Chapter 1: Long Road Out of Littleroot
With my new pal Brendan by my side, I set to GRINDAN him into a force to be reckoned with. Many fell within Route 101 to Brendan's fury, with this Sentret being just the first of many.
Unfortunately, because he had appeared before I was able to get Pokeballs, the rules forbid me from getting any other pokemon from Route 101.
Ah well. Plenty more Routes in Hoenn.
Soon, thanks to his training in Route 101, Brendan was even able to win against May's Torchic, after she burst out from a bush squealing loudly at us.
"...Pretty..Good?!"
*MGS3 flashback over, won't happen again, I promise!*
Afterwards, we quickly sprinted back to Birch's lab.
"Usually I have to warm up on my wife before I can slap her hard enough!"
"Sorry, I didn't quite catch that, Professor."
...
"Oh, nothing..."
FINALLY! Now to get me some Compadres.
Leaving, I turn to walk out of Littleroot for good, but am instead rudely interrupted..
Oh, thanks, "Mom"! Want to say i'm
Hitler's nephew too? How about
Mao's cousin?
...
Because I wouldn't want to inadvertantly
throttle myself with those complex-looking laces..
Whilst she struggled to find the correct way up on the 85-page Running Shoes instruction manual, I slipped away to beat a hasty retreat to Route 103, where i'd fought May earlier.
Stopping only to heal Brendan in Oldale town's Pokecenter, I step into the grass to get us a new playmate, and believe me, I wasn't disappointed..
Introducing: Nancy, the
Poochyena.
I then returned to Oldale and traversed across to the newly-accessible Route 102 (it having been barred from myself previously by a man busy sketching his own footprints).
Within the tall grass of Route 102, I found another convert to the cause.
Introducing: Grigori, the
Wurmple.
They made an odd trio, I must confess.
Brendan, always ready to crack a joke (even if it wasn't any good).
Nancy, never boastful, even in magnanimous victory.
Grigori, permanently scrapping for a fight.
I spent a considerable amount of time within those three routes, in an effort to get Nancy and Grigori up to Brendan's level.
Ironically enough, Modest Nancy reached level 5 before the Hasty Grigori.
Grigori, wanting to prove that worms are just as good as (if not better than) hounds, led the party through the bush despite his significant injuries.
He was nothing short of spectacular. He beat down foes easily his equal left, right and centre.
Soon he needed just one more vanquished opponent to level. A Poochyena, Level 2, emerged from the undergrowth.
Grigori was badly hurt, but fought on nonetheless.
He felt he had to prove that worms weren't afraid of hounds.
...The dog tackled with critical force, and crumpled Grigori's fragile exoskeleton, spurting wormish grey matter out from his carcass.
Nancy was incensed by the loss of her comrade, and tackled.
Hard.
The Pooch, already limping and bleeding profusely from Grigori's onslaught, was utterly overkilled.
Still, it was little comfort when I had to return to the Pokemon center, and access the PC for the first, and Grigori's last, time..
;_;
Deceased: Grigori - Level
4 on
Route 101.
...Still, I had to press on. For Brendan and Nancy's sakes.
So, after cheering myself up slightly by posing next to the most extravagant mustache I have seen in some time (see below), I travelled on to Route 102, out of Oldale.
On Route 102, I encountered my first Trainers (no, May does not count), which provided ample experience for Nancy.
..Yes, yes, you should have.
After 4 depressingly easy trainer battles I reached the next town, Petalburg.
The Pokecenter was a welcoming sight, and it even had a Gym too!
Already preparing for my inevitable victory, I strutted cockily into the Gym before glancing around me.
...And then I pick my jaw off the floor.
The hell do you care?! You haven't seen us in seven YEARS, old man!
Wha-But you-And-...Gah-Fricke-DARRGGHH!!
And who the hell is this wimp?! Don't tell me you left me and Mom for THIS!
Turned out the wimp was called Wally. Or Waggy. Or something.
..Anyway, after showing the goon how to catch himself a Pokemon (still don't understand how he intends to train something which can only Growl..), we returned to the Gym.
Dad told me that I should head on through Petalburg Woods to reach Rustboro City.
In Rustboro, i'd find a Gym Leader, Roxanne.
Figuring I could use all the training I could get before my inevitable curb stomping of him, I left Petalburg to enter Route 104.
Or, at least, tried to leave.
No.. From the way I
smell, i'm a Pokemon Trainer.
After that strange man passed on, I entered the long grass of Route 104 to find a third party member.
And I came across..
;_;
..No, It's...too soon for that..
So, after defeating the worm, I tried for another.
Much better!
And so,
Introducing: Sergei, the
Pidgey.
I get the feeling Sergei shall do well in our organisat- Um, Party.
So, I set to training him to Brendan and Nancy's high standards by generally beating down on any wildlife and trainers I encounter.
You sure said it.
Unfortunately, later in the grass of Route 104..
Oh god.. It's like the Magikarp of the
LAND!
I then, once I felt ready, moved into Petalburg Woods. I tried to minimise my time in that hellish Jungle as I had no Antidotes, so a single Poison Sting could have been fatal..
Well, maybe you should have
trained your Pokemon, rather than using Level 3 Worms..
Incompetant Bug-Catchers aside, I had yet to find a Pokemon within the woods.
So, moving carefully, I stalk my prey.
...And then pounce!
..You've
got to be kidding me. I'm really looking forward to training this one!
I'll
Harden my way through all the opposition!
Mercifully, after wasting two Pokeballs trying to catch it:
Saving me the humiliation of having to own it.
Of course, by Sod's law, the next one to appear was:
Damn you, Shroomish! You've evaded me again!
Then I bumped into a smartly dressed chap.
"Not a one."
Judging by the paranoia in his eyes, the faint trembling and nervous cough, I couldn't help but feel "
Shroomish" was a euphemism for something.
Chapter 1: Part 2
)
Have at you!
