Pokémon Revisited: Violet City

The more I play this game, the more I'm beginning to accept the theory that the world of Pokemon was previously devastated by a nuclear war.
Oh, not so much for the giant monsters... but it's these people.
The only thing that could produce people this weird is nuclear fallout.

For starters, my mom...

What gives her the right?!

And what about this guy?
Did the radiation start turning him into his bird Pokemon?

Here's what a bird keeper looks like in real life...

Notice the lack of Mohawk.

Photo Credit

And what is a Pokemaniac? He likes Pokemon?
Don't we all? What makes him so special?

I play this game too much.
Does that make me a Pokemaniac?

And finally, why should I fear this bug catcher?

How do bug Pokemon even compete?

Wouldn't they just get squashed by the other Pokemon?

Unless they've mutated to be incredibly huge... or powerful!

Can you imagine a giant Caterpie? Or Spinarak fighting back? *Shudder*

I finally make it to Violet City.

The northern part of the city has a tower built around a giant Bellsprout (or so the legend says).

The whole tower is filled with people who worship the Bellsprout, and who own many smaller Bellsprouts of their own. They were all willing and ready to battle me and they served as great training for my Cyndaquil.

After training with the plant worshippers, I finally get the chance to battle Falkner, the famed bird trainer and the first Gym Leader I face.
So for those who didn't already know, the world of Pokemon is peppered with Gym Leaders. Each region as divided up in the games generally contain 8 Gym Leaders that get incrementally more difficult as the game progresses. They each lead a gym and have several followers who you fight before getting a chance to face the gym leader.
Once you defeat the gym leader, they give you a badge. These badges earn you respect among trainers and your Pokemon, giving you special abilities.