The rain poured down on my head. It was odd; It had been dry out, and then I stepped in to a house for what couldn't have been more than five seconds. When I stepped out, it was pouring.
Interestingly, a young lad in the next building was willing to teach my starter a powerful move.
"But... I don't use my starter anymore..."
Young Lad: "Oh. Then NO MOVE FOR YOU!!"
He kicked me out of his house. A moment later he opened the door again.
Young Lad: "Actually, I'm not picky, that Quilava of yours can learn this move."
-Quilava forgot how to use Ember. And... Quilava learned Fire Pledge!-
As I strolled along Driftveil, I found a dude on a motorcycle.
Charles: "I'm a heartbreaker... My name... Charles. I am here to test your skill. You shall try... the Rotation Battle!"
Anthony vs Heartbreaker Charles
Charles sent out a Krokorok, Zebstrika, and Basculin, while I used Exeggcute, Quilava, and Omanyte. Krokorok started off using Swagger, but Exeggcute was able to strike with a Grass Knot through the confusion. I did not want to risk hitting myself in confusion this time, so I rotated the battle so that Omanyte could finish Krokorok off with a Water Gun.
Basculin rotated in, and got off a rain-boosted Aqua Jet before being nailed with Rock Tomb. Charles rotated to Zebstrika using Spark, while I rotated to Exeggcute, who snapped out of confusion and struck Zebstrika with Grass Knot. Zebstrika attempted Flame Charge, weakening Exeggcute and boosting its own speed. The rain thankfully weakened the blow. However, the next turn Exeggcute was knocked out by Spark. I switched in Swinub, who survived a Flame Charge to use Dig. Charles wisely switched to Basculin, and I switched to Omanyte. Charles switched in Zebstrika, who was hit with a Water Gun.
Expecting an electrical attack, I switched Swinub back in. True to plan, Swinub was unaffected by the Zebstrika's Spark and finished it off with Mud Bomb. With just Basculin left, I sent in Omanyte to use Rock Tomb, tanking the Chip Away easily but not the ensuing Aqua Jet. Murkrow then came in and finished Basculin with Wing Attack.
Charles: "I'm a heartbreaker... My name... Charles..."
"I got that already."
Charles: "You have bested me. I see your Pokemon skills are improving..."
"Improving from what? What do you mean...?"
Charles: "Do not concern yourself... I'm a heartbreaker... My name... Charles..."
I decided to enter the Driftveil Market, where I found a Heart Scale laying on the ground. I also purchased a bottle of Moomoo Milk, and stayed away from the "medicinal herbs" being sold by an addled looking guy in the corner. He appeared as if he was sampling his own goods. There was also a sunglasses dude who wanted to see a Pokemon level 30 or higher. I'm a patient man/woman/person of ambiguous gender, so I decided to wait rather than just bring the Mewtwo, Zekrom, or Darkrai I had sitting in my PC. What, I never mentioned those?
Finally, I decided to go investigate the Cold Storage, where Plasmorons were sighted. Unfortunately, local trainers were uncooperative, stopping me every few steps to weaken my Pokemon.
Worker: "Hey! I have a gift for you!!"
"Huh?"
Worker: "Take this and tell nobody!"
"It's... a helmet with rocks glued to it?"
Worker: "It's the perfect disguise! You can hide in piles of rocks and nobody will notice you!"
"Uh... thank you..."
Worker Eddie: "Taste the cold chill of the Cold Storage!"
Worker Eddie sent out a Pansage.
"...What's so cold about that?"
Exeggcute defeated the Pansage, and Murkrow took on the subsequent Timburr.
Worker Eddie: "MY RAGE IS WHAT'S COLD!"
"Isn't rage usually hot?"
Worker Eddie: "WHO TOLD YOU THAT?!"
"Umm..."
Worker Eddie: "YOU'RE ALL OUT TO QUESTION ME, AREN'T YOU?! MAKE ME FEEL LIKE I'VE GOT MY TEMPERATURES MIXED UP!! WELL, I'M NOT FALLING FOR YOU! I'M NOT FALLING FOR ANYONE!!"
He threw himself into the water and swam off into the distance, laughing maniacally.
Ignoring that, I finally located the entrance of the Cold Storage.
Cheren: "Am I at the right place...? Is this the Cold Storage...?"
"Yes, it is."
Cheren: "Ah... I wish I could see."
"Hey, maybe one day you won't even NEED glasses!"
Cheren: "That's about as likely as me settling down and becoming a Normal-type Gym Leader."
"Whatever. Let's go in there and find them."
Cheren: "Ack! C-c-c-cold...!"
I loved the cold. I'd go out in winter without a jacket all the time. But now I have a different body, and suddenly this one is not as cold-tolerant as my old one.
"Br-r-r-r..."
Of course, having just been out in rain may have helped. It felt like the rain was freezing against my clothes and skin, and Cheren seemed to be having the same problem. Judging by his discomforted expression and leg position, he also seemed to be having another problem from the cold. I guess that's another advantage point for being female now, not that I've really kept track of the scores.
That aside, I had a new problem. It seems that the workers here had money to burn, because they were able splurge on Frictionless Ice (TM) for their storage unit, lining the floors with it in grid-like patterns to form mazes. I never understood why people did that. Normal ice was just not cool enough anymore, so they had to go for the tractionless stuff. Thankfully, I found a Scald TM. Now I finally had a moderately powerful move on one of my Pokemon! Omanyte, to be exact.
Cheren attempted to follow my path, but tried to turn around during it.
"No, no, you have to slide in one direction or you'll fall on your butt and hit-t-t the wall. Like you just did."
Cheren: "P-p-picky, p-p-picky. Why can't you just use Scald to melt-t-t-t the ice?"
"Oh, I'd love to, but-"
Worker: "If the lassie did that we'd have to fine 'er! This Frictionless Ice (TM) cost us a fortune!"
"Case closed-d."
Cheren: "No, case reopened-d-d. Use Scald on the Worker-r-r and the ice."
Ignoring Cheren's suggestions of violence, as much as I was tempted to agree with him, we proceeded, shivering the whole way.
Cheren: "Great-t-t, another sliding p-p-puzzle."
Worker: "It took me a week to set that one up! You'd better take your time and enjoy it!"
Seeing as there was really only one path to slide on this ice, it wasn't difficult to reach the other side of, but Cheren had trouble due to not being able to see all that well, and was clobbered by the ice. He also fell a lot, too, but his bigger issue was the aforementioned ice gaining sentience and beating him up.
"Okay, seriously, you need-d-d-d your glasses back. I'll clean them off with Omanyte's Scald or something-g, okay?"
Cheren: "No! Exit-t-t and buy me a new p-p-pair!"
"Ugh...!"
We proceeded as best we could, me having to guide Cheren the whole way.
By the time we reached a non-icy spot toward the end of the room, the rainwater on our hands had frozen them together.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!"
Cheren: "Hey, c-c-c-c-come on. It's just-t-t some ice. It breaks very easily."
"I know, but the idea of having been stuck-k-k-k to you, even for a second or two, freaks me out."
Cheren: "Oh, COME ON!! I'm at least more sane than some of the other people we've met!"
"Yes, but you k-k-k-keep harassing me! I don't want to battle you OR Bianca every time I do something of the slightest significance. Are you going to hunt-t-t-t me down and battle me next time I sneeze or something?!"
Cheren: "...Uh..."
He went off to the side and called Bianca. From what I could hear it sounded like they were cancelling a plan relating to battling me.
Cheren: "Anyway, let's c-c-c-continue. This storage crate is the only spot we haven't checked-d-d."
Zinzolin: "Come on, is that really worth a location header?"
"Aha! So there ARE P-p-p-plasmorons in the Cold Storage!"
Plasmoron #1: "Duh! Where else would-d-d we be except-t-t the most uncomfortable place to hide out-t-t?"
Plasmoron #2: "What about-t-t-t in Clay's fat rolls? That has to be more uncomfortable!"
Zinzolin: "Silence! Ugh, the cold-d-d-d is turning my skin all purple!"
Cheren: "Why don't we lead-d-d you outside, then? It's warmer out-t-t-t there."
Zinzolin: "Silence!"
Plasmoron #3: "Uh, you s-s-s-said silence already. It sounds sort of redund-"
Zinzolin: "Silence! Now, you two trainers, I hate to resort to violet- I mean, violence, but you give us no ch-ch-ch-choice!"
The Plasmorons formed a wall.
Cheren: "We should each take a sid-d-de."
Plasmoron #1: "Hahaha! Fear the might-t-t of my Watchog's Crunch!"
The super-effective move nearly fainted my Exeggcute.
"Uh-oh..."
Plasmoron #1: "And now, to finish it off-f-f, Super Fang!"
"..."
Plasmoron #1: "Huh, that wasn't-t-t enough! Well, another Super F-f-fang!"
Exeggcute's very low health was halved again, leaving it still very much conscious. It finished off the Watchog.
Plasmoron #1: "Aww, but-t my super finishing move..."
Plasmoron #2: "My turn! Eat-t-t Liepard, stupid g-g-girl!"
She was defeated easily.
Plasmoron #3: "Ha! Good thing I have a T-t-trubbish to-"
"Swinub, use D-d-dig."
Plasmoron #3: "Aww... we're really not good at this whole battling thing, are we...?"
Zinzolin: "No, you are not-t-t. Don't expect a Purple Heart for your losses in battle here."
Plasmoron #4: "Ha! I'm the best of them all!"
Lucario defeated his Sandile and Watchog without even needing any commands.
"Well, that's that..."
Cheren: "I'm done t-t-too."
Plasmorons #5-7: "Waaah! He beat us!"
Plasmoron #8: "Ever notice how this box is so much bigger on the inside than it is on the outside...?"
All of a sudden, an earthquake struck, knocking the crate on its side and spilling everyone everywhere.
Everyone: "Oof! Hello, Clay..."
Clay: "Well, I'll be! How'd y'all know I was here? Oh, and what's this? Plasidjits in this little old box here!"
"Cheren, GET. OFF."
Cheren: "So you still have my glasses in there!"
"I said get off!"
Zinzolin: "Minions, GET. OFF."
Plasmorons #1-8: "So you still have that old pizza box in there!"
Zinzolin: "I said get off!"
Clay squeezed his gigantic arm in through the window of the cold storage, and directed the workers into the box to extract the Plasmorons and Zinzolin.
Clay: "You kids ain't so bad, I reckon! Come on over and challenge my gym! Yeehaw!"
He waddled away, the workers taking the Plasmorons.
Cheren: "Well, that went-t-t well."
"Yes, now get your face off my chest or I'll lock you in this box."
Geoff: "So, boss..."
Accordion Player: "I take it we need to call upon our next agent to keep tabs on... her?"
???: "You imagine correctly. Contact... The Cleaner."
Geoff: "I thought I was The Cleaner!"
???: "Yes, sorry. Contact... The Deleter!"
Accordion Player: "Right away, boss..."
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