Fidelis Hodie
Infidelis Cras
I too have started the nuzlocke challenge.
The following story is completely true and not for the faint of heart.
Day one. My friends come in with a present; three pokeballs with one for each of us. At last the day I was waiting for. Before Bianca can even explain which was which, my hand is drawn to . .
Jaqen
The pokeball vibrates in my hand and I smile. I can already tell the little guy is devious, but ready to embark with me. He wants to be the best almost as much as I do.
And thus we set out.
Night starts and I'm about to catch my first pokemon. The anticipation boils, though I know it's likely to be either Lilipup or Patrat. Patrat it is! I catch the little guy, reminiscing of seeing my first Ratata and how I used to read Red Wall. And so . .
Matthias
. . is added!
How exciting! Both of us are brimming with joy and anticipation, so I throw her into the starting gate. First pokemon we encouter is another Patrat, equal level. Matthias is apparently faster, so I know I have this in the bag. We both tackle and I think nothing of it.
Second hit, I tackle again. So does this wild Patrat.
Everything next happened to fast. Matthias is on the ground, bleeding profusely from her neck. She doesn't scream, doesn't really make a sound, she just falls over into a pool of her own blood and I realize that this wild little Patrat sucker had scored a critical hit, right to jugular.
I make no motion, taken by shock. I'm going numb. The wild Patrat stares me down. This is what I set out for? This is the journey I wanted so bad? I drop to my knees. Jaqen can feel it though and comes to my rescue. He tackles and tackles the wild Patrat until its face is unrecognizable. He crawls over to me and rests his head in my lap.
Sound comes back. Next thing I know, Jaqen and I are rushing to the pokemon center but we both know it's too late. Too much blood was on the ground for it to not be.
Matthias is dead.
I lower her into the ground and set off to the next area. She will never be forgotten. We didn't even have a chance to connect, to grow, to become the very best.
The next morning, Jaqen and I set out again, onwards and upwards. I stand in anticipation at route 2, staring into the wild grass. Should I even attempt to catch this new pokemon? I know I'll need it to survive, but how could I let myself go on if it met the same fate?
I take a deep breath and step into the grass. I close my eyes as I hear the growling as a wild Lilipup appears. I offer a small sigh of relief that it isn't another Patrat, I'm not sure I'm willing go through that again. The wound is too much. Without much effort, Jaqen and I are able to bring it in and so . .
Bolin
. . is added to the team. I can already tell he's fierce. At level 6, his attack his as much as Jaqen's, a full 6 levels ahead of him.
The three of us tear through the next route and trainers, watching as each pokemon goes down before us. The trail of tears and blood we leave behind only serve to harden my heart. It helps me forget Matthias for the time being. Bolin is already stronger than Jaqen and I can tell the three of us are going to make it to our first badge in no time.
We reach the town, heal up and head out to the outskirts. A weird gentleman stares me down after Bolin and I have ripped through the two trainers behind us without a thought. We talk, him being a little too interested in my starter. Regardless, he hands me a pokeball. I press the button on the front and . .
Kanye
. . a Panpour is given to me. I name him Kanye for his hat. The original thought was Jay-Z, but I don't like his smug look. He smiles too much. I let the others out to meet him, but Jaqen just ignores him and Bolin won't stop sniffing for other pokemon in the area he could fight and subsequently bite. Regardless, we all know Kanye has no idea what is in store.
That night is training. Jaqen can almost taste the first badge, he's brimming with excitement. Every wild pokemon we tear through is another step towards it. I watch and nod as the Patrat's an Purrloin's that dare show their face flinch from Bolin's massive bite. Jaqen nods his approval. I can tell he thinks he's ready. I hope he is. Kanye stays in the pokeball, where he belongs. I'm not ready to get attached yet.
And so we come to it, standing in front of the door. The gym leader finds out my starter type and goes to prepare. I think nothing of it. This is what we came to do. Inside this building is the first step into being able to be called the best of the world. We step in, solve an easy riddle and come against our first trainer. Jaqen is shaking in his pokeball. I don't know the levels here, but I trust him.
So I let him have at it. This was Matthias. This was for our first fallen comrade.
The trainer sends out a Lilipup. I panic. It's a level higher than Jaqen. Jaqen looks back and gives me a nod, telling me it's going to be okay, to trust him. I take a deep breath and grit my teeth.
They tackle each other, the Lilipup taking as much damage as Jaqen. I can tell Jaqen has the right of it and the one level doesn't matter account for much. He smiles as goes in for the vine whip, his special new move. It was the last time he would ever use it.
The Lilipup charges in, bashing in Jaqen's skull. Critical hit.
I'm screaming. Jaqen turns towards me. I can see the ripped skin. I can see the skull. I can tell my words are intelligible, but I scream and scream. Jaqen falls on its face. This was wrong. This isn't how it was supposed to play out. This was supposed to be my first pokemon, my first companion and friend.
Without a thought, I send in Bolin. In two bites, the foes Lilipup has no throat.
I stop screaming.
As the blood is cleared from the gym floor, I stand with Bolin over Jaqen. I stare. He sniffs around his wounds and tries to lick them clean. He whimpers and looks back up at me. A soft and sympathetic smile cross my lips as I return him to his pokeball.
The next day we bury Jaqen next to Matthias.
I heard a saying once about how Sharpedo's only breathe by forward motion in the water and the second they stop moving, they die and how we humans are the same. The second we become stagnant, the second we die inside. We have to move forward.
I never understood until now. There is only forward.
(end pt. 1)
...
(I may have gone a little overboard, but good lord does this Nuzlocke change how I view playing the game)
The following story is completely true and not for the faint of heart.
Day one. My friends come in with a present; three pokeballs with one for each of us. At last the day I was waiting for. Before Bianca can even explain which was which, my hand is drawn to . .
Jaqen
The pokeball vibrates in my hand and I smile. I can already tell the little guy is devious, but ready to embark with me. He wants to be the best almost as much as I do.
And thus we set out.
Night starts and I'm about to catch my first pokemon. The anticipation boils, though I know it's likely to be either Lilipup or Patrat. Patrat it is! I catch the little guy, reminiscing of seeing my first Ratata and how I used to read Red Wall. And so . .
Matthias
. . is added!
How exciting! Both of us are brimming with joy and anticipation, so I throw her into the starting gate. First pokemon we encouter is another Patrat, equal level. Matthias is apparently faster, so I know I have this in the bag. We both tackle and I think nothing of it.
Second hit, I tackle again. So does this wild Patrat.
Everything next happened to fast. Matthias is on the ground, bleeding profusely from her neck. She doesn't scream, doesn't really make a sound, she just falls over into a pool of her own blood and I realize that this wild little Patrat sucker had scored a critical hit, right to jugular.
I make no motion, taken by shock. I'm going numb. The wild Patrat stares me down. This is what I set out for? This is the journey I wanted so bad? I drop to my knees. Jaqen can feel it though and comes to my rescue. He tackles and tackles the wild Patrat until its face is unrecognizable. He crawls over to me and rests his head in my lap.
Sound comes back. Next thing I know, Jaqen and I are rushing to the pokemon center but we both know it's too late. Too much blood was on the ground for it to not be.
Matthias is dead.
I lower her into the ground and set off to the next area. She will never be forgotten. We didn't even have a chance to connect, to grow, to become the very best.
The next morning, Jaqen and I set out again, onwards and upwards. I stand in anticipation at route 2, staring into the wild grass. Should I even attempt to catch this new pokemon? I know I'll need it to survive, but how could I let myself go on if it met the same fate?
I take a deep breath and step into the grass. I close my eyes as I hear the growling as a wild Lilipup appears. I offer a small sigh of relief that it isn't another Patrat, I'm not sure I'm willing go through that again. The wound is too much. Without much effort, Jaqen and I are able to bring it in and so . .
Bolin
. . is added to the team. I can already tell he's fierce. At level 6, his attack his as much as Jaqen's, a full 6 levels ahead of him.
The three of us tear through the next route and trainers, watching as each pokemon goes down before us. The trail of tears and blood we leave behind only serve to harden my heart. It helps me forget Matthias for the time being. Bolin is already stronger than Jaqen and I can tell the three of us are going to make it to our first badge in no time.
We reach the town, heal up and head out to the outskirts. A weird gentleman stares me down after Bolin and I have ripped through the two trainers behind us without a thought. We talk, him being a little too interested in my starter. Regardless, he hands me a pokeball. I press the button on the front and . .
Kanye
. . a Panpour is given to me. I name him Kanye for his hat. The original thought was Jay-Z, but I don't like his smug look. He smiles too much. I let the others out to meet him, but Jaqen just ignores him and Bolin won't stop sniffing for other pokemon in the area he could fight and subsequently bite. Regardless, we all know Kanye has no idea what is in store.
That night is training. Jaqen can almost taste the first badge, he's brimming with excitement. Every wild pokemon we tear through is another step towards it. I watch and nod as the Patrat's an Purrloin's that dare show their face flinch from Bolin's massive bite. Jaqen nods his approval. I can tell he thinks he's ready. I hope he is. Kanye stays in the pokeball, where he belongs. I'm not ready to get attached yet.
And so we come to it, standing in front of the door. The gym leader finds out my starter type and goes to prepare. I think nothing of it. This is what we came to do. Inside this building is the first step into being able to be called the best of the world. We step in, solve an easy riddle and come against our first trainer. Jaqen is shaking in his pokeball. I don't know the levels here, but I trust him.
So I let him have at it. This was Matthias. This was for our first fallen comrade.
The trainer sends out a Lilipup. I panic. It's a level higher than Jaqen. Jaqen looks back and gives me a nod, telling me it's going to be okay, to trust him. I take a deep breath and grit my teeth.
They tackle each other, the Lilipup taking as much damage as Jaqen. I can tell Jaqen has the right of it and the one level doesn't matter account for much. He smiles as goes in for the vine whip, his special new move. It was the last time he would ever use it.
The Lilipup charges in, bashing in Jaqen's skull. Critical hit.
I'm screaming. Jaqen turns towards me. I can see the ripped skin. I can see the skull. I can tell my words are intelligible, but I scream and scream. Jaqen falls on its face. This was wrong. This isn't how it was supposed to play out. This was supposed to be my first pokemon, my first companion and friend.
Without a thought, I send in Bolin. In two bites, the foes Lilipup has no throat.
I stop screaming.
As the blood is cleared from the gym floor, I stand with Bolin over Jaqen. I stare. He sniffs around his wounds and tries to lick them clean. He whimpers and looks back up at me. A soft and sympathetic smile cross my lips as I return him to his pokeball.
The next day we bury Jaqen next to Matthias.
I heard a saying once about how Sharpedo's only breathe by forward motion in the water and the second they stop moving, they die and how we humans are the same. The second we become stagnant, the second we die inside. We have to move forward.
I never understood until now. There is only forward.
(end pt. 1)
...
(I may have gone a little overboard, but good lord does this Nuzlocke change how I view playing the game)
