Dragon’s Nuzlocke Challenge: Day 7 – Back in Action

←Day 6

The Team

• Hedwig (Noctowl)
• Burd (Fearow)
• Burgie (Gastly)
• Sleepy ZZZ (Drowzee)
• Zappy (Magnemite)
• Hercules (Machop)

It had been 4 days since the team had seen Dragon, after she rage quit and stormed away. They had been living in the wilderness, waiting where she left them surviving on nothing but berries and wild Weedle.

Burgie: “Is… Is Dragon going to come back?”

Hedwig: “Of course she is! She just needed a break, she can’t leave this challenge unfinished.”

Sleepy ZZZ: *sat in his handmade mud jaccuzzi*  “Yeah man… We also needed a well deserved break. We work so hard for her, man…”

Hercules: *On his thousandth push up* “I. Need. To. Punch. Something. So. Badly. Muscles… Underused…”

Zappy: “Who cares? We’re free again! We can all go and live our lives the way they were before we were caught. In fact, I don’t know why I’m still here. I’m going back to Route 39.”

With surprising speed, Hedwig swooped in front of Zappy’s path, blocking him off.

Hedwig: “Don’t you go anywhere! We’re waiting here for Dragon!”

Zappy: “Ha! I have type advantage over you! You can’t stop me!”

Hedwig: “That may be true, but have you seen the amount of damage I can take? I have about 50 HP more than you… I’m a tank, Bitch.”

Burd: “Hedwig… Maybe he’s right…”

Hedwig: “…What are you saying?”

Burd: “Maybe she isn’t coming back. Maybe we should just go home and count our blessings that we didn’t die in this challenge.”

Everyone looked at Burd. He looked guilty as he spoke but none of them could deny that they had been worried about their place in the challenge.

Hedwig: “I know we’re all worried, but Dragon needs us and she is coming back. Sure she gets easily distracted, she forgets things, she’s clumsy, she gets overexcited, she has a terrible sense of humour… All of which have impacted our journey so far. But she cares about us all. I know you’ve only been on the team for a short amount of time, Zappy, but I promise you she’ll come back. If she doesn’t return in the next week then you can leave.”

Zappy eyed Hedwig suspiciously, “fine. One week.”

Hedwig: “Are you going to leave too, Burd?

Burd: I can’t leave you, Hedwig. You’re my bro. I was going to ask you to come with me.”

Hedwig: “You know I can’t leave Dragon. I’ve been with her since the beginning. Burgie too. When this challenge is over, and we both make it out alive – which we both will – we’ll fly to different regions and explore, travel the world together in retirement. What do you think?”

Burd: “How could I say anything other than yes?”

The two birds hugged it out and wingbumped then jumped as a rustling in the bushes startled them. Quickly, the team assembled into a sort of Power Ranger formation, ready to defend their little clearing in the wilderness. The bushes parted and a dishevelled and worn-out looking Dragon approached. The team cheered and rushed to hug her.

Dragon: “I may have lost it a little bit the other day. I’m sorry. This challenge is just really getting to me.”

Hedwig: “Just glad to have you back boss. Where to next?”

Determined not to lose anybody else, I put the team through some gruelling training. It went on for days. It even got to the point where we had to seek out wild Stantler on Route 37 because I’d worked out that they gave loads of Experience Points. Zappy and Hercules were improving stupidly quickly, the area was perfect training for Hercules what with him having type advantage over almost everything and nothing did much damage at all to Zappy so he was also levelling fast.

Zappy: *Flexing his magnets* “Hot damn, check me out. I am one powerful dude.”

Hercules: *Flexing everything* “Looking awesome man, you’re going to kick those ghost Pokémon’s asses.”

Zappy: “You know what? I’m glad I didn’t leave. I would never have become this powerful alone, and I would never have become such good friends with you guys either.”

Hercules: “Aw, dude. You’re making me blush.”

With that he high-fived Zappy so hard that Zappy spun through the air, just managing to right himself before he hit a tree.

Hercules: “Whoa, sorry bro, I forget my own strength sometimes. Plus I have type advantage over you I guess… And you’re also a floating magnet.”

Zappy: *Trying to act cool* “Nah… It’s totally like… Chill… Man. Whatever. I think Dragon needs us back in the action.”

They both chugged a protein shake and got back to training. Soon everyone, except Burgie, was a level in their late 20s and we confidently kicked open the door to the gym. Armed to the teeth with Mint Berries to prevent Sleep we fought our way through the gym trainers. I realised this was the first time Burgie had been able to fight anything alone for ages, he was put at the front of the team and his levels soared up to join his friends’…

Burgie: “What is happening??? Help!!!”

Dragon: “Oh my god, Burgie you’re evolving! FINALLY!!! YES!”

Burgie: “Really?! It’s been so long… I was starting to wonder if I even could evolve! Now I’ll finally be useful!”

Dragon: “Hell yeah you will!”

Burgie: *lick*

Dragon: “Hey there Morty… I heard you’re tough. But it’s time to get…”

*Narrows eyes*

“… Schwifty.”

Morty: “I… don’t know what that means.”

Dragon: “I am wasted on you Johto people. Anyway, enough talk. GO ZAPPY! KICK HIS ASS!”

And kick his ass we did. With no casualties, no one even got sent to sleep. We strolled out of the gym, proudly victorious and had a celebratory pizza.

With Gym 4 out of the way we made our way to Olivine Town where the Ampharos powering the lighthouse was sick and being looked after by the local Gym Leader, Jasmine. Looks like we’re going to have to go get her…

On our way Sleepy ZZZ evolved into a Hypno!

We had to fight our way through a pretty large number of trainers to get to the top of the lighthouse, many of whom said that they were worried about Jasmine or that they wanted to help… Once we got to the top though I was the one asked to go and get the mystery potion from Cianwood City across the sea.

Dragon: “Why don’t you just ask literally any of the trainers downstairs?”

Jasmine: “Why would I do that?”

Dragon: “Why wouldn’t you? Why would you wait for a random trainer that you’ve never met to show up and trust them with this mission? I might not come back, I might just take the potion and go off somewhere.”

Jasmine: “Are you going to do that?”

Dragon: “Well, no but-”

Jasmine: “Then it’s settled! Hurry up now! Or Ampharos’s death will be on your hands.”

Dragon: *Gulp*

Hell Yeah

I needed a water Pokémon. I put Sleepy ZZZ in the PC – what with him being really high level, he wouldn’t suffer from a little time off. I went on to fish on Route 40, and I got… a Tentacool! Okay… I could work with this. I mean it’s no Staryu but… Okay. The main thing was that he could use Surf.

Dragon: *Jumping on his back* “On, Squidward!”

Squidward: “I mean… I know I’m probably going to end up the HM whore, but like… A please would be nice.”

Dragon: “On please, Squidward!”

Squidward: *Singing happily/tunelessly as he sped through the water* “I’m going to be the best Tentacool from the reef, nobody else knows Surf, screw you guys, I know Surf now…”

With Hercules bashing his way through the rest of the Tentacool flinging themselves at us he evolved into a Machoke!

I pressed the wrong screenshot button for the next part of the evolution but you all know what a Machop looks like, right?

Hercules: *Kissing his bicep* “Awwww yeah, I am just getting prettier by the minute.”

Zappy: “Oh yeah? Well check me out!”

Zappy then proceeded to evolve as well, growing an extra two magnets.

I was so proud, I was now the proud owner of an almost fully two-tier evolution team.

On getting to Cianwood City I saw a Gym there, but, thinking it was the one after Olivine, decided to ignore it for now. I grabbed the potion and went straight back to the lighthouse. Ampharos was cured and Jasmine went back to her Gym. I followed her and battled her straight away.

Dragon: “Wow, this is a bit of a jump in level, lucky we all trained so hard and we have Hercules!”

Hercules: “I will punch my way through all these guys! Don’t you worry!”

Jasmine then sent out a level 35 Steelix.

Dragon: “Oh… OK, it’s OK Hercules, nothing you can’t handle!”

The Steelix whipped his tail round, catching Hercules across the face.

Dragon: “No…”

Hercules dropped to his knees, weakly tried to flex one last time and then fell to the floor.

Dragon: “No… Hercules was becoming my go-to Pokémon… Urgh! This challenge is so stupid! Go Zappy!”

Zappy: *tears in his eyes after watching his friend fall* “Feel the wrath of my Sonic Boom!!!”

It didn’t quite have the desired effect, he had to use Sonic Boom about 6 times but eventually the Steelix finally fell.

Jasmine handed me the Mineral Badge and I took it, sulking my way out the gym. We gave Hercules a seaside funeral, scattering his grave with his favourite protein powder, before we moved on.

The Team

• Hedwig (Noctowl)
• Burd (Fearow)
• Zappy (Magnemite)
• Squidward (Tentacool)
• Burgie (Haunter)

Reserves

• Sleepy ZZZ (Drowzee)
• Pointy (Female Nidoran)
• Nointy (Male Nidoran)
• Smokey (Koffing)

RIP

• Hercules

Stay tuned for the next chapter coming out Wednesday!

Day 8→