[ti]spawn[/ti]Unicorn Hunt, Pt. 2

Combat Log> Drilbur readies Rapid Spin.

The rider got his wish, though not the Pokémon he was expecting; he clutched his steed's reins tightly as Granmarg reared in surprise. A Drlibur had burrowed in front of the Mudsdale, ambushing him and nicking him with his RAPIDLY SPINNING drill. Had that been a direct hit, it would have caused a serious problem for Josh, likely incapacitating his only steed. Being stuck out in the Surge Steppes without a means of fast travel was far from idea. Not quite. There was a form of fast travel, but it involved a party wipe. That was not a good way to travel across UNOVR quickly. Besides, if he got sent to the Everworld, that would be a far longer detour than Josh could ever imagine.

Combat Log> Escaping...
Combat Log> You successfully escaped.

"Geez, there are Drilbur out here, too?" Josh exhaled, a little worried about Granmarg's wounds. "You okay after that?" he asked out of concern.

"I'll be okay, Josh," the Mudsdale answered. "There's not a lot you can do about a Pokémon like that." Though Josh didn't know it, Drilbur were highly sensitive to vibration. Granmarg's hooves produced a lot of vibration when they clacked against the ground. Nowhere was safe against them. With that knowledge, he was now on two timers: the constant threat of Drilbur ambushes, and the weather. Those storm clouds were getting darker, and it looked to be more than just a dry thunderstorm.

While it was an electric Pokémon, Mareep was not a Pokémon Josh was particularly interested in; only as a Mega Evolved Ampharos could it wear a saddle, gliding above UNOVR's surfaces. He had his sights on other dragons to begin with; once he had the capital he could blow while still saving money for a rainy day, he wanted to get a Fishing Rod and go for an extended fishing trip in search of Dratini.

Ducking and using his mount for cover, Josh let the Mareep's THUNDER SHOCK harmlessly be absorbed into Granmarg's body. He directed his mount to trample the electric-type, not caring whether he defeated the Pokémon. If he did, more experience was great. If not, it was no biggie; he had better places to grind for levels. He did wonder, though... when would RNG favor him and drop a Ponyta in his lap: before or after he had the levels necessary to craft a saddle for one?

The Doduo before Josh was a tempting one. Dodrio could really put the pedal to the metal when properly trained, and their three sets of lungs gave them incredible endurance. While they were not capable of true flight, they could flap their wings to glide. Even so, the shape of their backs would make holding on awkward. It was not the type of ride Pokémon he was after yet. Perhaps when he was more experienced.

The wild was quick to jab at Granmarg, narrowly missing Josh with a twin-beaked FURY ATTACK before he fled the Pokémon. With how fast the flightless bird was, it took skillful control to build the speed needed to outrun the Doduo, but he eventually rode far away enough from it to despawn it. When would Ulysses learn Aqua Ring so he could start serving as a healer, anyway? Granmarg's HP was getting low -- low enough that he could no longer keep the ground-type in combat. He had to use some of his other Pokémon going forward.

The same Doduo from before was giving chase; had he not despawned it, after all? It seemed just as angry as before, sideswiping the fleeing horse with a FURY ATTACK and knocking him out. Automatically withdrawn to his Ball, he no longer held Josh up, the young man disappearing into the tall grass as he narrowly avoided being stomped by the flightless bird's powerful legs. Unable to see the human in the dense foliage, the Doduo dashed off.

Great. Now he was stuck walking back to Briarbane. He really needed to get a Pokémon with a revival skill. Ulysses would, but it would require more Bytes than he was willing to invest for the moment. Shaking his head, he clicked Saber's Poké Ball open, the Manectric giving him a minor shock as he affectionately nuzzled his trainer.

The sound of hooves clopping made Josh perk up, his eyes widening as he scanned for their source. To his dismay, the hooves came from a Blitzle, not a Ponyta, and it was quick to take advantage of Josh's lack of mobility with a ramming SPARK attack. Expecting Saber's Lightning Rod to block the attack, he took cover behind the Manectric.

The big dog had failed to do so, both suffering a nasty electric shock. With a loud ROAR, the Manectric covered their tracks by forcing the wild to retreat in fright. "That was a r-r-rude awakening..." Josh stammered, still suffering from the effects of the electric shock. Puzzled, he searched the in-game help text for the word Ability. There was not one relevant result; did Abilities as he knew them not exist on UNOVR?

While Josh was pounding stakes into place, the sound of crashing electricity distracted him; Saber was busy warding an encroaching Doduo from tearing his tent to shreds with its twin, PECKING beaks. The two-headed bird's presence reiterated how urgent it was for him to get his tent set up. Wild Pokémon that couldn't see him wouldn't attack him.

It wouldn't take more than a THUNDER WAVE to send the bird packing, but he was running out of time. He had to wait for the electricity to discharge before grabbing the tent's metal support pole, too; it would not be pleasant touching it with that kind of current flowing across the object.