This is a continuation of my Nuzlocke run of Pokémon Y. I shall keep the rules I am following at the top of each post.
If a Pokémon faints, it is treated as dead and must be released
You may only catch the first Pokémon you encounter in each route
I must play in ‘Set’ mode, meaning I cannot swap Pokémon upon defeating an enemy’s Pokémon.
I cannot use healing items in battle, unless they are held by the Pokémon.
If the first Pokémon I encounter in an area is a duplicate (I have already caught one) I am allowed to keep searching until I find a new Pokémon.
If a shiny is found, I may catch it regardless of any other rules.
Chapter 3: Journey to Santalune City
The following day, the group of five met up once again at the terrace in Aquacorde Town, this time sporting heavy rucksacks and rugged travelling attire. Shorts and skirts had been switched for long trousers and they each wore a pair of heavy walking boots. Between Aquacorde Town and their next stop, Santalune City, they would have to walk through the dense Santalune forest, which didn’t have a maintained footpath.
The previous day, after the group had all examined their Pokémon, they had began to split up to go get ready for the journey. Eventually the only two left sitting in the sunshine were Elliott and Shauna. On the table before them, Kindle the Fennekin and Shauna’s Pokémon were curiously examining each other. The Pokémon, called a Chespin, was a bipedal brown creature with a green shell running from its head to the base of its back.
“Y’know, Elliott, I’ve always wanted to try a Pokémon battle and I think you would be the perfect opponent for my Pokémon battling debut!”
“Kindle and I would be up for the challenge, I’m sure,” Elliott replied, “But we can’t really battle here. It’s too busy.”
“You’re right,” Shauna looked crestfallen for a moment, then her eyes lit up, “I know! Not many people walk the path to Vaniville Town, since it only has a few houses. We can battle there!”
After a short walk, the two made it back to the wooded path outside of Aquacorde Town. Elliott pressed the button on his Poké ball and Kindle jumped into his arms. He gently set Kindle down and knelt in front of him.
“Listen Kindle, just try your best and try not to get hurt. We’re a team now, so I will be here if you need help.”
Shauna called from a little way away, her Chespin already stretching and eyeing up the competition, “Hey! Are you ready to get this underway?”
“Of course! I hope you are ready to lose!”
After a countdown, the battle was on. Chespin began sprinting towards Kindle, his tiny arms pumping and a serious look on his face. As Kindle went to lash out with a paw, Chespin flipped up and over Kindle’s head, before delivering a painful kick into his side. Kindle winced and hopped to one side, drawing a deep breath.
This time, as Chespin began his charge Kindle sidestepped and his tail stood on end. The tip of his tail glowed brightly and a bright spark of flame shot out of Kindle’s mouth, knocking Chespin onto his rear with a squeak.
“Now’s your chance, Kindle! End it!” Elliott called, and Kindle immediately responded, dashing forward and leaping into the air. Chespin looked up in fear and Kindle breathed another bolt of fire, striking Chespin hard and knocking him completely flat. Kindle landed, panting, and looked back at Chespin’s unmoving figure for a second before lowering his tail. The last of the bright embers that lay on Chespin’s chest died out in an instant and all that was left was the slow rise and fall of his breathing.
After a few minutes of panic, it turned out that there hadn’t been any serious damage done to Shauna’s Chespin. Her mother had a personal Pokémon healing centre back at her house, so after a brief goodbye Shauna scooped up her fallen Pokémon and ran back with a wave of her hand.
And now it was a new day and the group was raring to go. Even Trevor was looking pretty excited for the journey, a small red device held in his hand and a smile on his face. He had given them all one of these devices, which was called a Pokédex, after they had all arrived that day. He said it allowed them to document all of the Pokémon they saw and was the main tool for their research for Professor Sycamore.
The path out of Aquacorde Town crossed a large white-stone bridge over a crystal clear river. The group paused for a moment to look down at the Magikarp that swam about in the water’s depths, their red scales glistening and their mouths agape. Then it was on through the fields that led to Santalune forest, following a worn dirt path bordered by short bushes and rolling grassland. The river curved to follow them for a while, before meandering off into the distance. Soon the densely packed trunks of the forest could be seen before them, a small archway marking the main entrance which the path led up to.
As the group approached the forest, Elliott caught a rustling in the corner of his eye. Turning to look, he noticed a patch of long grass, shifting and wiggling in a way that could not be mistaken for the wind. Kindle, who had been trotting at his side, began to growl, his eyes narrowing. Out of the grass came a soft twittering, then a brown bird hopped out, pecking at the ground.
“It’s a Pidgey.” Trevor whispered.
Slowly, Elliott reached back to where a string of Poké balls hung from his rucksack. With a sharp movement, he snapped one from the string and tapped the button three times to prime it. The rest of the group took a few steps back.
“Kindle, I’m going to try to capture it, I need you to back me up and keep it from flying.” Elliott murmured, hefting the ball in his hand. Then he tossed it forward, the ball popping open in mid-air, tendrils of red mist swirling towards the Pidgey. The bird chirped in alarm and opened its wings wide, preparing to take flight. Then Kindle was on it, pinning it to the ground with a paw. The red mist surrounded the bird rapidly, before it was sucked back into the ball with a click.
“I caught it!” Elliott cheered, holding his arms up in jubilation. He reached down and plucked the ball from the ground, looking at it thoughtfully. Then he turned to the rest of the group.
“I think I’m going to call it Flutter.” he said with a smile, pressing the button on the ball once more.
The Pidgey looked up at Elliott distrustfully, hopping around on the ground to a safe distance. Elliott looked at it with a smile, reaching down to ruffle Kindle’s fur with one hand.
“That was pretty impressive,” Serena walked over to Elliott and Kindle, “I guess you have a head start on the rest of us now.”
“I’m sure there will be tons of Pokémon in the forest!” Tierno exclaimed, “I won’t rest until I have the most fabulous team of us all.”
“Chespin and I won’t lose to you next time! I’m going to get the strongest team and claim victory!” Shauna grinned.
“In that case everyone, we should probably head into the forest now.” Elliott said.
Serena smiled, “Maybe we should eat lunch now, before we enter. We’ve walked for quite a while and I doubt there are many good picnic spots inside the forest.”
“Plus, it would give you time to bond with Flutter.” Trevor said.
So, at the side of the path, the group sat and enjoyed their lunch. Amidst the laughter and joking, Serena looked at Elliott, who was holding out a piece of bread for Flutter, who looked at it nervously.
“See?” she said, “If you have a Pokémon partner you have nothing to fear from wild Pokémon. You are going to become a great team.”
In the sky, high above, the shadows of birds soared and wheeled, rejoicing in the beautiful summer’s day.
End of Chapter 3
The Words of Someone Who Doesn't Know Better 