Chapter 25:
Put em Together, What have you Got?
Location: Hammerlocke
"Ready to go?" I asked Allister.
"Yes," Allister replied. "Just a warning; the cliffs of Route 6 are quite harsh. The sun is always beaming down."
"You know your stuff!" I laughed.
"Of course," Allister said. "Stow-on-Side is my hometown after all."
"Okay!" I said. I sent out everyone. Raboot, Corvisquire, Lombre, Liepard, Kubfu and…
"Toxel?" I asked. It was starting to evolve! I saw its new evolution. It looked like a punk rocker with blue electric hair and three stripes on its stomach.
Toxtricity (Low Key Form) (ストリンダー)
#311 (Mainland)
Electric/Poison Type
Punk Pokémon
5'03" (1.6 m)
88.2 lbs (40 kg)
It had an electrical organ on its chest. While generating electricity, it fills its surroundings with what sounds like the strumming of a bass guitar.
Toxel (B) -Lv 30- Toxtricity
"Nice one!" I said. "Before we go, lets get your moves sorted!"
Location: Route 6
The two of us walked across the bridge; it got sandier as we went along. The large cliff towered above us.
"So that's Stow-on-Side up there," I said. "Bea, time to show you whose boss."
"Gloria," Allister said. "We have a situation."
I looked ahead. Great. Team Yell Grunts. Both male.
"Oi! Bruvs!" said Grunt A. "What do you think your doing?"
"We want to get to Stow-on-Side," I said. "Let me guess, Marnie is up there."
"Stop!" Grunt B shouted through his plastic megaphone. "You don't want to upset Silicobra, do you?"
"Silicobra?" I asked. At their feet was a brown Pokémon that was long and scaly.
Silicobra (スナヘビ)
#312 (Mainland)/174 (Isle of Armor)
Ground Type
Sand Snake Pokémon
7'03" (2.2 m)
16.8 lbs (7.6 kg)
As it digs, it swallows sand and stores it in its neck pouch. The pouch can hold more than 17 lbs (7.7 kg) of sand.
"We're not being a nuisance!" Allister said. "You are!"
"Try me!" Grunt A said.
Allister hid behind me. "I'm sorry!"
"Allister," I said. "Don't worry, leave this scoundrel to me!"
Gloria Vs. Team Yell Grunt A
"Go Stunky!" the Grunt shouted.
"And I choose Raboot!" I replied. Raboot dashed forward and hit Stunky with its head. "Alright! That's Headbutt!" Stunky flinched, so I used the opportunity. "Flame Charge!" Raboot covered itself in fire and charged into Stunky.
"Use Toxic!" Stunky fired purple gunk at Raboot; it became badly poisoned!
"Now use Double Kick!" Raboot finished off Stunky by kicking it twice.
"Well, if that's how it's gonna be, go Linoone!" The Normal/Dark Type came out next.
"Thanks," I told Raboot. "Now I choose Kubfu!" It was finally time to see its strength in battle.
"Woah!" Allister said. "Does that mean… you trained under Mustard?"
"Linoone! Take Down!" Linoone charged into Kubfu. It was knocked back, though Linoone took recoil.
"Brick Break attack!" Kubfu chopped at Linoone's head.
"Now use Slash!" Linoone then sliced at Kubfu, almost defeating it.
"Finish with another Brick Break!" That took down Linoone.
"Urgh," said Grunt A. "What is with you? You can't just go and use a Legendary Pokémon!"
"Well, you can't block our way! So move!"
"Get lost!" Grunt B pushed me to the ground.
"Oh you'll pay for-"
"Stop." Allister grabbed my fist. "This is a Pokémon battle, not a fist fight." He then eyed Grunt B. "As for you… you should know better than to do that to a woman… and my friend!" Allister got his Pokéball ready. "You'll pay for that!"
Allister Vs. Team Yell Grunt B
"Liepard, go!" shouted the Grunt.
"And I'll use Mimikyu!" Allister replied.
"Liepard, Assurance!" Liepard, with its body dark, hit Mimikyu. Thankfully, the disguise sponged a lot of the damage.
"Double Team!" Mimikyu made double of itself; this rose its evasiveness.
"Assurance again Liepard!" Liepard tried to attack, but it missed!
"Wood Hammer!" Mimikyu hit Liepard with its wooden tail. It almost fainted it. "And now Shadow Sneak!" Mimikyu extended its shadow to hit Liepard. It was beaten.
"Woah!" said Grunt B.
"And let that be a lesson to you!" Allister said. "NEVER mess around with my friend like that! Kapeesh?!"
"We won't forget this!" said Grunt A, as both of them stomped off back in the direction of Hammerlocke.
"That was amazing Allister!" I said as we made our way to the cliffs.
"Yeah but…" he said. "I got myself in harms way. Oh no, it's like Tyranitar all over again!"
"Woah woah!" I said. "You were protecting your mate! And harms way? Hah! With power like that, I don't think they stood a chance against you! With Tyranitar, that was a dangerous Pokémon."
"Really?" Allister asked. With that, he slowly put his hands to his face and… took of his mask. For the first time, I had seen his mouth and nose. "I don't ever do this… but I have really got to know you so well. You see…"
I bumped into a Beauty. "A Gym challenger? Well, I think I'm the prettier one! Let's battle!"
"But I hadn't finished!" Allister shouted.
Gloria Vs. Beauty Anita
"Clefable, go!" Anita sent out a pink Pokémon that had wings on its back, though it couldn't fly.
Clefable (ピクシー)
#256 (Mainland)
Fairy Type
Fairy Pokémon
4'03" (1.3 m)
88.2 lbs (40 kg)
Their ears are sensitive enough to hear a pin drop from over a mile away, so they're usually found in quiet places.
Cleffa (B) -Happiness- Clefairy -Moon Stone- Clefable
"Wait!" Allister said. "I hadn't-"
"Toxtricity!" I shouted. I knew a Poison Type would do well against Clefable. Plus, it would be Toxtricity's first battle.
"Clefable, Disarming Voice!" Clefable shouted and fired a soundwave at Toxtricity. It did very little.
"Acid Spray!" Toxtricity spat acid at Clefable. It's Sp. Defense fell.
"Now use Metronome!" Clefable waggled its finger. The move it used? Magnet Rise. It lifted off the ground.
"Acid Spray again!" Toxtricity once again attacked. Clefable was almost down.
"Now Meteor Mash!" Clefable created a star on its fist and it punched Toxtricity.
"Finish with Shock Wave!" Toxtricity shot electricity at Clefable. It hit and knocked it out.
"Big deal, I'm still prettier!"
"STOP IT!" Allister shouted. His mask was back on.
"What's gotten into you?" I asked. "You're acting immature!"
"I… I hadn't finished what I was saying!" He was now pulling his black hair.
"Stop!" I shouted. "Allister you'll hurt yourself if you do that!"
"But…" he said. "Are… you finished?"
I put my hand on his shoulder. "Yes." I replied. "So… what were you saying?"
He sat down. "You see… I have autism."
"Oh," I said.
"That's why I love Ghost Types. That's why I have trouble interacting people. That's why… I got stressed just now. I really hope I didn't ruin anything."
"I wouldn't say you ruined it," I replied. "But I really do hate seeing you like this. Sometimes, these interruptions do happen. You just need to find coping mechanisms."
"Okay…" Allister replied. "I'll try…"
We walked through the tall grass along the barren cliffside.
"It's up this ladder," Allister said.
"Got it," I replied. "Wait, hold that thought!" This Pokémon was green with a pink flower on each ear. It looked spiky.
Maractus (マラカツチ)
#296 (Mainland)
Grass Type
Cactus Pokémon
3'03" (1 m)
61.7 lbs (28 kg)
It uses an up-tempo song and dance to drive away the bird Pokémon that prey on its flower seeds.
Maractus has no known evolutions.
"I choose you Corvisquire!" I shouted. Maractus started off with Pin Missile; it shot sharp needled at Corviquire. It wasn't very effective. "That's fast!" I said.
"Maractus must have Chlorophyll as its Ability," said Allister. "In sunlight, which is always harsh around these parts, its Speed is doubled!"
"Pluck it Corvisquire!" Corvisquire hit Maractus with a powerful Flying Type move. It did a lot of damage. Maractus then used Giga Drain, sapping a bit of health away from Corvisquire. "Use another Pluck!" Maractus was defeated.
"Great job," Allister said. "Now… I know this isn't the way, but can I show you something cool?"
"Show me?" I said. "I'd love to! We're in no hurry!"
"It's up that ladder." Allister pointed to a ladder which two doctors were next to. "I think we'll need to battle them."
We walked in front.
"Time for a checkup!"
"Are you feeling thirsty?"
"Ready for a tag battle?" I asked Allister.
"I'll try…" he said.
Gloria and Allister Vs. Doctors Iwan and Evelyn
"Pawniard, go!" Out came a red and black Pokémon with steel plating.
Pawniard (コマタナ)
#246 (Mainland)/#029 (Isle of Armor)
Dark/Steel Type
Sharp Blade Pokémon
1'08" (0.5 m)
22.5 lbs (10.2 kg)
A pack of these Pokémon forms to serve a Bisharp boss. Each Pawniard trains diligently, dreaming of one day taking the lead.
"And I'll use Togetic!" The other Doctor sent out a white Pokémon with wings.
Togetic (トゲチック)
#258 (Mainland)
Fairy/Flying Type
Happiness Pokémon
2'00" (0.6 m)
7.1 lbs (3.2 kg)
They say that it will appear before kind hearted, caring people and shower them with happiness.
Togepi (B) -Happiness- Togetic
"I choose Toxtricity!" I shouted.
"And I'll use Golett!" Allister said.
"Toxtricity, start with Spark!" Toxtricity covered itself in electricity and charged into Togetic. Togetic was paralyzed!
"Pawniard, Assurance!" Pawniard's claws when black, and it hit Golett for Super Effective damage.
"Stomping Tantrum Golett!" Golett kicked Pawniard. It did a lot.
"Togetic, use Life Dew!" Togetic summoned a large drop of water that fell onto it and Pawniard, healing them both.
"Life Dew?" I asked. "Yes, I know that move. It heals both the User and its ally. Clever. Toxtricity, Spark again!" Toxtricity charged into Togetic once more. It almost went down.
"Pawniard, Assurance again!" This move almost finished Golett.
"Golett, Shadow Punch on Togetic!" Golett's fist went black and it punched Togetic, finishing it off!
"Nice strategy!" I said. "Now they don't have access to Life Dew! Toxtricity, Use Shock Wave!" Toxtricity fired electricity at Pawniard for a direct hit.
"Pawniard, Metal Claw!" Pawniard slashed at Golett, beating it.
"No!" Allister said.
"I'll handle this mate. Toxtricity, finish with another Shock Wave!" That took down Pawniard.
"Yep, you look healthy."
"Don't forget to stay hydrated!"
After that, me and Allister climbed the ladder. Allister had a bit of trouble getting up the last few, so I grabbed his arm and hoisted him to the clifftop.
"Look at that!" I said. The view was amazing. We got a good look at the Wild Area in front of us. "Was this what you wanted to show me?"
"Well, and that." Allister pointed the other way, and there was a massive sculpture of a Dugtrio.
"Wow!" I replied. "That is massive!"
"Stow-on-Side is a bit barren," said Allister. "So, many years ago, they had the idea to bring in Dugtrio from the Kanto region to create some fields. Stow-on-Side is a bit too rocky for harvest and farming nowadays, but in Dugtrio's honour, they built a statue."
I smiled. "You DO know your stuff."
"And that's not the only mural you'll see in Stow-on-Side!" he said.
"Well this would be a good place to stop for a bit," I suggested.
"You're not the only one with that idea," Allister told me, pointing to a tent.
"Someone has set up camp here!" I said.
Allister went over to the tent and lifted it up. "Hello?" he asked.
"Hey!" I said. "Don't go into other people's tents, or at least without knocking first!" Being a nosey Nosepass though, I peaked in a tad; it was empty savour for a round thing in the middle. "Well, what if there was someone in there? Or a Pokémon of some kind?" At that point, the round thing started moving. It got up and out of the tent. It was a bit peculiar. The bottom part of its body was large and dark green with a long tail that was red on the top with spikes. The head didn't match at all; it was yellow with stubby arms and a very thin neck.
Dracozolt (パッチラゴン)
#374 (Mainland)
Electric/Dragon Type
Fossil Pokémon
5'11" (1.8 m)
418.9 lbs (190 kg)
The powerful muscles in its tail generate its electricity. Compared to its lower body, its upper half is entirely too small.
Dracozolt has no known evolutions.
Revive from a mash of a Fossilized Bird and Fossilized Drake.
"Poor thing," I said. "It must be living in agony."
"Ah!" We heard a female voice. "You're awake!" A Scientist ran over to Dracozolt. With her was another Pokémon. Like Dracozolt, its head and body were very different. The head was the same (except for its running nose) but the bottom was white and blue, almost like something from the ocean.
Arctozolt (パッチルドン)
#375 (Mainland)
Electric/Ice Type
Fossil Pokémon
7'07" (2.3 m)
330.7 lbs (150 kg)
The shaking of its freezing upper half is what generates its electricity. It has a hard time walking around.
Arctozolt has no known evolutions.
Revived from a Fossilized Bird and Fossilized Dino.
"Two weird Pokémon," I said. "When I think of Fossils, I usually think of something like Cradily or our lord Omanyte. But these? What are they?"
"I have no idea…" said the woman. "Oh, pardon me. My name is Cara Liss. I am an archaeologist that wanted to put some Fossils together."
We looked at both Pokémon. "You know… you are suppose to put them together, not create these Frankenstein abominations."
"I suppose you're right," Cara said. "Ah, you should meet the others!" She pointed to two pools. No, not swimming pools. They were inflatable plastic pools that are meant for children. In one of them was a Pokémon with a gaping mouth and a bottom half similar to Arctozolt's, but with no arms.
Dracovish (ウオノロゴン)
#376 (Mainland)
Water/Dragon Type
Fossil Pokémon
7'07" (2.3 m)
474 lbs (215 kg)
Its mighty legs are capable of running at speeds exceeding 40 mph, but this Pokémon can't breathe unless it's underwater.
Dracovish does not have any known evolutions.
Revive from a Fossilized Fish and Fossilized Drake.
"Wait, what did that say?!" I asked. "It can't breath?! It'll need more than that to survive!" I looked at the other one. It had a large face and the bottom half of Arctozolt.
Arctovish (ウオチルドン)
#377 (Mainland)
Water/Ice Type
Fossil Pokémon
6'07" (2 m)
385.8 lbs (175 kg)
Though it's able to capture prey by freezing its surroundings, it has trouble eating the prey afterward because its mouth is on top of its head.
Arctovish has no known evolutions.
Revived from a Fossilized Fish and Fossilized Dino.
"What in the living?" I asked.
Allister pointed to her. "You are not a scientist; you are a MAD SCIENTIST!"
Cara Liss blushed. "The jig is up." She recalled all of her Fossils and threw her tent over the cliff. "Goodbye!"
"Stop!" I said. "Wow. The things people do, aye? Let's have our lunch and get a move on."
Location: Stow-on-Side
We walked passed the Dugtrio mural and into the dusty town of Stow-on-Side. I know I said it would take a day and a bit to make it to Stow-on-Side, but we made great progress!
"That woman," I said. "She's nuts."
"Hey!" Hop came running to me. "Have a look at this!" He got out his Badges; he had four now!
"Wow!" I said. "What was Bea like?"
"I won't spoil anything," Hop replied. "Of course, you know that she uses Fighting Types."
Allister nodded to me. "That's where my Ghost Types have the advantage. Hey, would you two like to come to my place? My parents would love to meet you."
Well, it was too early for dinner and too late for a Gym battle (plus I was exhausted), so we agreed to it.
We were taken to a house. Allister banged on the door a specific way. It was a wooden door with three groves going through it, so Allister knocked once in each grove.
"Interesting way of knocking," Hop said.
At that point, a woman opened the door. She had long-black hair. "Allister! Sweetheart!" Allister hugged her. She then looked at both of us. "And you've bought friends! Come on in!"
Allister's parents were called Catherine and Howard. They even treated us to dinner after Allister told us all about their adventures. I neglected to bring up the Tyranitar incident.
"And you two," Catherine said. "Thank you for keeping Allister company. He's not the best around new faces."
"Anytime!" Hop said. "This kid has real potential as far as I'm concerned! Even if he does just stick to one Type."
"Allister," Howard said. "You don't HAVE to just use Ghost Types."
"But I want to!" Allister replied. "It makes me feel… at ease…"
"He can train whatever he wants," I said.
After dinner, Allister showed the two of us his room. Well, yeah. It was full of Ghost Type memorabilia. There was a lamp in the shape of a Lampent, a Banette plush (I hope it doesn't come to life), a poster of a Mega Gengar was on his wall, it was creepy… but cool.
Allister may struggle at times, but he has as much potential as the rest of us to beat Leon.