1.4 - Boulder? Damn near killed 'er (or 'im)!

And now that we are back from these commercial messages, it was finally time to challenge Brock.

I trained my team a bit more. I wanted to make sure Al could handle everything, but I also wanted to be sure that, if she couldn't, it wouldn't be a TPK (that's a total party kill, for all you non-rpg players out there).

I ended up being satisfied with everyone at level 12. I figured that JoHanna's speed could sweep up Geodude if problems arose and for Onix...if Al couldn't get that far, I'd have to hope my other four pokémon could cope. Of course, seeing that three of them would be weak and outsped, it would fall down to Derek, the laziest Rattata in the world.

Oh joy.

I gave Al a pep talk before we went back in.

"You can do this. You are strong and powerful and can smash their rocky little faces in."

"Damn straight I can. You have no worries. I will beat them to a pulp. Mankeys have always supported those who pick Charmander that way."

"Really?"

"Yep. Since first gen."

"Wow. Okay then. Good to know."

"Yep. One good Low Kick and both those freaks will fall."

"Won't you need two if there are two," Ashley cut in. Al glared back.

"Yeah..."

We walked inside and waved to our champ-trainer. We walked down the center, straight to Brock.

"Finally, a competent trainer," he said. "Someone who might stand a chance."

"What you mean, might?" Great, Al was already getting pissed off. She didn't even know rage yet!

"I am a gym leader," he explained. "I am a different caliber of trainer. I may be the lowest, but that is because we test you to make sure that you grow, get stronger. Trust me...if you face me a few years from now when you've already earned the respect of the league, you'll then see what I can really do."

"Less talking, more battling," Al said, wanting to get going.

"Fine then," Brock said. "Have a go at my Geodude."

"FINALLY!" Al jumped straight at it and, with one swift Low Kick, sent the small, rocky face-with-arms smashing into the wall. Brock smiled.

"I see your Mankey is strong."

"Her name is Al. And yes, she is."

"But how does she fare against an Onix?"

Brock's Onix was the largest pokémon I had ever seen. It barely fit inside his gym - being a gigantic rock snake, with each body segment being made of a separate boulder, such a feat is believable.

Al, of course, only thought one thing. Being Al, she felt the need to shout it.

"The bigger they are, the harder they fall!"

Ben chuckled watching. "How cliché..." Al again took one Low Kick at her opponent, after dodging some chucked rocks. Her one kick made it wail in pain and it fell to the ground, defeated. "Still," he continued, "you cannot deny that it worked."

"Indeed," I said. I then looked at Ben. "When did you get so thoughtful?"

"When staring at a giant thing that could crush me with one breath."

I glared at him. "No one is getting crushed."

"Not while I'm around, at least," Al said, walking back toward us.

"Except my pokémon," Brock said. "You did well. Take this." He handed me the Boulder Badge. "You might just have what it takes to get to the league."

"If I want to. But at least now I can leave the city."

"Yep. I'd recommend visiting Misty in Cerulean City. She will be a nice test for your team, but may also be a fun trip too."

"Can we?" Ben was back to being juvenile again. "Please please please...?"

"Fine," I said, not really minding his enthusiasm.

"Yay!"

"But first we have to get to and through Mt. Moon."

1.3 - Butterfreedom

We continued walking through the forest and I explained to JoHanna what it meant to be a part of my team.
"I haven't decided yet whether or not I will be taking on the gym challenge or travelling around or what, but you should at least know that I do battle. It is...unavoidable. I hope you are okay with that."
"Of course," the small bug-type said. "If I do not battle, I can never become a Butterfree. That is something for which all Caterpies strive and something I hope you can help me accomplish."
"Then we should get started on training you," I said.

We stumbled upon more bugs and some trainers who had caught their supply of them while travelling through the forest. JoHanna got some very good training in, as did Ashley. After a handful of battles (and being close to the end of the forest), JoHanna had battled enough to begin her metamorphosis. She began to glow white as her body expanded into a crescent shape. She grew a small bit and, after the glow was gone, was a darker shade of green. She had become a Metapod.
"Yay," she said. "I am one step closer to being a Butterfree!"
"And useful," Al said.
"Hey," Ashley said, "don't knock down the other pokémon. They are unique and useful in their own way."
"It's okay," JoHanna said. "I know that being able to harden and tackle are not the most useful things, but I'll get more awesome when I evolve."
"Though you are pretty awesome already," I said.

We continued through the forest, fighting more battles, and quickly got to the end. We left the forest after battling one last bug catcher and were outside of Pewter City. As we entered the city, we took a bit to look around. The pokémon center stuck out as a good location, as did the pokémart. There was also a museum in the back of the city and some small houses.
After healing and doing minimal shopping (and getting a potion for a whiny Charmander), we walked around the city. There was someone blocking the east exit, which was the only way out of the city other than going back into the forest. Upon talking to him, he said I had to beat Brock before I could leave. He then proceeded to show me where Brock was.
I walked into the gym and saw him standing at the end. There was a trainer before him and another guy standing near the entrance.
"Hey there champ-in-the-making."
"Hey...um...random guy," Ben said.
"And just who are you?" Ashley gave him a quizzical look.
"I am a champ-trainer. Simple as that."
"Okay..." I said. "Then...how can you help me be the champ?"
"I can give generic advice."
"That we could have already ascertained easily?"
"Indeed."
"Joy. So what have you got for us this time?"

He smiled. "Brock uses rock-type pokémon and his lackey here uses ground types. It would be wise to not use your fliers here. Or that Charmander, either."
"Hey, why is that?"
"Because you are not very effective. And they will be super effective."
"But I'll still be super-powerful."
"No," I said. "No. You will not."
"I will," JoHanna said, "once I evolve. I can use very harmful attacks."
"And you will go down twice as fast," said the trainer.
"Indeed," I said. I looked to Ashley. "Don't tell me you want to fight too..."
"Not in the slightest," she responded. "I'm the smart one, remember?"
"Okay," the trainer said, "but evolving that Metapod might still be a good idea. It could be helpful if it is fast enough."
"That's a good idea," I said, "but I think I'll stick to using my deranged monkey."
Al popped out of her pokéball. "Yeah! Finally, I get to fight something good!"
"Not yet," JoHanna said. "I get to evolve first."
"Aww...I always have to wait."

I went up to the first trainer, who told me I was light-years away from Brock.
JoHanna came out. "You know that light years is actually distance, right?"
The opponent sent out a Sandshrew. "Does it matter?"
"Why of course," she said, tacklyng the Sandshrew as it tried to curl up and roll away. "Your trainer must learn to speak properly why bantering. Otherwise, he lessens his general effect."
"Really," the Sandshrew asked, letting up it's guard.
"No, not really," JoHanna said, hitting it with a critical. The Sandshrew fainted and she started to glow again. Her body became ovular as she grew a bulbous head. She sprouted wings and, when the glow died down, she was a nice purple color to complement the white wings and new pink eyes. She had become a Butterfree.
"Yay! I evolved."
"And you beat the trainer," I said, "which means we can challenge Brock!"
"Finally," Al said. "You have no idea how long I have been waiting to get my hands on some tough opponents. I mean..."
"But first," I said, cutting her off, "a heal break."
"Oh come on!"

1.2 - Who Says That‽

We trained a good bit. Derek fought against others of his kind and Al took on anything on which she could get her paws. Ashley was more selective and only battled certain pokémon (ones she deemed not likely to harm her) and Ben was a reliable back up. After battling near Pallet Town a bit, we went back to Viridian City. The gym was old, decrepit and locked.

"What exactly is a pokémon gym?" Ben looked at me curiously.

"Its a place where you test your skill to see how many opponents you can smash," Al responded.

"I disagree," Ashley said. "While you can test your skill, it is more about proving yourself as a capable trainer than it is about such a...base goal."

"It also allows you to show your accomplishments to others," I said. "When you win, you get a Badge. They allow you to do more powerful things and let you past certain areas. While they can be a status symbol, they also raise your stats and garner you respect."

"It is not the only way to be respected," Ashley pointed out, "but probably the most common."

"And the best," Al added.

Ben smiled. "Okay. Sounds like a fun thing to me. Do you plan on competing?"

"I might," I responded. "But we'll have to see." I paused. "If you want, I can show you where you go with those badges."

"Sweet!"

I took my team west of Viridian, intending on showing them Victory Road and Indigo Plateau, the places where the best trainers in the land practice and fight. Of course, there was a Kevin blocking my way when I got there.

"They don't let weaklings like us in there," he said.

"I know. I just wanted to..."

"Besides, you wouldn't last one minute in there."

"I know, but I was..."

"Not that you could even get near there without any badges."

"I know that Kev. I just wanted to show..."

"So how are your pokémon?"

"Oh my goodness," Ashley said, coming out of her pokéball. "You are a rude little boy and you need to let your friend's speak."

"I see you got a pidgey too," Kevin said, sending out his own. They flew around and battled. It was clear that his pidgey was stronger, so I sent in Derek to finish it off once Ashley was tired. He looked angry at that.

"Okay, time to get serious." He sent out his watery turtle, Squirtle.

Ben hopped out. "I beat this once and I'll beat it again."

The two started fighting but I began to get afraid that his Squirtle would spit water at Ben and hurt him, so I sent out Al to finish it. She whacked it with gusto and knocked it out. Kev frowned at me.

"Well, I guess you have some talent."

"Indeed."

"I'm heading back to train and challenge the gyms. Smell ya later."

He left and we stared at where he was.

"Smell ya later?" Al snorted. "Who says that?"

"I have no clue..." Derek said.

With that, we continued our journey. There was a forest ahead and we entered it. Inside, I saw a cute green caterpillar. It had large eyes for such a small pokémon and crawled right over to me. I named her JoHanna.

JoHanna - ♀ Caterpie

Quirky Nature, Shield Dust ability.

Lvl 3, Viridian Forest

"Well aren't you cute?"

"Why thank you, large human. You aren't terrible looking either," she replied.

"Aww...everything you say is cute and sweet."

"Why thank you. I appreciate that."

"I shall hug you and squeeze you and call you JoHanna."

"Aww..."

"Hey, what about me?" Ben said, looking at me sadly.

"I have enough love to go around," I said, picking up the two of them and giving them a big group hug.