To help train (Aster)

'Interesting,' remarks the Leafeon, ceasing to tickle the fire mouse. 'I didn't make any use of the rope.' She grins at the Cyndaquil and inquires, 'What's the next challenge?'

"Well first I need to explain to you the importance," I tell her with a smile. "You didn't use the rope because you didn't need to. You could have tied me down with it but you just got right to the punch." I giggle and pet her. "You have to remember to use your surroundings to your advantage. Also use creative thinking to do unique attacks and outwit your opponent. If they're ticklish like me, tickle them. If they have a ear weakness, make loud noises. You can do many things that aren't just attacks that could work. I bet you could tickle Kaiyu and get him to give. In fact you should try that sometime." I giggle madly. "You get what I'm saying?"

Aster giggles too and purrs as you pet her. 'I think you're saying you should match strengths with weaknesses just like you do with the types chart, but it's not a Pokemon match if you're not doing attacks. You can tickle your opponent all day and never win the match because Tickle only reduces Attack and Defense stats. It will never knock off even 1 HP. Also, in a lot of cases there aren't tools conveniently laid out like in this case. Plus you were being a true gentlemon and not attacking me back.'

"But you can still use them to your advantage," I told her. "For example, you could tickle Kaiyu's feet which would cause him to laugh hard and lose focus on what he's doing. Then during that time, you can whip him silly with your vines and show him that you're stronger than he is." I give her a little wink at that suggestion. "As for the attacks, you dodge them or whatever, the thing is to test out ideas and try to be resourceful, no it won't be that layed out, but you have fingers, and you know some things. For the Kaiyu example. He gets distracted whenever he's insulted. You could insult him, and he'll lose his temper and concentration, and boom he can wind up in vines ready to be pulverized. The idea is to think. Besides one can also lose by giving up and running away. Right? And that can happen just like it did for me.

'I don't have fingers,' mutters Aster, 'I have paw slits and vines; maybe those will be good enough.' In a normal tone she says, 'You're not really stronger if you win by intelligence. You're stronger if you have higher stats and more powerful moves. Running away isn't admitting defeat; it's a strategy. About winding someone up in my vines, there are two ways to use Wrap. One keeps the opponent from using any moves while it is wrapped, but the user can't do any other moves during that time. The other way traps the target and allows the user to keep using other moves while Wrapping, but the target can fight back. Whipping opponents silly with my vines doesn't do much: Vine Whip is weaker than Razor Leaf.' Aster beams at you, asking, 'Does it bother you that I'm arguing with you?'

"No it doesn't bother me. Debate is the blood of knowledge. You couldn't get anywhere if you simply accepted things as they are." I go over to her and pet her on the head, "Silly Aster, while you may be smart and right about some things, there are still some things that you are wrong. I don't know moves or battling near well enough but I do know some things. I know that battles are about winning, not about who is stronger. I mean one can win because of type advantages. Does that make the loser weaker even if he could cream the opponent if they were different types? Strength is not the only thing that matters. Intelligence is another major factor. Winning by intelligence is just as good as winning by strength. I mean winning is winning and that's your goal. Also how is running away strategy, yet tickling is cast out as bad? They're basically the same thing, strategy. And wouldn't strategy be intellect more than strength? If you think that strength is all that matters, then would that mean no more strategy? Do you really want that?" I put my hand on her area where the arm meets her body and smile at her hoping not make her sad. "Besides, I meant give up by run away."

'You do have the superior argument,' states Aster with dignity. 'Please administer the next challenge.' It is clear that she isn't happy about being defeated by you in argument.

I smile, very glad to hear that, and instruct her to follow me. I go to a little area of grass that seems oddly brown colored. I spit of some fire from my mouth onto the flame and then turn to her. "You now must cross this flame pit five times," I told her with a smile on my face.

'Okay,' says Aster brightly and runs five laps around the flame pit.

(Unless the flame pit spans the whole world, she will eventually reach both ends of it five times.)

I slap my hand across my face as she does this action and remind her, "I told you to cross the flame pit, not to go around it. That means you have to go in it."

Aster sighs and walks down in the flame pit and up the other side, using Synthesis whenever her HP gets low. 'Leppa Berry please,' she requests after crossing it once.

(FYI a Leppa Berry restores one move's PP by 10.)

I give her the requested berry and give her a smile. "Good job, so far," I say hoping to encourage her to continue.

My PP for Synthesis lasted me one crossing. I have to go to the other side and back again for another refill. If only my Special Defense were higher, but I think I can make it. I'm going to do my Mommy and Baba proud. Aster uses Synthesis half as often and manages to reach the other side, but midway through her third crossing she stretches things too far and faints.

Once I notice this I quickly rush out to her and put her up taking her out of the flames. Holding her in my arms somehow I take to the nearby Chansey, who just happen to be Chan-Chan and Nahc. The two take the little Leafeon and put her in their machine. Soon enough the Leafeon is healed and put back out to my side. "Don't bother us again," Nahc complains drunkenly stumbling back to his beercase to drink some beer.
The pleasant Chan-Chan puts on a smile and pets Aster saying, "Don't mind him, he'll soon see the light." She then turns away and skips over to Nahc with a club behind her back.

"Ok..." I mutter to myself before turning to Aster and hugging her. "You better now?" I ask her.

Aster giggles, 'What a funny pair of Chansey. Are all members of their species that amusing?' She looks up at you and pauses for a moment before saying, 'Do you want me to give that challenge a second try?'

I nod to her and say, "You're never going to get better if you don't give it a second try. Just go out there and do the best you can do. It's all you can do." I smile and lead her the way back to the pit.

Upon reaching the pit, Aster looks around for anything that could help her cross it without having to walk directly through the flames. 'If it didn't work the first time, why would the second time be any different?' she says in a sad soft voice.

"It'll work the next time if you get better at it. Also the more you cross it the more you get used to fire and the less that it has an effect on you. To just let you cross it in a cheap way would be weakening the point that can be gotten from this." I go over to her and pet her. "Don't worry, you'll do fine."

'I have an idea,' Aster says, and charges right at the flames. Instead of walking into the pit or even running through it, Aster uses Quick Attack to zip her way through it. Although she still takes super effective damage, she's going fast enough that she doesn't have to use Synthesis as frequently. The little Leafeon makes it across the fire pit five times using two Leppa Berries. Burned and exhausted, she lies down on her tummy and awaits your response.