Part 35: The Elite Four

So, now it's just a game of "Train that Pokemon!". This is where you go around, trying to find somewhat high-leveled stuff that you can kill in one go, holding a Lucky Egg, and hoping that you get more than 500 XP off of something at a time.

I've got everyone up to 55-57 and I'm ready to take on the Elite Four.

Josh has advised that I should teach an ice move to someone, so I taught Blizzard to Josh the Floatzel. Sheldon has better special attack, but he also has better regular moves.

Okay...I've put it off long enough. I have my type chart in front of me, I've saved...I think I'm ready.

I walked up to the guard, and she held out her hand for my Trainer Card. "Let me confirm that you are qualified to challenge the Pokemon League." She read off the list of badges I've collected.

Oreburgh City's Coal Badge
Eterna City's Forest Badge
Hearthome City's Relic Badge
Veilstone City's Cobble Badge
Pastoria City's Fen Badge
Canalave City Mine Badge
Snowpoint City's Icicle Badge
Sunyshore City's Beacon Badge

She smiled and handed my card back to me. "Very well! Trainer, you've indeed collected all the Gym Badges of Sinnoh! Demonstrate the power that brought you here and go for glory!"

SAVE.

I stepped into the door behind her, and went up a small elevator.

The first room holding an Elite was decorated with grass and rocks, so I'm putting Waffle first. I'm going into all of these with no prior knowledge of what they have or what types they are.

I spoke to the person in the middle of the room. He crossed his arms and grinned. "Hello! Welcome to the Pokemon League! I'm Aaron of the Elite Four. It's good to meet you. Oh, I should explain, I'm a huge fan of bug Pokemon. But Pokemon are nasty-mean, and yet they're beautiful too. Would you like to know why I take on challengers here? It's because I want to become perfect, just like my bug Pokemon!"

Good luck becoming perfect. You'll be working on that until the end of your life.

And thus, the battle begins. His first Pokemon he sends out is Yanmega, a beastly-looking dragonfly.

One Fire Blast takes it down in one go.

His next Pokemon is Vespiquen. Another Fire Blast, but it doesn't kill it in one shot, so I try a stomp, and that takes it down the rest of the way.

Heracross is next. I'll keep spamming Fire Blast for now. One shot again.

Next is Scizor.

I hope Waffle can take it out. Woo-hoo, another one-hit kill.

Drapion is funky weird looking. Got it down to about half health. Flare Blitz takes it out the rest of the way.

Aaron dipped his head in defeat. "I lost with the most beautiful bug-types. We lost because I wasn't good enough. That's it! Back to training camp! Let's hear it for me! No...that was wrong...anyway...go on to the next room! Three Trainers are waiting for you. They're all tougher than me."

I continue onwards, congratulating Waffle for a job well done. The next room is decorated with rocks, so I'll put Sheldon first.

I approach my next challenge.

"Well, well. You're quite the adorable Trainer, but you've also got a spine." She grinned and laughed. "Ahaha! I'm Bertha. I have a preference for Ground-type Pokemon. Well, would you show this old lady how much you've learned?"

Her first Pokemon is Whiscash, which is a Ground/Water type from what I remember. It looks electric/ground though. Earth Power is super-effective against me, but doesn't kill me, and I'm able to get in another Surf against it.

I'll keep Sheldon in for now. Hippowdon is next, but a heal is in order. And then it Earthquakes me, bringing me down to only 36 HP. I can't really risk a death this early on, so I'm gonna switch to Oswald. It almost kills me with Stone Edge, but I'm able to get in three Shadow Balls on it.

Golem is next, so I switch back to Sheldon and heal up.

Damn Earthquake. I can't keep healing up, and I need to switch back to Oswald. I'll take a gamble that maybe it'll do Earthquake against Oswald, and switch to it.

NOPE. Fire Punch, and it was a critical hit. So, I'm going to switch to Josh.

One Waterfall takes it down.

Gliscor is next, and it's a creepy bat thing. I use another Watrerfall, and it brings it to half. It does Earthquake, but I think I can outspeed it and do another Waterfall to faint it. Down goes Gliscor.

Next up is Rhyperior, and even though I healed, it does Earthquake and kills me. And it kills off Sheldon too, so I send in Starbit so I can heal up Oswald. This is worth a Max Revive.

I send oswald back in and throw some Shadow Balls at it...and then it uses Avvalanche, but doesn't kill me. I heal up again, another Shadow Ball, and then it has a pixel of life left, and the kills me.

I do a simple Body Slam with Belle, and kill it off, thus winning me the match.

Bertha nodded. "You're quite something, youngster. I like how you and your Pokemon earned the win by working as one. That's what makes you so strong. Ahahaha! I think that you can go as far as you want."

Massive heal time.

After healing up my team, I go into the next chamber, where I recognize Flint. Fire decorates the room, so it looks like I'll be going with water again, as long as there isn't an overabundance of Earthquake. Ice moves might do something, not sure. Logically, and by normal RPG standards they should, but Pokemon is a bit weird with their RPG rules.

"Yo, Trainer!" Flint interrupts my thoughts. "You had me counting the days on my fingers waiting for you to come. I heard from Volkner what you did in Sunyshore. You managed to light a fire in that guy's heart again. How could you not expect me to look forward to seeing you in battle?"

Flint's hair is awesome, by the way.

Houndoom is first, and Sheldon pulls out ahead with a quick surf and faints it.

Infernape is next, but he outspeeds me and pulls off an Eerthquake, miraculously not killing me, and my Surf hits and faints it.

A heal is in order, and I hope Magmortar doesn't have Earthquake.

Nope, but it has thunderbolt. And it criticals.

Okay, Josh, you be next. And Blizzard does absolutely nothing against it. And it kills me.

Okay, Belle. I use Hypnosis on it, and it falls asleep. I use the oportunity to heal Sheldon. I get in a Body Slam before it kills me, and I send in Sheldon and do a Surf on it, fainting it.

I keep Sheldon in, and it sends in a Flareon. I abuse Surf once more, and faint it in one hit. Rapidash is next, and I do the same thing. It doesn't kill it in one go, but it misses it's attack, and I get in another one.

"I'm blown away by this, you and your Pokemon are hot stuff!" Flint raised an eyebrow. "Whew...burnt right down to cinders."

I heal up my team, and go into the next room.

The last room...I can't figure out what sort of type. It's dark, so perhaps Ghost or Dragon. I think Ice is good against Dragon, so I'll put in Josh first.

"I've just finished reading a book, you see. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Lucian. I am a user of the Psychic type. I must say, you've already proven yourself to be outstanding by coming this far. They say I am the toughest of the Elite Four. I'm afraid I will have to go all out against you to live up to that reputation."

I wouldn't have it any other way. Bring it on.

And...out comes a Mr. Mime first. Okay, Oswald then.

Thunderbolt? Dang it. It doesn't kill me, so I throw a Shadow Ball against it, but I risk it again without healing, and it outspeeds me. I bring out Belle to do a Faint Attack on it.

Gallade is next, and I do another Faint Attack, but it does nothing, and it does a Drain on me. A Shadow Claw attack brings it down a bit, but then it kills Belle. I bring out Starbit to do a Crunch. Brings it down pretty far, and one more Crunch should do it. It's Psycho Cut doesn't doo too much against Starbit, and I faint it easily.

Brozong is next, so I take out Waffle again to do a Flare Blitz and faint it in one hit. Still hate the recoil, but it isn't terrible.

Espeon is next...I think it's psychic, but I'll keep going with Waffle with another Flare Blitz and see what happens. Almost kills it, one pixel left on it's HP. Starbit can finish it off.

If it hadn't used a Full Restore. Geat.

But no worries, Crunch is a one-hit faint, so that's awesome. Alakazam is next, so I'll heal up and see what it dishes out on Starbit. Psychic and Energy Ball, it outspeeded me.

I need to revive four team members now, and Josh and Sheldon are left. I send out Josh to use Blizzard. AND IT FLINCHES AWESOME. Another Waterfall takes it down.

I have defeated the Elite Four.

I defeated them!

"Congratulations. You've now beaten the Elite Four. However, that doesn't mean you're done with the Pokemon League."

I blink. What.