*Echo smiled at the effort of the twins to make her feel better, and nodded at the news about their eyes.*
"Born with it, or ghost exposure?" *She asked, leaning against Titan as he moved through the station.* "I know some traits can be added through exposure."
*She reached up to pull at one of the white strands of hair framing her face nervously, but made no other comment.*
*When Titan finally exited the station, Echo gasped at Nimbasa, blue eyes widening in awe.*
"Oh it's *gorgeous*." *She said about the city, pushing herself upwards to see as much as she could.* "Everything shines!"
"We don't know. Born with it, maybe?" Emmet answered.
"It's freaky to most people," Ingo added with a subtle shrug.
When the group exited the station, the sight of Nimbasa City was visible in all of its glory. It was a bright metropolis with bustling activity, especially in the amusement park and the famous Ferris wheel. It was a popular date site, and tourists from all over often visited the city. Not only was the amusement park very popular, so was Elesa's gym and the Battle Subway.
Just as Echo commented, the city was constantly shining ever-so brightly. The Ferris wheel and the amusement park as a whole had fairy lights that fought off the darkness of shadows threatening to snuff them out. There were some spotlights emanating from Elesa's gym nearby, almost acting like a beacon. The twins were quick to point down at the gym so Titan would fly there and land.
Once the large Golurk landed, the twins scrambled off of his back. They hurriedly gestured for Echo to follow, though it'd probably be best to put Titan back in his pokeball due to the crowd.
When the twins and their new companion entered the Nimbasa City gym, it was almost blinding with the lights that radiated from the runway. The crowd was going wild when Elesa stepped into view- the three of them were just in time to witness the start of Elesa's show.
As always, he was gorgeous. His outfit consisted of gorgeous shades of blacks and grays highlighted with blues and golds. He had a belt that had lightly dangling golden stars that resembled a Luxray's tail, and he spun a Quick Ball on his finger. He flipped his head back, causing his black hair highlighted with blue to follow suit.
Elesa was about to battle a challenger who wasn't as flashy as him, but had uniquely dyed purple hair. Longer strands of hair covered his left eye, and he had fluffy bangs with soft sideburns. He was holding a homemade pokeball in his hand, made from apricorns, and it had some kind of mark- presumably to tell which pokeball had which pokemon.
Okay! first gym down but I have heard the next one is always a run killer. So after beating up some grunts, having a dream (genuinely a cool sequence wish there was more of this in pokemon) and talking to the cute but ultimately useless Dr. Fennel I am free to leave striaton city!
Now I can catch some pokemon! Now I don't want to overload my team in case of a wipe but I still want a good chance to win. To help I catch 2 pokemon. First I beat up Cheren. I am overlevelled for him and pansage nicely counters his oshawott for now. Then he joins me in taking down some other grunts inwellspring cave. This is the location of the most important encounter for Lenora and there's 50% of catching it!
I get lucky! Here is Jim Geode the Roggenrola. A pokemon I have never used but resisting normal types is going to be invaluable. Especially with Iron defence and a not terrible attack.
With roggenrola on board the training begins. I slowly work my way down route 3 make it to Nacrene and deftly avoid N to get to pinwheel forest. I am using the pinwheel forest clause but tbh I probably won't need it. I go into the grass hoping again for the encounter I want. A tympole is a 40 ish percent encounter rate. But if I get tympole out the way then I can catch a fighting type in the next run!
I get lucky again and catch the tympole. This will be my planned water type for this run! Again I have never used them but a solid ground water type will be fun to use.
I train up more around challenge rock. Levelling up Speed and attack EVs where I can before I am ready for the gym.
N after training is no problem. Pignite has evolved and is a little beasty now with his arm thrust and flame charge combo it is a pretty comfy team at the moment.
With that I race to Lenora.
Yeah she left before I could get a picture...
Still. Her nasty gimick is some powerful attacks, along with intimidate, watchog's hypnosis and most dangerous the move retaliate which doubles when you defeat her Pokemon. So, Planning ahead I start with Pansage. Pansage here has one job set up leech seed on Herdier fast and get out. Lucily he gets it first turn then takes a LOT of damage from take down. I switch into roggenrola and begin the set up. 3 iron defenses maxes out my defence meaning I can tank anything they can dish out. Leechseed keeps me topped up so now I can just whittle away at herdier while he does practically nothing even with a critical hit. By the time Herdier is defeated I am only a slither away from full. Watchog comes in and knowing retaliate will do nothing goes for leer putting me down a singular defence stage. I have to laugh. Crunch is scary with its ability to defence drop even further and I do fall asleep once. But it only takes a few headbutts to seal the victory!
This went very well! I will have to be much more agressive in the next game but I am glad I am past this little bottleneck that some struggle with. Next up Burgh and his Bugs but with Pignite I doubt it will be much issue.
Okay I actually did this a few weeks ago but its a bit late now. Right the main challenge here is I have really messed up the starter rosters here.
When I modded in Axew in pokemon Black, I put him in the Oshawott slot. That meant I got Simisear from the dreamyard and guess which starter I am choosing for this run... Oshawott!
I forget to give him a nickname so will have to come up with one later but I love Oshawott. I think its a greatly designed line but I don't think I have properly used him in a run through! So here goes.
Now I do not want to catch a Lillipup as it will be my starter in the last Unova game... Which means I actually lock myself out of a purrloin encounter as Lillipup is the first pokemon I see on route 2. Now this is mega frustrating because I do not get the pansear in the dreayard either. So basically I have only one pokemon going into the first gym. While this may be suicide normally I actually have a little strat that might work.
First I EV train... Like a lot. I Max out attack and most of speed on the pokemon on route 2 before preparing to take on Cheren as a test. Now Cheren starts with Snivy vs Oshawott. Fortunately I am now overlevelled but the strat is Focus enerrgy tackling. And it works... Not quickly though. Oshawott does fo down to three tackles but the following Purrloin goes down in one to a critical hit. Truth is it a very RNG based strategy so the game is weighing the odds as much to my favour as possible.
So Oshawott goes in Little Oran berry snac in his pouch, EV buffed to all hell. Lets see how he does.
Lillipup comes in and I use Focus energy. Fortunately the lillipup goes for work up! 2 water guns take it out with the second being a critical hit as the lillipup only goes for another work up.
Pansage comes in and I calculate it will take 3 vine whips to take me out. 2 after a work up. Unfortunately, It will take 4-5 tackles to take out pansage even with EVs whats more it is questionable as to whether I outspeed. My solution. Level up mid battle now level 15 with pretty solid speed EVs I outspeed and stand a chance. Focus energy is still up. I tackle, he works up. I tackle again. He works up again. I tackle for a third time and finish the monkey off!
Honestly this was still very much luck. Yes I did as much as I could to reduce that but I honestly should have just been less stubborn and caught a Lillipup.
Next up is the Dreamyard, and route 3 which goes very smoothly with my now overlevelled Oshawott. I have exhausted encounters in both Wellspring cave and route three annoyingly so have to wait until Pinwheel forest for my next encounter.
Luckily I am guaranteed the one encounter I want. Throh! I use a hidden ultra ball to catch him and name him Judoo
Now it is pretty clear why I have caught this fella. Lenora is a tough cookie and taking one Dewott into this fight with a retaliate hiding in the background is suicide. So here goes nothing.
I lead Dewott knowing Razor Shell and Rock smash. I just go straight for it chipping away at it with Razor shell which is doing more damage. With a defense drop it actually only takes 2 and Herdier doesn't do a thing. Watchogg comes in and retaliates as predicted. I switched into throh who is damn tanky and takes it like an absolute champ. It goes for Hypnosis but my chesto berry blocks it. One vital throw later and its all over.
I'm feeling much more comfortable this run! Hopefully I can hold up to the end and create a team good enough for that goddamn Ghetsis fight at the end.