Cherrygrove City

Thomas seemed to be receptive of what Lirio said and suggested they try the gym in the next City. Lirio had already considered this, but seeing as there were still quite a few Pokemon he wanted to capture within and around Cherrygrove City, he suggested that they stay longer. “Seeing as the gym leader of Violet City is a flying-type specialist, I don’t think it would be a good idea for me to go in with a team only of Pokemon weak against flying types. I definitely want to catch a Poliwag as well as some other Pokemon here and near Cherrygrove City,” Lirio explained a bit more.

He has considered the possibility that Thomas may decide to go ahead without him, which he could not stop nor would feel terrible about. That being said, Lirio did hope that if this were to happen, they could meet again, perhaps either in Violet City or someplace thereafter. This, he kept to himself, waiting until Thomas responded to his suggestion.

• Pokedex

• Pokeballs (unlimited)

• Potions (unlimited)

• Transfer Paper

• Pokemon encounter post count: 3/5

• NPC trainer battle post count: 13/25

• Specific Lure: 13/20

Items:

• Pokegear

• Pokedex

• Pokeballs (unlimited)

• Potions (unlimited)

• Transfer Paper

• Pokemon encounter post count: 4/5

• NPC trainer battle post count: 14/25

• Specific Lure: 14/20

• Transfer Paper (in cities): 7/20

        Lirio and his Pokemon decided to keep looking around the forest. Despite what he could tell was a clearly devious Caterpie, his innocent Sewaddle could not see that there could be any malice in the heart of the newly caught Pokemon. She was only happy to have another friend, especially one that looked so much like her. To his surprise, the two were playing fairly well, crawling in circles from one of his shoulders to the other. Aster was a bit weary and stayed on top of Lirio’s head, watching from a distance. Amaryllis was a bit more defiant and walked on the ground slightly ahead of Lirio, but not so far as to not be able to see him and the others out of the corner of her eye.

Lirio found all of this amusing and simply enjoyed being with his Pokemon out in nature. The air was relatively fresh compared to that inside Cherrygrove City, but it also still had a scent of the ocean considering how close they still were to it. It was definitely a different sort of smell than what he was used to back home. One thing that caught his eye along their path was an exceptionally large mushroom, a Big Mushroom, as they were commonly called. He knew that many Pokemon loved the taste of this particular mushroom, often begin reminded of simpler times from their childhood. In fact, it is believed this is why they often remember moves that typically require extensive to learn. He plucked the mushroom and placed it in his bag, but he did think about the idea of breeding for a moment and how he had ambivalent feelings towards the practice. On one hand, Pokemon were better adapted to accomplish various tasks. On the other hand, this task was often battling and the ones that weren’t considered the “creme of the crop” were abandoned, left to fend for themselves...

Items:

• Pokegear

• Pokedex

• Pokeballs (unlimited)

• Potions (unlimited)

• Transfer Paper

• Pecha Berry

• Oran Berry

• Cheri Berry

• Big Mushroom

Post Counts:

• Pokemon encounter post count: 1/5

• NPC trainer battle post count: 16/25

• Specific Lure: 16/20

• Transfer Paper (in cities): 9/20

• Green Appricorn (non-cities): 4/10

• Friendship (daily): 3/5

        Lirio wasn’t given long to dwell on his thoughts. Shortly after putting away the mushroom, a large ruckus seemed to be going on in a nearby patch of bushes. Amaryllis and Papilio immediately became on edge while Calla was unsure what was going on but was tense nonetheless, sensing something was amiss. Aster hid behind Lirio’s leg, but was still curious about the commotion and so peeked out from behind it rather than completely hide. Moments later, a hooded figure practically fell out of the bushes along with a sack which landed a few feet away from him. He panicked for a moment, seemingly looking for something he lost, until he noticed where the bag had landed. Lirio was completely surprised by this. He saw movement coming from the brown sack that was tied closed. 

“What is in the bag, sir?” Lirio asked in a tone that contrasted his use of the word ‘sir?’

The hooded man seemed startled at these words, apparently not noticing that there were others in the vicinity. The man did not respond, a look of utter panic on his face. Lirio could tell he was not much older than himself and was probably caught up with the wrong crowd. That being said, he also did not look all that dangerous and seemed more worried than anything else. Lirio suspected something was going. Before he could ask the man another question, sirens came into hearing range of them. The man turned pale as a ghost and scurried away into the forest, leaving the bag behind. “Wait!” Was all Lirio could say before the man was gone.

Items:

• Pokegear

• Pokedex

• Pokeballs (unlimited)

• Potions (unlimited)

• Transfer Paper

• Pecha Berry

• Oran Berry

• Cheri Berry

• Big Mushroom

Post Counts:

• Pokemon encounter post count: 2/5

• NPC trainer battle post count: 17/25

• Specific Lure: 17/20

• Transfer Paper (in cities): 11/20

• Friendship (daily): 4/5

        The sirens that originally seemed distant were now rather loud and nearby. Officer Jenny soon appeared on her patrol bike along with her trusty Growlithe partner. “Have you all seen a suspicious man running through here carrying a burlap sack?” She asked, not wanting to jump to conclusions upon seeing Lirio with the Turtwig and the mentioned sack nearby.

“Yes, ma’am. He appeared here a few moments ago. However, he seemed startled by my presence after he fell out of some bushes. I believe he left this sack with a Turtwig in it by accident in his haste to escape your pursuit. He went in that direction, deeper into the forest.” Lirio responded politely, pointing in the direction the man appeared to run off to.

“I see. My vehicle can’t traverse deeper into the forest. I’ll have aerial patrol look for him. Thank you for your help! You must be wondering about the Turtwig though and how it got into this region…” Officer Jenny replied.

Lirio was a bit surprised that she knew exactly what he was thinking, but in hindsight, he realized he should have expected that from a career detective such as herself. “Actually, yes, I was. They aren’t typically found here except as Trainer’s Pokemon.”

“Well, it seems people have been smuggling Pokemon into the region for various regions through secret docks along the coast of Cherrygrove City. This young man appears to have gotten mixed up in that and was tasked with transporting one of these Pokemon to its intended destination, which I cannot disclose at this time. We were pursuing him in hopes that he could give us more details on the greater scheme. This Turtwig seems to be lucky to have had fate lead the man to you. Most of the Pokemon smuggled seem to reach their intended destinations without a trace as to who is doing this or why. Typically, this Pokemon would be sent to the care of a trusted individual in the area. However, it seems to have taken a liking to you. I doubt further transport of this Pokemon would not put unnecessary stress on the Pokemon. So, I say as a reward for your help in this investigation, I let it travel with you as long as you keep it safe. You seem to have quite the party of Pokemon that trust you, wouldn’t you say?” Officer Jenny explained and offered, gesturing to the Pokemon that all stuck close to Lirio, unsure who else to trust in this situation.

This came as yet another surprise to Lirio. He knew he would take care of the Turtwig well and also did not wish it unneeded stress. Lirio nodded in agreement and said, “Thank you, Officer Jenny. I would be honored if you left this Turtwig in my care. I promise to watch over and raise it well!”

“I expected no less from a seemingly upstanding trainer like yourself. Now, I’ll be off. Remember to stay out trouble!” She replied as she sped away further down the path Lirio and his Pokemon were currently on.

Lirio took out a Pokeball and offered it to Turtwig. “Would you like to join us on our adventure?” He asked the Pokemon.

Lirio could tell that the Pokemon was rather timid and still in shock of what seems to have been its abduction from its home, but the Pokemon made it clear it wanted to join Lirio and immediately pressed on the button of the Pokeball, meaning it was now a member of his party.

Party:

• Sewaddle (level 6)

• Nickname: Calla

• Nature: Jolly

• Gender: Female

• Met at: Egg that hatched in Ilex Forest

• HP: 40/40

• Exp: 3/16

• Ability: Chlorophyll- When the weather is Shining Bright, the Pokémon's Speed goes up two stages. However it's Speed will not double on the turn that the weather changes

• Moves:

• Tackle- 20

• String Shot- Lowers target’s speed by one stage

Friendship: 2/20

            “It was just a wild Metapod that dropped out of a tree, Oakland. You can come out now that it has been defeated!” Lirio called out to the Turtwig. 

Amaryllis was confused by the situation and was searching the bushes for Oakland. Upon hearing Lirio’s voice, the tine leaf Pokemon timidly came out of the bushes, confirming the coast was clear before it fully emerged. Amaryllis seemed relieved to see the Pokemon unhide itself while Lirio’s other Pokemon looked at the fallen Metapod in wonder. Papilio took particular interest in the Metapod, perhaps because it knew it would one day look like that too. Lirio gathered up his Pokemon shortly afterward and they all continued on their path.

Taking note of Papilio’s interest in the Metapod, he decided to speak directly to it about it. Lirio said aloud, not wanting to keep things private from his other Pokemon, “You know, Papilio, you can evolve soon enough if you want, into a Metapod like the one we saw earlier, that is. I would like for you to learn the move ‘bug bite’ before you evolve, though! It’ll make you stronger and I am sure you can learn it soon enough.”

Papilio put some thought into what Lirio had said and seemed motivated to learn this new move. Lirio hoped he would learn the move eventually, but also did not want to pressure Papilio into working too hard, perhaps the intent was a nudge in the right direction.

Items:

• Pokegear

• Pokedex

• Pokeballs (unlimited)

• Potions (unlimited)

• Transfer Paper

• Pecha Berry

• Oran Berry

• Cheri Berry

• Big Mushroom

• Specific Lure (not planned to be written as a literal item in the story) (3 uses remaining)

Post Counts:

• Pokemon encounter post count: 1/5

• NPC trainer battle post count: 21/25

• Specific Lure: 1/20

• Transfer Paper (in cities): 15/20

• Friendship (daily): 1/5

        In the morning, Lirio woke up with the sun and tried his best to not disturb his Pokemon too much, which, considering the way they huddled next to him, was virtually impossible. That being said, they stayed mostly asleep except for Oakland and Amaryllis. The two starter grass Pokemon woke up to Lirio’s movement. Amaryllis was wide awake and ready to go, but Oakland was still a bit groggy. “Good morning, you two! I hope you all slept well! Let’s go to a spot where we can get some better morning sun.” Lirio greeted them to the world of the waking.

Lirio and the two Pokemon walked a short ways away to a nearby riverbank. He made sure he was still close enough to the rest of his Pokemon to hear if any of them woke up or something went wrong. The river was rather wide but shallow. Oakland approached the edge of the stream to drink. Amaryllis followed and did the same for a moment. Lirio soaked in the sunlight for a moment as he watched his two Pokemon quench their thirst. “This reminds me of a place near my home I used to visit as a kid… I stayed away from the larger rivers, but we had many small streams being near a mountain.” Lirio said, breaking the blissful babbling of the stream.

Oakland paused from drinking to look at Lirio in wonder, tilting its head as if asking a question. “Oh, right! You all have never seen my home, except for Calla. In many ways, it is like the woods we are in, but also different. We should be able to get there in a few days if we pick up the pace, but I am enjoying the sightseeing, so it may take longer.”

Oakland nodded at the idea of seeing Lirio’s home while Amaryllis briefly let show her awe before hiding it with a smile when realizing Lirio was looking at her. Lirio decided it was about time for them to head back and gather the others. He considered bringing the rest of his Pokemon to this exact spot but decided against it as he wanted to create personal memories with each of his Pokemon. He began to walk back to their campsite and called for Amaryllis and the now fully-awake Oakland to follow him.

Items:

• Pokegear

• Pokedex

• Pokeballs (unlimited)

• Potions (unlimited)

• Transfer Paper

• Pecha Berry

• Oran Berry

• Cheri Berry

• Big Mushroom

• Specific Lure (not planned to be written as a literal item in the story) (3 uses remaining)

Post Counts:

• Pokemon encounter post count: 3/5

• NPC trainer battle post count: 23/25

• Specific Lure: 3/20

• Transfer Paper (in cities): 17/20

• Friendship (daily): 3/5

        They all eventually reached a small pond after walking a little while. A short distance away, Lirio notices a lone Poliwag splashing playfully in the shallows. He thinks about the fact that his team consists only of bug and grass types, which would not fare well against the first gym leader of Johto Falkner. He decides it would be best to capture the Poliwag and that it would be a good opportunity to test out Oakland’s strength. Lirio pulls out his Pokedex and scans Oakland with it, who looks back a bit baffled. The scan tells Lirio that Oakland is rather strong compared to his other Pokemon and that it knows the moves Tackle, Withdraw, and Absorb. Knowing this information, he kneels down and begins speaking to Oakland, “Hey, little buddy, I want you to use an Absorb attack on that Poliwag over there. I know this will be our first battle together, but I know you can do it! I want to catch it for our team and I think you should be able to do well against it. Can you do that for me?”

Oakland was a bit shocked at the initial request but gained more confidence in its ability to do the task as Lirio continued talking. It nodded in reassurance to itself and ran up to the Poliwag and used Absorb, knocking it out in one hit!

Battle summary:

Oakland used Absorb (Poliwag: 40 hp - 20 x 2hp = 0 hp)

Poliwag is defeated, Lirio captures Poliwag

Lirio pulls out a Pokeball and throws it at the knocked out Poliwag, capturing it. “Amazing job, Oakland!” Lirio says as he gives the small turtle Pokemon a high five.

Items:

• Pokegear

• Pokedex

• Pokeballs (unlimited)

• Potions (unlimited)

• Transfer Paper

• Pecha Berry

• Oran Berry

• Cheri Berry

• Big Mushroom

• Specific Lure (not planned to be written as a literal item in the story) (2 uses remaining)

Post Counts:

• Pokemon encounter post count: 0/5

• NPC trainer battle post count: 25/25

• Specific Lure: 5/20

• Transfer Paper (in cities): 19/20

• Friendship (daily): 5/5

“What?! Down in one attack?! Your Pokemon is quite strong!” The shocked girl said aloud to Lirio.

“I suppose you must be right. I had faith in my Pokemon. Your Snubbull has a lot of potential, though. Maybe if you had someone help teach it a fang move, like Thunder Fang, it may do better in battles. Ice and Thunder Fang would help a lot against Falkner and Fire Fang would help against Bugsy, the second Johto gym leader.”

“Oh wow! You know quite a lot! I didn’t even know that Snubbull could even learn those moves… Are you sure you are a new trainer? Oh, also, my name is Aly. What is yours?”

“Haha, my name is Lirio. Well, I have been learning about Pokemon for a while now, but I only just got my starter Pokemon a few days ago when I began my journey,” Lirio said bashfully.

He called for the rest of his Pokemon to come back over. The two trainers talked a bit about the adventures they had been on since starting their journey. Despite both of them being new, they had interesting stories to share, from the sudden addition of Oakland to Lirio’s team to Aly getting lost on her way to Professor Elm’s lab.

Items:

• Pokegear

• Pokedex

• Pokeballs (unlimited)

• Potions (unlimited)

• Transfer Paper

• Pecha Berry

• Oran Berry

• Cheri Berry

• Big Mushroom

• Specific Lure (not planned to be written as a literal item in the story) (2 uses remaining)

Post Counts:

• Transfer Paper (in cities): 1/20

• Pokemon encounter post count: 2/5

• NPC trainer battle post count: 2/25

• Specific Lure: 7/20
  

• Friendship (daily): 1/5