Surrender Now, or Prepare to Fight IC

[NeoSeraphi]

Holly White gazes out the window of her cozy home in Olivine City. The sun is starting to set, and pretty soon her father will be home from work. Holly had today off herself, though she normally works at the MooMoo Milk Ranch near here, it is only a part time job and thus she only walks in three days a week.

Her home is small, but comfortable. The kitchen has all the amenities she needs to prepare anything, and she can go shopping at the local fish market whenever she likes and restock. Her bedroom is warm and has a window that faces the ocean, so Holly always gets a fresh breath of salty air when she wakes up. Her father's bedroom down the hall is never too far away, though it is a bit awkward since they share the hallway bathroom.

Besides that, there is a hallway closet, where a small gaseous Pokemon normally makes its home. The Pokemon, named Minerva, floats above the coats and hangers, accepting food from Patrick but never doing anything else. She seems to be waiting for something.

Last but not least, there is the basement. An innocuous black door at the end of the hall, it is always locked tight. Holly has no idea what is down there, and her father has never let her in it even once.

She hears the front door open. A happy 'Sneasel' calls out to announce their return.

[Diachronos]

Holly hops up from her bed and exits her room, heading toward the kitchen. She'd put dinner in the oven about half an hour ago, so it'd be ready just in time for her dad's return. Along the way she makes a detour toward the front door, smiling widely at her father and his Sneasel. "Welcome home, Dad. You too, Sickle." She hugs her father and gives Sickle an affectionate pat on the head. "How was work?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Patrick White is a tall man with broad shoulders and a full beard. His shirt is soaked with water from the splashing waves and sweat, and he smells like...well, like a man that has been working from sun up to sundown.

"Hello, Holly. Work was...good."

He yawns and walks past her to sit in his favorite chair. Sickle darts over to the chair and cuddles up on his Trainer's lap.

Patrick is a nautical engineer. He designs and constructs ships that the Olivine Harbor uses to send freight all over the world. Making large cargo ships that can travel all the way to Sinnoh is no easy feat, and Patrick's muscular body is a testament to the amount of hard work he has done every day since he was young.

The man makes plenty of money to take care of himself and his daughter, but unfortunately that doesn't come with a lot of free time.

Patrick's eyes slowly close, but he takes a breath to make sure he doesn't doze off. Resting his eyes a bit, he calls out to his daughter. "I ran into Jasmine today. She asked if you would come to the Gym in the morning."

Jasmine, the Olivine City Gym Leader, is a powerful Pokemon Trainer who is a few years older than Holly. Apparently, when she was little, Patrick used to keep an eye on her while her parents were out of town, so their families are quite close. Jasmine herself is very pretty, mature, and polite. Holly can't help but be a little jealous, she seems like a model daughter and Holly has heard Patrick praise her more than once for her sweet, homemaker behavior.

[Diachronos]

Holly purses her lips as Patrick heads to his chair. Somehow she doubts that work was actually 'good' today, but she's not about to pry into it. His job isn't an easy one, there's no sense in bringing it up now that he's home and trying to relax.

She heads to the kitchen to check on the food in the oven. It isn't anything extravagant, just some fish and baked potatoes, but it's filling and she's gotten pretty good at making it taste great over the years. "Jasmine wants me to come to the Gym tomorrow? Did she say what it was about?"

[NeoSeraphi]

"Erm...yeah, what was it again?" Patrick mutters.

"Snea! Sneasel, Sneasel. Sel," Sickle says, poking Patrick in the stomach.

He coughs and sits up quickly, opening his eyes. "Right! She said that she was going to take you to visit Professor Elm, the Pokemon researcher. Apparently, he's got a present for you after hearing about how well you're doing raising Pokemon at the farm."

[Diachronos]

"Wait, really?" She sets the baking pans on top of the stove so she can turn off the oven. "Does this mean I'm getting my Trainer's license?!" Her blue eyes light up at the thought; Holly has dreamed about becoming a proper Pokemon Trainer since she was a little girl, but helping her father has always occupied her time and kept her from getting started. Not that she was upset with the situation, of course; she's happy to be part of the reason he gets some proper food and rest, after all.

[NeoSeraphi]

Patrick nods. "...Yes," he says quietly. "I always made an excuse for it. Every year, on your birthday, I told myself 'I'll give Monica one more year. One more chance.' But...I was making excuses for myself."

He stands up slowly and walks into the kitchen, sitting at the table and smiling at her. "I wanted to keep you here, because...I don't know. Because I was afraid of what the house would sound like without anyone else in it, I guess." Patrick shakes his head. "But, no more. You go and get your license, and then you can decide what you want to do with it. I'll be just fine here."

[Diachronos]

Holly prepares a plate for both of them and a plate of Pokemon food for Sickle. "...Do you know why Mom left, Dad?" She hasn't seen or heard from her mother since she was just a little girl, and at times she found herself struggling to remember anything beyond the woman's name.

[NeoSeraphi]

Patrick hesitates. He takes a bite, and then sighs. "Well, I was going to hold on to this story until you turned eighteen, but you're probably old enough to hear it by now. Your mother was...she was always a bit of an adventurous woman. I guess she really didn't like settling down too much after she married me. You came along, and I thought things were going to get better, but a handsome young man from Hoenn arrived on one of the boats. He met your mother on the beach, and well...he swept her off her feet. She told me that love wasn't enough for her. She needed excitement. So she left the two of us and got on a boat with a man she had only met two days before. And that was the last time I saw her."

[Diachronos]

So that's where she went... she abandoned her husband and daughter to adventure in Hoenn. "I see... Dad, if you'd rather I stay here with you, I'm... I'm fine with that." Of course she intends to come back and visit him, or at least call him every now and then if she can't visit, but after hearing this story she's not sure that leaving him to go on her own adventures is the best idea.

[NeoSeraphi]

Patrick shakes his head. "Jasmine thinks you're ready. And that's good enough for me. I want you to go and have as much fun as you can. Make lots of new friends, and find a Pokemon that you want to spend the rest of your life with." He smiles and pats Sickle on the head. "Sneasel!"

[Diachronos]

"Okay. I promise, I'll come back and visit when I can. I'm not just going to walk out of your life completely, Dad." Holly gives him a warm smile. "Just promise you won't order nothing but greasy takeout every night while I'm gone."

[NeoSeraphi]

Patrick scratches his cheek sheepishly. "That wasn't...the whole plan!" he protests, laughing good-naturedly.

After dinner, Patrick gives Holly a kiss on the forehead and leaves her to wash up the dishes. Tomorrow will be a big day!

[Diachronos]

After dinner, Holly walks outside to their backyard with a large dish of Pokemon food. "Mica, dinnertime!" She sets the bowl down and smiles, looking around for the Onix that Jasmine had given her for her tenth birthday.

[NeoSeraphi]

The Onix happily slides up to the house and roars once, before beginning to eat out of the bowl. The enormous Rock Snake Pokemon is easily taller than the entire house, and yet Holly has raised him to be gentle and nice to everyone around him. Pretty soon, she would have a license to start battling with Mica, too! So she needed to make sure he was getting bigger and stronger each day.

[Diachronos]

Holly gives Mica a tight hug around his horn as he starts eating, and picks up one of the grooming brushes that she'd gotten back when she first started raising him. "Guess what? We're going to New Bark Town tomorrow!" She starts brushing off his body, using enough pressure to scrape away the caked-on dirt and sand from Olivine's beaches without causing him any pain.

[NeoSeraphi]

"Oooo?" Mica asks, looking down at her with his large eyes.

"Sel!" Sickle rushes out from the house and runs up to Holly. "Sneasel! Sel!" He points to the grooming brush and then pouts.

[Diachronos]

"Yep! We're starting our own adventure!" She looks over at Sickle and laughs. "Okay, okay, I'll brush you too." Holly returns to the house to get a softer brush, then sits down on the edge of the back porch to start grooming the Sneasel.

[NeoSeraphi]

The next day, Patrick leaves early in the morning and Holly gets ready and goes to see Jasmine.

When she arrives at the gym, her silver haired friend smiles at her. "Good morning, Holly. Are you ready to go?"

[Diachronos]

Holly dons an aqua sarong and light floral-patterned button-up shirt for the day and heads to the Gym with Mica. She smiles back at Jasmine. "Yep! Thanks for offering to take me to Professor Elm, Jasmine."

[NeoSeraphi]

"Of course! Professor Elm does have a request for you, though. You should probably do your best to help him out."

[Diachronos]

Holly tilts her head. "Oh? What's his request?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Jasmine shrugs and the two of them get going

Jasmine and Holly travel on bikes to New Bark Town. The journey ends up taking about a week and a half, with Jasmine battling and defeating many wild Pokemon and Trainers who challenge her. She's so cool!

Finally, they reach New Bark Town, and Jasmine walks Holly to the front door of a large building.

[Diachronos]

Jasmine smiles and knocks on the door. "I'm a little nervous, Jasmine... what's Professor Elm like again?"

[NeoSeraphi]

"Oh, he's really nice! Friendly, smart, and..."

The door opens, and a young man, probably only ten years older than Holly, sticks his head out. He's wearing a lab coat and his hair kind of sticks up.

Jasmine mouths 'cute' behind his back, ending her sentence.

[Diachronos]

Holly smiles at the man and holds her hand out. "Professor Elm, I assume? I'm Holly White."

[NeoSeraphi]

The man's soft brown eyes light up behind his glasses. "Oh! A pleasure to meet you, Holly!"

He shakes her hand and invites her inside. Jasmine gives Holly a hug and folds her bike up. She puts it into her backpack and releases a bird Pokemon with silver, metallic wings. The Pokemon flies her off.

[Diachronos]

Holly waves farewell to her friend and steps inside. The lab is a refreshing change from the heat outside, which had pushed her to remove her shirt and go around with only a bikini top covering her upper body.

"It's nice to meet you too, Professor. I've been looking forward to this day for years!"

[NeoSeraphi]

The professor nods. "As I understand it, you have a Pokemon already? May I take a look to see how you've been raising it?"

[Diachronos]

"Of course." She goes back outside and lets Mica out of his ball, giving the Onix a loving pat on the head.

[NeoSeraphi]

Professor Elm follows her outside and nods with approval. He walks around Mica, examining him from all angles. He makes comments to himself, and Holly picks up bits of it, like 'tooth formation indicates healthy diet' and 'confident posture in the face of a stranger is a clear sign of a healthy bond between them'.

It is clear to Holly that this man has earned his title of Professor. He seems to know a lot about Pokemon behavior, biology, and breeding. After a few minutes, Elm turns to her with a smile. "Well, it's clear to me that you are more than qualified to receive a Pokemon license!"

[Diachronos]

Holly claps her hands excitedly. "Really? You mean it?!"

[NeoSeraphi]

Professor Elm nods. "I'll just need to borrow your PokeGear, please."

Pokemon Gear, or PokeGear for short, is a small device that most people these days have. It allows Trainers to get in touch with one another from long distances, and can be used to display a Trainer License and has a few other useful applications that people need to pick up from third parties.

Digital engineering isn't exactly Patrick's specialty, but he took his own PokeGear apart and figured out how it worked so he could build Holly's himself. It's her prized possession, and a sign that her father really does care about her a lot.

[Diachronos]

She hands over the device, though not without some hesitation.

[NeoSeraphi]

Professor Elm takes the PokeGear back into his lab with Holly and hooks it up to a computer, tapping away at the keyboard. He asks her a few questions about her date of birth and her address so that he can fill everything in, then he hands the device back to her. "And just like that, you're free to engage in Pokemon battles, capture wild Pokemon, and take the Pokemon League challenge!"

He smiles and nods. "Ah, but before you go, there was something I wanted to ask you. I need your assistance with something, if you don't mind."

[Diachronos]

"Of course, Professor. What do you need my help with?"

[NeoSeraphi]

The professor nods. "I am doing some research into the ways that different types of Pokemon experience evolution. I would like to lend you a Pokemon and have you train it for me for a little while. Once the Pokemon evolves, please bring it back to me so I can see its growth."

[Diachronos]

"Sure thing. I'll take good care of it in the meantome, I promise."

[NeoSeraphi]

Professor Elm nods. "Then, you can choose any of these three Pokemon."

He sends out a few Pokemon. One of them appears to be a small chinchilla with closed eyes and a dark patch on its back. "This is the Fire-Type Pokemon, Cyndaquil."

The next one appears to be a bipedal crocodile with blue skin and large jaws. "The Water-Type Pokemon, Totodile."

The last one appears to be a small dinosaur with a leaf growing from its head. "The Grass-Type Pokemon, Chikorita."

[Diachronos]

"Ooh, they're all so cute!" She spends several minutes mulling over her decision, until she makes her choice. Mica being a Rock/Ground type leaves him especially weak to both Water and Grass, so bringing along Totodile or Chikorita might end up causing fights between them. So that leaves...

"I'll go with Cyndaquil."

[NeoSeraphi]

Professor Elm chuckles and hands her the PokeBall. "That's a nice choice. Why don't you go ahead and give it a nickname?"

[Diachronos]

She nods and picks up the Cyndaquil, giving it a hug. "I think I'll call you... Corona."
Wisdom check: [roll0]

[NeoSeraphi]

The professor nods with a smile. "Very well, then. Please go ahead and take the Pokemon with you. You can use some of the areas around here to start train - ...hm?"

"Ringringring Ringringring, Phone Call! Phone Call! Ringringring Ringringring, Phone Call! Phone Call!"

Elm sits back at his computer and picks up a handset. "This is Professor Elm."

He listens for a moment. "...I see. I'm quite busy...Are you serious? That does sound like an important discovery, but..."

His eyes turn to Holly. "No, I'll make it work. I'm sending a courier to the house to pick it up. She's...uh...she's definitely not from around here, so don't be too surprised when she shows up."

[Diachronos]

Holly waits patiently as Professor Elm talks with whoever is on the other end of the call. It sounds like he's about to request something else from her, too. Not even 5 minutes as an official Trainer and she's already being trusted with important work!

[NeoSeraphi]

Professor Elm looks up at her. "Holly, I hate to ask this, but I have an acquaintance in the next town over. His name is Mr. Pokemon. He's always finding weird things and raving about his discoveries. But this time, he's assured me that the Pokemon Egg he discovered has markings on it that are not coming up in the PokeDex, in other words...it could be an entirely new species of Pokemon. If that is the case, we need to bring this Egg into the lab for analysis. Can I ask you to go and pick it up, then bring it back to me?"

He nods. "Here is my PokeGear number. Call me if something happens."

She can't even respond before he's sent the information to her. She's...she's got her dad's number, obviously, but she's never spoken to a man on the phone before...

[Diachronos]

"Yeah, sure. I'd be happy to do that for you, Professor Elm!" Getting his number sends a faint blush creeping up her cheeks; even though she knows this is purely for business, she can't help feeling a little giddy over getting a boy's phone number.

[NeoSeraphi]

Professor Elm nods. "Great. Here are a few supplies for your errand."

He hands her a bottle, which she recognizes to be a Potion, and a flashlight to allow her to travel after dark.

[Diachronos]

"Thanks, Professor. I'll be back as soon as I can." She waves goodbye and heads out with Mica and Corona!

[NeoSeraphi]

As she heads out, Holly notices a strange boy with red hair standing in an alley near the lab. He seems to be looking in a window and muttering to himself.

[Diachronos]

Seeing the boy has Holly curious. She walks up the alley towards him. "Hi. Do you need help with something?"

[NeoSeraphi]

"So this is the famous Pokemon Lab..." the boy mutters.

When Holly approaches him, he looks up with surprise. "Get out of here!" he says angrily, and shoves her. Holly falls onto her rear. That...that was the first time anyone has ever been physically violent with her. This boy is dangerous! ...Why does that make her feel so weird?

[Diachronos]

Holly stares at the kid for a moment before getting up and leaving. Better to not provoke him any further...

Before heading out of town, though, she stops back at the lab to let the Professor know about the suspicious boy skulking around outside. Maybe he's not up to something sinister, but it can't hurt to be cautious, right?

[NeoSeraphi]

The Professor raises an eyebrow and glances out the window. "Alright...I'll do something about him. Are you okay?" he asks, touching her cheek to see if she's bruised.

[Diachronos]

"Yeah, just a little dirty. I helped keep Tauros in line back at the farm outside Olivine, it'll take more than a guy pushing me to the ground to do any real damage."

[NeoSeraphi]

Elm nods. "Oh. Well, it's good that you're confident but...a little bit of advice: when a man is trying to help a woman, a woman should let him. The man likes that."

He gives her a gentle smile. Holly suddenly realizes that maybe it wasn't the best idea to act as tough as she really is...

Elm gets back to work and Holly leaves the town for now.

[Diachronos]

Holly nods and heads out for Cherrygrove City. She lets Mica and Corona out of their PokeBalls so they can meet each other.

[NeoSeraphi]

The Onix and Cyndaquil sniff at each other a bit and Corona happily purrs at the rock snake before the two of them start speaking.

As she starts to walk, however, Holly spies a creature approaching her.

"Rat?"

The Pokemon appears to be a purple rat of some kind, with big whiskers and sharp teeth.

[Diachronos]

Holly smiles at the small rat. "Hello, little guy."

[NeoSeraphi]

"Rat!"

The Pokemon snarls and tries to snap at her.

Jasmine had mentioned this. Many wild Pokemon can be territorial.

[Diachronos]

Holly jumps back. "We're leaving, we're leaving. Just take it easy, okay?" She turns and starts heading back toward Cherrygrove.

[NeoSeraphi]

The rat stands in her way. She won't be able to advance if she doesn't fight!

[Diachronos]

Holly frowns. "You brought this on yourself... Corona, go!"

[NeoSeraphi]

Corona runs forward.

The Rattata attacks!

[roll0]
[roll1]

[Diachronos]

Corona takes a solid hit, but he's still up. Seeing the damage he took, Holly recalls him. "Mica, you're up!"

[NeoSeraphi]

The Rattata growls and charges in.

Tackle
[roll0]
[roll1]

[Diachronos]

The attack barely scratches Mica. "Hit it with Iron Tail!"
Hit: [roll0], hits on 6+ and lowers the Rattata's Defense by 1 stage if it hits on a 19-20
Damage: [roll1]

[NeoSeraphi]

The Rattata crashes to the ground, dazed.

Mica is the winner! Holly has beaten her first wild Pokemon!

The Rattata was level 3. I'm still getting the books back so for now go ahead and assign XP yourself please.

[Diachronos]

XP is the Pokemon's level times its XP rate for Wild Pokemon, double for Trainer-owned. Rattata has an XP rate of 10, so that's 30XP, 15 each for Corona and Mica.

Holly continues on, only stopping to use the Potion that Professor Elm had given her on Corona. "There we go. You both did great."

[NeoSeraphi]

"Oonix!" Mica roars cheerfully.

As she continues down the road, Holly hears someone cry for help.

She walks forward and spies a little boy, he couldn't be more than eight, rubbing a sprained ankle as an angry-looking bird Pokemon approaches him. The boy has no Pokemon to defend himself with!

[Diachronos]

Holly runs up toward the boy and tosses Corona's ball. "Corona, Tackle it!"
Hit: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[NeoSeraphi]

Corona appears and charges at the bird Pokemon.

"Spear-row!"

The Pokemon tries to take a bite out of Corona with its beak!

Peck: [roll0]
[roll1]

[Diachronos]

Corona gets hit, but he's still up. "Finish it with another Tackle!"
Hit: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[NeoSeraphi]

The Spearow falls to the ground.

60 XP

The boy sniffs and looks up at Holly. "Th-thank you, ma'am..."

[Diachronos]

Corona reaches level 6!

"Good work, Corona. Come on back." Holly recalls her Cyndaquil and kneels beside the boy. "Are you okay?"

[NeoSeraphi]

He smiles weakly. "Yes. I just hurt my leg when I fell down earlier." He looks the other way. "C-can you help me get home, please? My mom is probably looking for me. I live in Cherrygrove City."

[Diachronos]

"Yeah, I'll help you." She helps the boy to his feet and picks him up. "Where did you fall?"

[NeoSeraphi]

The boy whimpers and points to a wall nearby. It looks like he fell off while he was climbing on it. He's hurt his ankle, but he can limp.

[Diachronos]

"Ah, I see. Don't worry, we'll get you home safely." She kneels down so he can climb onto her back, figuring that it would be better to carry him if his ankle is injured.

[NeoSeraphi]

He climbs on her back and smiles. "That Pokemon you used to save me was so cool! What's his name?"

[Diachronos]

"His name's Corona. I also have an Onix named Mica."

[NeoSeraphi]

"Whoooooooa. So you're like, a real Pokemon Trainer?" He smiles. "Well, my name's Chris! And one day, I'm going to get my own Pokemon from Professor Elm. So maybe you and I can battle then, huh?"

[Diachronos]

"Maybe! I'm sure you'll be a good Trainer, though, especially if you treat your Pokemon well." She looks over her shoulder and smiles at him. "I'm Holly."

[NeoSeraphi]

The two of them keep walking until Holly finally arrives in Cherrygrove City. The boy points to a house by the water. "That's where I live."

[Diachronos]

Holly carries him over to the house he'd pointed to and knocks on the door. "Do you know if your mom's home, Chris?"

[NeoSeraphi]

The door opens and a woman about Professor Elm's age steps out. "Hello? Oh, my! Chris!"

"H-hey Mom."

"Chris, young man, where have you been? I was about to call Officer Jenny!"

"Sorry, Mom. I just went out to play and I fell..."

The woman hugs her son and smiles at Holly. "You took care of my little boy?"

[Diachronos]

Holly nods. "Yeah. There was a Spearow attacking him but I drove it off. You might want to have him see a doctor just to make sure his ankle's going to be okay, though."

[NeoSeraphi]

"Oh, thank you. What do you say to the nice lady, Chris?" she chides.

Chris looks up at her. "Thank you, Holly."

The woman smiles. "I should give you something for your trouble. Really, I do appreciate it. ...Oh! From the looks of things, you're on a journey, aren't you? I have something that might help."

She peeks into a drawer and pulls out a small square disk. "This is a Map App. If you plug this into your PokeGear, it will let you access a map of Johto any time you like!"

[Diachronos]

Holly plugs the disk in and smiles. "Thank you, ma'am. I really appreciate it. Oh, you wouln't happen to know where Mr. Pokemon lives, would you? Professor Elm from New Bark Town asked me to pick something up from him."

[NeoSeraphi]

The woman nods and turns around. She points at the northern exit. "If you leave here, it's about halfway between here and Violet City. Probably about a four hour walk. But you should rest for the night before you head out. The Pokemon Center will be happy to take you in. They can give you supper and treat any wounds your Pokemon may have suffered."

[Diachronos]

"Thank you, ma'am." She waves farewell to Chris and his mother, then heads off to find the Pokemon Center to get Corona and Mica patched up.

[NeoSeraphi]

Behind the desk is a pretty woman in a nurse's outfit. "Hello! Welcome to the Pokemon Center. I'm Joy, and I'll be happy to take care of your little ones today."

[Diachronos]

She hands over her Pokeballs to the nurse. "Thanks. My Cyndaquil and Onix got a little beat up on the way here from New Bark Town."

[NeoSeraphi]

The woman smiles. "You have a Trainer's license? As long as you have a Trainer's license, you can use the hospital services free of charge."

She examines Holly's PokeGear. "This checks out! I'll be right back, Miss White."

Nurse Joy walks Mica and Corona's PokeBalls over to a strange machine and sets them down. A white light flows into both Balls and then she returns to the desk. "Here you are! Good as new."

[Diachronos]

"Thank you. Someone in town also mentioned that Trainers are allowed to spend the night here?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Joy's eyes light up. "Yes! I'll get started preparing your meal right away." She turns and walks into the back room.

[Diachronos]

Holly takes a seat and lets Corona out of his ball; if the room is big enough, she'll let Mica out too. "You did a good job today, guys."

[NeoSeraphi]

The Cyndaquil chirps happily.

Nurse Joy brings out a plate of chicken smothered in white gravy. It smells delicious. She also has a few bowls of Pokemon food which Mica and Corona dig into.

[Diachronos]

Holly digs into her own food, glad for a hot meal after a long day. While she eats, she checks the map on her PokeGear to see what the terrain is like between here and her destination.

[NeoSeraphi]

The map shows her a long stretch of woods, but it seems like there is a path cleared out for travelers. She should expect to run into a lot of Bug Pokemon in this area.

[Diachronos]

"Well, we shouldn't have too much trouble if there's mostly Bug Pokemon." After finishing her dinner, Holly starts getting ready for bed. An early start tomorrow should see them back to Professor Elm by evening if everything went well.

[NeoSeraphi]

In the morning, Holly has some breakfast and goes out into the wilds to explore and find Mr. Pokemon's house!

The trees are dense and there's barely any sunlight peeking through at this hour, but Holly can hear many birds chirping and she sees plenty of nice faces glancing out at her.

Make a Dex check

[Diachronos]

Before heading out of town, Holly stops by the market to pick up some healing items for the trip.
Buying 3 Potions for 900

Dex: [roll0]

[NeoSeraphi]

Though Holly is a bit flat-footed on her best day, she manages to keep her footing even in the stick-riddled forest path.

She nearly falls, but catches herself, and finds herself looking at a spider web with a sleeping spiderlike Pokemon in it. It's kind of scary to see an arachnid that's so large, but...it's oddly cute, at least when it's sleeping.

[Diachronos]

Figuring that the Pokemon isn't hurting anything, Holly carefully gets up and moves around the web, trying not to disturb the sleeping creature.

[NeoSeraphi]

"Spina?" The Pokemon opens its eyes and looks down at Holly. "Spina. Spinarak." It crawls down onto her head and sits still.

[Diachronos]

"Oh, hello." Holly reaches into her bag and pulls out a piece of Pokemon food, holding it up to the Spinarak.

[NeoSeraphi]

The Pokemon yawns and then takes a piece of food and nibbles on it quietly. Unlike the Rattata, it seems curious, rather than aggressive.

[Diachronos]

"You're a friendly little guy, aren't you?" She reaches up to lift the Spinarak off her head, intending to place it back on its web.

[NeoSeraphi]

The Spinarak sits back on its web and tilts his head. "Spina?"

[Diachronos]

Holly waves to the Spinarak and starts moving onward toward Mr. Pokemon's home.

[NeoSeraphi]

Holly approaches the house. As she comes over a hill, she sees a little house next to a mailbox. Standing in front of the house is a pair of men wearing black uniforms with big red Rs on the front. The two of them cover their hair with black caps. One of them pounds on the front door.

"Open up! We know you're in there!"

[Diachronos]

Holly cautiously approaches the house. Something seems off here, but she also doesn't know the whole story. "Are you two looking for Mr. Pokemon?"

[NeoSeraphi]

The second man turns and glares at her. "Yeah. You might want to leave, little miss. Things might get a little messy."

[Diachronos]

"What are you talking about?" She keeps a hand near her Pokeballs; something tells her that things are going to go badly here.

[NeoSeraphi]

The door opens and an older gentleman in a suit and a hat steps out. "Can I help you?"

"Hand over all of your Pokemon Eggs, collector!" one of the black uniformed guys says.

"We need all the rare Pokemon in the world, and hatching them from Eggs is way easier to control them than just stealing them."

[Diachronos]

Oh, yes. These two are definitely up to no good. Holly narrows her eyes and lets both Mica and Corona out of their balls. "I think you two should leave this gentleman be, before things get messy."

[NeoSeraphi]

The two of them turn around and one of them laughs at her. "Are you kidding me? You think you can take us on with a shrimp and a slow giant?"

"Whatever, we'll deal with her quickly and then catch this guy."

The two men each grab a PokeBall from their belt.

"Zubat, teach her a lesson!"

"Ekans, put her down!"

Two Pokemon emerge from the Balls. One of them is a small bat and the other is a big snake.

Ekans's Intimidate lowers both Pokemons' Attack!

[Diachronos]

Holly clenches her fists. "Corona, Mica, hit them with Tackle!"
Combat stages are 25% increase/10% decrease according to the ORAS book, so they're both taking -1 to Attack
Mica vs Ekans: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

Corona vs Zubat: [roll2]
Damage: [roll3]

[NeoSeraphi]

Corona misses!

Mica's attack deals heavy damage to Ekans, but it is standing anyway.

"Zubat, use Supersonic on Onix!"

"Ekans, use Poison Sting on Cyndaquil!"

Zubat opens its mouth and emits a haunting melody of strange sounds.

Ekans sweeps its tail forward and crashes it into Corona.


Supersonic: [roll0]

Poison Sting: [roll1]
[roll2], poisons on a 17-20

[Diachronos]

Supersonic hits, Mica is confuse.
Poison Sting hits but doesn't inflict Poison

"Corona, finish off the Ekans! Mica, go for Zubat with Iron Tail!"

Corona vs Ekans: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

Confusion roll: [roll2]. On 1-10, Mica deals 2 damage to himself, on 11-15 he acts normally, on 16-20 he's cured of confusion
Hit: [roll3]
Damage: [roll4]

[NeoSeraphi]

Ekans collapses. The uniformed man recalls his Pokemon and glares at her. "You little runt! Argh...show her what Team Rocket is made of, partner!"

"Zubat, use Astonish on Cyndaquil!"

[roll0]
[roll1], Corona flinches on an 18-20

[Diachronos]

Corona is barely standing from the last hit. "Tackle, one more time!"
Mica:
Confusion: [roll0]
Hit: [roll1]
Damage: [roll2]

Corona: [roll3]
Damage: [roll4]

[NeoSeraphi]

A critical hit! Zubat goes flying towards its owner and crashes into him. The man falls off his feet and the other man gasps.

"What the...we weren't even able to knock out a single one of her Pokemon?"

"Damn brats...we'll remember this!"

The other man stands up.

"We are Team Rocket. You better watch your back. Next time we meet...we'll steal your Pokemon right out from under you!"

The two thugs run off.

Mica and Corona each get 105 XP for winning!

Holly gets 500 yen for winning!

[Diachronos]

Mica reaches level 6!
Holly gets out a potion to use on Corona, and pets both of her Pokemon. "You both did a great job. I'm proud of you."

She turns her attention to the older man. "Are you okay, sir?"

[NeoSeraphi]

The man smiles. "Indeed. Very impressive display, Miss. You must be the...unusual Trainer that Professor Elm told me about." He glances down at her outfit.

"Please, come inside. You are free to rest here as long as you like."

[Diachronos]

Holly recalls her Pokemon and comes inside. "Who were those people? Why were they after your Pokemon eggs?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Inside the house is another man, older with white hair. He smiles as Holly enters. "Oh my, another guest? You certainly are popular today, Tyson."

"I suppose I have a bit of fame within my own region, but it is nothing like yours, Samuel," Mr. Pokemon replies with an earnest smile.

The house is nice and quaint, and Mr. Pokemon offers Holly a seat on the couch and pours her a mug of tea.

"Those people are a nefarious group known as Team Rocket. They use Pokemon like weapons to try and steal money from others. The team itself attracts a lot of failed Pokemon Trainers, so rather than catching and raising their own Pokemon, they prefer to steal Pokemon from others and use those instead," Mr. Pokemon explains.

[Diachronos]

"That's horrible. How can a group like that be allowed to roam free?"

[NeoSeraphi]

The older man laughs. "Well, they aren't! Not in Kanto, at least. A powerful Pokemon Trainer stopped them in their tracks. He defeated their leader and sent the lot packing!"

Mr. Pokemon sighs. "At least, that's the case in Kanto. Here in Johto, the team has made a resurgence, but no one has been able to challenge them. The police are doing their best, but it's hard to coordinate an effort when they're active in so many towns."

[Diachronos]

Holly frowns. "What about the Trainer who stopped them before? Can't they step in to help?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Mr. Pokemon glances over at the older man.

"Hmm...He disappeared three years ago. No one's seen or heard from him since then."

[Diachronos]

"I see..." So Team Rocket is causing trouble all over Johto now... does that mean Olivine is at risk?

[NeoSeraphi]

Mr. Pokemon walks over to Holly. "Here is what I hoped to entrust you with. This is an Egg with strange markings on it."

He points to the egg shell. Holly can see that there are lightning bolt shaped cracks running down the side of it, but when she touches them, it doesn't feel like an indentation at all. So it's not a crack, just a design?

"If you would please show this to Professor Elm, I would be most grateful."

[Diachronos]

Holly nods and takes the egg, holding it carefully in her arms. "I'll make sure it gets to him safely, sir."

[NeoSeraphi]

Mr. Pokemon smiles. "What a lovely motherly instinct you have. Why, I'd think you had already held a little one of your own!"

The older man stands up. "A moment. Holly, you said it was? My name is Professor Oak. After seeing how well you dealt with those Rocket scoundrels, I would like to ask a favor. Please take this PokeDex for me and use it to gather data on all of the Pokemon in the Johto region." He taps a few keys into the PokeDex and then hands it to her.

[Diachronos]

She nods and accepts the PokeDex. "I'll get as many entries in it as I can. How does it work? Do I just hold it up when I find a new Pokemon?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Professor Oak nods. "To collect information on all the Pokemon in the world...that was my dream! But, I'm too old! I can't do it. So instead, I ask that you fulfill my dream for me. Now, go Holly! Take off on your Pokemon journey!"

[Diachronos]

Holly smiles and thanks the two men before heading out and starting the trek back to Cherrygrove. She looks up at the sky; if she can get there fast enough, she might be able to get her Pokemon healed and set off for New Bark before it gets dark.

[NeoSeraphi]

As Holly opens the door and steps out into the bright skyline, her PokeGear rings.

"Holly? Argh...how could this have happened? Oh, oh it's simply terrible! Please get back here as soon as you can!" Professor Elm declares, before hanging up on her.

[Diachronos]

Now what? She hurries back toward the lab, and as she walks she keeps trying to call the Professor back to get more information.

[NeoSeraphi]

The Professor answers her after the first call. "Holly? This is bad...someone stole a Pokemon from the Pokemon Lab! How could anyone do that?"

Holly remembers that she still has her bike folded up in her bag. She can probably save some time and ride back to Cherrygrove quickly.

[Diachronos]

"What?!" She gets out her bike and starts riding as fast as she can. "I'm on my way with the egg from Mr. Pokemon now. Is anybody hurt?"

[NeoSeraphi]

"I'm a little dinged up, but...no worse for the wear, I guess."

After Holly returns to Cherrygrove and stops to get her Pokemon healed, she meets the boy from the alley before as he enters the town.

"Oh? It's you..."

He narrows his eyes. "And where would you be of to in such a hurry?"

[Diachronos]

"I'm on an errand for Professor Elm. That's all."

[NeoSeraphi]

He closes his eyes as she tries to make her way past, and then stops and puts one hand out, blocking her path. "You're a Pokemon Trainer, aren't you? Let's have a match, to determine which one of us is stronger."

[Diachronos]

"I don't have time for that. I need to get back to the lab as soon as possible."

[NeoSeraphi]

"You have a Trainer's License, don't you? That means you can't refuse a challenge."

[Diachronos]

"...Fine." She sends out Mica.

[NeoSeraphi]

The boy sends out his Pokemon.

It's the same Totodile that was in the professor's lab! He must be the thief!

"Totodile, use Water Gun!"

The crocodile opens its mouth and fires a blast of water that crashes into Mica and knocks it aside.

[roll0]
[roll1]

[Diachronos]

Mica narrowly avoids the blast of water. "Mica, hit it with Tackle!"
Hit: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[NeoSeraphi]

A critical hit!

The boy stares in shock as his Totodile crashes to the ground. He grimaces and recalls the Pokemon.

"...My name's Silver. I'm going to become the strongest Pokemon Trainer in the world."

He shoves her out of the way and takes off, running towards Violet City.

[Diachronos]

Holly stares after the boy, before shaking her head and riding off toward the lab.

[NeoSeraphi]

When she arrives at the lab, she finds a woman in a blue uniform with spiky blue hair taking notes.

"Oh? Excuse me, this is a crime scene. I'm going to need you to wait outside please until I'm done conducting my investigation."

[Diachronos]

Holly nods and steps back. "If Professor Elm is still here and he isn't occupied, could you let him know that Holly White is back?"

[NeoSeraphi]

The officer nods. "I'll be happy to pass that information along to him. Apparently a Pokemon was stolen from this laboratory. The culprit appears to be a boy with red hair and silver eyes..."

[Diachronos]

"Wait, red hair and silver eyes? Was it a Totodile that he stole?"

[NeoSeraphi]

The officer raises an eyebrow. "How do you know so much information? ...Ah hah! They say the culprit will always return to the scene of the crime. And as you seem to be acquainted with Professor Elm, you would have not only known the Pokemon was here, but when the best time to steal it would have been! Therefore, I'm placing you under arr-"

Her confident tone shakes as her eyes fall on Holly's bikini.

"Arr-arr...Hair and eyes are easy enough to fake, but there's no way anyone would mistake you for a 'boy'..." she admits after a moment.

[Diachronos]

Holly shakes her head. "I know because I ran into the thief in Cherrygrove after Professor Elm called to tell me someone broke into the lab. The Professor didn't tell me what the criminal looked like or what he stole, otherwise I would've tried to stop him."

[NeoSeraphi]

"You saw the thief? Did you happen to get his name?"

[Diachronos]

"He said his name is Silver. I didn't get much more information out of him, though."

[NeoSeraphi]

The officer takes a few notes and nods. "He must be on his way to Violet City! Right, then. I'll be off. Take care, Professor!"

She salutes Elm and heads outside to her motorcycle.

Professor Elm looks dazed. He has a bandage on his cheek.

"Ah, how could this have happened? Oh, yes. What did Mr. Pokemon want to show me?"

[Diachronos]

Holly holds up the egg for Elm to see. "I've never seen an egg with markings like this before."

[NeoSeraphi]

Professor Elm examines the egg closely. "Indeed! This is a strange discovery indeed. This may even be a brand new species of Pokemon..."

[Diachronos]

"Do any Pokemon have eggs with distinct marks that you know of?"

[NeoSeraphi]

"Hm. None that I can recall. It would be a lot easier if I had a PokeDex with me to examine the data..."

[Diachronos]

Holly shows him her PokeDex. "Professor Oak gave me one when I was visiting Mr. Pokemon."

[NeoSeraphi]

Professor Elm leaps up and knocks over his chair in surprise. "Professor Oak trusted you with a PokeDex? Is that true, Holly? That's...that's incredible. Wow, Holly. You may have what it takes to face the Johto Gym League Challenge! If you're interested, head to Violet City after this and speak to Falkner."

He opens up the PokeDex and shakes his head, looking at its contents. "You've only scanned data on a few common Pokemon. None of these lay eggs like this. I'll need more extensive data to answer the question. Come back when your PokeDex is full of Pokemon."

[Diachronos]

Holly nods and puts her PokeDex away. "Challenging the league would help Corona and Mica grow as well, wouldn't it? It sounds like a good idea." She looks at the egg. "Do you have a good place to keep this warm?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Elm nods. "Not to worry. The egg will be safe with me."

[Diachronos]

"Alright. ...What can we do about the stolen Totodile?"

[NeoSeraphi]

"For now, we should leave it to the police."

[Diachronos]

"Alright. I'll get on the road to Violet City, then."

[NeoSeraphi]

The Professor nods. "Here. Use these to help you complete the PokeDex."

Holly gets 5 PokeBalls!

[Diachronos]

"Thank you, Professor." She smiles at him and heads out.

[NeoSeraphi]

As Holly heads outside, she thinks about her dad. He might want to know that she's decided to take on the Gyms. That likely will take more time away than either of them were expecting her to be gone.

[Diachronos]

Since it's going to be a long walk anyway, Holly gives her father a call to let him know what's happened.

[NeoSeraphi]

Patrick answers the phone. "Hello? Oh, Holly! Guys, guys, shut up a minute. My daughter is trying to talk to me."

The noise on his end quiets down. "Hello, Holly. Did you meet with Professor Elm?"

[Diachronos]

Sounds like he's hanging out with his coworkers; at least he's not lonely with her gone. "Yeah, I did. He wants me to raise a Pokemon so he can study its growth after it evolves, and he's saying I might have what it takes to challenge the Johto League."

[NeoSeraphi]

Patrick is quiet for a moment. "...That's great, honey! I'm sure you can. Just...be careful for now, okay? The Pokemon around here are a lot stronger than Mica. Just because you have a bike, it doesn't mean you'll be able to come home whenever you want. But I'm looking forward to seeing you get stronger."

[Diachronos]

Something tells her that he's not entirely thrilled that she's going on this journey... "I'll be careful, I promise. Professor Elm suggested starting out in Violet City, so I'm heading there next."

[NeoSeraphi]

"Oh really? Your aunt Monica lives in Violet City. Why don't you stop by and visit?"

Patrick and his sister have gotten along well every time that Holly has seen them together. She seems to be the kind of reserved, graceful, beautiful woman that any Johto father would be proud to call his daughter. Like Jasmine, if Jasmine were older and never had to get her hands dirty.

[Diachronos]

"That sounds like a good idea. I'll tell her you said hello when I get there!"

[NeoSeraphi]

"Alright. Be a good girl, Holly. I love you!"

As Holly replies and hangs up, she feels something on her head.

She wandered into Cherrygrove City, and past it. And now she's under that Spinarak's web again, and once again it is sitting on her head.

[Diachronos]

Holly looks up at the Spinarak. "Back again, eh?"

[NeoSeraphi]

"Spina!" the Pokemon replies jovially, looking down at Holly expectantly.

[Diachronos]

Holly thinks for a moment, wondering what the Pokemon could want. "...Are you saying you want to come with me?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Spinarak clicks its fangs together as if it was eating.

[Diachronos]

"Oh, you're hungry. Here." She holds up a piece of Pokemon food for the Spinarak.

[NeoSeraphi]

Spinarak happily starts chewing on a piece of food. It doesn't move from her head.

[Diachronos]

Holly lifts the Spinarak off her head and places it back onto its web.

[NeoSeraphi]

Spinarak hisses and then spits a web behind her. Oh no, it's a fight!

[Diachronos]

Holly sends out Corona. "Use Tackle!"
Hit: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[NeoSeraphi]

The Spinarak whimpers and then stabs Corona with its stinger.

Poison Sting: [roll0]
[roll1]

It's probably weak enough that she could catch it if she wanted to.

[Diachronos]

Holly tosses a Pokeball!
[roll0]

[NeoSeraphi]

The PokeBall shakes three times, but Spinarak settles into the ball nicely.

Holly caught Spinarak!

Corona got 30 Experience points!

Spinarak is female, with a Jolly Nature

[Diachronos]

Holly picks up the ball. "I think I'll call you... Nina." She starts moving onward, but stops and turns back toward the city. It's probably a bad idea to try moving on when two-thirds of her team are injured.

[NeoSeraphi]

Nurse Joy smiles as Holly enters. "There you are. It's getting dark outside, you know. Certain Pokemon only appear at night time, so it may be useful for you to travel after dark, but it can also be more dangerous. Different kinds of Trainers emerge after the sun goes down, and the types that come out after dark are more likely to be hostile towards you. If you like, you can sleep here instead of traveling down the road."

[Diachronos]

"Thanks for the advice. I think I'll just wait here until morning, then."

[NeoSeraphi]

Nurse Joy smiles and starts cooking. She brings out a hot plate of beef, slathered in white gravy, and some Pokemon food for everyone.

"So, is there anything you're worried about as you start your journey? If you have any questions about Pokemon training, I can share some information with you."

[Diachronos]

"Well... I guess I'm curious about how battles between Trainers are supposed to work. Is there a set of rules that we have to follow aside from following the law? Do the League rules only apply in certain situations?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Nurse Joy smiles. "Each Trainer can only use one Pokemon at a time, generally. You take turns, so no acting twice in a row, unless the enemy Pokemon is paralyzed or asleep or something. You also cannot flee from a Trainer battle, and you must accept any challenge issued you. You also need to make sure you keep enough yen on you to pay if you lose...especially if you go out after dark."

She shifts a bit and adjusts her skirt.

[Diachronos]

Holly nods slowly as she takes in the information. "Are Trainers allowed to use different rules if they both agree to them? Like using multiple Pokemon at once?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Nurse Joy nods. "Yes, but not in Gym Battles."

[Diachronos]

Holly thanks Nurse Joy for dinner and her information, and heads up to bed. In the morning she stops by the store to pick up some supplies for the trip.

[NeoSeraphi]

The shopkeeper offers her his wares.

He has PokeBalls, Potions, Super Potions, Antidotes, and Paralyze Heals, all at the normal rates.

[Diachronos]

Holly picks up three more Potions, a Paralyze Heal, and an Antidote before heading out.
Spending 950 yen on the items

[NeoSeraphi]

Nina pops out of her PokeBall and settles on Holly's head. "Spina!"

[Diachronos]

"I guess you don't like it inside the ball, then?" She lightly scratches the spider's back as they head north toward Violet City.

[NeoSeraphi]

A young boy steps in Holly's path.

"Hey, wait, Miss! I'm Joey, and I want to challenge you to a Pokemon Battle!"

[Diachronos]

Holly sighs. "Alright, alright..." Why did they have to make a rule that Trainers have to accept all challenges? Did someone in the Pokemon League just like the idea of little kids getting beaten?

[NeoSeraphi]

Joey jumps into the air and throws a PokeBall forward. "Rattata, I choose you!"

A Rat Pokemon, like the one Holly encountered when she left Elm's lab, appears on the ground. This Rattata has a sharp coat, however, and its fangs appear very pronounced. It has clearly received a lot of training.

[Diachronos]

Holly sends out Mica. "Use Iron Tail!"
Hit: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

Mica's Speed is 7

[NeoSeraphi]

I said that Rattata was faster than all your Pokemon, and I meant it. The base stats given in the PokeDex are for Pokemon at level 1. For Wild Pokemon, I'll usually keep their stats the same but for Trainer Pokemon they will have scaled up stats just as your Pokemon gain stats when they level.

"Alright, Rattata, use Tail Whip!"

[roll0]

Rattata sees the Iron Tail incoming and easily leaps out of the way. "Good, now hit it with Tackle!"

Rattata launches at Mica with full force.

[roll1]
[roll2]

[Diachronos]

Mica's Defense is lowered by 10% rounded up, so it drops from 18 to 16. He still has +3 on his evasion against Tackle

Mica avoids the Rattata's charge. "Tackle!"
Hit: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[NeoSeraphi]

Rattata flies backwards from the strike, but Joey orders him to stand up. "Now, try another Tackle!"

[roll0]
[roll1]

[Diachronos]

Mica takes the hit, suffering some damage. "Finish Rattata off with another Tackle!"
[roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[NeoSeraphi]

The Rattata faints!

Holly is the victor! Mica got 80 XP for winning!

Holly got 350 yen for winning.

[Diachronos]

Mica reaches level 7, replacing Harden with Rock Throw

Holly smiles at Joey. "That was a good match."

[NeoSeraphi]

Joey sighs and smiles. "Yes. Thank you." He smiles and waves as she walks off.

Holly continues on her way, and she finds a strange Pokemon planting its roots firmly in her path.

Her PokeDex dings. "Bellsprout, the Sprout Pokemon. It secretes a venom from its mouth that lures insect Pokemon close before gobbling them up."

[Diachronos]

Holly puts her PokeDex away and moves around the edge of the path to avoid the Bellsprout.

[NeoSeraphi]

The Bellsprout snaps at her leg with a vine!

Holly takes [roll0] damage!

[Diachronos]

"Ow! What was that for?!" She steps back away from the Bellsprout.

[NeoSeraphi]

The PokeDex beeps. "Typically, Trainers should avoid directly approaching Pokemon in the wild. Pokemon are wild animals and see humans as a threat. It is better to try and remove any Wild Pokemon obstructing your path with your own Pokemon."

[Diachronos]

Holly frowns. It makes sense, but at the same time she doesn't feel quite right about attacking a Pokemon that's minding its own business just because it's in her way.

With a sigh, she sends out Corona. "Hit Bellsprout with a Tackle."
Hit: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[NeoSeraphi]

The Bellsprout doesn't even move and Corona misses the attack.

Bellsprout lashes out at Corona with its vines.

[roll0]
[roll1]

[Diachronos]

Holly winces as Corona takes the hit. "Tackle it again!"
Hit: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[NeoSeraphi]

The Bellsprout evades yet again and launches another attack at Corona.

[roll0]
[roll1]

[Diachronos]

"Another Tackle!"
Hit: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[NeoSeraphi]

A direct hit! Bellsprout looks weakened!

Bellsprout uses Vine Whip!

[roll0]
[roll1]

[Diachronos]

Holly throws a Pokeball!
[roll0]

[NeoSeraphi]

The PokeBall nearly snaps open, but Bellsprout finally settles down into the PokeBall.

This Pokemon is female. It is level 5. It has a Lonely nature.

[Diachronos]

She picks up the ball. "Welcome to the team. I'll name you... Vickie."

Holly lets the Bellsprout back out of its ball, and uses a couple of Potions to heal her and Corona.

[NeoSeraphi]

Holly approaches Violet City, and a final Pokemon Trainer blocks her path. "Hold on! You need to check out all my cool Bug Pokemon!"

[Diachronos]

Holly frowns and sends out Nina. "Alright, let's do this."

[NeoSeraphi]

Holly has been challenged by Bug Catcher Wally!

Bug Catcher Wally sent out Weedle!

"Weedle, the Hairy Pokemon. Its poison stinger is very powerful. Its bright-colored body is intended to warn off its enemies."

[Diachronos]

Holly considers her options. Nina and Weedle are the same types...
[roll0]
Figuring that Nina's lack of move variety would just be a hindrance, she recalls her Spinarak and sends in Mica.

[NeoSeraphi]

Weedle attacks with Poison Sting!

[roll0]
[roll1]

[Diachronos]

Weedle's attack barely scratches Mica. "Hit it with Rock Throw!"
Hit: [roll0], DC 4
Damage: [roll1]

[NeoSeraphi]

Weedle collapses.

The Trainer recalls his Pokemon. "Let's try this one! Go, Caterpie!"

The PokeDex beeps. "Caterpie, the Worm Pokemon. Its feet have suction cups designed to stick to any surface. It tenaciously climbs trees to forage."

[Diachronos]

"Mica, use Tackle!"
Hit: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[NeoSeraphi]

The Caterpie nearly falls over on the spot, but it remains firm.

"Grr...Alright, we'll need to try and set up for the rest of this battle. Caterpie, use String Shot!"

[roll0]
If it hits, Onix's speed will be lowered two Stages as the Gen VII String Shot functions.

[Diachronos]

Mica gets entangled in the webbing. "Let's finish this, Mica! Rock Throw, one more time!"
Hit: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[NeoSeraphi]

Caterpie faints!

XP for Weedle and Caterpie - 30 each

"Alright, it's slowed down! Now it's my turn to attack. Go, Spinarak!"

A Spinarak appears!

"Poison Sting!"

[roll0]
[roll1]

[Diachronos]

Mica barely even flinches from the blow, and roars as Holly calls for another Tackle.
Hit: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[NeoSeraphi]

Spinarak falls over.

Wally grits his teeth.

"It's all up to you! Ledyba!"

A little ladybug style Pokemon flies out. "Ledyba, the Five Star Pokemon. When the weather turns cold, lots of Ledyba cluster together to keep warm."

"Ledyba, use Tackle!"

[roll0]
[roll1]

[Diachronos]

Mica avoids the attack. "Rock Throw!"
Hit: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[NeoSeraphi]

60 XP for both Spinarak and Ledyba

Wally gasps and recalls his Pokemon. "You beat all four of my Pokemon with just one? ...sniff. That was harsh. I guess I should focus on raising my Pokemon more instead of just catching every new Bug I find."

He hands Holly a Berry. "Here. Take this. Your Pokemon can eat it to feel better, even during battle!"

Holly got an Oran Berry!

Holly got 480 yen for winning!

Holly reaches Violet City!

[Diachronos]

As soon as she gets to the city, Holly makes her way to the Pokemon Center to heal up her team.

[NeoSeraphi]

Nurse Joy smiles as Holly enters the Pokemon Center.

"Hello! Welcome to the Pokemon Center. We can restore your Pokemon to full health."

She looks at Holly's outfit with surprise. "Erm...while you're in the city, wh-why not pay a visit to Sprout Tower? It's right at the end of the road."

[Diachronos]

Holly gives her a curious look. "Sprout Tower? What's over that way?"