[video]

[talkyourwayout]

[The video feed starts up as Louie is picking leaves and twigs out of his hair. He absolutely could have waited until he'd finished that to start the video, but he has a point to make. The low levels of light, combined with the foliage in his hair, may let more seasoned trainers know he's in Ilex Forest.]

Yeah, in case anyone was wondering, I'm still not a fan of all the walking. Especially not in this huge forest where getting lost is way too easy!

[Pinching the bridge of his nose, he sighs, then shakes his head.]

But that's not all I wanted to talk about. See, I've been taking on the gyms with mostly the same set of Pokemon, and I'm starting to think I should switch my team around so the ones who I haven't been traveling with have a chance to grow more. But switching out my whole team for less-trained Pokemon all at once seems like a good way to get my butt kicked, right? Does anyone have a certain way they go about rotating their team?

And uh... [He lowers his voice to a whisper] Any tips on breaking the news to my first Pokemon, who loves battling, that I'm going to have him rest for a while?

Comments

video

[instrumentally]

[Rei is sitting in on a cushion on the floor as she speaks, the Gear braced against the nearby table. Her Ribombee flutters in and out of frame behind her.]

He will be safe inside the computer system.

Re: video

[talkyourwayout]

I thought about just putting him in there, but now I'm wondering if I should keep him around and just... Only use him when the chips are down.

Either way, I know he'll be okay, but he won't like it.

[instrumentally]

That would be an excellent solution to this dilemma.

[talkyourwayout]

Kind of? I don't think being used less often in battles will go over that well with him, but it's better than benching him entirely.

video;

[nastyboy]

[Ah, Ilex Forest... Dimitri takes a quick moment to admire it. Having traveled through it in the dead of winter, he never got to see it for what it's really like.]

[Still, even if it is in better weather...]

Have you considered getting a larger Palien to ride, or something they could pull? When we traveled in the winter, we used a small sled to carry our items, and then a larger one that some of us could even ride when we were tired.

[Santa is someone to emulate.]

As for your primary battler... It may help if you frame it less like him being replaced, and more like he is being given a chance to teach those who have not had a chance. If he has been by your side all this time, then certainly he could have a lot of wisdom to impart upon others.

[talkyourwayout]

You know, my brother left a Ponyta behind, and from what I've looked at, I think once she evolves... Yeah! That'd work for a ride, maybe even pulling a sled once it gets to winter. And I think Shilling might like the chance to teach newer members of my team, good idea. Thanks.

Question, though. Why do you call them Paliens?

[nastyboy]

I hope she takes well to riding. You may wish to invest in a saddle when she evolves... While some can ride bareback, most do not find it particularly comfortable.

[Save your own butt, Louie.]

[And ah, this question. Dimitri, at least, is now quite used to it.]

A cultural difference, of sorts. The child I travel with has something similar in their homeland, and that is the term for them there. It has simply stuck.

[apshot]

So raise a Pokemon you can ride. Ain't that the most obvious solution to your whining about walking?

[talkyourwayout]

Yeah, I guess so. I'm going to train a Ponyta and evolve it into a Rapidash, so that'll help, but I only recently got her. I don't think the rest of my team would've been all that ridable.

[apshot]

You saying all you got are some half-pints?

[ video ]

[fortuna_tenax]

Even the hardcore battlers need a break sometimes. Frame it as a vacation, and offer alternatives. Are there other things he likes doing? Let him focus on that for a time.

[talkyourwayout]

He mostly likes battling. He's always looking for a fight. But he also enjoys treats a lot, he's kind of hungry all the time. Maybe I should give him more food at this time...?

[fortuna_tenax]

If he's going to be around, maybe he can help oversee the others' training.

VIDEO - we can,,,,bring the first thread to a close soon if three is too many lmao

[seacub]

Mostly I just have them fight each other as we go, or train near cities sometimes...

Cities normally have weaker pokemon after all. I think if you go with the first idea though, you can probably get your first one to be more okay with it though, [he laughs.]

...you know...

...if any of them are big enough, you can ride them too?

I mean, I'm good to go rn!

[talkyourwayout]

I never actually thought about them fighting each other? It seems kind of weird to pit my team against each other, but it's just training... I could give that a go. Shilling would certainly like that way best.

And yeah, a few people have been saying that-- One of the Pokemon I'm going to swap part of my current team out for is a Ponyta.

[seacub]

Yeah! As long as no one takes it too far, it's really great; and you can learn some really neat ways to improvise that way too!

[Hnm.] A ponyta? ...Yeah, that would work. I used my luxray- well, he was a luxio when I first started actually...he uh, was pretty forceful, so I guess I was pretty slow?

Video;

[schachmeister]

Personally, I've always tried to keep one well-trained pokemon on hand when training new pokemon, sort of like a body guard? A pokemon who could, if need be, deal with whatever my lesser trained pokemon couldn't handle. Though, depending on where you are, you might need more than one well-trained pokemon.

And as for needing to bench your first pokemon, what is he like? Does he maybe have a sense of pride you can appeal to? Something like telling him that the gyms you are going to challenge now aren't even worth his attention?

[talkyourwayout]

Yeah, that's a good point. It might be easiest to keep Shilling - he's my first one - with me as that kind of bodyguard, too. He's one of my strongest Pokemon anyway. But I'll keep in mind the idea of trying to make upcoming gyms sounds boring, that might do a lot to help.

Hey, speaking of gyms, have you challenged the ones in Johto? I'm going up against Whitney next, and I'm always looking for tips.

[schachmeister]

[Actual Gym Leader Armin Arlert being asked if he has challenge the Johto gyms.]

I have, yes. It's been a while, but I can grab my notes for you, if you want. Are you just looking for tips on handling Whitney or are there other gyms you would like to know about too?

voice;

[machismost]

Yo!

I usually put one strong Pokemon in my team when I'm training up the rest of 'em just in case something happens! Though I try to adjust a little for whatever route I'm on.

If you can figure out that part about not offendin' your starter, though... I'd really like to know!

[ Kirishima chuckles. ]

I've tried to tell my Machoke other parts of the team need to get strong too, or come out, but he's not happy about that. He is really happy when I put him on a team with all training Pokemon, though, because he knows he's my General then. For me the best thing I can do is either keep him in the lineup or be close enough to a place I can swap him in from a Box for a, uh, 'consult'?

[talkyourwayout]

Oh, that's a good point, too! Adjusting for what Pokemon are around, I mean. I think I need to work my way back to town and replan my team for training in the forest, instead of waiting until I get to Goldenrod to switch things around.

But yeah! Sounds like you really get the problem I'm having with Shilling! Making him, like, the General is what I'm thinking of doing, but... Is your Machoke ever too hard on your other team members when fighting? That's my biggest concern.

[machismost]

Um...

[ This is embarrassing even if he knows it has a happy ending. ]

Yeah, actually, he was. He used to be the type of guy who thought he should test every member of my team to see if they were strong enough. Hell - he punched me as hard as he could when he met me!

[ Kirishima can laugh a bit, and does, about it now, but it'd been pretty painful. ]

It kinda happened by accident - I asked him to look after some of the babies I had that just hatched. And he just... got it, you know? Because how can you expect babies to really be that strong?

That was Machoke's moment of figuring out not everybody is strong all at once and being as strong as he is... he's gotta think about it. He's gotta be a teacher now. I'm not gonna say that's gonna work for your Pokemon, but maybe?

I definitely wanna know what you figure out!

[Voice]

[loveisadagger]

[There seems to be a bit of amusement on the other end.]

Perhaps you could sing your partner a lullaby.

[voice]

[talkyourwayout]

[Louie snorts softly.]

Cute, but I don't think so.

[loveisadagger]

[Chuckles a bit.]

Well, there's always letting them down gently. Can't say it always goes well, but it's for the best.