and kicked up a gale of dust right into the flying type's face, stopping the attack at once. "Quick attack!" Bentlie jumped up and tackled into Hoothoot with a burst of speed, sending the owl floating away.
Li rubbed his chin, squinting at Bentlie. "Use peck now." His Hoothoot hooted in approval, then fluttered down toward the Eevee, giving her a sharp peck of its beak.
"Sand attack again!" Ginan countered. However, Hoothoot quickly avoided the gale of dust and proceeded to peck Bentlie again. She stood up and grunted, facing Hoothoot. As the flying type flew in once more, she lifted her tail, waved it against Hoothoot's body, ruffling its feather and causing it to squeal and roll about. The trainer blinked, and then shrugged. "Tackle!" With Hoothoot's guard down, Bentlie easily rammed into it and sent it sprawling back. "Follow up with quick attack!" As Hoothoot drifted back up, Bentlie quickly sent it flying with another speedy attack, this time knocking the owl out.
"Excellent job indeed," Elder Li said as he recalled his Hoothoot. "You and your pokemon have proven yourselves worthy to battle the gym here. But always remember, like the young man before you seemed to forget, that pokemon are not tools, but our friends and companions."
"Thanks, and I'll remember," Ginan replied, smiling and petting Bentlie. The Elder and her exchanged bows before he walked back off into the tower.
The victorious trainer turned to her pokemon. "Hey, what was that technique you used by tickling his Hoothoot?"
"I think it's the attack tickle," Angelica explained, looking at her pokedex screen. "It's a move Bentlie must have picked up from one of her parents.
Ginan laughed and scratched Bentlie's ears. "Well, that was a nice move you showed us there!" She returned her exhausted pokemon, and slipped down the exit rope with Angelica, eagerly anticipating the Violet City Gym.