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Dear Diary,


We got up early this morning. Immediately, I headed out into the field. East of Violet City, Route 31 is called home by a Pokémon that only comes out early in the morning. Ledyba. And I wanted to catch one. It took some hunting, but we managed to track one down. Diane the Ledyba, named for her evolved form, joined the team. Don't worry; I don't intend to make my Pokémon work so early on a constant basis. This was a rare occurrance. With a team of Pokémon mostly weak against Flying types, however, we needed to get some serious training in. Just our luck; Violet City's Gym Leader specialises in Flying types. After asking around, it turns out the nearby Sprout Tower welcomes trainers.


  It wasn't hard to find the Sprout Tower. After all, it's, well, a tower. It's not called the Sprout Cave. Hehe. I wouldn't have thought by looking at the tower from the outside that Pokémon battles were conducted there. It honestly looks more like a spot for prayer or meditation. But I could hear the sounds of battling faintly through the ceiling from the moment I walked in. I'm not gonna lie to you; I'm afraid of heights. It's not a crippling fear - that, for me, is lightning - but it was enough to make me hesitant as I climbed up to the second floor.


  I was wrong in thinking Sprout Tower is a place of meditation. But it seems to be a place of enlightenment. The trainers there are monks, and, as I got closer, I could see them training with their Pokémon. Moving fluidly around Vine Whips and the like from the Bellsprout they all appear to be using. I must've caught the attention of one of them, because he bowed and readied a Pokéball. Predictably, from a flash of light came a Bellsprout. So it was for all of the monks training in the tower; they all wielded Bellsprout of varying strengths. And they were all taken down by Julia. My initial thought was that, for the upcoming Gym battle, it'd be best to have a Pokémon that can fly. Butterfree.


  After some hard-fought battles, Julia suddenly tilted her head up and spat out a torrent of thread. This is how they evolve. Knowing this, I was glad that her second evolution wouldn't be far behind. The gooey thread covered her fully, leaving a tangled mass. Bit by bit, the mass hardened and took on a green shine. At the end, Julia had evolved from Caterpie into a Metapod!


  We were all tired by that point, so we rested at the Pokémon Centre before continuing our training. It occurred to me that perhaps Angelica wasn't getting much attention. I'll have to do something special for her after we get the Zephyr Badge. Yes, after. Not if. We're gonna win! As long as we're prepared, we can defeat anybody; that's what I believe. And that means training. If we're gonna be up against Flying types, we'll need to hone our skills enough to fight through the type disadvantage. And, for now, that means we need to go back to Sprout Tower.


  The emergence of a Butterfree is a beautiful thing. I highly recommend the experience be seen by anybody and everybody who has the chance. It's quite easy to see; the metamorphosis of a Caterpie takes place rather quickly. You probably already know, but an area of the Kanto region, near Saffron City, has a yearly celebration in which scores of Butterfree are released to find mates. I'd love to see it in person someday. They say it's impossible to witness without crying. I don't wanna try to watch it without crying; I just wanna be there. Someday, I'll save up enough money to go see it. But, for now, Julia underwent her final transformation recently. After some more felled Bellsprout, she shook as a crack bloomed on her hard emerald-green shell. Little by little, she cast off her shell until she was fully revealed. Light streaming in through the windows set her new pearl-white wings glimmering in a beautiful light show. She stretched out these new appendages and finally took to the sky with a cute trill. Julia had reached her final form.


  With Julia being a Butterfree now, the rest of our training in Sprout Tower went by quickly. It seemed nothing could stand up to her. Until the building shook. I heard a loud bang and instinctively ducked, thinking perhaps an explosive had been set off. But there was no screaming. There were no alarms. I looked up. The head monk was engaged in a Pokémon battle. I thought it was his Pokémon that caused the noise, but they were sprawled out on the floor. His opponent laughed in a cold tone of voice I recognised right away. The Cyndaquil trainer! No wonder. He's lucky he didn't start a fire! I ran to the scene just in time for him to escape. No way was I going after him; I don't harbour a death wish for myself or my Pokémon.


  The head monk offered me a battle, just the same as he had, I assume, offered one to that mystery trainer. He would have to get his Pokémon healed first, of course, but I was willing to wait. In exchange, I helped him with patching his Pokémon up. How they managed it, I have no idea, but they managed to avoid any serious injuries. Our battle began soon. Julia made quick work of yet another Bellsprout. But the Hoothoot that came next gave us some problems. It, too, was dispatched. But the troubles it caused us made me realise something. I couldn't expect Julia to go it alone when it comes to our upcoming gym battle. She would need backup. And, at the moment, the only member of my team who isn't weak against Flying types is Brittany.


  Brittany's training went well, though we hit a speed bump along the way. I heard that there was a young lady on Route 29 who gave out scarves. I thought there'd be no harm in checking it out. Plus, the extra experience from trainers on the way would be worth the trek. So, we set off. Unfortunately, we went all the way to Route 29 only to realise that she only shows herself to trainers with a Zephyr Badge. Damn. Well, you know what they say. Nothing worth having comes easy. On the way back, we tackled - both figuratively and literally - several more wild Pokémon. I think it's finally time for Violet City Gym.


  I'm slightly acrophobic, like I said. I mostly got over it by virtue of my profession. As a doctor, and an emergency physician at that, I would, at times, need to travel by air to the scene of a disaster. But a bit of the fear stuck with me. And the Gym didn't help, to say the least. To accomodate the myriad of winged Pokémon being trained there, the building is of enormous size. It's practically a skyscraper! I had to take an elevator to the top. I still remember looking down and feeling a little sick. This was it. The first Gym.


  The first trainer must've noticed my trepidation; he laughed before the match. But, thanks to Brittany, he wasn't laughing for very long. Being high up, I had a fear that I know is irrational. In fact, I knew it was irrational then. But I worried Brittany would land on a weak floorboard after an attack and fall. She moves so lightly across the battlefield, though. The second trainer was fought with my fears mostly alleviated. As such, I was able to focus better when giving attack commands. He and his winged beasts fell the same as their predecessors. Then came Falkner.


  Greetings were formal; like that mystery trainer, Falkner has a tone of voice that's quickly recognisable. He spoke elegantly, almost regally. But I can speak from experience now in saying that he fights with brutality. From the moment I saw his first Pokémon, I knew he was fighting seriously. A well-trained Pidgey spread its wings and stared Brittany down. At a glance, I could tell this Pidgey has seen maybe dozens of fights. I could also tell, from looking at Brittany, that she was determined to make this encounter difficult for it. No backing down now. It was time to fight.


  Brittany and this Pidgey traded blows for some time, and, to my delight, Pidgey was wearing out. I just had to keep an eye on Brittany to make sure she didn't take any big hits. Finally, Brittany connected with a crushing blow. I was surprised with the power that came from her petite body. Pidgey crashed to the floor, defeated, and I felt happy. Julia was waiting as backup, but, the way Brittany was going, I decided to keep her in for Falkner's second Pokémon. A Pidgeotto, this specimen had an intimidating aura that made even Brittany cringe. I gave a command, and Brittany lunged. She made contact, but Pidgeotto barely reacted. Clearly, this would be a challenge in and of itself.


  Hit after hit, they fought. A Quick Attack was answered by a Gust again and again. Brittany's speed had Pidgeotto confounded, for sure. But a Sentret versus a Pidgeotto? I had my doubts. Until I saw somethjng I'm glad I was around to see. Pidgeotto had Brittany cornered in the rafters. I was ready for Brittany to take a fall. Instead, she took a leap. A leap onto Pidgeotto's back. It all happened so fast. Pidgeotto flew around wildly, but Brittany held firm. Finally, in its thrashing, the mighty bird crashed into the floor trying to shake Brittany off. Falkner was aghast, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel similarly. Then, in a ruffle of feathers, Pidgeotto rose again. It wasn't over. But it was about to be. I ordered a Quick Attack. Brittany leapt again, but came down hard this time. Pidgeotto squawked in pain, then fell once more. We did it! We won!

 

*Pokédex*

#11: Metapod, the Cocoon Pokémon
Along with its toxic counterpart in Kakuna, Metapod sometimes drop from trees in forests during periods of heavy wind. Take care travelling through these forests. Upon its final evolution, Metapod splits open, and the empty shell is discarded.

#12: Butterfree, the Butterfly Pokémon
Albeit exceedingly rare, pink Butterfree are known to exist. It was thought that they hail from the Orange Archipelago, but further research is required. Rubbing the wing of a Butterfree will leave your hand covered in a prismatic silver powder. This powder is non-toxic, and waterproof.

#165: Ledyba, the Five Star Pokémon
These Pokémon produce an aromatic fluid that is used to mark their territory, as well as for communication and courtship purposes. Diluted and mixed, it makes a fine perfume, sold in especially large quantities in Johto.

 

*Author's note*

Sorry this installment took so long. As you well know, I had a family emergency to attend to. But enough about that. In this entry, we learn that Brittany is a savage(she actually did sweep Falkner; I didn't make that up.)! Seriously, that... whatever Sentret is based on... I wanna say raccoon... is not to be fucked with. We also get to see Julia evolve! They grow up so fast, huh? Hopefully, Angelica is next. Or will newly-acquired Diane beat her to the Comet Punch? Find out next time! If you WANT a next time, that is.~ Oh, and let's not forget our shiny new Zephyr Badge! Now that things are calming down, I'd like to write more. Only if you want it, though! ^_^

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