Route 218

Being able to take to the water again I cross the route with ease. On the other side I come across a patch of grass where I’m accosted by a chatot. Pokeball go!

Chatot: This noisy little bird just doesn’t know when to shut up!

- Welcome to the bench, Refa!

Refa ♂ Lv. 28

Canalave City

I hardly get into the city proper when:

Hey Caldar! Let’s battle!

- Huh?

Go Staraptor!

- Oh, uh.. Ivanova go!

- Thunder fang!

Double team!

Staraptor darts around, creating after images. Ivanova completely ignores the images and chomps on staraptor while jolting it with electricity at the same time.

- Spark!

Take down!

Staraptor charges at Ivanova but she deftly avoids it, cloaks herself in lightning and charges into staraptor.

- Spark!

Take down!

Ivanova charges at staraptor again, jolting it with electricity on impact.

Go Heracross!

- Ivanova return! Go Marcus!

Brick break!

As Marcus leaves his pokeball, heracross bashes him with the side of it’s… hand?

- Aerial ace!

Horn attack!

Marcus flashes across the battlefield and slams into heracross at speed.

Go Infernape!

- Aerial ace!

Brick break!

Infernape leaps into the air and with it’s palm it chops Marcus on the head. Marcus slams into the flying infernape and flings it to the ground with force.

- Marcus, return! Go Lennier!

Mach punch!

Lennier enters the battlefield with infernape’s fist in his face.

- Aerial ace!

Flame wheel!

Infernape, wreathed in flame, cartwheels into Lennier who leaps up and drops back down onto infernape, striking it with his arm blades.

Go Floatzel!

- Drain punch!

Aqua jet!

With a burst of water, floatzel launches itself at high speed into Lennier who counters with a gut punch and drains some of floatzel’s energy to heal.

- Drain punch!

Pursuit!

Floatzel follows Lennier’s movements and kicks him in the shin. Lennier drains the last of floatzel’s life with a punch to the jaw.

Go Roserade!

- Psycho cut!

Giga drain!

Lennier makes a cutting motion with his hand and several petals fly from roserade as it slumps to the ground.

Aww! I’m still not good enough! I should train some more on Iron Island, you might want to go there too if you want the practice.

Iron Island



I decided to check it out.

Welcome to Iron Island! If you’re interested in training you should check out the copper mine!

Wait… copper?

Oh yes, it’s the island’s main export!

But…

Yes?

Never mind…

At the mine entrance a guy in an awesome hat stops me.

Hello there, I’m Riley. I’ve been sent here to check out the mines. There seems to be something agitating the pokemon here.

- Oh?

You seem like a capable trainer, would you care to assist me? Oh, I’m sorry I didn’t ask your name.

- Caldar. And I’ll help.

Great! Oh, and you may find this to be useful.

Riley hands me a HM04.

We explore the mines, battle trainers and angry gravelers and the occasional vexed onix. Eventually we reach the deepest part of the mine.

We need to get more! The boss wants more pokemon for the project!

Yeah?

I suppose we could steal the pokemon from these guys.

Yeah!

- Oh?

You’ll do what now?

By Arceus, it's him again!

Yeah…

Let’s get out of here!

Yeah!

The two goons run for the nearest exit and don’t look back.

So it really is you!

- Huh?

I had to be sure, but I believe this is for you.

Riley hands me a pokemon egg.

- Where do people keep finding these?

I’m afraid I’m not at liberty to say. I’m told you’re not ready to know. But I believe you will know who sent it once it hatches.

Not many more words are exchanged between us, Riley and I part ways and I take the boat back to Canalave City.

Canalave City

So you’re Caldar? I’ve heard about you. You’re here to battle for the badge I take it? I won’t go easy on you, you dig?

Go Magneton!

- Go Sheridan!

- Earthquake!

Tri attack!

Sheridan makes the ground shake violently and a metal support beam collapses onto magneton, crushing it against the arena floor.

Go Steelix!

- Earthquake!

Ice fang!

Another quake from Sheridan causes part of the roof to cave in on steelix. Steelix lunges at Sheridan and bites him, frost inexplicably spreads from the bite and almost completely covers him.

- Sheridan return! Go Grace!

Flash cannon!

Steelix fires a bright energy beam at Grace as she enters the arena.

- Surf!

Earthquake!

Grace summons a sweeping wave of water that crashes into Steelix and slams it into a wall.

Go Bastiodon!

- Hydro pump!

Iron defense!

Grace blasts bastiodon with extremely high pressure water. Bastiodon swallows a sitrus berry it had stashed and bolsters it's defense.

- Surf!

Metal burst!

Grace summons another tidal wave that crashes down upon bastiodon, it slumps to the floor.

My son was right about you! The Mine Badge is yours!