Back on Solid Earth

[Noerd]

Marshall took one deep breath as he set foot on Route 32 for the first time. It had been a long journey and an even longer Gym Battle (to him, at least) but he was finally here. One Badge under his belt now, he was taking his first steps toward Azalea Town. He'd made sure to get as much information on how to get to his next challenge as he possibly could this time. He knew he was on the right track. Probably. But, really, who cared? The most important thing was...

"The Zephyr Badge. Finally." Marshall couldn't bring himself to put the little trinket away, no matter how much he told himself that he should. He'd been staring at it almost non-stop since he'd finished his Cherrygrove detour. Somehow, being back in this part of Johto had made it all the more real to him. He won that match, fair and square. Well, fair-ish. He couldn't forget how Týr had fallen, but that was just a little bit of a sidetrack, that's all. He'd be back on the right path soon enough, his team in tow. The first stage of the rebuilding process started here. Here, in the most beautiful of areas. Route 32. Beautiful and... humid.

"Ugh... I could do with a drink, really..." Marshall moaned. He'd been so keen on progressing in his League challenge that he'd completely forgotten to hydrate himself. This heat was not doing him any favours right now, despite his upbringing in the beach city that was Cianwood. He adjusted his sweatband a little to mop up his forehead, thinking about where he was best served to go first. He had a new Old Rod that he needed to test out... but that could wait for now. He had one target on his mind. Somewhere that was probably a lot cooler than here, if he knew his science like he thought he did. Well, OK, so he didn't know science all that well. The point still stood.

"Alright, troops, onward to Union Cave!" Marshall called out to no-one in particular. He had recalled his entire squad into their Pokéballs, not wanting to be dragged back by a straggling Torchic at this stage. Vesta needed to be trained up and quickly. Firstly, though, he needed to get to a cooler location. Marshall stepped forward into the grass of Route 32, ready for his first battle past Violet to begin.

As he wandered on, though, he couldn't help but feel that he was forgetting something... Something important. Something that he might have to come back for.

(TIME TRIAL TO UNION CAVE, BEGIN! Gettin' that one Route 32 encounter out of the way, obviously.

Vesta will lead with an Ember on whatever shows up~!)

[Blackbird]

Despite its close proximity to the dark Violet City, Route 32 was beautiful. The sun was shining, the Pidgey's were singing – granted, it was a bit muggy, but the Pokemon on the Route, mostly grass-, water-, or bug- types, liked it that way. Unfortunately for them, it wasn't humid enough to dampen the power of fire-types, but it was still rather nice.

However, the trainer making his way through the Route didn't seem to agree. Complaining aloud, and wiping sweat from his forehead, he didn't seem to enjoy it much at all. His tail, whom had been following him since he'd left Violet City, thought he needed to change his opinion.

The Pokemon scuttled after him, keeping to the shade of the trees. If only he'd stop walking, then it could, well get a word in. He just needed a bit of a pick-me up, after all!

Soon the tail saw its opportunity. The trainer came to a stop, wiping sweat off of his forehead. The Pokemon scuttled up a tree ahead of him, clambered out onto the branch and, after creating a bungy-cord of sorts, dropped off the branch on front of him in hopes of scaring Marshall. It dangled from the webbing and swung from side to side, clattering its pincers and waggling its legs.

If the Spinarak had known that Marshall toted a fire-type, it would have thought twice.

Almost before it could complete a full swing, one of Marshall's Poke Balls broke open, the light forming his Torchic. The little fire-bird took offence to the bug-type attempting to scare her trainer, and let loose with a strong burst of Embers.

The burning coals struck the Spinarak hard, and burnt through its webbing. The spider Pokemon dropped to the ground, flailing as the fires put themselves out. Recovering, and now thoroughly angry that Vesta didn't appreciate it attempting to cheer up her trainer, it lurched forward and struck her with its horn.

 Marshall's Vesta VS Wild Spinarak

---

Spinarak | Level 8
HP: 2/26
Status: Normal
Spinarak used Poison Sting!
I was just trying to have some fun!

Vesta | Level 9
HP: 3/29
Status: Normal
Vesta used Ember! Critical Hit!
How DARE you?!

Template made by ⒶⓀⒾ

[Noerd]

Marshall's first encounter in Route 32 appeared quite suddenly. All the Fighting type trainer saw to begin with was a small, sad-looking face dropping down in front of him. The strange face shocked Marshall for half a second, and he jumped backward and squawked in total surprise. Rubbing his eyes as if to wake himself up, the young man readjusted himself and took another look at the intruder in front of him. A green body with a very obviously fake face scrawled on its back. Nature was a cruel mistress, pulling pranks such as this. Marshall wasn't all that familiar with Spinarak, despite it being a staple of the region, but he had just the tool to help him out here. He pulled out his Pokédex and scanned it immediately. "Spinarak", the device said.

"Huh, so it's a Bug type. Bug..." Marshall let this information settle in his mind as he slowly realised how perfect this situation was for him. Glancing down at his belt, he knew exactly who to call on here. The Torchic needed her confidence boost; perhaps this was the time. He immediately pulled out Vesta's ball, tossing it forward. "Alright, c'mon out and give this thing an Ember, Vesta!" he shouted excitedly as his Fire type burst out of her Pokéball. Once she'd materialised, Vesta took one look at her foe and jumped out of her skin. What a scary face that was! How could poor little Vesta possibly fight this thing? Marshall sighed and reiterated his command. "Vesta. Ember. Go get 'em." His tone was much more serious now. The Torchic hung her head slightly, realising that she wasn't getting out of this one either. The young master could certainly be stubborn sometimes.

Vesta opened her little beak and let loose an Ember attack, which immediately prompted a squeal of excitement from Marshall. This was his first time seeing his Torchic use the attack in person, after all. It seemed so much stronger when it was coming from his own Pokémon. "Alright, nice job Vesta!" Seeing the power of her own move, the Torchic even felt quite proud of herself for a moment. Before Spinarak retaliated, that is. A Poison Sting was the retaliatory strike, the spider jabbing her in the chest. Ouch. Vesta didn't take too kindly to this, retreating as quickly as she could and squeaking timidly. Marshall shook his head, his patience just starting to wear thin.

"Vesta. Don't be ridiculous. This is an easy match-up for you, so go out there and finish it with another Ember attack!" Vesta looked back in shock. Easy? That was easy for him to say. How would he like it if he had to keep fighting like this? "This isn't gonna get easier, buddy. Toughen up already. I can't protect you, so you've gotta protect yourself, OK?" Marshall wasn't good at encouragement, but this sounded good to him. Vesta didn't know what to make of it, but she knew that she had to do what her trainer asked of her. She'd never hear the end of it if she didn't, after all. She stepped up to the plate, preparing for a repeat performance.

[Lamont]

All this because Spinarak wanted to be a helpful little spider. Some people just didn't appreciate the good intentions of bug types. The arachnid huffed, blinking excessively as it remained barely managing to stand on all its legs. But it was committed now. There was no turning back from this, especially when there was fire being thrown around. Spinarak wasn't about to prove itself a coward. No. It would take the rest of what this little chic had to dish out. Perhaps she'd miss? The little fire bird didn't seem all too sure of herself to begin with so perhaps that would be where the spider could find its edge.

Sadly for it that wasn't so. Willing up the courage to get back in the fight Vesta scampered back out from behind her trainer's leg and puffed up her cheeks. Taking a deep breath she bellowed out another burst of embers to make the bug type dance. Spinarak squealed, attempting to get out of range but to no avail. After only a few steps the poor thing had endured too much pain and found itself falling unconscious in mid stride. Luckily the momentum did take it out of range of the fire so it wasn't just slow roasting while it was conked out.

---

VICTORY!

---

Vesta grew to LV 11 and gained +1 Happiness! (+1 Total)
She learned Sand Attack!

[Noerd]

Marshall cooed in delight as Vesta finished the job, despite her clear reluctance to fight in the first place. Another Ember attack sealed the fate of this Spinarak once and for all, the Bug type now unconscious on the floor. The Cianwood-born trainer's Torchic had finally proven that she could fight coherently. Admittedly, it was against a Bug of all things, but a win was a win in Marshall's book. And what a win it was. If she could fight like that when she was scared, who knows what she might be like when she was a little more willing? Then, Marshall realised something even more surprising.

"Hey, you even did what I asked both times!" he called out without thinking. Vesta looked back at her trainer with an apologetic look on her face, realising that the young master hadn't forgotten her earlier mishap. Realising his faux pas, Marshall quickly tried to recover. "Oh, er... I mean... congrats, Vesta! Nice win, buddy. Doesn't it feel good to get a win- uh, another win under your belt?" He quickly reminded himself that she had actually won the first match she'd been forced into, even if she did it autonomously. The Torchic herself didn't seem convinced, though she was shaking a lot less now. She did feel a little more secure in and of herself, at least. She chirped half-heartedly to her trainer, hopping back to him with a bit of a spring in her step. At least she was out of that battle now. Phew. Recalling his Fire type, Marshall turned around and marched further into Route 32. What more was there to this place, anyway?

The rest of this chapter of the journey would be rather calm... and warm. As he finished the trek through this Route, Marshall wiped his forehead yet again. The trip wasn't as enjoyable now that he wasn't battling. Exercise and heat were not pleasant things, especially when combined together. Fortunately, he was near the end at this point. A massive cave entrance greeted him seconds later. Marshall sighed with relief as he saw it, just pleased to be finding some shade from the debilitating humid heat.

"Alright... forward to Azalea, folks!" he called out, once again to no-one in particular. With that rallying cry, he took a few steps into Union Cave. Once he was well within the shade... he could've cried. It wasn't much cooler inside at all. Still, it was cool enough to be preferable to the outside. That was something, after all. "So... this is Union Cave, huh?" he said to himself, mulling over the route to Azalea. It was just as he'd been promised, covered in artificial lighting and populated by what Marshall could only assume were tourists. Who else would be in this cave, after all? Marshall took a deep breath and walked on through the cave, keeping his eyes peeled for some kind of encounter. He knew he had to come back later for something, whatever it was, but he could at least find his way to the next Gym first, right? Besides, it was marginally cooler here. That was priority number one right now.

(Moving on to Union Cave. I'll be back for you, my darling Poliwag. Please understand. ;-; )

[Midnightive]

As Marshall dealt with the bug pretty quickly, that poor, poor Spinarak did it really need the fire in the face? As the day grew old the heat started to become trapped making the blissful heat of the sun. In a humid horrible mess. One that Marshall barely had to move in to get sweaty. So recalling the torchic was the right call, why add more heat to the situation?

As Marshall walked he found him self looking at wide cave mouth, or more of the route. But the shadow cave looked to inviting, from this horrid heat. Marshall quick hopped into the cave, as he stepped in his eyes had to adjust to the low fake lighting of cave. As his eyes did this he saw he saw the cave and it's rocks move. But he quickly shook it off as his mind seeing things.

But as he walked in something shiny seemed to be poking out, of a really boring look cave. Marshall walked over to it and his limber long fingers over the metal looking beam. The beam started to shake at being touch as it jumped out of the ground and Timburr stood in front of Marshall pretty embarrassed that a human had touched it that way.

A level. 13 wild Timburr wants to battle!
Will you fight or flee?

Shiny me
EXMoyTur1-421-42

[Noerd]

Marshall wandered through the cave somewhat aimlessly, rather fortunate in the fact that there was only one obvious route. Even more fortunate for him, though, was the fact that his first encounter was just around the corner. Metaphorically speaking, that is. Realistically, it was just in front of him. A shiny something-or-other jutting out of the cave floor caught his eye. The artificial lighting of Union Cave glinted off of the silvery object beautifully, almost blinding Marshall for a moment. Walking up to it, there was something rather... off about it. Metal didn't just randomly protrude out of rock like this. Let alone forged metal. Or, as Marshall put it...

"Weird... what's this bar doing here?" Just as he put his hand on it, the bar moved. Curiouser and curiouser, thought Marshall. Except not in those exact words, because that's peculiar in and of itself. The bar's owner quickly made itself known, alleviating any further confusion. A small Pokémon jumped out, taking Marshall by surprise. He wasn't quite sure how he'd missed the little Fighter there, but... sure enough, there it was. Marshall rubbed his eyes in shock, trying to make certain that he'd seen what he thought he had. He squealed with glee as he realised what was now in front of him.

"A Timburr!" the Fighting enthusiast shouted at the top of his voice. He had very few actual Fighting types to speak of right now, so the sight of a pure-Fighting creature in front of him gave him a feeling of unspeakable delight. He forgot what to do next as he stood there, marvelling at his lucky find. He'd heard that there were Timburr about, but he knew that they weren't native to Johto too. He'd all but given up on finding one for himself, and yet here one was looking him in the eyes. He started to push out one of his hands, as if trying to shake Timburr's hand, before realising what an idiot he was being. This wasn't how to catch Pokémon at all. He ripped something off of his belt, throwing it out in front of him once he recalled exactly what the standard procedure was here.

"Alright then, let's go, Demeter! Vine Whip!" Marshall's new favourite toy, the young Chespin called Demeter, burst out of her ball with a smile on her face. Landing soundly on the cave floor, she ran forward and started to prepare for her first move.

(Ugh I can't write but this needed doing! ;-; Two Vine Whips, to be precise! Running Shoes, engaged.)

[Marchbaby]

Still very startled Timburr got ready to strike at the first sign of trouble. The fighting type was not taking any chances as it did not have very much trust in humans. As it was not the most common Pokemon in the Union Cave it was understandably cautious after seeing others of its species captured recently. Marshall sending out a Pokemon to battle it only made the situation worse. Luckily for Tumburr the Pokemon Marshall sent out was even slower than it was. It gave it just enough time to set up an ambush as Demeter ran towards it.

Tumburr tossed its log at her forcing her to jump out of the way long enough for it to land a low kick right into her knee. Tumburr had unfortunately opened itself up to a retaliatory strike from Demeter's Vine Whip. The impact of the vines sent Tumburr skidding across the cave stopping right next to its log. Picking the piece of timber up was no trouble and now Tumburr could use it for another ambush. Demeter tried her same tactic again and Tumburr followed in kind but hesitating a moment before tossing the log. Demeter dodged the log but her other knee took a slightly more powerful Low Kick in the process.

She was in moderate pain as she sent another wave of vines at Tumburr, whipping it mercilessly. Luck was very kind to Tumburr as for a second time in a row the recoil of the attack stopped it right next to its log. Picking it up again Tumburr showed a slight bit of trouble picking it up as Vine Whip was starting to take its toll but neither Pokemon was ready to give in yet.

Pokemon Battle

Timburr | Level 13
HP: 58% (27/46)
Status: Normal, 
Move: Timburr used Low Kick x2!

VS

Marshall's Demeter | Level 12
]HP: 67% (26/39)
Status: Normal
Move:Vine Whip x2

[Noerd]

The first move of the match absolutely stunned Marshall. Timburr's use of its beloved log was an inspiring piece of resourcefulness, surprising the young trainer just a little. He hadn't really thought about tricks like that, yet here was a perfect example of what could be done with a little thought. Of course, had this not been a Pokémon he was intending on catching he'd almost certainly have seen it as a "cheap stunt", but that wouldn't occur to him here. Fortunately, the Fighting type seemed to be having a little trouble taking Demeter's Vine Whips. The Chespin lashed away at Timburr a couple of times, leaving a notable mark on the humanoid critter and showing off the power that this Grass type possessed already. Even better than that, this was before Overgrow kicked in. Marshall knew he had the upper hand here, but he wasn't going to give up on catching this little one. Those Low Kicks were their own kind of impressive, after all. With that thought firmly in his mind, there was only one move he could use.

"Alright, another Vine Whip, Demeter! Get 'im good!" Demeter nodded, vines creeping out of her body once again. She knew she'd be taking the first beating, of course, but it never hurt to try and move as quickly as possible. Especially when your trainer is an excitable, juvenile 18 year old.

232 words added to incubator, as well as the above 400 words I missed before.

[Lamont]

Demeter nodded, the instructions clear and simple. It was easy enough to sit back throwing out vines, and the distance was a bit more comfortable when going up against such a physical fighter like this thing. The way Timburr expertly maneuvered the plank around was daunting and the chespin was just glad she hadn't been bonked hard on the head with it yet. The length of wood was certainly a distraction however, as she just couldn't take her eyes off of it once the wild pokémon really got it going. Which it was about to do.

The muscular pokémon's grin widened, whirling the wooden plank around its bod to change which arm firmly held it. Taking a breath, Timburr closed its eyes and went into a momentary meditative state as it gathered energy. Then, with a sudden glint of red overtaking its figure Timburr set about its acrobatic flourishes of the lumber. Luckily it was but a show, Demeter puffing out her chest and setting into motion her own flourish of plant matter. With careful motions she whipped a length of vine at Timburr for a third time. A loud snap rang through the rocky corridor with the slap against Timburr's midsection.


Wild Battle

---

Timburr | LV 13
HP: 39% (18/46)
Status: +1 CRIT
Used Focus Energy!

VS

Marshall's Demeter | LV 12 | Overgrow
HP: 67% (26/39)
Status: Normal
Used Vine Whip!

[Noerd]

This opponent was a tough one. Quite tough. Yet Marshall wasn't about to call in the big guns yet. Rather, he was quite pleased with how things were going. His team could use a bit of experience, and what better than this prime example of a contender? But either way, he had to keep an eye on his Chespin. Demeter was still one of the less experienced members of his team, so it was risky to have her fight for too long. The young lad stood still for a moment, trying to reason with himself. He wanted to keep fighting, but he also didn't want to give Timburr any time to score a KO or, worse yet, escape. There was no chance of him letting this guy get away. He'd come too far to abandon this capture.

"Alright, Demeter, stand back!" Marshall called out, his mind finally settling on a decision. The battle needed to end before something, and he had the perfect way to do so. A special Pokémon demanded a special ball. Unclipping a Great Ball from his belt, the youngster hurled it at Timburr with all of his might.

(Great Ball self-deducted.)

[Marchbaby]

The mighty Timburr was very eager to go another round as it tapped the bottom of its feet with its log. The fighting type had dished out quite a bit of damage while enduring quite a bit of its own but it could tell something was off with Marshall. It did not know it yet but he was debating either using another attack and risking his Pokemon getting knocked out or trying to capture it and before long Marshall's choice was clear as he grabbed the empty Great Ball from his belt. A determined look on the Timburr's face made it clear it would not let itself be captured without quite a fight even with the large amount of damage it had already endured. Timburr saw the ball fly towards it but Marshall's throw was just accurate enough to hit it in the leg as it tried to jump out of the way.

The Great Ball opened long enough to trap the fighting type inside before it fell onto the ground starting to shake. The mighty Pokemon slammed its log into the sides of the ball from the inside trying to bust it open but it proved to be a bit tougher than a typical Pokeball. As the ball shook once Timburr knew it was running out of time as it swung even harder to no avail and as it shook again the small fighting type began to lose hope. After one final swing the ball rocked back and forward one final time before clicking shut ending any hope of Timburr escaping. As mighty as it was it still could not overcome the Great Ball in its struggle for freedom and it could not begin to imagine what would happen to it from here now that it was no longer a wild Pokemon.

Timburr has been captured. Please complete the code below.


[img src="https://www.pkparaiso.com/imagenes/xy/sprites/animados/timburr.gif"]
[b]Timburr[/b]
Name: [choose]
Gender: [choose]
Level: 13
Moves: Leer, Focus Energy, Bide, Low Kick
Ability: Guts or Sheer Force
Nature/Personality: [choose]




Demeter gained 3 levels and +1 happiness is now level 15 with +4 happiness. She is trying to learn Leech Seed but she already knows 4 moves. Would you like her to forget a move so she can learn Leech Seed?


Vesta gained 1 level thanks to her Experience Share and is now level 12.

[Noerd]

Whooo, one level until... that... thing. Quilladin, y u exist? ;-;

As the Great Ball finally ceased moving, Marshall punched the air forcefully. Well, as forcefully as an out-of-shape late-teen can. "YEEEEEEES! FINALLY! I can't believe it! I got a Timburr!" He started dancing around Union Cave rather bizarrely, leaving his Chespin to watch in mild bemusement as its trainer pranced across the rocky surface below. It wasn't as if Timburr was a particular favourite of Marshall's, but the sheer rarity of the species in Johto was more than enough to elevate this little critter's status to match the best Fighters out there. "Oh man, I can't wait to show this guy off. I don't know how it got here, but..." At this moment, Marshall's words failed him, and he spent a good few minutes making nothing more than unintelligible sounds. Demeter stared at her owner, wondering exactly how this human managed to accomplish anything at all.

Once the noises ceased, Marshall pulled out a Pokéball and recalled his Chespin. That made... four actual Fighting types, including the benched Beowulf? Not a bad start at all. Of course, he'd have to make the call of who to cut from his squad now. That would be hard. Turning back around, Marshall retraced his steps to get back into Route 32 with that same tough decision on his mind. He was definitely adding Timburr to his lineup, after all. He could get rid of Vesta, but she was pretty close to evolving now. Demeter was frustratingly not a Fighting type until Level... 36, was it? Either way, that was substantially more than 15. Even so, she'd proven herself to be pretty helpful. Last was Darius, who had enough spunk to impress his trainer from the get-go. He'd always been a part of the team, and it felt wrong to let him go. Well, "let him go" was a little harsh, but it felt just the same. He'd grown attached to the bird, strange though it felt. As Marshall pondered, he realised that the choice was clearly between Demi and Darius.

Before a decision could be reached, though, Marshall was already in Violet City once more. The city where he'd earned his first badge. That felt a while away already. Strange. Marshall trekked back to the Pokémon Centre that he'd become quite accustomed to and approached the PC before anything else. He closed his eyes tightly, as if fearing some kind of repercussion, as he reached for Darius's ball and placed it into the transporting mechanism. A few seconds, and just as many button presses, later he had his Timburr's ball in his hands. This little guy had to fight. Soon. He needed to be tested out to see just how good he was.

Marshall left the Pokémon Centre with a spring in his step as he made his way back to Route 32. There was something else he had to do there, he knew that. But... what was it? For some reason, he couldn't remember. But he knew it was something that he'd really wanted to get out of the way as soon as he could. It wasn't until Marshall's eyes passed over the fishing jetty that he remembered. That was it. He needed... that. Ripping his old, rickety fishing rod from his bag, Marshall marched toward the pier. The Cianwood-born swung his rod around a couple of times as a test run, distinctly unimpressed with it. Was this thing really going to pick anything up before it broke? Luckily, it held its shape better than the lad expected. Just as luckily, there was no-one else at the pier to get caught by the rod's hook, as it flew this way and that across the jetty. Marshall really wasn't paying much attention. Fishing wasn't something he'd done a lot of, in truth. Hopefully it wasn't as boring as the horror stories proclaimed.

Experiment over, Marshall decided he'd better get on with the catching. Sitting at the edge of the pier, he sighed and cast the rod out into the deep sea in front of him. 5 seconds in, and he was already getting bored. Well, this wouldn't take too long. Probably.

Yup, this is well timed, I know. Might as well give you guys a refresher on fishing. :P Timburr shall Low Kick whatever comes out.

[Lamont]

The rickety rod sounded like a cousin to a creaky door. With every bend it made a sound, and the materials which composed it really preferred not to bend at all if they could help it. If Marshall managed to catch something truly feisty it'd be a wonder if the old rod would hold together long enough to reel it in. Luckily it didn't seem like there was anything too lively in the water today.

It was calm. Both the jetty and the skies, all of nature surrounding the aspiring fighter seemed serene. For someone that preferred a bit of action it was no doubt a boring experience. This fishing. How could anyone devote their life to this? Just sitting around, rod set with the line cast, eating snacks and staring into the occasional ripples of blue or turning their eyes up to look at cloud shapes. The hobby certainly wasn't becoming of a martial artist... at least not one that didn't spend ample time meditating.

Boredom getting the better of the young trainer, he lead his line back and forth to give the hook a little more action. Perhaps some more movement would entice some of the water pokémon to take notice and get close enough to snag. After a good few minutes it seemed to pay off, the line growing a bit more taunt as a weight settled on the hook. This was it! He'd finally hooked something. With silent prayers that the old rod didn't lose its own line Marshall eagerly began to reel and pull. Whatever it was on the other end wasn't very smart about its resilience though. While there were a couple times it seemed to stop altogether and really put up some fight overall the thing didn't bother with any back and forth motion.

The line was almost up, a shadow forming on the water's surface as a bright red thing erupted with a splash. Well maybe erupted was too strong a word. It wasn't the red of a magikarp, or the jewel of a tentacool. What was now dangling at the end of Marshall's line was a washed up pokéball. Some fisherman must have dropped it. Would it even still work?

Marshall dredged up a lost Pokéball!
A good practice, no?

[Noerd]

Marshall sat down on the old jetty, waiting as his rod gently swayed in the wind. Yep, fishing was definitely boring. Confirmed. It had only been about a minute, but the waiting was really starting to get to him. Why was catching Pokémon so difficult? Well, more accurately, why was this one so difficult? The young lad sighed once more, inwardly pleading for something, anything, to bite.

The wind gently whistled past, only helping to highlight how much time was passing. Each and every second was painful. But then, suddenly, something happened. Marshall felt the slightest of tugs on his rod. It didn't seem all that strong, but perhaps that was normal; Marshall had no way of knowing. Jumping to his feet awkwardly, the trainer pulled his rod upward instinctively. Nothing happened. He waited. Still nothing. After a few seconds of waiting, he finally recalled exactly what he was doing wrong. He reached out to reel in his catch, hoping that the fish hadn't suddenly decided it had better things to do with its time. The line shot backward, soon revealing a small, red thing.

Marshall's heart sank as the Pokéball rose out of the water. Sure, free stuff was nice, but this wasn't exactly a 'catch'. All that time spent for nothing. If he had bothered to check how much time had actually been wasted, he might've been a lot happier with the situation. As it was, though, frustration slowly began to well up inside of Marshall as he unhooked the ball and pocketed it. Resisting the urge to toss his rod into the ocean, he crashed down to the pier with an almighty 'thud'. Back to square one. He swung the line back out into the ocean in front of him and resumed the waiting game.

(Same again; Timburr to Low Kick if a Pokémon surfaces.)