PART XXIV: Chargestone Cave
C'mon, grab your mons!
We'll go to many distant... caves
Alright, Driftveil City Limits. Cheren should be knocking around somewhere for a match.
Hey, were you at the Gym just now?*
Phew! It's just Bianca- I was worried this would be a threat.
Oh, hey! That's Driftveil's Gym Badge! Oh, that's totally cool. That's amazing. !!! No, no, no, I can't get distracted being all impressed with your shiny new Badge.*
But- Bianca! Look how shiny it is! So pretty...
I'm also a Trainer!*
Debatable.
At times like this you battle, right?*
[Ha! You've had problems with my kind before!]
Come on, Bianca, Oscar isn't even up to speed with the rest of my team and he's still got a couple levels on that poor mutt.
*Sludge* My Pokemon can take that! I'm sure! Well, probably...*
Well, looks like he can't take two. Nice work, Oscar.
Musharna, go!
[Oh hewwo there!]
Nuts, Poison is weak to Psychic. But Psychic can't affect Dark at all- get in there, Urkel!
[Hiiiiii-iii!]
*Payback* *Defense Curl Spam* Yech- we need to finish this before our damage output drops too much.
Hyper Potion!
Dammit Bianca, stop delaying the inevitable!
*Hypnosis*
[ZZzzzzzz...]
Grrr, this is like fighting an annoying Pink Kakuna. It better be worth lots of EXP.
*Defense Curl Spam*
[Zzzz.... huh?]
*Payback Spam* Hyper Potion!
MEW'S WHISKERS! This is the single most annoying thing in Unova!
***MEANWHILE, DEEP BENEATH CHARGESTONE CAVE***
At long,
long last, my latest evil scheme approaches fruition! Soon, all of Unova will bow to my superior bioengineering skills!
Not so fast, Lord Liepard!
Ah, Secret Agent Servine! I'm not your biggest fan, I'm afraid- I hope you'll understand when I give you the
finger.
Wha- no! Not a Chinese finger trap! These stupid things are impossible to escape!
Indeed they are, Secret Agent Servine- the devious design and self-evident efficacy of such a ingenious trap is but a mere footnote on the long list detailing the proofs of my brilliance! Now, you are a helpless witness to the unveiling of my latest creation! Behold! THE L-VIRUS! It's pretty clever, I think, you can see on this diagram how it looks like a little L?
L for
LIEPARD! Ha Ha!
What does it do, you fiend?
I'm so glad you asked- for you see, you shall be my first test subject! Soon, your body will become unimaginably powerful while your mind becomes docile, subservient only to my whims! Now please, it is very important for you to be telling me how you feel so I can mitigate the side effects- my lab rats seemed to be suffering from a slight headache and loss of appetite, it really put them off their cheese, and that is simply no good when you have bulging muscles to feed!
Gah! My body... transforming! Senses... sharpening! Strength... increasing! This finger trap is no match for my might now! GROWTH!
Excellent- now, go, my puppet, and destroy your beloved agency!
Not so fast, Lord Liepard! SERVINE SMASH!
NO! Not my precious mutagens! You'll infect us all!
So you might think, but M10 was tipped off to your operation when you began buying all those discount medical supplies- I've been inoculated against the worst of your virus's effects, reducing it to modest stat growth and a penchant for silly hats! This handy antiviral spray will similarly denature the rest of your project, ruining your research!
BLAST! Do you know how many sick orphans I had to visit to get the requisite base samples!?!
Calm down, Liepard- there's no need to be so
furrious.
AUGH! I'LL GET YOU NEXT TIME, SECRET AGENT SERVINE!
***MEANWHILE, BACK IN DRIFTVEIL***
So to recap, Marvin was unable to learn
Aqua Jet because his stupid move list is cluttered with Cut, and Oscar had a brilliant showing against your Grass Monkey thing.
I was there when it happened, Monk, you don't need to tell me again!
Yeah, well, maybe this time you'll be motivated to do a proper job of raising your Pokemon. You're not much better than the last time we fought!
I haven't had a Pokemon battle with you in a while, Monk. You've become totally strong, huh? I'm not that strong, so I don't know how to say it, but I think you're way tuned in to how your Pokemon feel! Oh, you know what? I want to share this HM with you, Monk!*
BITCH IS THAT
FLY!?! All RIGHT! Get out here Heinrich and forget that Roost garbage, you are a
cannon now!
My papa gave it to me after he tried to take me home that time. I'm sure it's so I can come home anytime he wants, though... Oh, hey, I have to share this with Cheren, too...*
What, you have
another Fly HM? These things are reusable, there's no reason for him to give you more than one. Where did he even get this many HMs?
Ask me no questions, I'll tell you no lies! Buh-Bye!
Fly, apart from being a damn useful technique that will be one of my more powerful moves until the endgame, also allows me to instantly travel to any City I've already visited, arriving at the Pokecenter there. Why you can't just fly wherever you want is left to the imagination of the player- I like to think bird-brained Flying types are too stupid to navigate sensibly on their own, and hurtling through the air is not conducive to instructing your ride. Either you show them the way on foot first, or you find yourself in a random nest in the woods more often than not.
Just before I get to Chargestone Cave, I see Clay waiting for me.
Thanks fer waitin'. Looks like the next of an Electric-type Pokemon called Galvantula. Don't know why there's a nest here, but if there are folks havin' problems, th' Gym Leader's th' one ta fix it. Krokorok! Take it out!*
Wait, that's all you're going to do? You're not going to try and relocate it?
I'm not gonna kill the varmint, I'm just gonna run it off. Galvantula will be fine.
Nuts to the Galvantula,
I have a Krokorok! I could have done this myself!
And this here TM's yours. It's my favorite TM, so ya can teach it ta all of yer Pokemon!*
...Bulldoze? You didn't use this in our battle.
This move does damage and lowers the Speed of any Pokemon it hits. Some Ground-types move a little slower than ya'd like. If ya use Bulldoze right, ya can cover that weakness!* It wouldn't have helped in our fight, I needed all the raw power I could get.
True enough. Well, it has decent power, and Gustave needs an upgrade over Sand Tomb- you've given me the most useful TM of any Gym Leader thus far, not that that says much.
I don't know how good you really are, but if ya think ya can go, go wherever, and if ya think ya can do somethin', keep doin' it. Do things how ya want! Decide yer own limits.*
My only limits are those of the law. Though, you seem much more supportive than most Gym Leaders I've faced.
Yeah, well, maybe yer right. About everything. I'm going back to Driftveil to train- the next time those Plasma goons show their faces, they won't be gettin' off so easy! Goodbye, and be careful in Chargestone Cave!
Honestly, was not expecting all this blue crystal crapAs you can see, Chargestone Cave is a cavernous blue hole in the ground, populated largely by giant blue hunks of crystal that crackle with electricity, and floating blue chunks of crystal because magnetism totally works that way- just ask Magnemite. It's also populated by some fairly ridiculous Pokemon, but we'll get to that later- right now, I can't help but notice N standing a little ways inside the entrance. Steeling myself for another dumb Plasma encounter, I begin walking to confront him.
Unfortunately, at this point a pair of ninjas teleport in to flank me.
...Come.
....alrighty then.
***One VERY short walk later***
My lord N, we brought the one you wanted.*
Wait, really? We walked all of four feet!
TELEPORT NO JUTSU!
...How the heck do they
do that?
Ah, yes.
That was the Shadow Triad, just
now. Ghetsis
enlisted them in Team Plasma.
Apparently, they were the ones who
prepared the Galvantula nest at the cave
entrance.*
Why did you guys do that, anyway? What did you have to gain from it?
Chargestone Cave... I
like this
place. Formulas express
electricity and its
connection to Pokemon... If people did not
exist, this would be an ideal
place.*
There you go, back on the crazy train- Ozzy would be proud. Are you even listening to me?
You have been
chosen, you know. Does it surprise
you that I said that?*
Not especially- you've had a creepy stalker fixation with me ever since Nuvema Town. I keep expecting to catch you watching me sleep, waiting to wear my skin as a hat.
Hmph. If you don't
understand what that means, it's
not likely to surprise you. I told Ghetsis about
you and
your friends. After I did, he apparently used the Shadow Triad to find
out about you. Cheren is
pursuing the ideal of strength. Poor Bianca has faced the
sad truth that
not everyone can become stronger.*
What a happy moral.
And you are not swayed
either way- more of a neutral
presence. Which is apparently a good
thing. Team Plasma will be waiting for
you ahead. Ghetsis
wants to see what kind of Pokemon Trainer you really
are.*
I thought you were the "King"- why is Ghetsis calling the shots? Hey, get back here! You still haven't told me what the deal with the Galvantula nest was!
Unfortunately, that speedy bastard races deeper into the cave. I move to pursue, but get called from behind.
Heeey! Monk, do you know this? The floating stones move when you touch them! Right, Professor?*
Hi there! How are you, Monk? This place is always charged with lots of electricity that Pokemon like! The electric charges react from one stone to another, and that's why some of the stones are floating!*
Sweet Mew, are you saying we're standing inside some kind of natural Tesla Coil!?! And you want me to go
push the high-voltage rocks!?!
Not all of the stones can be pushed. My father asked me to research Klink, which is a Pokemon that looks like a gear, because I'm researching the origins of Pokemon and the era they appeared. He knows how to get what he wants from people, but I was already interested in this anyway, so it's a lot of fun! Oh yeah, Monk! This is for you!*
...I'm sorry, a lot of confusing things have happened in the last five minutes. Is this an... egg?
Giving that Lucky Egg to a Pokemon to hold increases the amount of EXP Points received in battle by a lot! Having strong Pokemon will make it easier to fill your Pokedex pages!*
Oh, alright then. That should help my new Pokemon get up to speed quickly- come on, daddy wants a shiny new Emolga!
*Wild Boldore Appeared!*
...well, at least Rock Type rounds out the party somewhat. Bring'm in, Urkel.
*Faint Attack* *Faint Attack* *Faint Attack* *Critical Hit!* [Uh-oh]
*KO*
DAMMIT URKEL! We needed him on the team!
[Chill out, we've got a full party. We're the only mons you need!]
Disappointed, I continue on my merry way. The floaty crystals aren't much of a puzzle, especially since it's always obvious which way you need to shove them. I do find a fair amount of loot scattered in my path, presumably dropped by foolish travelers who were the unlucky victims of the arcing electricity. It's more than a little distressing that the main road between Driftveil and the next town is such a deathtrap- sure, there was that one route with the sandstorm, and pretty much every route has tall grass, but this is ridiculous! It'd be safer to run the path through an active volcano.
Despite the danger, there's more than a few trainers and scientists wandering around here.
Hey you! You're that jackass from the TV!
I'll have you know I was grossly misrepresented, special guest
Johnny Lawrence! I didn't take no guff from Clay, and I won't take it from some subterranean punk either!
Think you're a big man because you picked on women, children, and fat old men? I'll show you how we roll here in Chargestone- go, Archen!
[Sweep the leg!]
What kind of cheese are you using there- some kind of fossil parrot? Whatever, Oscar's Defense should see him through.
[A bit of acid should bring you down!]
*Acrobatics* *OHKO*
OSCAR! No! Mew blind you, he was just becoming useful!
Ha! Is that all you got, chump?
Teddy, you've got high defense, and I think that was a normal type mo-
*Acrobatics*
Gah! Good lord, man, what did you get me into!?!
OKAY THEN, it's not a normal type move, and Teddy can't take another one of those. Is it Flying? Flying? I think it's flying- get in there Heinrich, overpower it!
[FOR THE GLORIOUS FUTURE OF UNOVA!]
*Acrobatics* *Critical Hit!*
*OHKO*
NOOOOOOOO! HEINRICH! He's been with me longer than anyone, aside from Marvin...
This is good sport!
You BASTARD, I will see you DESTROYED for this! BURY HIM, GUSTAVE!
[It's on now, meat!]
*Dragonbreath*
Oh BALLS it isn't a freaking DRAGON, is it? Oh this is bad...
*Crunch* *Crunch* *Agility* *Dragonbreath*
*Crunch* *Critical Hit!*
*KO*
Ha! Take that, you bastard! Is that all you got?
It's all
I've got, but it's not all
they've got.
Eh?
Hey, it's that jerk from the TV!
GET'M!
*WILD EVERYTHING APPEARED*
...
***BACK AT DRIFTVEIL***
Alright, so that was bad. Pokedex says Acrobatics is a Flying Type move that doubles in power when the user is not holding an item. Oh dammit, Heinrich doesn't... didn't have resistance to Flying. My fault. We can recover... I've got another Tranquill in the Box I can use to take Heinrich's place, and we should be able to hit another route before the next Gym to round out the team.
[Yeah, and how are we getting through Chargestone with these creme-puffs?]
[Hey, at least we aren't weak to all that Electricity in there!]
We're
all in need of some serious training, gang. We've been arrogant, coasting through the last couple towns- Heinrich and Oscar paid the price. We've been in worse spots, and we'll power through this one. Tonight, we
grind.
NEXT TIME: Chargestone Cave, Take Two
Suggestions, Comments, Criticism welcome as always.
Nuvema Town- "Marvin", Oshawott
Route 1- XXX
Accumula Town- ??
Route 2- "Pompey", Lillipup 6-12
Striaton City- ??
Dreamyard- "Mojo Jojo", Pansear 10-12
Route 3- "Timon", Patrat 8-15
Wellspring Cave- "Cletus", Woobat 11-14
Nacrene City- ??
Pinwheel Forest- "Heinrich", Pidove 12-30
Castelia City- ??
Route 4- "Urkel", Scraggy
Desert Resort- "Gustave", Sandile
Nimbasa City- ??
Route 5- "Miho", Gothita 19-25
Route 16- "Oscar", Trubbish 19-27
Relic Castle- "Teddy", Yamask
Lostlorn Forest- "Himmler", Tranquill
Driftveil Drawbridge- "Dewey", Ducklett
Driftveil City- ??
Cold Storage- "Pompey II", Herdier
Route 6- "Bambina", Deerling, 22-22
Chargestone Cave- XXX
Author
Topic: Let's Play with these Newfangled Pokemanz! RUN COMPLETED (Read 327428 times)