Things got sad :[

It was too good to last, friends.

No! No cause for alarm. The party is still going strong. I have three badges, four pokemon, and plenty of hope for the Elite 4. But now, there have been losses.

Good things happened first, in the form of three new party members. I caught Shut it the Grimer in Castelia city's sewers, and Aw geez the Pidove in a grassy gnoll deep within the city. With the combination of a Scope Lens, the ability Super Luck, and the attack Air Cutter, Aw geez started getting critical hits almost every other attack. Can you believe it? Also, she somehow combined a Modest nature with the trait "somewhat vain." A FLYING PARADOX! Shut it combined some beefy Sludge with the more tactical Minimize and Disable to be a flexible and potent brawler. She was even particularly alert to sounds! The two of them effortlessly trounced Burgh's bug Pokemon, earning us the Insect Badge.

But all was not well. Upon entering the Desert Resort area to pwn some noobs, we caught a serious little Darumaka named What's up, who, with her Hustle ability, boasts the beefiest attack stat on the team. But all was not well. We encountered a Pokemon Ranger with a Darumaka of his own, and he had the edge. Though Aw geez did a beefy number on it, his headbutt took Aw geez's health down below the yellow in one it. Thinking quickly, I switched Aw geez out for my starter, Hey man, but to the same effect! I switched through four pokemon that way, hoping one would be able to man up and take the hit without coming close to death. Then it happened. Shut it the beautiful Grimer took a critical hit to the face and was down. Her tag team partner, Aw geez, wracked with guilt and despair, returned to the fray with a brutal caw and quick attacked the thing to death, barely.

Electro Ball is an attack that does damage in proportion to the attacker's speed difference over the defender. If the defender is paralyzed, their speed goes way down. That's why I should have switched when Come on was paralyzed by gym leader Elena's first lackey trainer's Elekid. But I didn't, and the first pokemon I caught in this run is no more. So long, Come on, the Herdier who loved to fight. We'll miss you. And also Shut it.

We made a tactical retreat from the fourth gym, but mark my words. We will have our vengeance.