Gotta Train 'Em All Part 4 - Gym 4

Pidgeotto learned Twister at lv 22; Butterfree learned Whirlwind at lv 22, and Psybeam at lv 24; and Pikachu would have learned Thunderbolt at lv 26, had she not inherited the move from her parents.

The 3 starters did not learn any significant moves before the next Gym battle. Routes 35, 36 and 37 as well as the National Park did not give the Ask Ketchum team any grave challenges. They all continue to grow at a rapid pace and their stats are developing nicely.

The only complaints I have so far is that Pikachu’s stats only grow by about 1 point every level, except for his Speed, which often grows by 2 points, sometimes 3. His Atk and Sp Atk scarcely grow by 2 points, sometimes they do not grow at all. If not for his good move set and plenty of opportunities to exploit weaknesses to Electric types, he would be a disappointment. But Thunderbolt makes up of this. Pidgeotto’s stats are also lagging behind everyone else’s and he does not have the move set to make up for it. Hopefully his third form will pick up the slack. Furthermore, I know better moves on are the way. He’ll just have to tough it out till then.

Neither my rival in the Burned-Out Tower nor Morty were too tough. My team is several levels higher than my rivals at this point, so his Ghastly, Zubat, Magnemite and Bayleaf are no match. Morty’s Gengar did give me trouble though. I coasted through the entire Gym with Butterfree’s Confusion and Psybeam as well at Wartortle’s Bite; But Gengar’s Shadow Ball and high stats took out both of those two in a couple of hits, leaving the rest of the team to scrap their way past Gengar and his two remaining Haunters. Thankfully, they are a scrappy bunch and were up to the task.