I leave the gym and get a call from Professor Elm. Something weird is happening with the radio broadcasts. They were talking about Team Rocket. Has Team Rocket returned? Yes!

As I put Finally the Hoothoot on the team, I give a sigh and heartfelt goodbye to Toothpaste. I teach Finally Fly and fly and go to Goldenrod City where Team Rocket is running everything.

I can't enter any buildings except the Pokemon center, the train station, and their headquarters! This is crazy! I'm going to speak with their manager right now! I walk into the radio station and am kicked out because I'm not a team rocket member. Dang it. Guess I'll just let the world burn.

I catch word of more Team Rocket uniforms being handed out in the Tunnel so there and change into my Team Rocket uniform! Now let's break into the radio station!

I arrive and make my way to the stairs. I'm given clearance and start to go up the stairs when Silver rushes in and removes my disguise! He said I was too strong to be one of them and uh... that actually means a lot to me. Thanks, man...

Anyway, time to fight this Grunt now. I would tell you about the fight but my team is really strong in comparison to them so it wasn't much of a fight. Silver leaves me to deal with Team Rocket, and I head up the stairs.

Just thought I'd share this, Not Rick the Sudowoodo knows Low Kick, and I always imagine him like doing a breakdance flare and kicking them that way. It's very funny haha.

While freeing the Radio Tower, Finally got a chance so show us what she can do. The opposing Gloom was strong but Finally put it to sleep and knocked it out with only two hits! She knows how big of shoes she has to fill and she is rising to the challenge. Thank you, Finally. Welcome to the team.

Not long after her display of talent, Finally gained enough experience and evolves into a Noctowl. Let's Freakin Go.

I reach the top and find Petrel pretending to be the director! He said he won't hold back this time... let's give it our all.

His first Pokemon is Koffing, who Not Rick defeats with two Rock Slides. Next is Weezing and I switch to Woogle since it's probably more bulky. After a Surf, his Weezing uses Explosion and brings Woogle down to 7 HP, and I did not need that scare!

Next is another Koffing and I switch to Suavce. The Koffing goes down after two Charge Beams, and then he sends out another Koffing who meets the same fate. This guy needs different Pokemon. It's time for Finally to shine. I send her out and the Koffing stands little chance.

After three failed attempts at Hypnosis, it finally lands and the Koffing falls to Finally's Confusion. Let's do that again with this next Koffing. Yeah, that's exactly what we did, but without the failed Hypnosis attempts.

We get a key and I continue destroying every Team Rocket grunt in this building. I then go to the basement place in the tunnel where a kimono lady says that I might be worthy of catching the legenda- Oh look at the time! And she runs away.

I enter the basement and Silver runs up and is like, "Lance didn't show up, so now I'm gonna fight you instead!" and we fight. Not Rick and Suavce take out his Golbat and his Feraligatr while Cafeteria defeats his Sneasel and Magnemite. Finally takes out his Haunter and we leave the battle with a victory.

I make it to the end of the tunnel and rescue the Director. He gives me the key card and now it's time to take down the rest of Team Rocket. I eventually ran into Proton! Remember him from the Slowpoke well thing? Back when I still had Rubles? Good times. Finally sweeps his entire team and we move on.

I reach the top and am greeted by Ariana. I remember her! I also hate her! Let's fight!

Finally and her Arbok have a pretty even fight where Finally comes out on top with a critical. Suavce then just electrocutes her Murkrow and Cafeteria burns her Vileplume alive like he does with literally every other Pokemon in this game.

I arrive at the top of the tower and meet Archer. His plan was to announce Team Rocket's return, hoping to bring Giavonni back out of hiding. Then we battle.

Woogle takes out his Houndour and Houndoom with Surf and Finally takes out his Koffing with Confusion. He then says that Team Rocket will disband and leave. The Director then comes up and gives me the Rainbow Wing.

I fly to Mahogany Town and try to go to Blackthorn City. I can this time! I reach Ice Path and am excited to encounter an Ice Type Pokemon. I encounter one... and Finally kills it. Fantastic. I have another idea, however.

I grab Gulmder the Tentacool from the PC and teach her Whirlpool. I then head to Olivine City and start heading towards the Whirl Islands. I arrive and begin searching for the one I need.

Time to search for a Seel.

I wander around the cave with Woogle being my only source of light. I'm still not sure how he can use Flash, but whatever. I walk through a cave and stumble upon a Krabby. This is the worst outcome possible. I try to catch it but Finally just freakin kills it so thanks for that!

Whatever, I go to my last option. I add Plumblo the red Gyarados to the team, train my Pokemon some more, and challenge the gym. We may not have any ice types, but we do have a Plumblo.

I walk up to Clair, and the battle begins.

First is her Gyarados. This thing is quad weak to electric attacks, so I switch to Suavce and take out the Gyarados with two charge beams. She sends out one of her Dragonairs and I switch to Pumblo. With one Ice Fang and an Avalanche, the Dragonair.

Next is her other Dragonair. Pumblo gets it down to half HP and I use a Full Restore on him. The Dragonair uses Thunder Wave, but that doesn't stop Pumblo. One last Ice Fang, and the Dragonair falls.

Finally, she sends out her Kingdra, and this is the scariest Pokemon she has. It's very high leveled and strong. I put away my fears and send out Woogle. Kindra starts lowering my accuracy, letting Woogle pull off an earthquake. It tries to use Hydro Pump but Woogle absorbs water so the attack does nothing. Woogle uses Earthquake again and...

It's a critical hit.

Kingdra faints as my team I stand victorious and all my Pokemon lived to tell the tale.

I hold my hand out and wait for Clair to hand me my final gym badge...but she doesn't. Upset at her defeat, she tells me to go to the Dragon's Den and partake in the Dragon Master's Challenge. I say I will and leave the gym.

I head to the Pokemon Center and give Pumblo a hug and thank him for everything before putting him back into the box. I could not have beaten Clair without casualties if it wasn't for him. Thank you, Pumblo. I hope we get to fight together again.

I enter Dragon's Den and am greeted by trainers who want to battle. Not what I expected, but fair enough.

Once I reach the shrine, the Dragon Master gives me his quiz.

"What are Pokemon to you?" They're my friends. Doing these Nuzlockes have really given me a new understanding of Pokemon and it would be wrong to call them anything besides friends.

"What helps you to win battles?" Strategy. You need a plan. Even if you're under leveled like I was for Clair's gym, a strategy can still pull through when you need it to.

"What kind of Trainer do you wish to battle?" Anyone. Everyone has the chance to be a good trainer, and each battle brings me closer to my team.

"What is most important for raising Pokemon?" I believe the answer is love. I wouldn't work this hard and play so many Nuzlockes if I didn't love my Pokemon. They all mean so much to me.

"Strong Pokemon. Weak Pokemon. Which is more important?" Both are equal. A weak Pokemon can do so much if given the right care. I play Nuzlockes to find the new potential in Pokemon I never considered using regardless of how strong or weak they are.

I finish the quiz, and Clair comes over and asks if I failed. I didn't. She is shocked by this news! She keeps insulting me until the Dragon Master tells her to shut up and give me the badge. So she hands over the Rising Badge and brings us to the final step in our journey.

Before I end this chapter, however, I want to check on Clair. I leave the cave and get a call from Professor Elm, and he wants me to swing by his lab to get something that's neat. I go to Clair and she gives me the TM Dragon Pulse.

But we still aren't done. Sorry for the long chapter haha.

I go back to the Dragon Master who gives me a Dratini. The last member of our team before the Elite Four. I name her Heapass and now the gang's all here.

Let's go.