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"Well, um, I'll challenge the gym once I'm ready. There's a ton I need to do before we're prepared. I've been kind of falling behind on my training. And um, yeah. I need at least another pokemon that can hit a Steel type pretty hard if I'm going to win."
Nolan was distracted, keeping his eyes on where they were going. Dosu was proving to be quite the steed for travel, intimidating, yet not as sleek and cool as Chael's new Zebstrika. Dosu was faster than Nolan could run, but he bet the lightning zebra could go faster still. Chael was probably going to need a saddle and bridle soon just so he didn't fall off.

Nolan was grinning again. It seemed like everyone was in a wonderful mood, even the Ranger was cheerful still. It was a great way to start a mini-adventure, and it was Nolan out in front who noticed first what it was he had been looking at from a distance. A shuffle of small, hard bodied silver pokemon were fighting over a scrap of iron. Nolan was the first to act, and Dosu was faster still.

The Gyarados roared at the Aron and most scattered, all except the last one left with the scrap metal in his mouth. The little pokmon blinked its sky blue eyes up at the huge Atrocious pokemon and squeaked.
"Twill, get it!"
Twill dived at the small thing and latched her claws around its back, yet when she attempted to lift it, the bird went no where. She started squawking, and pecked angrily at the Aron, with her wings flapping wildly.
"Dosu!"
The Gyarados lunged like a cobra, and dived face-first on the Aron. When Dosu reared back, he spit sand and the little iron pokemon on the ground, doing just as much damage as the bite had. Twill popped out of Dosu's mouth as well, furious with blue feathers going everywhere. Nolan tossed a pokeball, and it wasn't on a whim. Still wasn't a Torkoal according to the Pokedex, but Nolan had always wanted a steel pokemon since he first heard about them. There aren't any native to Kanto, and now he had one. The capsule zapped away to the PC.

"Onwards!"
"Gyraaaaaas"

Two new captures, three including the not-wanted Trapinch. Nolan just wished he could carry more than six pokemon at a time, but alas, such was not the case. After the heated battle, (ah haha, punny) Torkoal was rightfully captured, and Ninjask was only slightly scorched after being caught in an updraft of fire. The Ninja buzzed and burbbled, making Nolan laugh with the goofy noise, and remembering the treats he had, fed one to Ninjask. As well as Twill ... and then he chucked the rest of the bag in Dosu's large mouth. Nolan was suddenly out of treats, but note for the future - find something else that Gyarados also liked to eat.

As the train of trainers swung by the Fort, that's where Nolan got off - end of the line for the Gyarados Express.
"Lukas, I'm going to heal up my pokemon and switch out some of them so I can start training the new ones. And whenever you're ready, Chael, could you have another battle to help me toughen up the newbies on my team?"

Recalling Gyarados, Twill, and Ninjask, Nolan hurried into town, a little shocked by the size of the walls surrounding the fort. But it was nice enough inside, and it did look like people lived here, and quite happily too. The Pokemon Center was pretty easy to find, and Nolan felt like he had to rush so not to keep any one waiting. He swapped out his team, ready for the next bout of training to defeat the next gym. Man, Steel was going to be difficult to beat, but it was only the second badge, so it had to be possible, right?

He'd just beat it down with his new Fire pokemon, and the two Ground types on his team. And if push came to shove, he could just try brute force with Dosu, or power and speed with Valor. And finding that he missed the face of his Luxio, once Nolan was out again of the Fort, he let out his Luxio, petting the young lion's mane.

After a bit, he left the Fort. He hadn't really gotten to see what's in the area. And what's the point in a Pokemon journey if you didn't see any wild Pokemon? He let his hand go into his bag, taking out a Sunstone. His first item from the Ruins. He didn't know why he kept it. But it seemed.... He didn't know.

Looking around the desert like landscape, he wandered around as Nolan went about some buisness before their training match.

Croconaw (Argos)/Male/Valerians Lab/Level: 29/ Holding: Nothing/Ability: Torrent/ Atk: Flail /Atk: Ice Fang/Atk: Water Gun/Atk: Bite

Rattata (Fear)/Female/Route 1 /Level: 28/ Holding: Nothing/Ability: Guts/ Atk:Hyper Fang/Atk: Crunch /Atk: Super Fang /Atk: Pursuit

Eevee (Tsuki)/Male/Route 1 /Level: 26/ Holding: Nothing /Ability: Adaptability/ Atk: Tackle/Atk: Tail Whip/Atk:Quick Attack /Atk: Sand Attack

Gurdurr (Bruce)/Male/Route 2 /Level: 26/Holding: Nothing/Ability: Guts/ Atk: Chip Away /Atk: Low Kick/Atk:Rock Throw /Atk: Bide

Zebstrika (Lizzy)/Female/Route 2 /Level: 27/Holding: Nothing /Ability: Lightning Rod/ Atk: Pursuit /Atk: Thunder Wave/Atk: Flame Charge /Atk: Spark

Golett (Epsilon)/ Genderless/ Gabron Ruins / Level: 23/
Holding: Nothing /Ability: Iron Fist /
Atk: Pound/Atk: Mud Slap/Atk: Mega Punch /Atk: Shadow Punch

Chael's Bag- 
1x Pokedex 
2x Potions
1x TmAcrobatics
11x Pokeball
1x PremierBall
1x NetBall 
1x EscapeRope
1x SunStone
Badges: Aero

Nolan was the one who caught up with Chael this time. The young teenage trainer had taken off his duster and vest to help combat the heat. He was just wearing his black undershirt, still not the right color for the desert sun, but it was a huge improvement taking off so many layers. Besides, Nolan wanted to shake out the sand that got in his clothes. Valor was already panting and keeping to the shade under his thick blue and black fur coat, but after a roll in the fine dust, he seemed to feel a tad better.

With his extra clothing neatly folded in his messenger bag, he exited the Fort and quickly found Chael looking at some funny looking yellow quadruped.
"Is that a Numel like what Lukas wanted?"
Answering his own question, Nolan whipped out the pokedex, and read the entries for it. Interesting, didn't really look like a fire pokemon to him, but it was bright yellow.
"I would be careful. Fire pokemon are really dangerous, even if they are derpy looking. Hey, so whenever you're ready for that battle. Three on three?"

The Darumaka rammed into Fear, already weak. Super Fang cut the Pokemon's HP in half. A good move for later on so Chael would probably keep it. Well this was a good start. The fire type let out a volley of fire chains, probably using Incinerate. But being weakened hurt his aim, letting Fear in to use her Pursuit attack without getting hit.

Chael took out a Pokeball, ready for the catch. He wanted to save the white ball he got as a bonus for a really rare Pokemon. And so he began to throw the red orbs at the fire type.

Croconaw (Argos)/Male/Valerians Lab/Level: 29/ Holding: Nothing/Ability: Torrent/ Atk: Flail /Atk: Ice Fang/Atk: Water Gun/Atk: Bite

Rattata (Fear)/Female/Route 1 /Level: 28/ Holding: Nothing/Ability: Guts/ Atk:Hyper Fang/Atk: Crunch /Atk: Super Fang /Atk: Pursuit

Eevee (Tsuki)/Male/Route 1 /Level: 26/ Holding: Nothing /Ability: Adaptability/ Atk: Tackle/Atk: Tail Whip/Atk:Quick Attack /Atk: Sand Attack

Gurdurr (Bruce)/Male/Route 2 /Level: 26/Holding: Nothing/Ability: Guts/ Atk: Chip Away /Atk: Low Kick/Atk:Rock Throw /Atk: Bide

Zebstrika (Lizzy)/Female/Route 2 /Level: 27/Holding: Nothing /Ability: Lightning Rod/ Atk: Pursuit /Atk: Thunder Wave/Atk: Flame Charge /Atk: Spark

Golett (Epsilon)/ Genderless/ Gabron Ruins / Level: 23/
Holding: Nothing /Ability: Iron Fist /
Atk: Pound/Atk: Mud Slap/Atk: Mega Punch /Atk: Shadow Punch

Chael's Bag- 
1x Pokedex 
2x Potions
1x TmAcrobatics
11x Pokeball
1x PremierBall
1x NetBall 
1x EscapeRope
1x SunStone
Badges: Aero

(I know right. I'm going to keep tying to get a Darumaka first. Have you noticed most of the Pokemon I catch are from the fifth gen? And since I can lower the value of Pokemon I find. I'm going to be meeting a bunch of Darumakas until I catch one. xD)



A failed capture as it ran away. Craaaap. It looked really interesting too. However from a patch of grass jumped another Pokemon! Probably a friend or relative. It was a....

Argos would face up and let loose a water gun. Water droplets fell from the sky, moistening his body. That felt good. But the desert dwelling Pokemon chose to avoid him after that. Crazy water types. Tsuki however ran where the water was, prancing along as he got a little wet. However after he stopped the Water Gun, the normal type ran back to the others.

Croconaw (Argos)/Male/Valerians Lab/Level: 29/ Holding: Nothing/Ability: Torrent/ Atk: Flail /Atk: Ice Fang/Atk: Water Gun/Atk: Bite

Rattata (Fear)/Female/Route 1 /Level: 28/ Holding: Nothing/Ability: Guts/ Atk:Hyper Fang/Atk: Crunch /Atk: Super Fang /Atk: Pursuit

Eevee (Tsuki)/Male/Route 1 /Level: 26/ Holding: Nothing /Ability: Adaptability/ Atk: Tackle/Atk: Tail Whip/Atk:Quick Attack /Atk: Sand Attack

Gurdurr (Bruce)/Male/Route 2 /Level: 26/Holding: Nothing/Ability: Guts/ Atk: Chip Away /Atk: Low Kick/Atk:Rock Throw /Atk: Bide

Zebstrika (Lizzy)/Female/Route 2 /Level: 27/Holding: Nothing /Ability: Lightning Rod/ Atk: Pursuit /Atk: Thunder Wave/Atk: Flame Charge /Atk: Spark

Golett (Epsilon)/ Genderless/ Gabron Ruins / Level: 23/
Holding: Nothing /Ability: Iron Fist /
Atk: Pound/Atk: Mud Slap/Atk: Mega Punch /Atk: Shadow Punch

Chael's Bag- 
1x Pokedex 
2x Potions
1x TmAcrobatics
11x Pokeball
1x PremierBall
1x NetBall 
1x EscapeRope
1x SunStone
Badges: Aero

Remembering this is how he first came across Chael, Nolan was just spending the time watching the other trainer battle. He did glance over at Argos, his own thoughts about the gator passing through his mind, curious also about what the Croconaw thought. But it was pretty easy to see what Nolan's new pokemon were doing and thinking about.

Aron had been captured with that bit of iron scrap that was his downfall, or maybe his best stroke of luck? Because now the Aron was owned by a trainer and could get much, much stronger than his fellows. He was still gnawing on the rusting iron.

Trapinch reminded Nolan of Nincada before he evolved, because the Ground type was burrowing himself under the nice cool sand. But other than that, Nolan didn't feel particularly warm to a pokemon that bit him.

As for Torkoal? He was as much of a sucker for attention as Valor. The turtle was curious about Nolan, and once he allowed the boy to scratch under his chin, Torkoal had a new favorite thing in the world. Oddly it sounded like the turtle was purring, or maybe it was bubbling. Nolan wasn't too sure what was under that shell, but whatever it was, it radiated intense heat. Scratching the rough chin of Torkoal seemed safe enough for now.

(( ROFL at your rolls. ))



Chael must have been some kind of pokemon magnet. Once the boy started looking, it seemed pokemon were coming out of the woodworks just to walk on by. Or Nolan just wasn't looking hard enough. Down on the ground he didn't have a very good view of the desert. And a lot of the pokemon that lived there blended right into the sand, unless you were practically on top of them.

Eventually Aron came over to Nolan to see if he could get some of whatever Torkoal was on. Instead Nolan ended up rapping his knuckles against the metal shell covering over the Aron's body. But then he relented, and gave Aron a good scratch under the chin too. Aron didn't really see the point, or why Torkoal was so happy, but thought it would be useful to have his own personal hygiene human-slave. So he stuck around Nolan, making Valor a tad jealous.