Mega Drain

I reach Oreburgh City at last, when another member of the blue cap club sees me. He doesn't challenge me, though. Instead he forces me to come with him to the Oreburgh Gym. He insists that other trainers will never respect me until I win a badge from this place. Oh look, there's Slave.

Slave informs me that I am too late and the gym leader left. He, on the other hand, already got his badge. Braggart. I rush to the Poke Center to heal my buddies. Some weird person there says that others may mistake me for a psychic. Well, maybe. But maybe I am psychic. I notice that the underground is not closed in this Poke Center. Down the stairs, a woman named Teala gives me something called a "Pal Pad." Nothing else of interest down there as far as I can tell, so I leave to explore Oreburgh City.

Fascinating: this is a mining community. Coal, specifically. Curious, I investigate the mine. A worker tells me that people in the mine keep pokemon with them and that I might be challenged. Well, that's not been a problem for me lately. I pick up an X-defend someone left lying on the ground. A wild Zubat attacks me. It's actually rather formidable, but Sekhmet is moreso. And then there's another. Zubats are the Bidoofs of this mine, apparently. Another Zubat attacks and manages to knock Sekhmet out by confusing her into attacking herself. I send in Ninhursag, but absorb is surprisingly weak against Zubat, so I switch to Hanuman, who goes up to Level 13.

Wild pokemon keep attacking me and they are too strong here. Forget worrying about trainers. These things will kill me. Everything but Zubat seems weak to absorb though, so Ninhursag is holding her own. I escape, heal, and plunge back in. Ninhursag will be leading the team for now. Apsu is being ignored. Sorry pal, but you don't do anything. I navigate the mine and avoid the workers, who would challenge me. Maybe later I'll challenge them myself.

I find a young man who tells me to watch as he uses the hidden move rock smash to clear away a boulder. Great, but hidden? Not really. It sure isn't hidden from me. He says that if I get the gym badge, I can do this myself. But to get the gym badge, I have to beat the gym leader, which is him. Then he leaves. Oh, it's on. I follow him back to the gym. Some wild pokemon get in the way, though. Ninhursag takes care of that though. She learned stun spore. Good. These rock pokemon crumble before her absorb.

The sign in front of the gym reads, "Oreburgh Pokemon Gym. Leader: Roark. 'Call me Roark the Rock!'" Aha. Roark, you buffoon, you show me your hand. Ninhursag is going to make this easy. I stride into the gym. I notice Slave's name on the sign. He was truthful about his victory here, then. But I beat him. Emboldened, I march straight ahead. I fail to notice the blue-cap, who stops me. He points out that I could have gone up a ramp and gotten past him. What is this, a college fraternity? In any case, it doesn't matter. Ninhursag makes quick work of his Geodude. If that's all they have here, the badge is mine. I see the next blue-cap, but walk right in front of him anyway. Ninhursag could use the experience. This youngster has both Geodude and Onix, but both go down with ease.

Well Roark, you have no more goons to throw at me. And you've seen what I can do. I challenge you to a pokemon battle! I ignore his speech and send out Ninhursag. Oh look, another Geodude. Same old story, same old song and dance. Ninhursag reaches Level 13 and learns mega drain. Next, Roark sends in Onix. When will they ever learn. Mega drain, and Onix is down. Roark calls for his last pokemon: Cranidos. Well, even if mega drain fails here, I still have Hanuman to fall back on. Mega drain does not fail. That was about as easy as it gets.

Embarrassed, as he should be, Roark hands over the Coal Badge and a TM. Roark warns me that the other gym leaders are more formidable than himself, and with that we part ways, me to go beat everyone in his coal mine and him to go cry into a pillow or something. Actually, a pillow is sounding pretty good right now. Whatever happened earlier today, I do not feel rested from it. So I retire for the night. But soon, those miners will learn fear.