_|-Individual RP: N-|_

OOC: @Nitro
Ranger: Gaius Tyrannius
Trainer: John Webster Shay
Area: Mt. Oktori
BP #3
/--\

“Alright, we have a bit of time to play with,” John mused quietly, thinking as the Fire Spin continued its track by the mienshao.

He certaintly did, but it was a short window. Encore only lasted for a short period of time, and that time was about to end. I figured it to be ending after the current exchange of attacks. John had to call his next move and think of a strategy to deal with the Mienshao.

“Infernape, let’s go with Flame Wheel!” John decided at last, calling to his Pokemon.

This was an interesting choice by the trainer. Even with the sunny weather Flame Wheel was a relatively weak attack. My own conclusion was that John wanted to limit the damage that Mienshao was taking right now. He could only hope it payed off and that Mienshao didn’t try to strike back. It did have the ability hit hard with a good number of attacks.

The Infernape propeled into action, jumping into the air and summoning up a current of flame. The flame became a swirling mass as it covered the body of Infernape. It resembled a spinning ball of flame.

This ball shot into the Fire Spin tornado and directly into the path of Mienshao. Being forced to still use the Sunny Day move, the Fighting Pokemon couldn’t move and was hit with the full force of the attack, flinging the Pokemon back and freeing it from the Fire Spin.

Mienshao was panting hard, but now the Encore was finished and it wanted to fight back. It fixed the Infernape with a glare and stepped forward, a gleam of hope in its eyes.

//==\\

Battle Stats

Infernape 82.50%{Used Flame Wheel}
VS
Mienshao 62.85%{Used Sunny Day}{Encore ended}

Trainer Info

Name: John
Location: Meteor Valley
Trainer Items: Apricorn Box, Digital Camera, Hyper Ball x3 Park Ball x3, Super Ball x3
Area Effects: 9 Encounters Remaining | Sunny
Pokemon Encountered: ??? Makuhita ??? | ??? Machop ??? | M Cryonogal Careful | ??? Meditite ??? | ??? Snover ??? |
Pokemon Captured: M Cryonogal Careful | ??? Mienshao ???
CC since last encounter: 9,870 | 35,000

Pokemon Stats:
Bashful Female Dragonite @ Multiscale w/ EMs: TM Flamethrower, TM Thunderbolt, TM Ice Beam, TM Substitute, TM Protect, HM Surf, HM Waterfall, TM Earthquake, TM Dragon Pulse, TM Stone Edge, TM Dragon Claw, TM Ice Punch, TM Roar, TM Thunder, BM ExtremeSpeed, MT Draco Meteor, SM Heal Bell, MT Superpower | 93.82%

Bold Male Infernape @ Iron Fist w/ EMs: HM Cut, HM Strength, HM Rock Smash, HM Rock Climb, TM Swords Dance, TM Earthquake, TM Hidden Power Ground, TM Brick Break, TM Protect, TM Shadow Claw, TM Stone Edge, TM Stealth Rock, TM U-Turn, TM Roar, TM Grass Knot, TM Substitute, TM Flame Charge, BM Fake Out, BM ThunderPunch, BM Encore, BM Counter | 33.70%​

 

The flames parted for Infernape as he rolled in to slam into Mienshao with Flame Wheel, and Infernape took advantage as he knocked Mienshao backwards with the high-velocity attack. This should free Mienshao from Fire Spin, but with Encore set to end anyways, it wasn't too much of a problem.

"Great job, Infernape!" I commanded. I looked at Mienshao's body. He was covered in scorch marks, which was only natural since he had been trapped in a Fire Spin and then taken a Flame Wheel for extra measure. However, none of those scorch marks should be true burns. Neither Fire Spin nor Flame Wheel inflicted the Burn status, which is part of the reason I picked those over stronger attacks.

Mienshao slowly returned to his feet. He was no longer dancing - Encore must have ended. However, he was panting hard and drenched in sweat. The Pokemon was clearly exhausted. It made sense, as he had just been through a very tough ordeal. After taking two Fire-type attacks in the sun, one of which acted as a prison for a short period of time, it was fully logical that Mienshao would be feeling a little hot.

I watched Mienshao closely, but he just stood there. I figured he must've been very tired, but from the looks of things, it didn't seem like Mienshao was going to attack Infernape. I shrugged, figuring that that meant I could use this time to land in another attack. However, I wasn't sure what I wanted to do quite yet.

Using U-turn right now to bring in Dragonite was certainly an option, as it had been for most of the battle. However, given Infernape's relatively high health after recovering a large portion of it with Slack Off, I figured I could hold off on that for a moment and try and milk a little bit more out of Infernape. I did still have the sun in my corner, after all. It was probably best to use it while it was still around, I supposed.

"Infernape, let's attack once more!" I shouted. "Go with Brick Break!"

Again, I didn't want to deal too much damage to Mienshao. I was running out of viable Fire-type options, since I wasn't interested in potentially burning Mienshao nor accruing recoil from Flare Blitz. That basically left Flame Wheel (which I had already used), Flame Charge, and Ember. Flame Charge and Ember were both too weak to be worth my time in this situation, even in the sun.

Brick Break, meanwhile, was a reliable Fighting-type attack, which meant Infernape would still get the STAB bonus while using it. It wasn't particularly powerful, but it wasn't weak either. I figured Brick Break would be good for dealing some solid damage to Mienshao. At the least, it should be interesting to engage Mienshao in hand-to-hand combat.

Infernape balled up a fist and bent down on his knees slightly. He was getting ready to charge Mienshao. Brick Break was essentially a wild punch. Mienshao seemed like an agile Pokemon, but one that was subpar in the defense department. Brick Break sounded like a good move to use against Mienshao to me.

 

OOC: @Nitro
Ranger: Gaius Tyrannius
Trainer: John Webster Shay
Area: Mt. Oktori
BP #4
/--\

“Great job, Infernape,” John praised his Pokemon after it completed the Flame Wheel attack. “Infernape, let’s attack once more! Go with Brick Break!”

This tactic sort of surprised me, I was expecting another Fire move or one of the varied moves that an Infenape possessed. That said, Brick did have some advantages. It could shatter thinks like Light Screen and Reflect, plus it did give infernape a bonus because it was a Fighting move, something that Infenape excelled at because it was part Fighting.

As Infernape charged the still not moving Mienshao I thought maybe it was more damaged than I thought. But as the infernape came into range the Mienshao acted, it was a strain to see its movement. Just as Infernape struck with his Brick Break, the Mienshao responded with a Drain Punch, absorbing some of Infernape’s health while dealing damage.

It seemed Mienshao was still very much in this fight, John would have to be careful that he didn’t underestimate this Pokemon.

//==\\

Battle Stats

Infernape 65.39%{Used Brick Break}
VS
Mienshao 60.17%{Used Drain Punch}

Trainer Info

Name: John
Location: Meteor Valley
Trainer Items: Apricorn Box, Digital Camera, Hyper Ball x3 Park Ball x3, Super Ball x3
Area Effects: 9 Encounters Remaining | Sunny
Pokemon Encountered: ??? Makuhita ??? | ??? Machop ??? | M Cryonogal Careful | ??? Meditite ??? | ??? Snover ??? |
Pokemon Captured: M Cryonogal Careful | ??? Mienshao ???
CC since last encounter: 12,827 | 35,000

Pokemon Stats:
Bashful Female Dragonite @ Multiscale w/ EMs: TM Flamethrower, TM Thunderbolt, TM Ice Beam, TM Substitute, TM Protect, HM Surf, HM Waterfall, TM Earthquake, TM Dragon Pulse, TM Stone Edge, TM Dragon Claw, TM Ice Punch, TM Roar, TM Thunder, BM ExtremeSpeed, MT Draco Meteor, SM Heal Bell, MT Superpower | 93.82%

Bold Male Infernape @ Iron Fist w/ EMs: HM Cut, HM Strength, HM Rock Smash, HM Rock Climb, TM Swords Dance, TM Earthquake, TM Hidden Power Ground, TM Brick Break, TM Protect, TM Shadow Claw, TM Stone Edge, TM Stealth Rock, TM U-Turn, TM Roar, TM Grass Knot, TM Substitute, TM Flame Charge, BM Fake Out, BM ThunderPunch, BM Encore, BM Counter | 33.70%​

 

Infernape bent down on his knees, and then leaped at Mienshao with his fist outstretched and ready to strike. However, as I looked at Mienshao, I couldn't help thinking that something looked off. Mienshao was still clearly tired, but his body seemed a little too static. He wasn't moving at all, I realized. His head was angled downwards, but I noticed he had a fist clenched as well. It was hard to see from here, but his eyes seemed to be looking up at Infernape. Was this... a trap?

"Infernape, it's a trap!" I called. However, my warning came just a little too late.

Infernape swung his fist at Mienshao, and at the same time, Mienshao countered, his own fist flying skyward. I realized Mienshao was even willing to absorb the blow to complete this attack, and I found out why in a moment. As Infernape's Brick Break connected, Mienshao's fist connected with Infernape as well - and light brown energy appeared on Infernape's body, leeching through Mienshao's fist into his body. Was this the health restoring attack Drain Punch?

"Crap..." I muttered. So that's why Mienshao was willing to take the hit. By allowing Infernape to connect with the Brick Break, Mienshao would in turn get a wide open opportunity to hit my Pokemon with Drain Punch. Drain Punch was an attack that siphoned off some of the target's health to the user, so getting an opportunity to use it was well worth absorbing a hit. Mienshao had hardly been fazed by my attack.

I swore, angry with myself. It was my fault that I had not noticed Mienshao's surprise attack earlier. Though I hated to say it, I had probably underestimated my opponent. However, I promised to myself that I wouldn't fall for another of this crafty Pokemon's tricks. Odds were, I still had yet to see what this Pokemon was fully capable of. Not when he had spent a large portion of this battle dancing within a Fire Spin. I couldn't risk underestimating him any further.

Mienshao pulled his fist away from my Infernape and my Pokemon immediately crumbled. Having health leeched out of you was not exactly a pleasing experience, I figured. It was only natural that my Infernape was exhausted with my PokeDex. However, he should still have plenty of health left. I certainly hoped so, as the main reason I had led off with him rather than going to Dragonite straight away was so that he could heal some health.

Frowning, I examined my Infernape and assessed his health. Infernape still had a large portion of his HP left, though Drain Punch had done him no favors. I figured that this was a good time to call Infernape back. He had already been out for a lot longer than I had planned.

"Alright Infernape, you've done a great job, but it's time to come back! Use U-turn!" I commanded.

U-turn was an attack that returned the user to its Pokeball after the hit. It would allow me Infernape to get in a quick, if slightly underpowered, hit in, before returning to his Pokeball. Generally, I liked to use it instead of simply returning Infernape to his Pokeball, especially when his Speed stat was higher than his opponent's. That wasn't the case here, but since Infernape was already within range as a result of Brick Break, it wasn't of consequence.

Infernape's eyes met mine and he nodded, understanding his job was done in this battle. He quickly returned to his feet in a wild yet graceful backspin, using his upper body strength and tail to get back on a vertical base. His right hand was flying to strike Mienshao in the face, while the other hand was propped on the ground and ready to launch Infernape back to me the moment he had landed the blow. I pulled out Infernape's Pokeball as well as Dragonite's, ready to finally bring in my beloved Dragon.

 

OOC: @Nitro
Ranger: Gaius Tyrannius
Trainer: John Webster Shay
Area: Mt. Oktori
BP #5
/--\

I could sense the alarm from John as the momentum in the battle turned towards Mienshao. It had gained a slight amount of health while dealing a healthy amount of damage to Infernape. Both Pokemon were panting hard, but neither were willing to back down from the fight.

“Alright, Infernape, you’ve done a great job, but it’s time to come back! Use U-Turn!”

John decided to take a fresh start with calling in his Dragonite, who had near full health. Mienshao didn’t know what John’s other Pokemon was, but once it saw who it was it wouldn’t be that happy to see the Pokemon. Dragonite possessed an assortment of Flying attacks, moves that would greatly hurt the Fighting Pokemon.

That said, Mienshao seemed to recognize the command as U-Turn and seemed to be waiting for something. Infernape darted towards the fellow Fighting Pokemon and struck out with its two fists, striking with a fast series of blows. Less than a second later the Infernape somesaulted back and disappeared into his Pokeball, just as Dragonite popped out of his Pokeball.

This was the moment that Mienshao was waiting for. Soon as Dragonite appeared, the Mienshao moved forward and swept a foot forward, connecting with the midsection of the Dragon type, knocking it to the ground. Mienshao then leapt backwards, a playful glint in its eyes, it had clearly enjoyed the latest turn of events.

//==\\

Battle Stats

Dragonite 88.34%[Spd-1]{Used U-Turn}
VS
Mienshao 56.28%{Used Low Sweep}

Trainer Info

Name: John
Location: Meteor Valley
Trainer Items: Apricorn Box, Digital Camera, Hyper Ball x3 Park Ball x3, Super Ball x3
Area Effects: 9 Encounters Remaining | Sunny
Pokemon Encountered: ??? Makuhita ??? | ??? Machop ??? | M Cryonogal Careful | ??? Meditite ??? | ??? Snover ??? | ??? Mienshao ???
Pokemon Captured: M Cryonogal Careful |
CC since last encounter: 16,520 | 35,000

Pokemon Stats:
Bashful Female Dragonite @ Multiscale w/ EMs: TM Flamethrower, TM Thunderbolt, TM Ice Beam, TM Substitute, TM Protect, HM Surf, HM Waterfall, TM Earthquake, TM Dragon Pulse, TM Stone Edge, TM Dragon Claw, TM Ice Punch, TM Roar, TM Thunder, BM ExtremeSpeed, MT Draco Meteor, SM Heal Bell, MT Superpower | 93.82%

Bold Male Infernape @ Iron Fist w/ EMs: HM Cut, HM Strength, HM Rock Smash, HM Rock Climb, TM Swords Dance, TM Earthquake, TM Hidden Power Ground, TM Brick Break, TM Protect, TM Shadow Claw, TM Stone Edge, TM Stealth Rock, TM U-Turn, TM Roar, TM Grass Knot, TM Substitute, TM Flame Charge, BM Fake Out, BM ThunderPunch, BM Encore, BM Counter | 65.39%​

 

Infernape lifted himself up, and flew a flurry of rapid blows at Mienshao. They were all light, but this attack was not a power move. Its primary purpose was not to deal damage, but to get the user out of battle after landing a few light blows.

Upon completing the U-turn, Infernape did a quick somersault backwards to seperate from Mienshao. Mid-leap, he turned into a glowing red light and was sucked back into my Pokeball. I put the Pokeball back on my belt. Infernape's job was done. I tossed the other Pokeball I had with me. This one contained my Dragonite, who was at nearly full health. He should be good to close out this battle out.

"Go, Dragonite!" I shouted as I threw the Pokeball. The Pokeball exploded in a flash of white light to reveal my faithful Dragon-type.

"Dragonite!" she roared loudly, eager to get to work. Other than the brief encounter with Snover and Meditite, which had only lasted a few minutes, Dragonite had yet to see serious action. It was hardly surprising to see her raring to go.

However, as Dragonite entered the battlefield, Mienshao sprung forward. I realized that she had read my moves, and had been preparing to attack Dragonite the moment she entered the battlefield.

Mienshao bent down low and delivered a flying side kick right to Dragonite's mid-section. Dragonite immediately crumbled, roaring in pain. I noticed she had one large orange paw gingerly clenching her side where Mienshao had struck.

I winced as my Pokemon took the hit. It had looked like Mienshao's kick went deep, deep enough to leave a deep bruise. Where Dragonite was caressing it, her flank was already turning purple. I could tell it was going to sting for the rest of this battle, which wouldn't help matters. This must've been Mienshao's Low Sweep, which was a forceful kick that temporarily reduced the target's Speed by a stage.

I sniffed. Being a Flying-type, Dragonite should resist Mienshao's Low Sweep, and given that she had almost been at full health to begin with, I knew she would be able to bounce back. The drop in Speed was no concern either, since I already knew which attack I wanted to use. It was an attack I had been planning to use from the beginning.

"Dragonite, use Thunder Wave!" I called.

I had been waiting to use this move for quite some time now. Paralysis was one of my favorite statuses to afflict in a Park battle. There were no downsides to it, whereas one did damage (like Burn or Poison) could accidentally KO a Pokemon in a worse-case scenario. It was generally my rule of thumb to never burn or poison a Pokemon I intended to capture, though naturally that wasn't always the case. For a Pokemon as frail as Mienshao, however, I would definitely prefer not to afflict a damaging status condition. Paralysis was perfect given Mienshao's reliance on its Speed, and it also rendered Dragonite's Speed drop irrelevant - an added bonus.

Dragonite's antenna crossed, and blue electricity was generated. The electricity was launched at Mienshao in the form of a wave: Thunder Wave.

 

OOC: @Nitro
Ranger: Gaius Tyrannius
Trainer: John Webster Shay
Area: Mt. Oktori
BP #6
/--\

John knew that Low Sweep wouldn’t do that much damage to his Dragonite, so he wasted no time in launching his next salvo of attacks at the Mienshao.

“Dragonite, use Thunder Wave!”

That was why he wanted his Dragonite out, Thunder Wave was a move that paralyzed the opposing Pokemon if it came into contact with the electricity. It reduced the speed and had a chance of paralyzing the Pokemon a short amount of time. This made it a move that turn a battle around, fast Pokemon especially dreaded it because of the speed loss.

As Dragonite brought his two antenna together and began to build up a charge, the Mienshao smiled wickedly at his opponent. To my surprise, the Fighting Pokemon began to make faces at Dragonite and was making rude gestures. I recognized this as Taunt, a move that prevented the opposing Pokemon from using non-attacking moves by goading them into a rage. The effects wore off after a few turns, but it did limit some Pokemon.

Dragonite stopped mid-attack and fixed Mienshao with a murderous glare, Taunt had clearly worked on the Dragonite. It now wanted to pummel the Fighting type into the ground.

//==\\

Battle Stats

Dragonite 88.34%[Spd-1][T-1]{Taunted}
VS
Mienshao 56.28%{Used Taunt}

Trainer Info

Name: John
Location: Meteor Valley
Trainer Items: Apricorn Box, Digital Camera, Hyper Ball x3 Park Ball x3, Super Ball x3
Area Effects: 9 Encounters Remaining | Sunny
Pokemon Encountered: ??? Makuhita ??? | ??? Machop ??? | M Cryonogal Careful | ??? Meditite ??? | ??? Snover ??? | ??? Mienshao ???
Pokemon Captured: M Cryonogal Careful |
CC since last encounter: 19,536 | 35,000

Pokemon Stats:
Bashful Female Dragonite @ Multiscale w/ EMs: TM Flamethrower, TM Thunderbolt, TM Ice Beam, TM Substitute, TM Protect, HM Surf, HM Waterfall, TM Earthquake, TM Dragon Pulse, TM Stone Edge, TM Dragon Claw, TM Ice Punch, TM Roar, TM Thunder, BM ExtremeSpeed, MT Draco Meteor, SM Heal Bell, MT Superpower | 93.82%

Bold Male Infernape @ Iron Fist w/ EMs: HM Cut, HM Strength, HM Rock Smash, HM Rock Climb, TM Swords Dance, TM Earthquake, TM Hidden Power Ground, TM Brick Break, TM Protect, TM Shadow Claw, TM Stone Edge, TM Stealth Rock, TM U-Turn, TM Roar, TM Grass Knot, TM Substitute, TM Flame Charge, BM Fake Out, BM ThunderPunch, BM Encore, BM Counter | 65.39%​

 

Dragonite charged the Thunder Wave, and let the blue electricity fly in a wide-reaching wave. I smiled - this should subdue Mienshao for the rest of the battle, leaving put him at my mercy the way I liked it.

However, things backfired on me and my Dragonite. As I cast my eyes towards Dragonite's target, I realized Mienshao was doing something. Normally, with the charge already built up, I wouldn't be concerned, but this seemed very odd. Mienshao seemed to be provoking Dragonite with rude gestures, which was definitely very strange given that he was facing a Thunder Wave. Then, it dawned on me what Mienshao was doing.

"Don't let him get to you, Dragonite!" I called to my Pokemon. "He's using..." I trailed off; it was too late. Dragonite had an angry gleam in her eyes, and had lost all focus in the Thunder Wave. The electric charge quickly faded away, and Dragonite roared loudly at Mienshao. She flicked her antenna around wildly - a sign she was upset. Satisfied, Mienshao stopped bragging. Things had worked out perfectly for him.

I grimaced. Dragonite had fallen for Mienshao's Taunt. In her Taunted state, she would not consent to using anything other than attacks that dealt direct damage. A status move like Thunder Wave was out of the question.

Well, that was a shame. I frowned. I had been building towards this moment from the beginning, and I certainly hadn't been expecting Mienshao to throw a wrench into my plans like this. This was a little upsetting, though it wasn't something I couldn't work around. Maybe I'll regret it later when Dragonite's health starts dropping lower, but I figured I may as well use this time to whittle down Mienshao's health. It's not like I had another options, at any rate.

"Alright, Dragonite! Go peg Mienshao with a nice Wing Attack!" I shouted. Dragonite, who was steaming hot and raring to get at Mienshao, showed no hesitance. She immediately swooped into a low, speedy dive, with her right wing outstreched and on a collision course with Mienshao. I hoped to use some of Dragonite's fury to my advantage. Hopefully, if Dragonite was as angry as she appeared to be, she would be ecstatic to land a blow on Mienshao and use all that much more force because of it.

This attack should give Mienshao a taste of just who he was dealing with here. I planned to get across the fact that Dragonite was a Flying-type who was naturally superior to a Fighting-type like Mienshao right away. It would give me the advantage of intimidation, which also came with the momentum of this battle. And then, naturally, Wing Attack was a reliable Flying-type attack that should do plenty of damage to Mienshao.

 

OOC: @Nitro
Ranger: Gaius Tyrannius
Trainer: John Webster Shay
Area: Mt. Oktori
BP #7
/--\

John was upset by not being able to use his preferred move of Thunder Wave, but like all good trainer he knew he couldn’t dwell on the past, he had to move forward.

“Alright, Dragonite! Go peg Mienshao with a nice Wing Attack!” he commanded his Dragon Pokemon, letting it go blow off some steam with a super effective attack.

Soon as the words left Jay’s mouth the Dragonite was on the move, Taunt had really worked a number on it. Plus it being Dragon didn’t help, they were known for their rage.

The Mienshao watched the Dragonite as the Dragonite gained altitude before it came down in a steep dive, picking up speed. Mienshao knew it had a very small chance to dodge the Wing Attack, the field was too open for that. Mienshao had a different idea.

It waited for the Dragon to get closer before it started to kick out some of the rock formations. Sending chunks of stone at the Dragonite. It was a solid move by the Fighting type. Dragonite wouldn’t have a large window to dodge the flying rocks, plus the sudden onslaught could cause it to flinch.

The rocks pelted Dragonite, inflicting a solid amount damage, but Dragonite flew on and smacked into Mienshao. But the Rock Slide managed to lessen the blow because of the loss of speed, so it didn’t hurt as much. But it was still super effective and managed to force Mienshao back a few feet.

the Mienshao shook off the damage and started to prepare its next move.

//==\\

Battle Stats

Dragonite 70.20%[Spd-1][T-1]{Used Wing Attack}
VS
Mienshao 30.95%{Used Rock Slide | Using Work Up}

Trainer Info

Name: John
Location: Meteor Valley
Trainer Items: Apricorn Box, Digital Camera, Hyper Ball x3 Park Ball x3, Super Ball x3
Area Effects: 9 Encounters Remaining | Sunny
Pokemon Encountered: ??? Makuhita ??? | ??? Machop ??? | M Cryonogal Careful | ??? Meditite ??? | ??? Snover ??? | ??? Mienshao ???
Pokemon Captured: M Cryonogal Careful |
CC since last encounter: 22,179 | 35,000
2643
Pokemon Stats:
Bashful Female Dragonite @ Multiscale w/ EMs: TM Flamethrower, TM Thunderbolt, TM Ice Beam, TM Substitute, TM Protect, HM Surf, HM Waterfall, TM Earthquake, TM Dragon Pulse, TM Stone Edge, TM Dragon Claw, TM Ice Punch, TM Roar, TM Thunder, BM ExtremeSpeed, MT Draco Meteor, SM Heal Bell, MT Superpower | 93.82%

Bold Male Infernape @ Iron Fist w/ EMs: HM Cut, HM Strength, HM Rock Smash, HM Rock Climb, TM Swords Dance, TM Earthquake, TM Hidden Power Ground, TM Brick Break, TM Protect, TM Shadow Claw, TM Stone Edge, TM Stealth Rock, TM U-Turn, TM Roar, TM Grass Knot, TM Substitute, TM Flame Charge, BM Fake Out, BM ThunderPunch, BM Encore, BM Counter | 65.39%​

 

Dragonite flew towards Mienshao, her wing outstretched and on a collision course with the hostile Fighting-type. Knowing how swift and scrappy this Mienshao was, I held my breath to see if he would try and counterattack. I fully expected him to, whether it was before or after my Wing Attack. I would have to react quickly in turn.

As Dragonite neared Mienshao, the Fighting-type made his move. He began kicking some large chunks of rock free from the ground, sending them flying towards my Dragonite. I immediately scowled. This was Rock Slide, and it was the single worst attack to have used on my Dragonite as she was flying high-speed towards Mienshao. I would have to leave it to my Dragonite to safely dodge all the rocks, and it was no easy feat to manage.

Dragonite weaved in and out of the flying rocks, trying her hardest to avoid the rocks. Unfortunately, it was just too difficult. One clipped her shoulder, and then another smacked right into her flank. Dragonite was slowed, but by this time was close enough to power through the rest of the rocks and land the Wing Attack on Mienshao.

"Mienshao!" the Fighting-type cried in pain, tumbling backwards. However, it was clear that the power of the Wing Attack had lessened some after Dragonite had to deal with the Rock Slide. I sniffed. It wasn't too much of a concern - the attack was still super-effective.

Dragonite touched down to catch her breath. From the looks of things, she was tired but still had plenty of energy. There was no reason to get too concerned yet, then.

Mienshao slowly returned to his feet, shaking off the blow. He eyed my Dragonite and began shouting loudly. The Pokemon was getting Worked Up.

At this new development, I frowned. Dragonite was still Taunted, and with Mienshao using Work Up, he was making himself a much more volatile opponent. This was a very dangerous situation to be in for Dragonite, but there was nothing I could do but wait for Taunt to end. I would have to fend Mienshao off for now.

"Dragonite, I know you're upset, but I need you to keep it together!" I called. I knew there was no way I could get Dragonite to just snap out of her Taunted state, but I was hoping my words would reach her and she would at least realize she would have to be careful against her buffed up opponent.

I held my breath, trying to figure out what to do. In this kind of a situation, I just had to try and stall off the Taunt while keeping Dragonite from being beat to a pulp by Mienshao. I would have to play defensive, and given how upset Dragonite was currently, it would be much harder than it normally was. I couldn't use any dedicated defensive moves with a Taunted Pokemon, and then I would have to control my Pokemon's anger, too. I had my work cut out for me.

I groaned. Though I had never imagined I would say it, having Fly in this situation would be great. Due to the time needed to prepare the move before it was possible to execute it, it would last long enough to time out the Taunt. Unfortunately, my Dragonite didn't have Fly or any similar moves. I guess the only possible strategy here was to use normal attacks and fend off Mienshao.

"Dragonite, we're going to have to keep Mienshao at bay until Taunt wears off!" I called, hoping she would heed my warning and not go off on her own to attack Mienshao. For now, the smartest thing to do was to use Special attacks that kept Mienshao away from my Pokemon. I also had to be careful though, since Mienshao was beginning to get close to fainting. I quickly made up my mind on what to do. "Dragonite, use Draco Meteor, but try and hit Mienshao with splash damage instead of an actual head-on hit! Then, create a Twister around yourself and hide in the eye of the tornado!"

This may have seemed like a very odd move, but I thought it to be an intelligent one and one that would serve me well both in the short-term and in the big picture. I wanted Dragonite to use Draco Meteor for the Special Attack drops the attack induced on the user, as odd as that sounds. It would reduce the damage I did to Mienshao with Twister and other moves later on, and also keep me from accidentally knocking it out. There was a little bit of risk in using such a powerful attack on Mienshao, but if Dragonite kept the attack from hitting Mienshao directly and tried hitting him with the splash damage from the impact instead, it should take away a lot of that risk. It should be easier than actually trying to hit him head-on, anyways.

Also, Draco Meteor would wreak a lot of havoc on to the battlefield, which would definitely buy some time for Taunt to wear off. I was hoping that Draco Meteor would whip up enough dust on impact to confuse Mienshao for a short period of time.

After that, Dragonite would use a dulled version of Twister. By creating a Twister around herself with herself at the center (where no winds would rage), Mienshao would be hard-pressed to land a blow without putting himself at risk as well. The winds should also be able to reduce a lot of any impact Mienshao was able to create between himself and Dragonite, if any. The stat drops that would result from Draco Meteor should prevent Twister, which wasn't too powerful an attack to begin with, from dealing any sort of potential KO damage to Mienshao.

Dragonite began using Draco Meteor. She raised her arms, and a large mass of golden yellow energy accumulated between her paws. Draco Meteor was a very destructive move, and it required plenty of Dragonite's energy. However, it should function very well in this situation. I licked my lips, waiting to how my strategy would work out.

@AmericanTreeFrog

 

OOC: @Nitro
Ranger: Gaius Tyrannius
Trainer: John Webster Shay
Area: Mt. Oktori
BP #8
/--\

John winced when the rocks struck his Dragonite, but he knew it the price of battle and that he had to move on.

“Dragonite, I know you’re upset, but I need you to keep it together!” he encouraged his Pokemon loudly, trying to keep his Pokemon’s spirit elevated and didn’t allow it to get too worked up from the Taunt.

The battle was coming upon a critical moment in time, Mienshao was losing health at a rapid rate, but its resolve was never higher. It also had Dragonite in a hard spot, Dragonite could only attack Mienshao and couldn’t use any of his non-attacking moves that could give the Dragon Pokemon a powerful edge.

John had to take such factors into account and be careful in his move choice. Based off his moves so far I thought it was easy to deduce that he was trying to wait until the Taunt wore off. What he planned to do after that was up in the air.

“Dragonite, we’re going to have to keep Mienshao at bay until Taunt wears off!” he command his Pokemon. “Dragonite, use Draco Meteor, but try and hit Mienshao with splash damage instead of an actual head-on hit. Then, create a Twister around yourself and hide in the eye of the tornado!”

Dragonite raised its thick paws and an orb of yellow energy began to form between them. Draco Meteor was one of the most powerful moves in the game, requiring a lot of energy and concentration. But luckily for Dragonite Mienshao was getting itself worked into a frenzy, causing both to end around the same time.

Dragonite took aim and released the pent up energy. The yellow energy streaked towards the Fighting Pokemon, but a little off to the left. Mienshao reacted immediately, leaping clear of the attack, but it couldn’t put enough distance between it and the attack. Part of the blast clipped Mienshao and slammed into a large rock. Mienshao fell heavily to the earth, but rose to its feet quickly, a gleam of anger in his eyes.

With Snarl an orb of yellow energy formed between its paws. This it quickly fired at Dragonite before it could summon the Twister. Dragonite recoiled in deep pain from the attack. Despite the pain, Dragonite managed to form a weak Twister around its body, directing the energy from its own body and outward.

Mienshao’s eyes narrowed as it studied Dragonite’s attack. It deftly jumped from rock to rock, watching for any weakness as it waited for the Twister to die down.

//==\\

Battle Stats

Dragonite 41.70%[Spd-1]{Used Draco Meteor | Twister}
VS
Mienshao 15.38%[+1Atk - SpcAtk]{Used Work Up | Hidden Power[Dragon]}

Trainer Info

Name: John
Location: Meteor Valley
Trainer Items: Apricorn Box, Digital Camera, Hyper Ball x3 Park Ball x3, Super Ball x3
Area Effects: 9 Encounters Remaining | Sunny
Pokemon Encountered: ??? Makuhita ??? | ??? Machop ??? | M Cryonogal Careful | ??? Meditite ??? | ??? Snover ??? | ??? Mienshao ???
Pokemon Captured: M Cryonogal Careful |
CC since last encounter: 27,767 | 35,000

Pokemon Stats:
Bashful Female Dragonite @ Multiscale w/ EMs: TM Flamethrower, TM Thunderbolt, TM Ice Beam, TM Substitute, TM Protect, HM Surf, HM Waterfall, TM Earthquake, TM Dragon Pulse, TM Stone Edge, TM Dragon Claw, TM Ice Punch, TM Roar, TM Thunder, BM ExtremeSpeed, MT Draco Meteor, SM Heal Bell, MT Superpower | 93.82%

Bold Male Infernape @ Iron Fist w/ EMs: HM Cut, HM Strength, HM Rock Smash, HM Rock Climb, TM Swords Dance, TM Earthquake, TM Hidden Power Ground, TM Brick Break, TM Protect, TM Shadow Claw, TM Stone Edge, TM Stealth Rock, TM U-Turn, TM Roar, TM Grass Knot, TM Substitute, TM Flame Charge, BM Fake Out, BM ThunderPunch, BM Encore, BM Counter | 65.39%​

 

@AmericanTreeFrog Also, I think you forgot the drops from Draco Meteor.

Golden yellow energy continued to accumulate between Dragonite's paws, and a large mass of energy was developing. Suddenly, the energy began shining, and no more energy was absorbed. Draco Meteor was complete.

"Dragonite!" my Pokemon roared, heaving the large mass of energy in between herself and Mienshao. As I had commanded, Dragonite tried to keep the attack from hitting Mienshao directly. Instead, Dragonite tried to hit the ground near Mienshao and do less damage with the shock wave instead.

It was successful. Mienshao leaped to the side to avoid Dragonite's attack, but still ended up within the blast radius. He cried out in pain, but I turned a blind eye. There was no sympathy in battle, and I was so close to the finish line as well.

"Keep it up!" I called to my Dragonite. She nodded, and began Twister. Winds began swirling around her - shortly, Twister should be complete.

However, it wasn't quick enough. Mienshao returned to his feet, somehow not too shaken up from Draco Meteor, and made his move. Golden yellow energy accumulated between his own paws - was Mienshao using a Dragon-type attack? This certainly couldn't be Draco Meteor, so I figured it must've been Hidden Power. I knew I did not want my Dragonite to take a boosted hit from this Hidden Power type.

"Quickly, Dragonite!" I urged, getting worried. However, Mienshao had launched the Hidden Power, and Dragonite couldn't muster up the Twister in time. She was struck my Mienshao's attack, and stumbled. Then, the winds finally came up, and Dragonite had time to take a breather. Mienshao jumped from one spot to another, anxiously waiting for the attack to die down.

Now, I hesitated. Taunt should be over by now - Dragonite already looked much more calm. However, I had two plausible options, and there was part of me that wanted to go with one of them while the other part wanted to go with the other. I wasn't sure which attack I wanted to use, Thunder Wave or Roost?

Though we were near the end of the battle, I still had not managed to land home with Thunder Wave. Still, I knew I should at some point. It would make the capture much easier, and take away from what Mienshao was able to do as well. However, the paranoid side in me pained from seeing Dragonite below 50% health, and wanted to get that back up in the 80s to 90s. I realized how paranoid I was being, and quelled the notion of using Roost quite yet. I could probably wait one more turn. Besides, Thunder Wave could paralyze Mienshao, which would basically give me a free turn. Oh, how nice that would be.

"Dragonite, let's use Thunder Wave now!" I called. Finally, I added to myself mentally.

Dragonite nodded, and once again began charging blue energy between her antenna. I licked my lips, awaiting the fireworks.

 

OOC: @Nitro - I counted it, just forgot to write it done.
Ranger: Gaius Tyrannius
Trainer: John Webster Shay
Area: Mt. Oktori
BP #9
/--\

“Dragonite, let’s use Thunder Wave now!” John called, at last able to try and use the move that he wanted to do.

I could see why he wanted to try the move once more. It lowered speed, had a chance to paralyze the Pokemon, and it increased the capture rate. The only question was what Mienshao would do to Dragonite. It was badly damaged and couldn’t use too many attacks for fear of bleeding energy at a high rate.

As Dragonite let go of the energy needed to form Twister, he started on the energy needed for the Thunder Wave. The Mienshao started at the sight of the Thunder Wave and immediately jumped into the air.

It positioned itself over the Mienshao and dived down upon the Dragonite in an Aerial Ace move. The Dragonite stood its ground and waited for the attack as he built up the charge needed to sustain the Thunder Wave.

The Mienshao struck hard and bounded away, but not fast enough to dodge the Thunder Wave that Dragonite shot at it. The bright beam of blue energy hit Mienshao and sent the Pokemon down. It rose back to its feet and moved to face Dragonite, despite the paralysis that was now wracking his body.

//==\\

Battle Stats

Dragonite 30.56%[-2SpcAtk][Spd-1]{Used Thunder Wave}
VS
Mienshao 15.38%[Par][+1Atk - SpcAtk]{Used Aerial Ace}

Trainer Info

Name: John
Location: Meteor Valley
Trainer Items: Apricorn Box, Digital Camera, Hyper Ball x3 Park Ball x3, Super Ball x3
Area Effects: 9 Encounters Remaining | Sunny
Pokemon Encountered: ??? Makuhita ??? | ??? Machop ??? | M Cryonogal Careful | ??? Meditite ??? | ??? Snover ??? | ??? Mienshao ???
Pokemon Captured: M Cryonogal Careful |
CC since last encounter: 30,527 | 35,000

Pokemon Stats:
Bashful Female Dragonite @ Multiscale w/ EMs: TM Flamethrower, TM Thunderbolt, TM Ice Beam, TM Substitute, TM Protect, HM Surf, HM Waterfall, TM Earthquake, TM Dragon Pulse, TM Stone Edge, TM Dragon Claw, TM Ice Punch, TM Roar, TM Thunder, BM ExtremeSpeed, MT Draco Meteor, SM Heal Bell, MT Superpower | 93.82%

Bold Male Infernape @ Iron Fist w/ EMs: HM Cut, HM Strength, HM Rock Smash, HM Rock Climb, TM Swords Dance, TM Earthquake, TM Hidden Power Ground, TM Brick Break, TM Protect, TM Shadow Claw, TM Stone Edge, TM Stealth Rock, TM U-Turn, TM Roar, TM Grass Knot, TM Substitute, TM Flame Charge, BM Fake Out, BM ThunderPunch, BM Encore, BM Counter | 65.39%​

 

Dragonite began charging the Thunder Wave. Bright blue electricity was generated between her antenna, and Dragnoite eyed her target to aim the charge.

Mienshao grunted, and jumped. He must have been trying to avoid Thunder Wave, but that was harder than it may sound due to the wave-shaped nature of the attack.

"Keep charging the attack, and wait until you have an opportunity to hit Mienshao with it!" I called to my Pokemon. Then, I realized Mienshao was flying towards Dragonite. Mienshao hadn't jumped straight up - he had jumped towards Dragonite, gathering for an attack.

I smiled. This made things even more convenient for Dragonite and I. Mienshao would make himself an easier target by rocketing towards Dragonite. I didn't know what attack Mienshao planned to use, but I figured it couldn't be anything that couldn't be stopped dead in its tracks by a Thunder Wave.

All of a sudden, white streaks surrounded Mienshao, and he turned into a blur. In less than the blink of an eye, he had slammed into Dragonite. I blinked.

"Dragonite!" she winced, and I saw Mienshao leaping away from Dragonite. Neither of us were exactly sure what happened, but my Dragonite still fired off the Thunder Wave in her startled and wincing state.

Mienshao landed, and took one more jump away from Dragonite. It looked like this jump could take it out of Thunder Wave's range, and I hoped the attack would get there in time.

It did. Mienshao was caught by the tendrils of electricity, and fell to the ground. He was paralyzed.

I smiled. Whatever Mienshao had tried, it hadn't worked as Dragonite had still been able to tag him with Thunder Wave.

"Great job, Dragonite!" I called. This battle was nearing its close now. Mienshao's health was wearing thin, and now he was paralyzed as well. I think one more blow should suffice and get Mienshao into capture range. Before that, however, there was something I had to do for the long haul.

"Dragonite, use Roost!" I commanded. Dragonite nodded, and cast her eyes around for something she could Roost on.

Roost was a Flying-type recovery move where the user would fly out of the opponent's range, and find something to perch on so health could be recovered for a short time. With Dragonite's health getting low, this was an intelligent move to use in my mind.

I looked at Mienshao. If I was lucky, she would be stopped by paralysis. I certainly wasn't banking on it, but it felt good to have that possibility in my corner.

 

OOC: @Nitro
Ranger: Gaius Tyrannius
Trainer: John Webster Shay
Area: Mt. Oktori
BP #10
/--\

“Dragonite, use Roost!” John commanded his Pokemon.

I has been suspecting him to use this move for a bit now, it was one of the reasons he had used Thunder Wave I realized. With the lowered speed from being Paralyzed there was no chance for the Mienshao to stop Dragonite from healing, like it had done earlier with Taunt when Dragonite had first attempted the Thunder Wave.

Now the Roost attack would swing this battle firmly back into Dragonite’s arena. Roost healed a Pokemon a full 50% of its max health, a handy bonus, but it came at the cost of forcing the Pokemon to land on the ground, losing the ability of its Flying type for a short amount of time.

The Mienshao saw the Dragonite land to heal and knew it had a short window of opportunity to hit the Dragonite with some its most powerful attacks. Mienshao had a plethora of moves that could any number of Pokemon.

But with Mienshao paralyzed it knew it only had a small chance of closing the distance between it and the Dragon Pokemon. So it decided on compromise. Any of its physical attack would do a great amount of damage, but it simply couldn’t get close enough. So it focused on a special attack, and with the boost from Work Up it would do enough damage.

The weasal-like Pokemon brought its paws together and a shiny blue orb formed between them. It was a cerulean blue with tendrils of silver in it, I knew it to be Aura Sphere, one of the most powerful Special Fighting moves.

Because of the Roost move Dragonite couldn’t fly away from the attack, and it couldn’t move fast enough because of its lowered speed. The paralyzation of Mienshao only affected its speed, not the speed of its attacks, and Aura Sphere was pretty fast. The Dragonite was struck with the full force of the attack.

I felt a twinge of sympathy for the Dragonite, but I knew that Dragonite would respond with a powerful attack of its own or the Mienshao would be captured, either way I knew this battle was coming to a close.

//==\\

Battle Stats

Dragonite 60.36%[-2SpcAtk][Spd-1]{Used Roost}
VS
Mienshao 15.38%[Par][+1Atk - SpcAtk]{Used Aura Sphere}

Trainer Info

Name: John
Location: Meteor Valley
Trainer Items: Apricorn Box, Digital Camera, Hyper Ball x3 Park Ball x3, Super Ball x3
Area Effects: 9 Encounters Remaining | Sunny
Pokemon Encountered: ??? Makuhita ??? | ??? Machop ??? | M Cryonogal Careful | ??? Meditite ??? | ??? Snover ??? | F Mienshao ???
Pokemon Captured: M Cryonogal Careful |
CC since last encounter: 32,971 | 35,000

Pokemon Stats:
Bashful Female Dragonite @ Multiscale w/ EMs: TM Flamethrower, TM Thunderbolt, TM Ice Beam, TM Substitute, TM Protect, HM Surf, HM Waterfall, TM Earthquake, TM Dragon Pulse, TM Stone Edge, TM Dragon Claw, TM Ice Punch, TM Roar, TM Thunder, BM ExtremeSpeed, MT Draco Meteor, SM Heal Bell, MT Superpower | 93.82%

Bold Male Infernape @ Iron Fist w/ EMs: HM Cut, HM Strength, HM Rock Smash, HM Rock Climb, TM Swords Dance, TM Earthquake, TM Hidden Power Ground, TM Brick Break, TM Protect, TM Shadow Claw, TM Stone Edge, TM Stealth Rock, TM U-Turn, TM Roar, TM Grass Knot, TM Substitute, TM Flame Charge, BM Fake Out, BM ThunderPunch, BM Encore, BM Counter | 65.39%​

 

OOC: @AmericanTreeFrog It may not be obvious, but this post is a capture attempt as well.

Dragonite touched down softly, and closed her eyes as Roost began healing her. I could see the scratches and bruises on her body fade away as the miraculous healing powers of Roost went to work. Roost was an attack that healed half of the user's health, and that should be plenty for the rest of this run. I was only planning on capturing one more Pokemon before leaving, anyways.

However, I did have to close out this battle first. I watched Mienshao as my Pokemon regenerated health; would Mienshao attack? Hopefully, he would be fully paralyzed. The odds of that happening were only 25%, and while that wasn't exactly reliable, it was a one-in-four chance that I could certainly hope worked in my favor.

No such luck, however. Mienshao generated a blue ball of energy in between his hands - the popular Aura Sphere attack. It looked like he was going to strike with a Special attack this time around, probably to make up for the Speed handicap associated with Thunder Wave. Special attacks weren't Mienshao's forte, but with the boost from Work Up, it wasn't something I should completely overlook, either.

Unfortunately, Dragonite was still in the midst of healing. Mienshao tossed the Aura Sphere at Dragonite, and I could only watch as my Pokemon was struck by the move. While Roosting, she temporarily lost her Flying-type attribute, meaning she also lost her natural resistance to Fighting-type attacks like Aura Sphere. The attack looked like it did some solid damage to my Pokemon. From the looks of things, though, the healing from Roost had been more than enough to heal away any damage taken form Aura Sphere. My Dragonite hadn't recovered the whole 50% as a result, but that wasn't too troubling to me. I still had Infernape in my pocket for the long haul, with about two-thirds of health himself after recovering with Slack Off earlier during this battle.

Dragonite stood up, and leaped back into the air with renewed energy. She set her eyes on the paralyzed and weakened Mienshao - he was almost finished now. I think I could sneak in one more attack to improve my odds, and then I could try for the capture.

"Dragonite, let's use Twister again!" I commanded, "This time, offensively!"

Dragonite nodded, and began collecting winds around her body again. We had done this earlier, when Dragonite had been Taunted. Back then, I had used Twister as a defensive move. This time, my plan was to use it as the offensive move it was meant to be.

With Mienshao's health so low, I didn't want to risk knocking it out - not after all the work I had put into trying to capture it. As ferocious as it may look, Twister was an attack with a very low Base Power of 40. With the Special Attack drops from Draco Meteor also a factor, this attack was highly unlikely to be powerful enough to knock out Mienshao. Contrary to popular belief (and common sense, for that matter), Twister was a Dragon-type attack rather than a Flying-type one, so I didn't have to worry about a super-effective blow accidentally taking out the Mienshao. Instead, it should put the Pokemon close to the brink, which was obviously the optimal place for him to be when I attempted the capture.

I pulled out a Super Ball, and tossed it around in my hand. The winds around Dragonite had fully manifested into the tornado I had already seen earlier. This time around, Dragonite was going to throw, for lack of a better word, the tornado directly at Mienshao. I was going to time my toss so that it would connect with Mienshao right when Twister died down. Dragonite prepared to launch the Twister at Mienshao, and I began winding up to toss the Super Ball...

 

OOC: [MENTION]Nitro[/MENTION]
Ranger: Gaius Tyrannius
Trainer: John Webster Shay
Area: Mt. Oktori
BP #11
/--\

To my surprise instead of trying to capture the Pokemon immediately, John opted to try out another attack. “Dragonite, let’s use Twister again!” he ordered. “This time, offensively.”

He was referring to the last time he had Dragonite form up a Twister to try and shield its body from any potential blows, it hadn’t worked that well, so it seemed he wanted to the Fighting type Pokemon with the tornado instead.

The Dragonite nodded her massive head and began to flap her wings as the feeling returned after her Roost attack. With her added energy she quickly built up a strong tornado that whipped about the battlefield, it winds picking up smaller objects.

The Mienshao knew what the Dragonite was doing, but with such low health it couldn’t use any of its most powerful moves, it would drain too much energy from it. The Pokemon instead decided to use a different move. It brought both paws up and from them shot many tiny stars. These stars homed in on the Dragonite and struck it repeatedly, but only doing little damage to the great Dragon Pokemon.

Mienshao just got the attack off before the Dragon’s Twister enveloped it, hiding it from my view as the Pokemon was spun about. When it dissipated I saw that the Mienshao didn’t sustain too much damage, but it clearly didn’t help its situation that much.

It was then that I noticed the Superball come flying out of the sky to strike the Mienshao, absorbing it into the device. The ball bounced to the rough ground where it wiggled a couple of times before settling down with a soft ding.

“Congrats,” I said, walking over and retrieving the occupied ball. “I am ready to move on whenever you are.”

//==\\

Battle Stats

Dragonite 51.29%[-2SpcAtk][Spd-1]{Used Roost}
VS
Mienshao 9.88%[Par][+1Atk - SpcAtk]{Used Aura Sphere}

Trainer Info

Name: John
Location: Meteor Valley
Trainer Items: Apricorn Box, Digital Camera, Hyper Ball x3 Park Ball x3, Super Ball x2
Area Effects: 9 Encounters Remaining | Sunny
Pokemon Encountered: ??? Makuhita ??? | ??? Machop ??? | M Cryonogal Careful | ??? Meditite ??? | ??? Snover ??? | F Mienshao ???
Pokemon Captured: M Cryonogal Careful | F Mienshao Bold
CC since last encounter: 0,000 | 0,000

Pokemon Stats:
Bashful Female Dragonite @ Multiscale w/ EMs: TM Flamethrower, TM Thunderbolt, TM Ice Beam, TM Substitute, TM Protect, HM Surf, HM Waterfall, TM Earthquake, TM Dragon Pulse, TM Stone Edge, TM Dragon Claw, TM Ice Punch, TM Roar, TM Thunder, BM ExtremeSpeed, MT Draco Meteor, SM Heal Bell, MT Superpower | 51.29%

Bold Male Infernape @ Iron Fist w/ EMs: HM Cut, HM Strength, HM Rock Smash, HM Rock Climb, TM Swords Dance, TM Earthquake, TM Hidden Power Ground, TM Brick Break, TM Protect, TM Shadow Claw, TM Stone Edge, TM Stealth Rock, TM U-Turn, TM Roar, TM Grass Knot, TM Substitute, TM Flame Charge, BM Fake Out, BM ThunderPunch, BM Encore, BM Counter | 65.39%​

 

I tossed the Super Ball into the Twister, timing my toss carefully. Just as I had planned, the storm dissipated just as the Super Ball neared.

However, as the Super Ball flew towards Mienshao, something flew the opposite way towards my Dragonite. No, it wasn't something - it was multiple somethings! They were stars formed of energy, so this must've been the Swift attack. Immediately, I relaxed. I was probably underestimating Swift's power a little bit, but I was relieved that it wasn't something like another Aura Sphere. My Dragonite would take minimal damage from Swift.

The Super Ball bumped into Mienshao, and immediately opened up and snatched the Pokemon. It wiggled a couple times, but Mienshao did not jump out of the capsule. It was another successful capture for me!

I smiled, and watched Gaius pick up the Super Ball. He turned to me and said, "Congrats. I'm ready to move on whenever you are."

I nodded. "Let's not waste any time - that battle took a pretty long time. Let's try and finish this run quickly, I only need to find one more Pokemon that I like."

 

Ranger: Gaius Tyrannius
Trainer: John Webster Shay
Area: Mt. Oktori
NBP #2
/--\

John nodded his assent. “Let’s not waste any time-that battle took a pretty long time. Let’s try and finish this run quickly, I only need to find one more Pokemon that I like,” the trainer responded recalling his Dragonite.

“Cool, we can continue on up the mountain.”

We were above the one third mark so the path was covered with patches of snow and ice, and since snow was coming down in droves I knew that any tracks would likely be obscured, and that Pokemon might have retired to the cave complex.

We continued walking along until I spotted the first cave. I tugged on John’s arm and pointed it out to him., indicating that I was leading him there. I trudged through the now over there and was greeted by the sight of a small Smoochum looking at us with its owlish eyes.

“You want it?”

//==\\

Trainer Info

Name: John
Location: Meteor Valley
Trainer Items: Apricorn Box, Digital Camera, Hyper Ball x3 Park Ball x3, Super Ball x2
Area Effects: 8 Encounters Remaining | Sunny
Pokemon Encountered: ??? Makuhita ??? | ??? Machop ??? | M Cryonogal Careful | ??? Meditite ??? | ??? Snover ??? | F Mienshao Bold | ??? Smoochum ???
Pokemon Captured: M Cryonogal Careful | F Mienshao Bold
CC since last encounter: 1,071 | 4,000

Pokemon Stats:
Bashful Female Dragonite @ Multiscale w/ EMs: TM Flamethrower, TM Thunderbolt, TM Ice Beam, TM Substitute, TM Protect, HM Surf, HM Waterfall, TM Earthquake, TM Dragon Pulse, TM Stone Edge, TM Dragon Claw, TM Ice Punch, TM Roar, TM Thunder, BM ExtremeSpeed, MT Draco Meteor, SM Heal Bell, MT Superpower | 51.29%

Bold Male Infernape @ Iron Fist w/ EMs: HM Cut, HM Strength, HM Rock Smash, HM Rock Climb, TM Swords Dance, TM Earthquake, TM Hidden Power Ground, TM Brick Break, TM Protect, TM Shadow Claw, TM Stone Edge, TM Stealth Rock, TM U-Turn, TM Roar, TM Grass Knot, TM Substitute, TM Flame Charge, BM Fake Out, BM ThunderPunch, BM Encore, BM Counter | 65.39%​

 

"Cool, we can continue on up the mountain," Gaius said. I nodded eagerly, and followed my Ranger as we resumed our journey through Mount Oktori.

We followed the path, slowly making our way up the mountain. This was my first time here - I had never been to Oktori before, whether as a Trainer or as a Ranger. However, it seemed very unforgiving. The ground was frozen and slippery, and the blizzard picked up very quickly as we progressed further along.

I noticed that, since the beginning of my Oktori journey, the rate at which I had spotted Pokemon had dropped. That was odd since normally the deeper you went into an area, the more Pokemon there would be. It seemed to be the opposite here. However, maybe the area was too cold. I expected all Pokemon, even Ice-types (or at least most of them), to prefer warmer areas over freezing cold ones. Maybe if we searched in the caves...?

I spotted a cave just up ahead and was about to request that we search in there when Gaius pointed it out to me. I guess we were thinking the same thing, then.

We neared the cave, and happened upon a Smoochum looking back at us.

"You want in?" Gaius asked. I shook my head. I hated Smoochum, and I really hated Jynx. We'll see what else I could find...