Iron Sharpens Iron [Hold]

[rjpilot]

[HOLD]

Previous Thread: New Bark Town

Iron Sharpens Iron

Teddy & Co. have finally reached Cherrygrove City on a beautiful spring afternoon. Despite the peaceful atmosphere, the tension between Charlie and Dizzy still has not been resolved. Teddy’s team has grown since departing Crissy’s home in New Bark Town; he has acquired his fifth Pokémon, a Magby named Vulcan, during a brief mining expedition in the underground tunnels. Will the gang resolve their differences and learn to get along before reaching Violet City and Teddy’s first gym battle? Or will pride continue to keep them apart? And will Crissy’s trip to the IPF help to reduce the activities of Team Rocket in the area?

The trees of Cherrygrove City were blooming, creating an aroma in the air that reminded Teddy of his home in Floaroma town. It was sunny, but not hot, and a gently breeze blew in from the ocean, causing the petals from the trees to flutter and twirl through the air. Teddy paused for a moment, deciding that his Pokémon should get to see the beauty of this place too. He sat down his pack, and dug around inside, finding the five Poké Balls. Wow, five already, he thought. I can only have six with me at a time, I’m not sure what I’ll do when I get to that point. He pressed the buttons on each of the balls, greeting each Pokémon as it appeared. They were equally impressed with the breathtaking sights of the town, so much so that Charlie and Dizzy didn’t even start to quarrel.

Teddy and Crissy decided that they were going to explore the town, and take their starter Pokémon with them. But all the other Pokémon had been in their balls a long time during the walk from New Bark Town, and deserved to enjoy the day, so Teddy gestured towards a small park where other people and Pokémon were playing. The four Pokémon gathered under one of the cherry trees. Initially they sat in an awkward silence, as none of them had really gotten much chance to interact. Finally, Dizzy broke the silence. “So, where are all of you from?”

Vulcan went first. “I’m originally from Stark Mountain, in the Sinnoh region.”

“Teddy’s from Sinnoh too!” chimed in Wiggles.

“Wow, I didn’t know,” continued Vulcan. “I used to explore the tunnels of Sinnoh’s Underground. There were often trainers mining down there, and they would sometimes want to battle me, but none could get the best of me. One day, a large man with a sledgehammer and his team were finally able to defeat me. Near the end of the battle, he threw a Poké Ball at me, and I was just too tired to fight back anymore. I thought life in captivity would be bad, but I got to see a lot of the underground with that miner. He taught me to be strong and hardy, like the rocks. Eventually, we had seen all of Sinnoh’s Underground, and the miner came to Johto as he had heard an Underground had been discovered here too. He gave me to Teddy, as he did not have the time to explore the Johto tunnels himself, but Teddy showed me them. I’ve been travelling with Teddy ever since.”

Wiggles and Rattata listened in awe, oohing and aahing and occasionally asking questions about Vulcan’s travels. Dizzy, on the other hand, sat in silence, appearing almost disinterested even though she had asked the initial question. When Vulcan finished speaking, she snorted and said, “You were captured against your will? You’ll never be Teddy’s strongest.” The group sat in a stunned silence, the mood momentarily soured by Dizzy.

Ratatta was the next to speak, clearing his throat to break the silence. “I’m from New Bark Town. I grew up with many other Ratatta, and learned the family trade: getting food from unsuspecting trainers. My friend and I were quite skilled at it. One of us would beg, while the other would sneak up from behind and pilfer their snacks!”

“That doesn’t seem like a very honest living…” Vulcan mumbled.

“No, it wasn’t, but life is hard in the wild. Anyways, not every mission was a success. We were often swatted away with brooms, had to dodge stomping feet, and were chased off by the trainer’s Pokémon. But Teddy was different. He cared enough that instead of leaving me hungry, he brought me with him.”

“He must not care about you too much; he didn’t even give you a nickname!” snarked Dizzy.

“It was a reference to how the writer never gave nicknames to his Pokémon in the games,” mumbled Ratatta, but nobody heard him break the fourth wall.

It was now Wiggles’ turn to try to impress Dizzy. “I used to live in the forest of Route 29,” she began. “There was a boy who lived nearby, he called his Pokémon ‘Top Percentage.’ I trained every day so that one day I could take that title from him. My first time seeing Teddy, I challenged him to a battle. I’d done the same thing countless times in my quest to be the best. Charlie did not want to listen to him much, but I could tell that Teddy was a good person. He gave me the choice of joining the team or going back to the wild. Something about him told me that he could make me truly ‘Top Percentage.’ And I was right, as I have evolved since I decided to join Teddy.”

“So you chose Teddy, huh?” the panda began her retort. “Well Teddy chose me. And besides, I already beat you.”

“I know I haven’t been here long, but the one thing I have learned from Teddy is that you can’t do everything alone. That's why he and Charlie get along so well, they communicate. If you work as a team, you will be stronger. Like how iron sharpens iron, we can work together to sharpen each other’s skills.” Wiggles and Ratatta thoughtfully listened to the sudden calm wisdom from Vulcan, while Dizzy sat in silence, at a loss for words. She finally came up with a good comeback, but the other three were gone, as they had spotted the trainers returning from their walk.

“Hey guys! Having fun?” Teddy asked, to which the trio happily chirped their responses. Dizzy still sat under the nearby cherry tree, waiting for her trainer’s attention. “Come join us, Dizzy,” he said, waving the Spinda over to the group, who complied, eager to hear her name. “I hope you all got along well,” Teddy continued, somewhat oblivious to the earlier tension in the group. “And by the way, look at these!” He pointed down to the new running shoes on his feet. “Aren’t they fancy?”

Teddy leaned his pack against the tree, and then sat down next to it, his back against the trunk. Charlie and Dizzy were already squabbling, while Ratatta, Wiggles, and Vulcan sat in the shade with their trainer and enjoyed the weather. Teddy scratched behind Ratatta’s ears, his motions slowing as he began to doze off. Resting his eyes, he tried to figure out how to get Charlie and Dizzy to get along. Charlie seemed to get along with the other Pokémon, but he had a lot of pride and wanted to be the best. They were already starting to overcome his listening problems, all Teddy needed to do was convince Charlie that his commands were the best course of action. But Charlie seemed to perceive Dizzy as a threat to his greatness. Dizzy was the opposite. Dizzy was a good listener, but had seemingly isolated herself from the other Pokémon. It’s like she thought she was too good for them, like she thought she was Teddy’s only Pokémon.

Teddy sighed. He knew communication was the key, just as Crissy’s father had said. But what were the right words to communicate? What if it wasn’t a problem for him to solve, and instead he needed to convince Dizzy and Charlie to communicate? How could he make that happen? So many questions, but it was too beautiful of a day to worry about them now. Teddy stood up and stretched. The sun had moved quite a bit, he must have fallen asleep at some point there. Charlie and Dizzy were now sitting on opposite sides of Teddy, their arms crossed and their backs to each other. The other three had fallen asleep when Teddy did, and their trainer now woke them up.

“It’s a nice day, let’s enjoy it and maybe make some friends in the park,” Teddy said, looking around at all the other trainers. Suddenly remembering the real reason he was in this town, he turned to Crissy. “Uh… I mean, as long as you’re okay with that. If you’re in a rush to get to the IPF we can do that now. Otherwise I promise we’ll go first thing in the morning!”

Teddy is hoping to meet new trainers in Cherrygrove. Will they be friends or foes? Or will Crissy’s trip to the IPF take priority?

[Caramell 🍬]

Crissy rubbed her eyes and yawned as she glanced around and tried to make sure she was feeling completely awake for the new day. She turned to Teddy with a bright smile, before turning back to glance at the travelers that pushed their way along through the open streets. Some of the shops propped their doors open and pushed small carts out in front of their windows, full of different types of items meant to catch the wandering eye and beckon travelers inside of their domain. “I think I’ve got some time I can spend in the city before I rush off to the International Police Force…” She added with a warm smile and nodded towards Teddy as she commented.

A small blue bird soared up overhead, followed by a flock of similar looking birds. Crissy’s bright eyes stared up at the birds above them and she nudged Teddy with her shoulders as she pointed to the birds above their heads. “Teddy, look!” Crissy commented with a cute laugh and twirled a lock of her hair in her hands. “Look at how they fly! I think those are..uhh..they’re…what’s the name?” Crissy snapped her fingers as the Pokemon’s name was seemingly on the tip of her tongue. “Taimo? Gah, ugh, no! Wait…uhhh… Tainno?! That’s not right…Uhm, Tairrow? Oh, I got it!” Her face lit up as she was able to finally remember the right name. “They’re Taillow!”

As if summoned on queue, one of the small blue birds turned around in the bright blue skies above and dived down in front of Teddy and his team of Pokemon. Brave and seemingly unbothered by all of Teddy’s Pokemon, it scratched at the ground underneath its talons and pecked about as it hopped a bit closer to the two trainers. The small blue bird tilted its head to the side and turned its attention to the small red lizard with his bright red flaming tail. “Nice day out, isn’t it?” It greeted, then stretched out its wings dramatically. “Any of you Pokemon care for a friendly battle? Nothing too serious, or my flock will have to peck your brains out for me. Just…something to stretch the old wings out with?” It asked the other Pokemon on Teddy’s team hopefully.

A Wild Taillow has appeared!

Level 10. What will Teddy and his team do?

Shiny Baby?
mZdcQzLV1-421-42

[rjpilot]

“A Taillow, huh?” Teddy responded when Crissy finally figured out the name of the bird Pokémon. “Well, I guess we have time for a battle, don’t we?” He turned to face his Pokémon, who had gathered around him waiting for instructions. Each hoped that they would be the first to be picked, to prove themselves. But only one took it upon herself to begin the fight. Dizzy wobbled towards the Taillow, snidely commenting, “Let me show you how a winner battles,” as she passed the other Pokémon. 

But Teddy had other plans for the battle, and after a moment deep in thought, he looked back at the Taillow. “Ok Vulcan, let’s see what you’ve got,” he said. Finally noticing Dizzy staggering out to the Taillow, he called out, “Dizzy, come back here! It’s Vulcan’s turn.” Dizzy’s wobbling paused momentarily, as she debated between returning to her trainer or just attacking the bird in front of her. Her loyalty to her trainer won in the end, and she returned to the group, keeping her eyes fixed on the ground in front of her so she couldn’t see the expressions of the other Pokémon. Vulcan quietly took Dizzy's place in front of the Taillow, more focused on the battle ahead than on the panda's antics.

The area of grass the group had been relaxing in had transformed into a small battle field, with Vulcan standing at one end and the Taillow at the other. Teddy’s other Pokémon sat in the grass just behind Vulcan, observing carefully. Teddy and Crissy stood to Vulcan’s right, and they studied the Taillow. Vulcan did the same. A couple of Pokémon had gathered on the left side of the battlefield, their trainers  watching from a distance. It was still the same calm peaceful day, and although it was just a friendly battle, there was a tension in the air as everyone awaited Teddy’s first command. 

“Ok, Vulcan, let’s start this with smog!” Teddy commanded. The man who had given Vulcan to Teddy had also told him about Vulcan’s moves. Smog had been described as a cloud of exhaust like gas, which to Teddy, sounded a lot like Charlie’s smokescreen. However, as Vulcan launched his attack, Teddy got a whiff of the same poison scent that the Team Rocket grunt had used on them back on Route 29. His eyes began to burn and water as he covered his mouth with his shirt. He then ushered his Pokémon back from the battlefield, grabbing Crissy’s arm and pulling her behind him. On the far side of the park, a man who had been watching shook his head in disapproval. I hope the wind doesn’t blow that towards anyone else, Teddy thought, as he watched the cloud of gas move towards the bird.

Vulcan uses Smog!

[Goni]

The taillow sat and watched as the spinda walked closer. "Ah... Will you be my opponent?"  Its face contorted into a snide expression, it tilted its head up, and glared down at the pokemon. "You look weak! Should be good practice stretching out my wings though!" The taillow said, hopping back and forth on its tiny legs, ruffling its feathers sporadically in an attempt to make its foe nervous. Its face dropped at all its wasted effort, however, when Teddy called the spinda back to their side. "Hmph. Would have been wasted effort anyways." The taillow called after the spinda as it waddled back next to its trainer. It watched as the replacement came out, and it let out a caw in laughter.

"You're the one who I'm going to battle then, are you?" It jeered. As Vulcan stepped forth, the taillow zoomed closer to it, seeming to almost vanish from where it was standing in one instant, and then appearing next to the Magby in another. Before Teddy had even gotten their words out of their mouth as to what move Vulcan should use, the Taillows beak glowed a shining white light as it gathered its energy in its beak. Plunging its head down, the power stored in its beak transferred to a single point, and then the energy was released as its beak made contact with the Magby's head. Vulcan was knocked to the ground momentarily before the smog began emanating from their mouth. "Oh my." The taillow said, the smoke surrounding it. "Is this smoke what is released when your kind are defeated? How unbecoming." It stammered out, getting a whiff of the smoke. The taillows small lungs were rapidly filled with the smog attack, which caused the Taillow to gasp for air.

It flapped its wings, fluttering away from the Magby, but the damage had been done. The Taillow was now wheezing for air despite no longer being in the cloud of smog. "That...*huff* was *huff* unex*huff*pected" They labored. Despite the poison in their lungs, the taillow seemed to be moving much more deliberately. Perhaps due to the fact that they were now poisoned, it almost seemed like that fact caused them to become more powerful. "You might *huff* have fooled me with that one *huff*... But my next *cough cough* attack will put you down for *huff* good!" The taillow said, frustrated at itself for getting caught by Vulcan's attack. The smog didn't stay for long, and the cloud dissipated into the air quickly, likely due to the fact that the magby was fairly inexperienced in battle, but it had been quite effective! The taillow fluttered off the ground, watching the magby carefully. It was poised to strike the final blow, though it almost seemed weary to get close after that last unexpected attack.

Wild Encounter

---

Weather: Clear

[attr="class","qkt-bkgd"]

[attr="class","qkt-wild-pkmn"]
Taillow LV 10
HP 77% [24/31]

[attr="class","qkt-wild-imgbox"]

[attr="class","qkt-pkmn-img"]

[attr="class","qkt-trainer-pkmn"]
Vulcan LV 5
HP 52% [11/21]

[attr="class","qkt-trainer-imgbox"]

[attr="class","qkt-pkmn-img"]

Taillow [Guts]: Poisoned!
Vulcan [Flame Body]: Normal

SP25 Taillow used Peck! Flame Body failed to burn.
SP14 Vulcan used Smog! Taillow was poisoned!
SP-- Taillow took damage from poison!

[rjpilot]

Teddy winced as the Taillow zoomed beak-first into Vulcan. The bird was clearly stronger and faster than the coal Pokémon, and Teddy would’ve been worried but Vulcan quickly responded with his attack. The smell of the smog made him feel a little unsteady, yet another reminder of the Team Rocket attack he and Crissy had been subject to. He held his breath and bit his lip, not willing to let Crissy see that he was still scared of the poison after that incident on Route 29. He was sure that incident had affected her too, so he had to be strong, he couldn’t waver now.

Teddy snapped back to reality, and realized he was shaking. He had to stop getting in his head like that, he was still shaken from the battle with the Team Rocket grunt but he had won, everyone was okay and he had to move on. He glanced sideways, unsure if Crissy could tell if he was distressed or not. But that didn’t matter now, there was a battle to be won. The Taillow hopped about around Vulcan, and Teddy wasn’t sure if it was because of impatience or if the bird was just as shaken by the smog as he was. Regardless, it looked calculated, as if with each hop the Taillow was looking for a new opportunity to strike.

Luckily, the smog had blown away by now, and Vulcan was back on his feet, awaiting the next command. The swallow had hit him hard, but he looked determined, and Teddy was eager to see how Vulcan performed under pressure. “Ok, Vulcan!” Teddy called out. His voice cracked. Well that sure was convincing, he thought to himself, before taking a slow deep breath. His hands stopped shaking, but he still nervously bounced, shifting his weight from one foot to another. Another deep breath. Steady, now. “You’re doing great out there buddy!” he called, with more strength in his voice. Okay, that was more convincing, let’s do this, Teddy muttered under his breath, before issuing his command, “Vulcan, ember!”

The Magby inhaled quickly and deeply, preparing to spew out the fire within him, while also watching the Taillow to see what it would do next.

Vulcan uses Ember!

[Avalon]

Any concern that Crissy might feel toward Teddy and his own mental state would quickly be dashed, replaced perhaps by concern for the coal Pokemon locked in combat with the gutsy young bird. The Taillow coughed and hacked as it soared through the air, the poison fog coursing through its lungs and circulatory systems. But this only seemed to embolden the bird, pushing more and more of its own adrenaline into its muscles as it swooped back around for another attack.

The Taillow slammed beak first once again into the body of the small fire-duck, emboldened by the power of its poison-fueled muscles. Vulcan was taken back by the hit, not even able to get off his own Ember attack in time before succumbing to the assault by the powerful bird. Vulcan collapsed to the ground, unconscious and unable to fight any longer. The bird circled around, returning to a safe distance from the two humans.

"That one *huff* put up a good fight...But not enough!" the Taillow squawked, hovering in the air. Still, it struggled to remain afloat as it awaited to see what the humans and their Pokemon would do next. Crissy would look to Teddy, uncertainty creeping into her eyes. She believed in Teddy and his ability to pull through this, but some part of her was still concerned due to the struggles that Vulcan had had against the deceptively strong bird. "Vulcan got hurt pretty bad! What are we gonna do?"

Wild Encounter

---

Weather: Clear

[attr="class","qkt-bkgd"]

[attr="class","qkt-wild-pkmn"]
Taillow LV 10
HP 68% [21/31]

[attr="class","qkt-wild-imgbox"]

[attr="class","qkt-pkmn-img"]

[attr="class","qkt-trainer-pkmn"]
Vulcan LV 5
HP 0% [0/21]

[attr="class","qkt-trainer-imgbox"]

[attr="class","qkt-pkmn-img"]

Taillow [Guts]: Poisoned!
Vulcan [Flame Body]: Fainted

SP25 Taillow used Peck! Vulcan fainted!
Taillow took damage from poison!

Magby has fainted! Please choose your next Pokemon

[rjpilot]

Teddy solemnly walked up to Vulcan, crouching next to the unconscious Magby. On one hand, he felt like a failure of a trainer. Had he pushed too hard? Could he have seen that this was a bad matchup, that the Taillow was so much stronger than Magby was? Was he too harsh of a trainer, needlessly putting his Pokémon in harms way? On the other hand, he was extremely proud. Vulcan had given it his all, and hadn’t quit until he was physically unable to continue. “I’m sorry,” Teddy whispered as he scooped up the coal Pokémon into his arms. “You did great out there.”

“Vulcan got hurt pretty bad!” Crissy observed as Teddy returned to the group. His tight lipped smile was his best attempt at still looking encouraging, but his eyes did not convey that message. “What are we gonna do?”

Charlie was probably the strongest of his Pokémon, not that Teddy would ever admit that he had a favorite. Dizzy was a close second, she could really take a hit. He looked back, and much to his dismay, Charlie and Dizzy had already lost focus on the battle and were squabbling with each other. Well, I guess those two are out, he thought to himself, before assessing the rest of his team. Wiggles was probably next in line, but the little cocoon was definitely at a disadvantage against a flying type. Rattata on the other hand didn’t have the type disadvantage, but he was about on par with Vulcan when it came to strength and experience. And the bird had seemed to become stronger when it got poisoned, so he would have to take that into consideration now too. The Taillow coughed, maybe out of impatience or maybe because of the poison, Teddy couldn’t tell. But it was a reminder that he needed to hurry up, so he made his decision.

“Okay Wiggles, you’re up. Let’s see your best tackle!” he called out, as the determined Silcoon took her place on the battlefield.

Teddy sends out Wiggles!
Wiggles uses Tackle!

[Avalon]

The Taillow was unsure of what to make of the monster sent out to challenge it next. It had felled the coal-duck and had waited expectantly for the next challenger to appear, but instead of some massive monster it instead found itself looking at this spiky little cocoon. It had seen a few creatures like this before, living amongst the bugs it liked to eat. The Taillow wondered what it would taste like if it could get its beak on its silky hide?

But Taillow couldn't sit and ponder its lunch for too long, as the poison continued to course through its body. The duck's poisonous smog had taken its toll on its body, clearly. It would have to be careful and wrap this up quickly, or it would find itself fainted and at risk of capture before long. The Taillow let out a shrill cry, a battle cry to try and hype itself up and make it focus. It would have to shut out the pain and the heavy lead-like feeling in its wings and try to make this next attack extra special.

Meanwhile, Wiggles was able to wiggle her way into an attack. Despite having no limbs of her own to allow for movement, somehow the cocoon defied all logic and shot itself into the air to meet the Taillow in its native habitat. Using its body of hardened string, the cocoon slammed into the Taillow's gullet, knocking the air out of its lungs before the cocoon return to the ground. The Taillow's body was racked with pain, both from the body-blow and from the burning poison spreading throughout it. The pain was becoming unbearable as it started hovering lower, getting closer to the ground out of instinctual preparation for the eventual fall it would suffer.

Wild Encounter

---

Weather: Clear

[attr="class","qkt-bkgd"]

[attr="class","qkt-wild-pkmn"]
Taillow LV 10
HP 32% [10/31]

[attr="class","qkt-wild-imgbox"]

[attr="class","qkt-pkmn-img"]

[attr="class","qkt-trainer-pkmn"]
Wiggles LV 7
HP 100% [26/26]

[attr="class","qkt-trainer-imgbox"]

[attr="class","qkt-pkmn-img"]

Taillow [Guts]: Poisoned, +2 CRIT Chance
Wiggles [Shed Skin]: Healthy

SP25 Taillow used Focus Energy!
SP9 Wiggles used Tackle! It was a critical hit!
Taillow took damage from poison!

[rjpilot]

Mouths agape, the trainers looked on as Wiggles launched herself into the sky to hit the Taillow. “Wow, that’s new,” Teddy mumbled to himself, making a mental note to think up some new strategies with that move later. He was concerned by the tiny swallow’s war cry, and how it continued to look hungrily at Wiggles. He was also confused as to how the bird seemed to get stronger and more focused as the battle went on. At least it hadn’t made a move at Wiggles yet.

“I guess no one told you I was a Top Percentage Pokémon,” Wiggles taunted the Taillow after she landed her hit. “Top Percentage” was still her goal, even though when asked what it meant the little cocoon could never put words to the term. And no one else had ever heard of this “Joey” boy who supposedly trained in the woods and had a top percentage Rattata. The other Pokémon just rolled their eyes when she began to recount her grandiose tales of life in the woods outside New Bark Town. None of that mattered to Wiggles, she knew she was Top Percentage, and whatever that meant it was probably something good.

Vulcan stirred in Teddy’s arms, cautiously opening his eyes. He let out a soft, pained whimper, and a small puff of smoke. Feeling a sudden warmth coming from the body in his arms, Teddy glanced down, but the Magby had already drifted back to an uneasy sleep. Well, at least he’ll sleep well tonight, Teddy thought to himself, before returning his focus to the battle.

“Let’s see another one of those!” Teddy called out. The Taillow was lower now, and appeared to be struggling a bit to stay in the air. And yet it looked hungrier than ever. The boy clenched his jaw, eager to see Wiggles perform but also bracing himself for the worst.

Wiggles uses Tackle!

[Avalon]

The Taillow had not been expecting this cocoon to put up this much of a fight. It had been so sure that like with many other bugs on this route, it would be able to simply swipe the bug up and knock it out with ease. Maybe it would even get a good snack out of the ordeal if it was quick enough and lucky enough! But the cocoon wasn't flinching under the sight of the Taillow's focus and flexing. In fact, it seemed to be preparing for another attack!

Taillow acted on instinct, launching itself forward and slamming its entire body into the cocoon's hard shell. The cocoon bounced back and Taillow flinched, recoiling away from the damaged cocoon. The poison continued to course through its veins, the bird recoiling in pain as it struggled to remain afloat. During this moment of weakness, Wiggles was able to begin proving her top percentage status once again. Using some strange maneuver within her shelled body, the cocoon Pokemon launched itself forward and slammed into the injured bird once again. The Taillow let out a squawk of pain, righting itself in mid-air. However it was clearly winded, panting and staggering in the air.

From beside him, Chrissy's breath was caught in her throat. The excitement of the battle had gotten to her on some level, rendering her mute for a time as she watched her friend go on with this oddly intense battle. But now that Teddy's team was on the winning side of the conflict, she was able to relax a bit and keep watching on.

Wild Encounter

---

Weather: Clear

[attr="class","qkt-bkgd"]

[attr="class","qkt-wild-pkmn"]
Taillow LV 10
HP 6% [2/31]

[attr="class","qkt-wild-imgbox"]

[attr="class","qkt-pkmn-img"]

[attr="class","qkt-trainer-pkmn"]
Wiggles LV 7
HP 50% [13/26]

[attr="class","qkt-trainer-imgbox"]

[attr="class","qkt-pkmn-img"]

Taillow [Guts]: Poisoned, +2 CRIT Chance
Wiggles [Shed Skin]: Healthy

SP25+ Taillow used Quick Attack!
SP9 Wiggles used Tackle!
Taillow took damage from poison!

[rjpilot]

The bird could hit hard. Teddy watched its latest attack with concern on his face, trying to come up with his next move. His first thought was to dig around in his bag, searching through his collection of medicines and berries to find something to keep Wiggles in the fight just a little bit longer. But the Taillow was fast, and there was a chance that it would get another powerful hit on the cocoon before Teddy could heal her. Despite how hard it was fighting, the swallow looked to be on its last legs. Last wings? Teddy thought to himself, considering how the idiom would apply to a flying Pokémon. He shook his head. He could ponder the English language after the battle was over. Now to focus again.

Continuing to shuffle through the bag, he pushed some Poké Balls out of the way and then paused. He glanced up at the Taillow. It was strong, it had handled Vulcan with ease and even though it was tired and hurt it clearly had an advantage over Wiggles. A flying type could definitely have a place on his team. Teddy cursed under his breath, as the Poké Balls had already been buried into the mess of his bag again. How come he could find them when he was looking for something else, but now that he needed them they were no where to be seen? He would have to organize his backpack later.

After what felt like a few minutes of frustrated digging, Teddy finally found a Poké Ball to use. He stepped onto the battlefield, calculating the movement of the Taillow. Luckily it was slow and staggering, and Teddy pitched the ball at the bird. The Poké Ball arced through the air towards its target.

Teddy throws a Poké Ball!

[Avalon]

The Taillow was slow and staggering, true, struggling to stay afloat. Every breath was a labored effort, requiring intense concentration to keep its body moving. The Taillow's vision was blurring, the poison finally taking effect as it spread through the last vestiges of its being. It knew that it had maybe one more move left before it would come crashing to the ground, defeated. This human and his partners had proven to be a formidable team of enemies, it turned out.

The Taillow shot forward, pushing as much air beneath its wings as it could in order to shoot forward like a bullet. It would land one decisive blow, and then find a place to hide and recover. It continued its divebomb-style attack against the Silcoon, when Teddy was finally able to find an empty Poke Ball within his bag. The Ball swirled and spiraled through the air, the sphere colliding with the bird mid-charge. Taillow was caught off guard, consumed by the red-and-white orb as it crashed to the ground.

Within, the Taillow tried its best, struggling from within to break out, but the poison had run its course. The Taillow could hardly move outside of the ball, now with the ball and its mechanisms confining it, it seemed that escape was impossible. The Taillow closed its eyes slowly, conceding to Teddy's efforts. This ball would be a good enough place to rest until the taste of poison got out of its beak, anyway.

Wiggles didn't get eaten, and earned +3 levels for her survival! Wiggles is now Level 10!

Wiggles is trying to evolve into Beautifly. Would you like to stop this evolution?

Note: Wiggles will try to learn Gust if she evolves. Delete a move to make room for Gust?

Taillow has been captured! Please fill out the code for your new Pokemon below:
[img src="https://play.pokemonshowdown.com/sprites/gen5/taillow.png"]
[b]Taillow[/b]
Name: [choose]
Gender: [choose]
Level: 10
OT: Teddy Watson
Moves: Growl, Peck, Focus Energy, Quick Attack
Ability: Guts
Nature/Personality: [choose]

[rjpilot]

Wiggles closed her eyes and braced as the Taillow dove from above, preparing to absorb the hit. But instead, the attack never came. She opened her eyes hesitantly, then relaxed her cocoon-like body as she saw the Poké Ball roll around on the ground in front of her. Both the Silcoon and the trainers watched, waiting to see if the Taillow would be caught. There was a click, and the ball ceased moving. The struggle within had ended, and the swallow was captured.

“Great job Wiggles!” Teddy praised. Wiggles knew it was time to leave this cocoon behind, and to achieve her best form, to become even closer to Top Percentage. As she began to break free of her cocoon, she was enveloped in a bright flash of light, causing all eyes to be focused on her. Though they had seen evolution before, the trainers watched in a stunned silence. When the light subsided, a large butterfly remained. Wiggles stretched her wings, no longer restrained within the cocoon, before taking to the sky for the first time. She soared up high, taking a look at the surroundings, before doing some graceful loops and rolls. If she focused and did one strong, fast flap of her wings, she could create a powerful gust of air. The butterfly played with this newfound move, causing the leaves of the trees below to flutter and shake. Once she’d had enough of this, she returned to her trainer, hovering just in front of him. The boy’s toothy grin was even wider than usual. Wiggles cooed in satisfaction, she had done well today.

The trainer then walked past Wiggles to the ball on the ground. Wiggles heard him mumble “Schwalbe” as he picked it up. His German was pretty crude, and just calling the bird “swallow” in another language seemed pretty unoriginal, but the butterfly decided that the name did fit the Taillow. So, the bird was part of the team now. Wiggles was always happy to make new friends on this journey, but she hoped there wouldn’t be any tension between her and Schwalbe like there was between Charlie and Dizzy. Teddy picked up the ball, examining it in his hand. Returning to his bag, he pressed the button on the ball, letting out the bird, as he dug through the bag to find supplies to tend to the Taillow’s wounds. The swallow’s breath was labored, and its body shook as the poison continued to run its course. Wiggles decided she should wait until later to make a proper introduction.

Wiggles evolves into Beautifly! She forgets Harden and learns Gust!

---

Taillow
Name: Schwalbe
Gender: Female
Level: 10
OT: Teddy Watson
Moves: Growl, Peck, Focus Energy, Quick Attack
Ability: Guts
Nature/Personality: Naive

[Caramell 🍬]

The streets of Cherrygrove carried on in their usual fashion as stranger wandered along its dusty roads. Some stopped at popup stands along the way and chatted about their children’s futures, while younger mothers walked hand in hand with toddlers that pulled and tugged them in different directions. The trees that were placed carefully along the street sides had small white buds just starting to unfold their petals to show their flowering natures to the world around them. Bright blue swallows darted from the trees and tops of the buildings after each other in play, creating elaborate displays that caused many villagers to stop and stare in admiration.

A small shaggy furred raccoon popped its head out of an overturned trash can and blinked unsteadily at the bustling world around it. Two large peels from an old discarded banana clung to the top of its head, with one peel falling down the back of its head between its short ears and the other peel falling down the front of its head between its black button eyes. It shook its head, knocking the remnants of the old fruit off, and dug inside of tied up bag in the trash can, tearing it open to scatter piles of crumbled plastic, half-eaten meals, and unknown sticky substances in various directions. A shop keep plucked a thick straw broom up by its handle and swung it after the raccoon, causing the Pokemon to scurry off.

It dart into a thick pile of grass and stare in shaken wonder at the newly evolved Beautifly with its friends in tow. The humans that the Zigzagoon had ever faced were all store owners who chased it relentlessly away from their super yummy smelling trashcans. This boy carried Pokemon with him but only made the small mammal think of the strange children who carried pets on their shoulders or allowed them to follow at their sides. Would this boy chase it away too? Deciding that the only way to protect itself was through fighting for its right to remain left alone, the Zigzagoon would crawl slowly out of the bushes baring its teeth in an angry growl. “Leave me alone and go away from this place!” It growled menacingly. “And maybe…leave your cheesy puffs behind?” It also pleaded, still ever so hungry.

A Wild Zigzagoon appeared!

Level 10. It will know Egg Move Simple Beam.
Shiny? r5S94fUJ1-42
EM: 1-7
Held Item? (1-5 Revive; 6-55 Potion; 56+ nothing) 1-421-42·1-7·1-42

[rjpilot]

The tiny racoon appeared from the bushes, drawing the group’s attention to it with its growling. Initially eager to battle, Teddy prepared to send out Wiggles again. But after seeing the Zigzagoon, he hesitated. It was filthy, its fur matted, bits of banana and other garbage caught in its hair. The greasy animal also appeared quite skinny, and Teddy thought it must be struggling to find food lately. And that smell! Like wet dog combined with rotten food. All that combined with its aggressive stance and bared teeth made it look almost rabid, which concerned Teddy. Crissy also seemed to have the same thought, as she let out a quiet gasp at the sight of the creature, and then took a few cautious steps back.

Teddy turned to his backpack, careful to keep the racoon in the corner of his eye. Wiggles held her ground between Teddy and the wild Pokémon, also eyeing the Zigzagoon cautiously. He dug through the bag, looking for some food he could spare. He found a small box, containing an old piece of cake. It was surely stale by now, but it was probably still okay for the racoon to eat. He cracked the box open, and was immediately reminded that the cake was over 3 years old, as its smell managed to overwhelm that of the Zigzagoon. Well, maybe it isn’t very edible, but surely that creature had eaten worse. The tiny racoon was watching his every move, a hungry look in its eyes.

Teddy stepped out halfway between his group and the dirty trash panda. Never breaking eye contact, he crouched down and set the box on the ground, opening it and facing it towards the racoon. Hopefully this rancid piece of cake would be sufficient. He stood back up slowly, and then backed up, still looking at the Zigzagoon, wondering what it would do. Once he got back to the group, Wiggles retook her protective position in front of Teddy and Crissy.

Teddy attempts to satisfy the Zigzagoon by giving it a slice of Birthday Cake. If successful, they will leave the Zigzagoon alone and go set up camp for the night elsewhere. If the Zigzagoon wishes to fight, Wiggles is ready to defend, and will use her new move of Gust.