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 Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2023 7:34 am
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Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2023 6:37 pm
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After the meeting at the bleachers on the battlefield, we went back and made our intents known. Tristen would focus on studies, Freth would find her way in the Legends Path, and as for me? Victory Road. In most other regions, Victory Road usually was taken literally. More specifically, the final stretch that trainers go on. In most cases, it’s the path leading up to the championships and the right to face off against the Elite Four. Figuratively, it was the final test, a trainers skills pushed to its absolute limit to finally see the end of their Pokémon journey. I would have to admit it would be the first time that I actually took part of a gym tour. It’s odd. For a grand chunk of my life, I’d dedicate myself in learning the ways of the gym to defend and uphold the merits of the Pokémon League in Jhoto. I never imagined myself actually taking a challenge myself. I needed to prepare as much as I could before I set off the next day. Maps, maybe a recommended path to take, get supplies for the trip, and so on. For that matter, I needed to make a major adjustment to my Pokémon party.
As tempting as it was for me to just bring out the strongest team that I possibly could bring, no-nonsense, tear them a new one, I ended up admitting that this would have been a better opportunity to bring along the lesser, more inexperienced party members and bring them into the fold. Much to my disdain, I had kind of neglected them, but not out of choice. A lot of Snagem’s missions would basically run them right over with nary a care and I didn’t want to put them in that kind of danger. And there had been times where I couldn’t break away to train them to make sure the main parties was up to snuff. Nowadays, it wasn’t like the early days of Team Snagem when I had a lot of free moments. Things were severely busy now. We might have hit a lull now, but those ends as quickly as they show up. I needed to take that opportunity while it was there.
Torchic was going to be a front-runner. I had tried training it a fair bit as of late, the Galar tournament especially. Unfortunately, the Galar trip ended up getting cut short, no thanks to the Hunter having a say. Cubchoo was going to be another one. While I did try training it some, I come to find that he’s a bit meek comparatively. I’ve been trying to work him out of that, and maybe this run could finally instill some confidence. Mudkip is in a similar boat to Torchic, being a Pokémon that I got at the same time as Torchic, but unfortunately, I ended up paying Torchic a bit of favor. There is some ground to make up here. Then finally, my Alolan Vulpix and Galarian Zigzagoon…while I had Vulpix longer than Zigzagoon, Vulpix hadn’t any battle experience at all, being one that I got from a Pokémon egg. I figure the fox was finally old enough to give it a shot. Zigzagoon for that matter seems to have potential behind him as well that I wouldn’t mind trying to unlock and see where it goes. All in all, not quite a full party, but it should be fine. I thought about filling the sixth slot with one of the experienced party members incase of an emergency or if someone got real uppity. Freth suggested I don’t, considering something I never really thought about before: new trainers don’t have that strong ‘emergency’ Pokémon when they go on their travels. She suggested I’d make do and maybe find a Pokémon here in this region to bring into the fold. I guess I couldn’t argue that.
As I started to ask questions within the class halls, talking to the teachers and students that have been around the block a bit in this region, I come to discover something honestly weird. Logic to me would dictate that I would just make a gigantic lap around the region and take care of the gyms as I come. While that IS in fact an option for me, it wasn’t recommended, and it was deliberately so. For newer trainers, or at the very least for those who were going through the gym run with inexperienced Pokémon such as I am, usually the easiest two gyms were with the south-western and south-eastern parts of the region, a Bug-type gym and a Grass type gym. Next up in alleged difficulty was the eastern most gym, an Electric type gym. Then after that? Three to the west, a Psychic, Normal, and Water typed gym respectively. The two remaining ones in the mountainous, cold north, a Ghost gym, then a Ice type gym, being the hardest in the run. I found it baffling, the logic of it escaping me as to why put these gyms in a weird fashion, only to find out that it was to encourage most wanna-be trainers on Victory road to explore and interact with the world more. To see all of Paldea’s wonders, as it was advertised. When I addressed the fallacy of that when there’s those Squakabilly Taxis, I was rebutted by being told those that do that don’t make it far in the gym run. Their Pokémon tends to fall behind the curve the more they do so.
Things turned ominous as I continued to question about my to-be gym run. If among all else, I was not to cross the threshold of the crater in the center of Paldea. It wasn’t an active volcano or anything, but apparently by decree of the Academy, it is an off-limits area. No one is permitted, period. I remember noting as we were flying by in the Squakabilly taxis on the way here to this academy that I felt something weird, a feeling that I did sort of get when I watched that Pokémon I battled the other day turned into a walking sentient gem of some kind, but it was more intense. Like it was pure or something. I’m not sure how to describe it, but it was coming from the crater, and I had to admit, it only drove me more curious. What was in that crater? For now, I’d leave it to Freth to figure that out possibly in her Path of Legends romp or Tristen as he continued his studies here at the academy.
The next morning, I set off, readied my team, and made my way off out. Leaving the front doors I started on the path, taking a look at the map to see how to go to my first destination. First up, the bug type gym. I walked off down the path and made my way down the stairs, taking note to the goings on in the square. I noticed that a few younger trainers pulling out a Pokémon of some kind, a lizard of some sort…getting on its back and had it run off. “…motorcycle…dragon…thing…” I silently said to myself as the duo ran off. “…I should see about investing in a bike…” From there, out the front gates to rendezvous at the Pokemon Center before setting off.
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Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2023 7:46 pm
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It took a good while after classes (and some time talking to Keiko through SNAG messages so she was aware of what I was doing), but I finally made up my mind. I must have been one of the last ones to show up at the front desk to put in my lot - to be fair, I was worried at the time that the front desk would be closed. But it wasn't, and I was free to pass out and get some good sleep that night after making my decision official.
I managed to wake up before my roommate the next morning so after a quick shower, I grabbed my stuff and went to the cafeteria to eat and strategize. Ultimately, I decided to keep only three of the Pokemon I currently had with me - Brunor, Sauron, and Simon. The other half of my team would be comprised of Pokemon I caught along the way. This was likely to feel more like an actual journey and not just Teleporting from gym to gym like I did in Unova, and I needed to study the local population of Pokemon regardless. Getting ahold of a local Pokedex would do all that work for me, but I wasn't looking to get myself or the team at large in any trouble. Besides, a little fieldwork would very much spice up this gym run. I just had to watch my health and make sure I didn't push myself too far.
With breakfast down, I started to make my way out of school grounds, but some interesting discussions in the main lobby brought me to a hault. After listening in for a bit and chiming in on some of the conversations, I found a magazine rack with maps of the region. Pulling out the map, what I was hearing about the recommended order of maps started to make a bit more sense. It was still a bit obnoxious, don't get me wrong, but the landscape kind of painted a picture that helped what I was hearing make a bit more sense. Though I imagine the other way around would work as well.
I wound up paying for the map and keeping it with me as I walked to the Mesagoza Pokemon Center. I was ready to see what the latest region endorsed by the Pokemon League had to offer.
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Posted: Thu Oct 05, 2023 11:40 am
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Posted: Fri Oct 06, 2023 2:53 pm
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Posted: Fri Oct 06, 2023 9:53 pm
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The night before...
Aden didn't take long to get his sign ups sorted out, though something was on his mind. "Hey, uh. I heard about classes still being able to be taken even after sign ups, is that true?"
He'd spend longer than usual there, listening and getting as much information as he could... and ended up signing up for more than he originally intended to. It'd be a larger load on him to be sure, trying to juggle more than just traveling around Paldea to the gyms. But he felt like he could handle it, and it'd be a good way to take advantage of downtime. He'd take time after talks about Operation Starfall to look into supplies, finding that the academy had its own store for that, and eventually figured to see where Sol went off to... and found him in the middle of training his Leafeon alongside Cera- easily noticed because how else was there going to be a pink Leafeon? And he saw Buzzwole too? But they weren't participating...
Seeing Aden arrive, Sol motioned to stop for a moment as he turned around. "So you've decided? Got everything you need?"
"Yeah, turns out there's a lot of classes that might help, could be good when I'm taking breaks from traveling around. School store had a bunch of stuff too, so it was easy enough to stock up. We decided to meet up around here in the morning, at least see each other off on our journeys," Aden explained.
"Sounds a lot like what a bunch of us students did back in the day. It was often a custom to meet outside the city gates, sometimes pool and divide resources so everyone had a running start on their travels."
"Did you do it? Uh, last time you were a student here, that is."
"I tried. Unfortunately, Mesagoza has other gates out of the city and I went to the wrong one by mistake. In fact, I stumbled on the Pokemon League's building by accident and thought they might let me challenge them early. As you can guess, a kid with a Sprigatito and no badges was quickly directed back to one of the other gates."
"That... seems like a bad idea- wait. That the old cat Pokemon you had with you?"
"Her first stage. Wonder how she's been holding up..."
Though they'd talk for a little longer, Aden would eventually opt to get back to the academy to rest. But not before Sol would pull something out of a pocket to hand over. "Here. Consider it a sendoff for the travels to come."
"A Flame Orb?"
"I've got no doubts you'll find uses for it, so show Paldea the same fire you showed Johto."
"I'm sure I will. Thanks."
---
As morning came, Aden was up pretty early and was quick to find his way to the gates again, coming just in time to see a good few others. And Reno asleep in his hoverbike. "...what, did he wait here all night after dad left?" He asked Harleen, only to notice Blizzard arriving too. "Erm." He wasn't sure if surprise or disappointment wanted to win out right now, having assumed that Tristen might've been the one to go for the gym circuit. He knew he wasn't as much into battling, but after that match they had and the World Champion Cup, he thought it'd be a nice rivalry of sorts.
"Did... Tristen decide on a different route?" He asked, mostly at himself as he waved to Larrimore and looked at the baskets. He'd take one of them, the academy's colors prominent as ever among its supplies, and looked around for Crystal. Unless she'd decided on a different path too. For now, though, he'd look at Blizzard again. "Or were you curious about the gyms too?"
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Posted: Sat Oct 07, 2023 3:52 pm
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As the group rendezvoused at the Pokémon Center, if one could call it that, we all would meet with Larrimore, only to be reminded that ever since classes started, I haven’t seen much of him at all. I don’t know if he kept low and out of the way of the other Snagems since he instigated the whole incident which lead people to be conscripted in the academy or what. Incidentally, since he was all the way out here, I was left to wonder if he too was taking the Victory Road course. He was almost the last person I’d expect in this entire entourage to do it if no one else.
I looked over, and to no surprise, Aden was also taking part of this. I did kind of set him on that path back in Jhoto, after all, though there seemed to have a tinge of disappointment in his voice, as if he was expecting something. Maybe Tristen? That’d be my best guess. He wouldn’t be the only one a little hurt by the prospect of Tristen wanting to focus on studies as he was, but that would be me in particular being a bit selfish, I had to admit. “Yea, he did.” I said to him. “He wanted to take part of the acadamia, probably more so now that most of the Snagems are going to be out of the academy. He’s trying to give it the honest shot since Pokémon battling isn’t apparently for him. I mean, more power to him and all. Me, though, I admit I did go partly selfish taking this route. It wasn’t out of any curiosity of the gyms here, no. It was more the matter of seeing if I could give Tristen all the time he needs to get sorted and, for that matter, finally get a few Pokémon that I have been trying to make time for actually trained up.” I’d look down at the Pokéballs at my side. “It kind of has been a long time coming and I’d be a fool to waste any opportunity to do so when it was handed to me. Well, that and between playing bodyguard, which Freth is pretty much doing, and trying to clean up something that should have been quashed a while back as far as anyone is concerned, especially if they knew about a growing problem with whatever that Team Star group is doing, was not something I was interested in. So here I am…still trying to make some vacation out of this whole thing after the last one being cut short by that blasted harpy’s attempt on my life.”
Larrimore would point out the picnic baskets and I would take one; I suppose it couldn’t hurt. The Pokémon might like it, if nothing else, and it would maybe come in clutch if it comes lunch time and I’m in the middle of nowhere. And as soon as we gathered, Larrimore darted away in a massive hurry. Honestly? I didn’t even know he knew Quick Attack. And honestly? He probably was well aware of any lingering animosity. |
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Posted: Sun Oct 08, 2023 3:32 am
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"That's... fair enough, really," Aden remarked after Blizz's explanation. "Could've had a friendly rivalry of sorts, maybe compare notes since we didn't really get to in Galar. But that's alright. I signed up for a few side classes too since dad brought up the idea and it'd be a good use of downtime between travels, so maybe I'll see him in a couple of them. The one I asked about it all also brought up the option of multiple paths, but that'd probably spread me too thin, so..." As he thought about it, he had to admit hoping Tristen would go this route was a little selfish on his part too. But he could respect trying it and opting for something more his speed.
"Still, this could be a good thing. I mean, last time I was traveling under your wing and I'm not sure how connected Paldea's league is to Indigo. If they are at all. It'd be a good experience for both of us." He fell silent for a moment at the remark about the Hunter, thinking back to what he saw alongside Crystal and Reno. The ever-nagging concern that the same thing could happen here... he had a feeling he could've easily just said about traveling with Blizz, pose it as doing it for old time's sake or something so he could stay close. But he was already warned about doing that, if those events hadn't already served as a strong one in its own right.
He really needed to get in touch with Freth sometime. And the Hunter, if she was willing to talk in the first place. Maybe when he had the downtime... or maybe just finally try to reach them telepathically, he could use the practice anyway.
"...Erm." Clearing his throat, Aden resumed his earlier train of thought. "Besides, I'm confident Tristen'll be fine. Though you do remind me that it might be worth catching a few new ones here. Also, I... didn't think Pinsir could move that fast usually. At least, I don't think Larrimore knows Quick Attack..." Larrimore's hasty escape hadn't been lost on him, but he figured he had his reasons as long as he was alright.
"Anyways, anything in mind for which way you're going? I'm figuring a lot of our paths will diverge here." |
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Posted: Sun Oct 08, 2023 7:48 am
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Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2023 9:31 pm
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Reno would begin to stir awake behind his closed eyes as Aden began questioning how long the Co-Leader had been using his sidecar as a nice spot to nap. He was still coming to life and mostly focusing on what Blizz and Aden were discussing, he left the answering part to Harleen for this moment. 'He couldn't sleep because of excitement, so he got to work getting his bike here and some pair of shades he had from where they had gotten lost in his room. Once he got that all done, he basically fell into the sidecar and told me to wake him once any other Snagems actually showed up.' The Wynaut telepathically informed the Psychic hybrid there, her trainer finally beginning to actually move so he could look directly to his other Snagems. While he could see Blizz and Aden directly in front of him, he was also catching sight of Terashi slowly making his way over.
Terashi, doing a gym challenge, and Reno himself nearby? Nah....maybe reinstigating his campaign of harassing the other Snagem as his rival wasn't his move today.
Focusing back on Blizz and Aden, he would finally speak up. "Yeah, Cortondo seems like the standard pick, with a few wildcards wanting to brave the mesas heading for Artazon." Looking towards the few Pokeballs in his bag and then glancing at where they were hanging on his friends, Reno felt it prudent to ask, "Either of you gonna get new Pokemon and train up some less used ones here or you figuring to try and steamroll through with your top guys? Cause I'm hoping to find some fun stuff out there and actually be able to use something of mine that isn't a channeling partner."
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Posted: Wed Oct 11, 2023 2:03 pm
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Once I made it to the Pokecenter, I opened the map again, but got distracted by Reno's voice. Against my better judgement, i decided to speak up. "I definitely plan to see what the local Pokemon population has to offer. I only have half a team on me right now because I plan to fill the other half with Pokemon I catch along the way," I told him.
Looking back at my map, I found myself with a slowly growing urge to walk a different path than what I originally planned. The western side of the region had four gyms, while the eastern coast only had two - the other two being in the northmost part of the region in some snowy biome. That had me kind of curious. There had to be a reason behind the lack of symmetry, and while it could probably be explained away in ways that had nothing to do with competitive Pokemon training, I had a gut feeling, like maybe the two eastern gyms were more difficult to make up for the lack of quantity. That theory was completely unfounded, but I couldn't shake it. I usually stuck to logic and facts over instinct when it came to this stuff, so maybe a change of course would make things interesting...
Putting away the map, I started heading eastward, towards the Artazon Gym and the settlement surrounding it. I didn't head directly there, though. Once I crossed a bridge into a dusty region that lead up to that area, I started diverging a bit, and looked around for any potentially interesting Pokemon.
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Posted: Wed Oct 11, 2023 6:59 pm
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"I'd imagine those sound like the closest starts," Aden replied, looking at the map on his own SNAG. "Can't say I've thought much beyond one of those two..." His eyes and attention shifted towards Harleen when she started speaking to him, and he noticed that Reno was some degree of awake. Ish.
"Don't think he needs to be woken up now..." If nothing else, he saw it as a good excuse to get himself to actually use telepathy more. Though, he looked pretty deep in thought as he went about it, like he was formulating a response to someone else. "No wonder he got here so early, though."
Not quite managing to smoothly go back to not-mind-talking-mode, he'd respond to Reno and Ter. "Found the wildcard," he quipped without missing a beat. "Anyways, I was thinking a bit of a mix? Most of the Pokemon on me are pretty well evolved and a Fomantis I found in one of our safari romps is the newest one I've got. So maybe a catching a few could be a good idea, figure out some new strats. But dad also handed me a Flame Orb as a sort of send-off present, and he was right, I already have a use in mind. So it wouldn't hurt to cycle them in too." |
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Posted: Wed Oct 11, 2023 7:04 pm
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Posted: Sun Oct 15, 2023 3:44 am
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"Right, yeah, see you then," Aden remarked, waving and seeing Blizz off. Once he was far enough away that he probably wouldn't hear anything, he'd look at Reno. "...okay, wasn't expecting Blizz to be the one I saw of his group here... I'm in no hurry, but which way we thinking here? I'd say about sorta distantly following Blizz towards Cortondo once Crystal catches up, but..."
His words would trail off, thinking back to over a month back again before shaking his head to snap himself out of it. Among other things. "A-anyways, I figure whatever we're doing's safer as a group."
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Posted: Sun Oct 15, 2023 5:26 pm
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From the Pokémon Center, I gave a hard sigh and looked at the path before me, realizing something slightly unfortunate. The direct path to Cortondo from where we were? I had to scale a few cliffs. The routes tend to cut through Mezagoza itself. Not up for flying, I started my way off and walked off, on my first gym tour ever. It wasn’t long to get back in and out of Mezagoza. Following the paths down a couple of stairways within this castle-like town, finding a large set of doors that opened out and onto a bridge off the Paldea wilds. There was one thing I had to admit: this was far much better than sweltering in a class room bored out of my mind. Maybe I could just enjoy myself…chill a little. Try to make a vacation out of this like it should have been in the first place.
It would take a while until I found myself following a long path across the bridge from Mezagoza into what was apparently designated as Area 2 of the Southern Provence. Hills and cliff faces littered the landscape. One thing was for certain, trainers were really going to get their exercise here. Or at least those ‘motorcycle-dragon-things’ were if nothing else. I eventually would find myself on the top of one of the hills and stared out at the landscape before me. Olive fields that spanned for miles. I had to admit it wasn’t what I expected. I didn’t expect much in the way of Pokémon if a large chunk of land like this was being used for agriculture like this. Taking out my SNAG, I double checked my first destination: Cortondo.
To what I was told, Cortondo was the first choice for most trainers. It had arguably the easiest gym leader for new, upcoming trainers for one and the typing the gym leader favors hammers that home with its bug typing. God help anyone in this region if Bugsy heard anyone say that. Though I had to take something in consideration, if it was anything like that battle the other day, I have the sneaking suspicion that the gym leaders at the very least will be able to do that whole stupid thing. In some fashion, I kind of look forward to putting some people in their place in thinking that whole gimmick was worth anything. Of all the gimmicks I have seen over the past several years, I had to admit that terastl-somethingorother is the most underwhelming. Then again, I only battled the one so far. Perhaps there’s something I’m still missing.
I continued down the path and started my way off toward Cortondo, following the path that I could see. There weren’t any signs saying that I couldn’t go this way, so works for me. As I continued on, I started to take notice within the fields various Pokémon. Mostly Combee it looked…and the occasional Pokémon that looks like that olive Pokémon that Cera had been carrying around. I wasn’t sure if they were working the fields themselves or if they were perhaps wild.
I perked up when I continued down the path a growling noise. I stared in confusion, looking around then back behind me. It was some sort of canine Pokémon, brown in color…I wasn’t entirely sure what it was. Haven’t seen it yet. It looked rather aggressive, bearing teeth as it crept closer towards me. “Buddy, this is not a fight you want.” I said, taking out a PokéBall in case it didn’t want to back down. The canine Pokémon then rushed after me and leaped up and I quickly stepped out of the way as it snapped it large jowels down near me. “You asked for it. Go! Zigzagoon!” I called out. I tossed the ball out and out came the black and white Galarian Zigzagoon, out for battle.
The hound haunched up, growling fiercely as it stared down the Zigzagoon. The Zigzagoon responded in kind…sort of. Apparently for some reason it always wants to keep its tongue held out for reasons beyond me. But whatever. The dog Pokémon rushed for the Zigzagoon, leaping on the Zigzagoon and started to Bite hard upon the Galarian Pokémon. “Zigzagoon! Pin Missile!” I shouted. The Zigzagoon slinked out from the jaws of the hound and kicked out, quickly snapping around and unleashed a shower of needles upon the Pokémon. The Pokémon cried out, rather loudly at that, from the attack. Apparently the attack was a little more effective than I would have imagined from an attack like that. “The hell?”
The hound quickly would nurse a couple of spots where it was shot by Zigzagoon then got back at the ready, rushing off for the Galarian Zigzagoon and ramming into him fiercely with a Tackle attack, knocking the Zigzagoon off his feet. “Zigzagoon! Careful there! Use Headbutt!” I then commanded. The Zigzagoon managed to scramble on its feet once more just as the unknown Pokémon once again tried to pounce and clamp down on Zigzagoon, but as Zigzagoon was up, it rammed head first into the dog, smashing it back with great force.
The odd Pokémon started to cringe a bit from the attack that just about laid it out completely, a massive case of hesitation on the wild Pokémon’s part. “Zigzagoon! Hurry! Try another Pin Missile!” I said, ready to bring an end to the fight. The Zigzagoon’s fur spiked up once again and a whole flurry of pins started to pelt down upon the Pokémon. Once again the hound cried out, finally realizing that my warning wasn’t just bravado. It started to turn tail and make a run for it. As it did so, I took out my SNAG to get a read of the Pokémon, something I perhaps should have done before getting into the fight. Fortunately, I was able to get a read on it just in time. “Mas…chiff? Dark type…ooooh, that’s why it wasn’t taking kind to Pin Missile. Works for me.” I then walked over towards Zigzagoon, kneeling down. “Good job, buddy.” I said, giving it a few scratches behind the ears. It gave a rather content grin…tongue and all.
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