Revenge is a dish best served ON FIRE

Starting Pokemon:

Izze the Charizard

Claire the Pidgeotto

Allie the Mankey

Sykes the Jolteon

My graveyard (R.I.P.):

Blossom the Vileplume

Doug the Dugtrio

Kingsly the Butterfree

Week 33:

I left Silph Co. with my head hung low. I was down to just 4 starters after losing three of my friends. I was impulsive. I was arrogant.

Izze is still frustrated with me. He tries not to show it, but I can tell he hasn't forgiven me for Blossom's death. I could have switched anyone in, really. Even him. Anything but letting her go like that.

I know that I can't face whomever or whatever resides on the top floor of Silph Co. until I train this team to the point of exhaustion. 


But my words are empty at this point. I've shown that. 

As I was leaving Silph Co. following the match with Gary, a scared Silph employee ran over to me. He shoved a Pokeball into my hand and begged me to take it. It was a Lapras. I asked him why he would just give me this Pokemon. He said that Silph had been using it for research and he was afraid that Rocket would find her and use her for evil. He said that he could tell I cared about my Pokemon and he felt like I would take care of her.

If he only knew.

I took the Lapras out of her ball when I flew to Fuchsia to train. She's an incredibly majestic Pokemon. I taught her Surf and began testing her out on the trainers littering Route 15. She can take a hit, that's for sure. 

I name her Nessa, and welcome her to the team. 

Week 34:

As we continue training, I decide to head up to Celadon to resupply and see if we can't catch that Snorlax I saw blocking the path to bicycle routes to the west. I've been doing some research on the Pokedex and it seems like Snorlax has incredibly high HP. This might be exactly what my team needs to survive: another tank.

I give Nessa a shot at weakening the Snorlax but he's just too strong for her. I switch her out for Izze. He nods in approval, always willing to step in and close out a battle. The Snorlax uses Rest and falls back asleep, its health skyrocketing. I seize my chance. Izze uses a Wing Attack and drops the Snorlax's health to under 50% as I throw a Great Ball at the sleeping behemoth. It works. 

We take the newly captured Snorlax to the Pokecenter and heal up the team. Welcome to the team, Lump.

Week 35:

I feel like time is wasting before something sinister goes down in Silph, but there is simply no way I can risk any more deaths. After a considerable amount of grinding, I decide to challenge the local Gym leader in Saffron. Well… Hm. There are next-door gyms here so I guess I'll challenge the one that isn't blocked by a Rocket thug.

Don't taze me, bro!

So Claire made quick work of the Fighting Dojo and the freaking' leader says he won't give me a badge. Why? No idea. Instead he gave me a Pokemon of my choosing. Thanks buddy, but I've already got a fighter. It's to the PC for Balboa the Hitmonchan.

Please! I don't want to admit that we were stripped of our
Pokemon League certification!

Added a couple new friends to the PC: Pokeball the Voltorb, Parseltung the Ekans, Panflute the Raticate, and Condaleeza the Fearow (Condorleeza was too long).

We ran into one of Oak's aides near Vermillion and he checked out our progress on the Pokedex. I guess we're doing well so far because he gave me an Itemfinder. I took it outside to the docks and found a piece of Leftovers. Gave it Lump to hold onto and took off for Saffron.

It's time.

Week 36:

The preparation paid off. It turns out Nessa was exactly what we needed to put Silph out of commission as the thug guarding the door sent out Ground-type after Ground-type in an attempt to thwart us. Not gonna happen.


Beyond the locked door stood Giovanni, leader of Team Rocket.

As Nessa began to take a few too many hits from Giovanni's Nidoqueen, I thought about the lessons learned from my past mistakes and withdrew her in favor of Izze. It didn't matter the foe, my ferocious Charizard--the captain of my team--was not about to let another of his teammates go down. 

With a mighty Flamethrower, the Nidoqueen fell to the floor. And the Kangaskhan that came after? Didn't stand a chance. 

Izze breathed a plume of smoke into the air and grabbed his tail, blowing it off like the little Charmander I once knew. Izze, it seemed, had finally forgiven me.

Now I just need to forgive myself.

And no structural damage? It's a miracle!