Pokemon: Cerulean Gym

After saying goodbye to my sisters, I hopped on my bike and pedalled off toward the sea. The gym was on the sea-facing side of the city. So, it wasn't too far. I will reach my destination after cycling for less than an hour. You may find it unbelievable for a five-year-old to cycle to the wild area alone but I am strong both physically and in Pokemon battle. As a new resident of this world, I must say that the people of this world are very strong.

They aren't super strong like Sayans or Kryptonians but more like the common people of One Piece. With training, they can become stronger than the strongest man on earth. They have greater stamina and endurance than humans on Earth.

Seasoned Pokémon trainers can withstand the blunt physical and energy attacks from weaker Pokémon and walk away as if nothing had happened. They are vulnerable to piercing attacks though. After all, they are still humans. But there are still exceptions like 'the human Pokemon' aka Sabrina.

Musing, I slowly peddled enjoying the morning breeze and the scenery on the road. On the way, I saw many people with their Pokemon. Some were working together while some were playing. Rattata were running around the streets and Pidgey were on the poles and rooftops. There were also Pokemon trainers battling or training in the parks or clearings. After leaving the city, I saw many Pokemon on the road. The most common were Pidgey, Caterpie, Weedle and Spearow on the tree in the forest.

After passing through the forest I could see the blue ocean. I was standing on a small beach with huge rocks on both sides making it isolated. This was my destination.

Looking at the sea, I couldn't help but remember the first time I had seen the sea. It was the first time I saw the sea in this and previous life. I was from Nepal, a country with mountains, hills, forests and plains. So, I had never seen the sea or ocean. I could visit Mumbai or any other cities near the sea of India if I want as India and Nepal have open borders. But I felt it was a hassle to go on a journey of a week or so to see the ocean.

Today, I was going to catch my first partner here. Choosing my first partner has been a cause of headaches for me. If it were a game, I could catch the first water Pokémon I encountered, if I didn't want Squirtle. All that matters is the stats in the game. But, I am in real Pokemon World where Pokemon battle is more than stats.

I initially wanted Squirtle, but it’s expensive, and I don’t know anyone who could provide one. I could get it by joining Pokémon school or through Professor Oak, but I’d have to be 10 years old for that. Another option is raising a Magikarp until it evolves into Gyarados. I could also choose a Goldeen with the Lightning Rod ability as my first partner, but they’re as rare as shiny Pokémon. I will have to go to a large lake where they are in large numbers to try my luck.

Poliwag and Horsea are like baby Pokemon so, I chose Staryu. Starmie has dual typing and is very fast with high Sp. Attack and good defense. It also has a good move set. Staryu is easy to train and can learn powerful moves from the start. On top of that, it has a hidden ability called Analytic. It boosts attack power if Staryu moves last, countering the only headache for speed-type Pokemon, the trick room.

It also helps against challengers who use Slowpoke or its evolutions to counter Staryu or Starmie’s typing and speed. Many Pokémon can learn Trick Room or are naturally faster than Starmie, so this strategy addresses their main weakness beyond just type matchups. Since I’ll be aiming for one with a hidden ability, I’ll need to search carefully among the many to find the right one.

That's why I am here. I had sent Lily to ask Nurse Joy where she could find a large number of Staryu that 'she' needs for the gym. The Pokémon Centre is the best place to learn about Pokémon, as it's where all trainers go to heal their Pokémon and find accommodation. I wanted to try my luck by sending Lily. Nurse Joy did know of such a place. According to her, this is the place where young Staryu come and stay until they mature.

This kind of information should be known to the gym, as it oversees the city and the area around it. If the water-type gym doesn’t know the distribution and habitats of water-type Pokémon, then who would? But, sadly we don't know. I don't know if this information is stored on the computer at the gym or in the gym archive. It is only accessible to either the gym leader, their authorized personnel or the Pokemon League, which they share with the related rangers.

After our mother, I’m not sure what my sisters did or if they even knew where to search. They didn’t find any relevant data on this. Now, I just hope my mother wasn’t like them, or I’ll have to gather all the data myself from the Pokémon Centre, Pokémon League, and Pokémon Rangers. I doubt they’ll give me everything they have on water Pokémon and their habitats since water-type gyms are some of the biggest exploiters of this knowledge. But I want a proper Pokémon Gym one where trainers can learn and grow, not just a place that tests them.

So, now I am here looking for my first partner. There are more than a hundred Staryu around this beach. This place is far enough from the city to avoid disturbance and isn’t near any shipping routes so there are many Staryu here. There must be another similar beach nearby, so I wasn’t worried. I could go to another beach and search there if don't find the one I needed here.

As for how to find the right Staryu, it’s quite simple. I’ve brought along a Starmie, who knows Thunder Wave—a must-have move for a water-type gym leader. Challengers often use water or grass types in water-type gyms, so Thunder Wave is always useful. First, I’ll have Starmie communicate with the Staryu here to see if they know about their abilities. If they do, it’ll make my search easier. If not, I’ve already shared my plan with Starmie, so we’re ready either way.

My plan is unique and works specifically with Pokémon like Staryu, who are naturally quiet and friendly. First, Starmie will approach the Staryu and offer to teach a powerful move, but only to those who meet the conditions set by Starmie. They must have the Analytic as their ability. If the Staryu already know their abilities, it’ll make things easier for all of us. But if they don’t, Starmie will have to manually separate the Staryu based on their abilities.

Staryu have two common abilities and a hidden ability. The first ability is Illumination. To separate the Staryus with this ability Starmie has to make the surroundings dark using Rain Dance. It is also a must-learn move for water-type Pokemon. Staryu's core shines in the dark but those with Illumination produce different light and can attract Pokemon. So, those with brighter cores will be separated.

After that, Starmie will use Thunder Wave on the remaining Staryu. Both Staryu and Starmie naturally possess the ability to regenerate, meaning if their core remains unharmed, they can regrow even if their limbs are severed. However, those with the Natural Cure ability are exceptional, they recover much faster and can heal from status conditions more quickly than other Staryu. The one that heals more slowly than the rest is the one with the hidden ability, making it easier to identify.

Starmie proceeded as we planned but there wasn't Staryu with the hidden ability. I had brought a small inflatable boat in case we had to search elsewhere. I sat on the boat and Starmie dragged it. We searched for a similar beach with a large number of Staryu. There were similar beaches but there weren't as many Staryu as in the previous one. We continued to swim away from the previous beach and Cerulean City until we saw a similar beach but this was more curved.

Finally, on this beach, we were able to find a partner for me but not without surprises.