Chapter 23 - Chapter 21

"Still, I don't get it. How are your Pokémon so strong without Poképuffs and vitamins?" Herbert asked.

"That's a little rude, don't you think?" Jacob interjected.

"Nah, it's fine. I don't mind sharing with you guys," I said.

"See? Arth doesn't mind," Herbert grinned.

"Well, I usually hunt for slightly stronger wild Pokémon in the forest once a week, then cook and preserve the food with their favorite berries mixed in," I explained.

"…? That sounds risky. How do you even find Pokémon stronger than yours that often?" Jacob asked.

"And berries alone can't make them that strong," Herbert added.

"You know how I go off alone in the forest every week?" I asked.

"Yeah?"

"That's when I hunt Pokémon that are slightly stronger than mine, and I prepare meals for my team from them."

"???"

"So… you're saying you hunt, cook, and preserve food from these wild Pokémon for your team?" Jacob asked, sounding shocked.

"Exactly. And that mountain we passed? It had a good food source for Nincada and Durant."

"Which is?"

"Dugtrio and Diglett."

"!!!"

"Oh, so that's why you asked me about Diglett sightings," Jacob realized.

"Wait, you knew about this, Jacob?" Herbert asked.

"Yeah, and it's pretty common," Jacob replied.

"…I guess that makes sense," Herbert conceded.

"What about the rest?" he asked, curious now.

"For Araquanid, it's mostly Magikarp, and sometimes the Scyther family and others will eat Rattatas and Pidgeys" I explained.

"Isn't that a bit… brutal?" Jacob asked.

"Yeah, wild Pokémon do eat each other, but…"

"It's only bad if they're killed without purpose. Plus, cities sometimes encourage it to control population."

"They do form 'tides'," Jacob added knowingly.

"Exactly. So, it's not as bad as it sounds," I concluded.

"Finally a city!!!"

"I cant believe seeing a city would make me this emotional T-T"

"Herbert… its not that bad"

"Arth you are my friend but, you're a monster!!"

"Yeah, herberts rights! Your training is out of this world!!"

"To be honest Arth, i agree with your two friends with only zero badges you can defeat a colony of pidgeotto"

"Its not that bad, i mean they did give a decent amount of challenge"

"Descent? DESCENT?!!"

"Calm down Herbert…"

"You're a monster arth, MY FRIEND is a monster haha…"

 

As we entered the city after that little tirade we went into the Pokemon center and found out about a small gym called Fluffy Gym if you can defeat the gym and impress him enough you might get a Pokemon for free

For that reason alone I managed to track the gym and got a spot for today

"Hello, trainer! I'm Jenny and the current gym leader"

"Hello!! I'm here to challenge your gym and try to get a Pokemon from you"

"Hmm?" one of her eyes rose "Interesting then let's see if you're worthy"

"Ill choose first! Come eldegoss"

"Come Araquanid its time to show off!"

Jenny smiled confidently. "Let's see if you can handle my fluffy champion, Eldegoss. Start us off with Cotton Spore!"

Araquanid buzzed with anticipation, ready for action. Eldegoss began to release fluffy cotton spores into the air, slowing Araquanid's movements.

"Protect, Araquanid!" you commanded.

A shimmering barrier appeared around Araquanid, deflecting the incoming spores. Jenny raised an eyebrow. "Clever, but let's see how long you can keep that up! Eldegoss, Energy Ball!"

Eldegoss whipped up a glowing green orb and launched it at Araquanid. The attack struck hard, pushing Araquanid back slightly. It stood firm, its watery helmet shimmering under the gym lights.

"Alright, Araquanid, Water Pulse!"

The bubble around Araquanid's head shimmered, and it blasted a swirling jet of water toward Eldegoss. The attack hit, causing Eldegoss to spin backward.

Jenny smirked. "That's a solid hit, but my Eldegoss is no pushover. Use Leech Seed!"

Eldegoss launched several seeds toward Araquanid, which latched onto its body, draining energy bit by bit. Araquanid winced as the seeds began to sap its vitality.

"Don't let it wear you down! Use Rest!" you shouted.

Araquanid closed its eyes, falling into a deep slumber as its wounds began to heal. The crowd murmured, impressed by the strategy.

Jenny grinned. "So you're playing defensively, huh? Eldegoss, Cotton Guard!"

Eldegoss surrounded itself with layers of protective fluff, boosting its defenses to withstand future attacks.

Araquanid stirred awake, now fully healed. "Let's go on the offensive! Araquanid, use Lunge!"

With incredible speed, Araquanid lunged forward, its legs glowing as it slammed into Eldegoss. The attack not only dealt damage but also reduced Eldegoss's attack power.

Jenny frowned slightly. "Eldegoss, recover with Synthesis!"

The fluffy Pokémon basked in the light from the gym's skylight, restoring some of its health.

"You're not getting away! Araquanid, Water Pulse again!"

This time, the swirling water hit Eldegoss so hard that it sent it tumbling across the gym floor. The Pokémon struggled to rise.