36th Recipe [Video, Ice Path]

[cyan_maid]

So...I must've forgotten that bit about fighting a Gym Leader's Elite team once you have eight of any region's badges. Considering how tricky Pryce was to fight normally, you can imagine my horror when he notices my collection and mentions off-hand that all my battles from now on are going to be against the Gym Leaders' best teams.

[Is Jane a little salty? No, not really...she's just tired, and cold. Sure, she packed wintery clothes for this leg of her journey, but that doesn't make a path of perpetual ice any less comfortable. Huddled next to Dinah, who seems just peachy while wrapped head to toe in scarves, Jane and her Pokemon are a far cry from the surf and sun in Fuschia City.]

I just - I didn't think I'd hit a difficulty spike so soon. And from what I've looked up, I'm en route to fight Clair next. A lady with six whole dragons!! I...augh, complaining isn't going to make it any better...dragons are just. You know, they're...the Dragon type! They're supposed to be incredibly strong! We should be able to cover their weaknesses, but they don't really have a lot of those...

[There's a pause, and Jane lets out a long yawn. It is kind of late at night, and they've been in this freezer of a cave for a couple days now.]

Sorry, it's just...only really hitting me now, how tough it's going to get from here on. I should probably just sleep, right? Yeah, I...I'm going to sleep. G'night, everyone.

[Feel free to check on Jane as she picks her way through the Ice Path - and, hey, are you supposed to sleep in there? Does Jane have a heat source so she and her Pokemon don't freeze? Uh...hm.

Yeah don't leave her alone with her thoughts in what is essentially Christmas in July, please.]

Comments

Video

[sleepallthewayhome]

[Yeah actually, Newt picked up on the whole maybe she shouldn't be sleeping surrounded by ice thing. Survival stuff is one thing she reads way too much about.]

Before you go to sleep. Do you have a fire?

[Video]

[cyan_maid]

Oh, um...yes? August made one.

[She'll point her 'gear towards her shiny Delphox, who is carefully managing a small campfire ringed by rocks.]

I'm a little nervous since we'll have to sleep so close to it, but...my understanding is that it'd be more dangerous to not have one going?

[Video]

[sleepallthewayhome]

It would be really dangerous.

[Yes, good, fire.]

Cold places are dangerous to be outside in. I've read a lot about them. Sometimes it gets so cold your brain gets confused and you think you're actually too warm.

[Video]

[cyan_maid]

Ah...oh, gosh. No, I wouldn't want to get to that state, you're right.

[She looks a little sheepish, a little horrified.]

M-Maybe I should have packed hand warmers, too...

[Video]

[sleepallthewayhome]

Do you have any other fire pokemon?

[Video]

[cyan_maid]

Not with me, no. I probably should have switched my team up before I started on this leg of things, but...

[But in truth, some of them were helping keep her house running smoothly in Goldenrod. She couldn't afford to pull them from caring for the others to sit in her PC Box, waiting to see if they would or wouldn't get to join her. It felt cruel.]

[Video]

[sleepallthewayhome]

You should stay close to the one you have then. And the fire.

Do you know how much further you have to go?

[Video]

[cyan_maid]

Not really. It can get kind of confusing in here, honestly...and the slick ice patches don't help when you're trying to orient yourself.

[Video]

[sleepallthewayhome]

Yeah....

Have you been through it before?

[Video]

[cyan_maid]

Nope! This is my first time.

[She grins somewhat, the expression wry.]

Took me long enough to actually get here, honestly.

[Video]

[sleepallthewayhome]

[She nods.]

I went there because of the scavenger hunt a while ago.

[Video]

[cyan_maid]

I don't think I did much of the hunt...must've been busy with something else at the time. But what bits I remember were quite intriguing. How much of it did you end up finishing?

[Video]

[sleepallthewayhome]

I got a lot of it done! I found 8 people!

[She's very proud of herself.]

And I got a prize!

[Video]

[cyan_maid]

Oh my! What sort of prize?

[Video]

[sleepallthewayhome]

I think it was some specs for pokemon to hold...and also my doll from home!

[She'll put foreword to the screen...yeah that sure is a beat up plastic dolls head she's got there.. It's cleaner then it used to be at least?]

[Video]

[cyan_maid]

O-Oh! Wow, that's...great! I'm glad your doll made its way back to you!

[It's a bit of a weird choice of doll but not gonna lie, anything from home is a very good prize indeed.]

[Video]

[sleepallthewayhome]

Me too. I didn't think I'd ever see it again.

[For normal reasons and also she dropped it when she got captured by aliens back home.]

Did you get a prize?

[islandshore]

Dragons, huh?

[Hoo boy. Riku heaves a small sigh, running a hand through his hair. Makes sense that she'd be so apprehensive.]

Well, first thing you need to consider: dual types. Most dragon Pokemon have them, and a lot of them lead to some pretty crippling weaknesses. Ice for Dragonite, Salamence, and Garchomp. Fairy for Hydreigon. I never took on her Elite team, but if you've got a fairy type, I'd bring it for sure just in case she throws out some Draco Meteors or Outrage.

[He pauses, because as much as he could keep infodumping... that might not help with the nerves.]

But, hey. Just take it easy, okay? You'll definitely do better with some rest and a cool head... and probably a warm body.

[He's always been more of a summer kinda guy, given his home. The Ice Path... not his favorite spot, to say the least.]

[cyan_maid]

I'm doing my best to keep warm, I promise.

[Fire, and a shiny Delphox carefully minding it, look at him do the thing.]

Madeline has Fairy typing, and when Dinah Mega Evolves she does, too. I don't know if I have any Ice types strong enough to go into battle, but I have an Ice Beam TM that I can reuse, and I have used it...

[She might run into a move tutor in the Ice Path who is willing to teach Dinah how to do elemental Punches, it is a thing that could happen.]

[islandshore]

Well, hey. If you've already got Ice Beam, I'd say you're all set.

[He smirks, flashing a thumbs up.]

Honestly, a good water type should get the job done, anyway. Fewer weaknesses. Usually bulkier.

[He pauses... because, oops. His competitive nerd side's showing again.]

...But I'm getting carried away. You got any strategies in mind yet? Sometimes it pays to just go with you gut.

[cyan_maid]

I'm...mm. Well, Dinah's got this move called Simple Beam? And I looked into it, and ended up using it on Pryce - it nullifies an opponent's Ability. I don't know if I'd want to center an entire strategy around it, but it was pretty useful. I think...mainly, I just need to study the status effect moves some more, and not just lean on the damage dealing ones.

[cyclonely]

Oh wow, it's weird it's so cold there!

[John pauses a moment before he remembers his ectomom is at least to some extent, a pedant, and expands on his statement.]

I mean, it feels weird to see you being so cold when I was boiling to death at work today. Do you...have to have eight badges to fight the Elite team? Only it took me so long to get around to badges that all of my pals were way over leveled and I kind of made a gym leader cry...?

[He looks awkwardly away from the camera.]

Anyway I should probably just do Elite if I can.

[Abruptly, he remembers why he called in the first place and turns back, grinning.]

But you still won the ice battle, right? That's great!

[cyan_maid]

[She chuckles softly. Yes, it is pretty weird, isn't it?]

I'm workshopping a theory with someone else that it's always icy because the Pokemon here make it so. There's no way this is a legitimate weather phenomenon.

[Ah...Whitney.]

That's right - any eight badges puts you against the stronger teams. It's kind of intimidating, but...I guess I ought to focus on staying warm right now. And yes, I did! It actually wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. Two thirds of that man's team has the Water and Ice typing, not straight Ice, so it's like, you can't just barge in with Flamethrower or anything.

How've you been holding up, John? Is everything okay at the house?

[cyclonely]

Huh...that would make sense, especially if it makes it a better habitat for them to live in. It is hard to know which things actually have a reason for them and which things are the way they are just because that is how they are!

[He chuckles briefly himself before looking very earnestly into the camera.]

If anyone can make it, you can, Jane! You pretty much never give up when you have decided you want something, and all your Pokemon love you!

[Ugh....talking about himself, though. That's...way less what he wants to do right now. His smile doesn't falter but it does even out slightly.]

Oh, you know, I am just doing boring day to day things. It's pretty peaceful but we're doing ok!

[cyan_maid]

[She looks sheepish at the encouragement. It's been a long-earned love, not something that just sprung up overnight, but it's still boggling to know she's very, very much loved by a horde of human-level of sentient animals.]

Ah, okay, good! I will admit that the Pokemon I kept out at home do worry me sometimes...like Hughie. Hopefully he isn't going around claiming you're his big brother or something.

[Zoroarks are little hellions.]