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

With another loud squawk, Slider fell out of the air, collapsing in a heap just outside the tall grass. Having seen enough, Josh withdrew his Pokémon before sending out Ulysses, his Seel, to quash his fire with a gust of ICY WIND. While it wasn't the most effective tool he had to put out the fire, it was the only one he had, and the dirt surrounding the brush would keep the flames from spreading further.

With his light and heat source gone, the blonde entered his tent and zipped its entrance shut. He let the tendrils of sleep claim him, ready to wake up the next day with refreshed Pokémon that could once again fight. Little did he know that sleep was not the remedy for battered and bruised Pokémon; only the healing capabilities of a nearby Shrine would patch him and his bruised team up.

With time no longer being a direct issue, Josh could continue his hunt indefinitely... or at least, until his stomach demanded he returned to Briarbane. He was used to it in the real world; once per month as part of maintaining his weight, Josh performed a 24-hour water-only fast. This was more difficult, though; he was never awake at the end of his fast, typically sleeping through the last seven to eight hours of it. Here, he was wide awake. His reactions were already growing sluggish.

Josh set a time limit for himself; it he didn't get his Ponyta by high noon, he would head back to Briarbane. His favorite saloon was going to get quite an order, enough to feed him and his Pokémon. It wouldn't be cheap, but they deserved it after the hellish march he had inadvertently put them all through.

As a Duraludon caught Josh off guard, one that would not let his Mudsdale get away unharmed so easily, a message flashed on the top of his UI:

Information> Alicia Westfield has joined your party.

As much as Josh appreciated the newcomer's help, the timing could not have been worse. He had learned that the Duraludon that he had fiercely fought alongside Silvermoon was the most difficult random encounter in the game before patch 2.0. Thankfully this time, he had the HP and levels to not only be able to take this dragon down, but to keep his newfound friend safe.

"Wasn't expecting to run into you out here," Josh said upon noticing both the message and his acquaintance's presence. "Apparently these Duraludon are a hot commodity; you can trade them for just about any other random encounter Pokémon you want." Especially with a ground-type, he could make short work of the metallic dragon... or so he hoped.

Information> Combat mode activated.

Combat Log> Granmarg readies Bulldoze.

The rider slid down from his steed to let the stout Mudsdale do the fighting. Still lacking the stamina to use his strongest attacks, he would go for his second strongest. With great courage, he galloped toward the metallic dragon in an effort to BULLDOZE through it.

Combat Log> Tikani readies Reflect.
Combat Log> Tikani's defense improved!
Combat Log> Granmarg's defense improved!

The Mudsdale's attacks hit hard, but they were slow to get going, and were stamina-intensive for him to use. One Bulldoze was all the Pokémon had in him before becoming no more than a meat shield. Withdrawing the horse to save his strength for the ride back to the settlement, Josh hurled Ulysses the Seel toward the dragon, who was quick to rake the aquatic Pokémon's back.

Combat Log> Duraludon readies Metal Claw.
Combat Log> Ulysses readies Ice Shard.

It was a good thing that Ulysses had not evolved yet, or that Steel-type attack would have been unpleasant! Letting out a grunt, the white, thick-skinned Pokémon stuck his tongue out at the water-type, a volley of ice missiles flying toward its body. If even one of those found a gap in the foe's metal plating, it was going to sting. "Alicia, stay behind Ulysses as much as possible," Josh warned. "Don't want you caught up in his Icy Wind."

Though Ulysses was not mobile, neither would the Duraludon after he was done with it. He stuck his tongue out at the metallic dragon, ready to coat its body in frost to discourage it from raking over his back with another claw swipe.

Combat Log> Duraludon readies Metal Claw.
Combat Log> Ulysses readies Icy Wind.

"I know better than to fight a losing battle," Josh confirmed his intentions as the ice-type and steel-type attacks clashed, already leaving Ulysses in poor shape. If anything, he was impressed at how much more prepared Alicia was than he was; perhaps it would be worth investing the BYTES into another tier of moves to get access to Aqua Ring for healing. "We're not losing this, though. Keep pushing!"

Josh's vision briefly flashed white, an indicator of Ulysses' CRITICAL HIT. While it was not big enough of a hit for the red numerals to grow to the next size, it was still satisfying to see such a large number. He felt bad for Tikani, able to hear her whining; this was a dreadful matchup for the Chikorita.

Combat Log> Ulysses' defense improved!
Combat Log> Duraludon readies Metal Claw.

Josh flashed a pleasant smile at seeing the UI properly account for apostrophe placement in the combat logs. Very few games did so; perhaps it was advancements in AI that led to the grammatically correct text. It was a mere distraction, Ulysses awaiting Josh's command as the Duraludon trudged toward his precious water-type, continuing to rake with its METAL CLAW. Did it even know any other attacks?

Combat Log> Ulysses readies Headbutt.

The cold wind had made the dragon's metal skin brittle, leaving it vulnerable to a HEADBUTT from the Seel's horn. As the dragon slashed from above, Ulysses slammed his head into it from beneath. Both of those blows looked like they would sting. Bad.