Pewter City

Finally, after what felt like hours after being asked to deliver the flowers, Finch, Fritter, and Debbie arrived at the correct address on the other side of town. This home was quite close to the Pokemon Gym, but Finch wasn't thinking about the Gym right this minute. He was thinking about how much he couldn't wait to get rid of these flowers and go do literally anything else.

He gave a sharp knock at the door, and a young man answered, "coming!" from within the house. Debbie held the bouquet, standing proudly in front of the door next to Finch, with Fritter close behind. The door opened and a man in a purple shirt with a Rattata on his shoulder appeared.

"Yeah, how can I help you?" Finch blinked in surprise at the Pokemon, who twitched its whiskers at him and.. was it grinning? Finch blinked again and looked back to the man. "Er. I've got these flowers, for you, from your Auntie Graham."

"Oh, Auntie Graham! I haven't seen her in ages! I can't believe she remembered my birthday!"

The Rattata's face fell, and Finch suddenly realized that the little Pokemon had probably been trying to bring a gift to his friend. He didn't feel sorry that he'd gotten the flowers back and fixed them up, since they didn't belong to the Rattata in the first place, but he did feel bad that the Pokemon hadn't gotten his trainer a gift. He reached into his pocket, and while the man had his nose buried in the flowers, Finch winked at the Rattata and tossed him a trinket he didn't really need, a little enamel pin of a Pecha Berry. The Rattata caught the item and its eyes gleamed in thanks.

The man thanked Finch and closed the door, Finch wishing him a happy birthday as he did so. Finch left, feeling an odd feeling in the pit of his gut.

Poke Job Tier 2, Flower Delivery
Elderly Woman, Post 6

Great! Completion Rank
+12 Exp to Fritter and Debbie
1x Lum Berry, 1x Pink Bow

Debbie grew to level 13!

Near the entrance to the Pewter City Pokemon Gym, Finch lurked, trying to get a peek inside the window or something. A trainer passing by smirked at him, earning Finch's immediate ire. "First time doing a Gym challenge, huh? Trying to see the competition ahead of time?"

Finch snorted. "...Yeah, it's nerve-wracking, honestly." He deflated a bit. "My team's strong, but I'm not sure if they're strong enough yet, y'know?"

The trainer shrugged. "You'll never know if you don't try. Here, let me see.." The trainer dug into his bag and produced a small drawstring pouch. Finch opened it to find.... a rock. "Er."

Laughing, the trainer spoke again, "You're really new to all this huh? That's a Moon Stone, not just any old rock. It evolves a few of the Pokemon you can find around here. Well, not directly in some cases, but, yeah! If you get a Jigglypuff or something, use that on it." The trainer bid him goodbye and left, leaving Finch feeling shocked.

Fritter grew to level 9!
Debbie grew to level 14!

With a newly evolved Wigglytuff in tow, Finch felt pretty confident. He thought it might finally, finally, be time to attempt to challenge the Pewter Gym, and so he took a quick trip back to the Pokemon Center. While there, he healed up his Pokemon, got his items and supplies in order, checked on everyone to make sure they were alright, and headed back to the Gym's front door. With a deep breath in and a smile on his pretty face, Finch stepped through the door to the Pewter City Gym to make his first attempt at getting the Boulder Badge.

Finch defeated Liam definitively, knocking his Sandshrew out in only two moves despite the Sand Attack getting in Radiance's eyes and making it harder for her to see. He shook the trainer's hand and took a look at his items again. He swapped Radiance's Diamond Necklace out for her Wise Glasses, hoping that extra Special Attack boost might just help them out in a pinch.

With a confident look on his face and Radiance right behind him, Finch stepped forward to approach and challenge Gym Leader Brock, determined to get his first Gym badge today.

"Try a Dragon Breath, Radiance." Finch kept calm, but he was definitely a bit nervous. This was his first time fighting any Rock-type Pokemon, and if that Geodude used the right move at the right time, he could easily take his Charmander down in one or two hits. Radiance was fast enough that she managed to get off a hit on the Rock-type Geodude before it could make its first move, leaping forward to loose a powerful blast of pinkish-red flames; a Dragon Breath attack, boosted just a bit by the Wise Glasses item the Charmander was holding. Finch knew that the move had a slim chance of Paralyzing the foe, too, and crossed his fingers that it might happen.

White Prince Of Wonderland
Radiance used Dragon Breath! 60 base x 1.1 = 66 damage, 30% chance of Paralyzation

Radiance looked confident after striking with Dragon Breath, but to her dismay and Finch's, the Geodude was still standing and got off a powerful Magnitude attack, both shaking and breaking up the gym's floor and, unfortunately, knocking out Radiance in a single hit. The Charmander flew up and crashed to the ground, flame looking weak, and Finch sucked his teeth, grimacing as he returned Radiance to her ball.

"Well, I had a feeling my luck would run out sooner or later, but I've got some back-up too." Finch tossed another ball and out popped Debbie the Wigglytuff, with her Pink Bow tie and her bright eyes. "Tuff, Wigglytuff!" she cried out as she appeared.

"Use Disable, stop it from using Magnitude again!" It seemed that Finch had actually done a little research on his Pokemon's moves before this battle, for once.

White Prince Of Wonderland
Debbie used Disable against Geodude's Magnitude!

Rollout struck Debbie, throwing her backward a few steps, but the Wigglytuff was bottom-heavy and stayed on her feet, ready to keep going. She took a little damage from that, but she still had plenty of fight in her.

Gym leaders are no joke, this guy's tough as hell. I'll just have to hope Debbie can handle whatever's next, too. Finch felt a drop of sweat drip down his temple, and he reached up to wipe it away, surprised that he was that stressed by a battle. He was taking being a Pokemon trainer more seriously than he thought he would.

"Debbie, use Disarming Voice!" Finch called out. Debbie inhaled a big, deep breath, then exhaled a burst of pink waves that almost looked like they had little hearts popping around them. The Pink Bow that Debbie wore glowed a little along with the attack motions.

White Prince Of Wonderland
Debbie took 10 damage! 100/110
Debbie used Disarming Voice! 48 damage, boosted by Pink Bow

Finch grinned as the Geodude fell, feeling pretty good about himself and ready for whatever came next, but when the 'next' was a like twenty foot tall snake made of rocks, it was hard to really be ready. Finch took a deep breath, staring up at the Onix; he hadn't really been prepared for quite this, but he had been ready for a tough battle, so he would just keep trying. He wouldn't be cowed.

"That guy is huge," Finch said, "but you know what they say about big foes!"

Debbie puffed up, making herself look a bit bigger, trying to intimidate the enemy Onix, but it dropped a bunch of heavy rocks on her before she could make a move. She was in rough shape but turned to nod at Finch, ready to keep going.

"Use Disarming Voice again, Debbie!"

It always felt funny to have his Pokemon use a single attack more than one time in a row, but Finch knew that Debbie's best chance here was to just hit as hard as she could and hang on as long as possible. He had the thought that she likely wouldn't be able to take down the Onix before it damaged her too much to go on, but she was tough and would still try her best.

White Prince Of Wonderland
Debbie took 50 damage! 50/110
Debbie used Disarming Voice! 48 damage, boosted by Pink Bow

Finch gritted his teeth as Debbie was knocked out; she tried to stay standing, but even the might of Debbie couldn't stand up to that Onix. He returned her to her ball and stood thinking for a few moments, trying to puzzle out a strategy real quick to hopefully keep this fight going in his favor. Brock still only had the one Pokemon, naturally, and Finch had four left, but he hadn't trained up his entire party well enough to stand more than a hit each, he figured.

Thinking fast, Finch decided to send in Valentine. The Nidoran he'd just caught might, possibly, if he was lucky enough, be able to do a little damage and also Poison the Onix while also taking a hit or two, he hoped.

"Valentine, give it a whirl! Try a Poison Sting!"

White Prince Of Wonderland
Debbie fainted!
Finch sent out Valentine (Nidoran F)!
Valentine used Poison Sting! (15 damage halved, 30% chance of Poison)