John, the challenger of Lavaridge Gym, had no idea what he was in for. He was fresh off a victory over Tabitha, whose three LV 40 Pokemon had fallen to his own team. But now, Flannery stood between him and victory, and he couldn't help but wonder how he could lose when her team wasn't even fully LV 40 yet.
It seemed unbelievable. After all, Flannery only had two Pokemon: Torkoal at LV 36 and Arcanine at LV 39. How could these two Pokemon stand up to his team?
The difference, he quickly realized, was strategy.
Flannery's Torkoal started things off, activating its Sunshine ability to create Sunny Day. This move boosted the power of fire-type moves by 50%, while halving the effectiveness of water-type moves. The sun wasn't just shining; it was burning up any chance John had at using his water-based attacks effectively.
John had no moves to counter this weather advantage, no Sandstorm or Rain Dance to put out the fire. All he could do was use Leer in an attempt to lower Torkoal's defense, but it didn't work.
Torkoal, likely carrying a Heat Rock to extend the Sunny Day, repeatedly used Lava Plume, a powerful area-of-effect move that hit everyone hard. John had no way to dodge it, and his team kept getting knocked out one by one.
He tried his best, sending out Greninja for a counterattack. But Flannery's Arcanine quickly intimidated Greninja with its Intimidate ability, lowering its attack power. Then, Arcanine launched Extreme Speed, taking out Greninja before it even had a chance to strike back. And if that wasn't bad enough, Arcanine followed up with Play Rough, a Fairy-type move that knocked out his Gabite in a heartbeat.
After that, John found himself in over his head. He realized that in order to challenge Lavaridge Gym again, he needed to make some serious adjustments.
First, his Greninja needed to be at least LV 40. He suspected that Flannery's secret weapon was a Pokemon at least LV 42, if not higher. Based on experience, it seemed that her Pokemon were around that level, and possibly even stronger. If he didn't level up his team, there was no way he could win.
The second thing he needed was a weather-changing move. Without a way to counteract the Sunny Day, his water-type moves were essentially useless. Whether it was Rain Dance or Sandstorm, he needed something to force the weather back in his favor. Otherwise, Flannery's LV 36 Torkoal and LV 39 Arcanine were going to feel like LV 46 or even higher.
He knew he couldn't just grind levels blindly—he needed to strategize. So, John decided to head to Route 113, near Lavabridge Gym, to train his team. He wasn't there to catch new Pokemon; he was there to level up fast. The wild Pokemon there, such as Spinda and Sandshrew, were perfect for training his team without the risk of losing too much time or experience.
John didn't want to waste any more time, especially since the Jagged Pass area had wild Pokemon that could knock out his team with a single move. His Gabite and Gardevoir were still vulnerable to being knocked out in one hit, so he avoided that area altogether.
Route 113 was calm and peaceful in comparison, and John quickly adapted to the rhythm of grinding. He took advantage of the Exp. Share to give his lower-level Pokemon some experience, while using Gabite and Gardevoir to knock out the wild Pokemon. It was repetitive but necessary work. John needed to make sure his Pokemon were strong enough to take on Flannery's tricky team.
As the days passed, John felt the weight of his progress. Time seemed to fly by when you were focused, and it felt like the school year was slipping through his fingers. It was already October, and the summer heat had begun to fade. John could feel the coolness of autumn settling in as the season shifted.
His October vacation was coming up, and he was planning to visit the "Forest of Evergrowth" with some of the senior members of the Berry Club. They weren't really expecting to find the rare Enigma Berry, but they wanted to explore, and the trip would give John some time to relax and refocus.
The holiday would be seven days long. On the first day, John would prepare his things. On the second day, he would leave for Greenthorn City, the closest city to the Forest of Evergrowth. The third day would be spent exploring Greenthorn, and the next two days would be dedicated to exploring the Forest itself. By the sixth day, they would return to school.
However, John wasn't interested in the tourist activities planned by the senior members. He had his own agenda. There was something more pressing on his mind: the Shiny Onix. He had to catch it. He knew it might take some time, but he couldn't afford to let it slip through his fingers.
On the day of his departure, he caught the train to Aethermere City. Sitting across from him were his Togepi and Wynaut, who were busy playing games betwen themselves. Delibird, who had been faithfully following John, wasn't content with just tagging along. It had a job to do back home in Aethermere City , collecting its paycheck from the owner of the Potato Rice restaurant. Apparently, even Delibird had a steady job!
John chuckled to himself as he watched the Pokemon settle in for the ride. Togepi, ever the cheerful companion, and Wynaut, ever the mysterious one, seemed content in each other's company. Wynaut had come to John as an egg, a gift from an old man at a hot spring, and had hatched during one of John's training sessions. Its stats were perfect, its moveset diverse and powerful.
John had never seen a Wynaut quite one. With its Shadow Trample ability, it made it impossible for other Pokemon to escape or switch out. It had also learned moves like Counter and Mirror Coat, reflecting physical and special attacks. The future of this little Wynautt was clear—it would be a powerful asset in battle.
[Wynaut (Psychic-Type)]
[Ability: Shadow Trample (Prevents non-Ghost-type Pokemon from escaping or switching out)]
[IV's: HP (31), Attack (31), Special Attack (31), Defense (31), Special Defense (31), Speed (31)]
[Moves: Charm, Encore, Counter, Mirror Coat, Safeguard, Amnesia, Destiny Bond.]
Wynaut was as close to perfect as you could get. Its individual values (IVs) were all 31, meaning it had maximum potential in every stat. The moveset it carried was built to punish any attacker, whether physical or special. Counter would reflect physical attacks, Mirror Coat would reflect special ones, while Destiny Bond could potentially take down a foe even in defeat. With Safeguard, it could protect itself from status conditions, and Encore would trap opponents into repeating their last move. The Shadow Trample ability added a cruel twist, ensuring that no opponent could escape or switch out once they were locked in.
For John, Wynaut wasn't just another Pokemon. It was an incredibly useful ally, capable of disrupting and defeating foes who thought they could simply overpower it. He knew it would be an asset in his future battles—especially against future Gym Leaders.
But there was something else that made Wobbuffet, the evolution of Wynaut, truly legendary. The infamous Wobbuffet from Team Rocket had once bounced back Giratina's Shadow Ball, a move that should have been devastating. It was a moment that had gone down in history, and John knew that with a Wobbuffet , anything was possible.
But for now, John was focused on one thing: getting that Shiny Onix. He had a feeling that once he caught it, everything would fall into place. The road to victory at Lavaridge Gym had just begun, and John was ready for the challenge.