PW! - North of the Border

“Are we lost?” asked Diego. “It’s just ... that field looks
familiar. Like it’s a tocsin that we’re lost.”

“Don’t say ‘tocsin’,” said Lauren. “And I haven’t been to Cerulean in
years. Didn’t expect it to get so big.”

“I don’t think we’re even in the city anymore,” moaned Diego. “And
why shouldn’t I say ‘tocsin’? It’s a valid word.”

“No it isn’t,” said Lauren. “What’s wrong with ‘warning’? And no,
we’re not in the city anymore. We’re on route 24. I’ve made the
executive decision to press on, and find someone to menace until they
tell us where to go.”

“People always tell us where to go,” Diego pointed out. “And why
aren’t we walking on the main path?”

“Full of trainers,” said Lauren sagely.

“And this field is bound to be full of Pokémon.”

“Full of Abras, more like,” said Lauren. “They just teleport away.”

Out of nowhere, a Bellsprout appeared.

“I blame you for this,” said Lauren.

Diego nodded sadly.

“Right, Sandshrew –“ Lauren began.

“Her name’s Needles,” said Diego.

“No it isn’t. Sandshrew, use your Poison Sting!”

Sandshrew obeyed, but Bellsprout appeared to be annoyed rather than
pained by the ensuing attack. It swung a vine towards Sandshrew,
whipping its back.

“Now you’ve asked for it!” said Lauren. “Don’t let it get away with
that, Sandshrew. Use Scratch!”

The scratch attack seemed to do more, but still wasn’t enough to keep
Bellsprout at bay. Another Vine Whip took Sandshrew down completely.

“Sandshrew’s a Ground-“ started Diego.

“Don’t explain,” snapped Lauren. “Remember that talk we had about
exposition? Just kill the twiggy grass thing.”

Diego released his new Spearow.

“Go, Darkflight!”

“And you can’t call it Darkflight!”

“My Pokémon. I’ll call it what I like.” Diego turned his attention
to the Bellsprout. “Darkflight! Use Peck!”

Darkflight obeyed, pecking at the Bellsprout. Bellsprout retaliated
by growing in size.

“Don’t let it get the upper hand,” warned Diego. “Peck it again.”

A final Peck finished Bellsprout, and Darkflight squawked happily in
celebration.

“Keep him out,” said Lauren. “He can clear the path for us.”

Indeed, as they walked further along route 24, and eventually route
25, they met plenty of creatures for Darkflight to handle. Many more
Bellsprouts, as well as Caterpies and Weedles. They also met the odd
harmless Metapod and Kakuna which Lauren insisted on killing owing to
the fact that they were “too creepy to function”.

And with all the fighting expected of him, Darkflight grew stronger
and stronger. He even learned some new attacks – Fury Cutter and
Pursuit. For Diego’s amusement, he had Darkflight use Pursuit on
escaping Abras.

And so, when they found themselves passing the same field yet again,
Lauren was struck by a thought.

“Diego,” she said. “How well do you think you’d be paid for defeating
a gym?”