TINA's Nuzlocke Series

[There Is No Arceus]

Time to start looking for the sages. I have a hunch that i should start my search in eastern New York, the areas of this region i haven't visited yet. There's no gym leaders there, so there's no one to keep the peace and prevent these criminals from setting up shop. So i fly to Nimbasa and head east onto the Marvelous Bridge. There's a guy here selling magikarp; i know by now what these fish evolve into, so i purchase one for 500 yen and name it Wind Fish. Looks like i have a full team again. I also encounter a wild Swanna on the bridge, which i catch and name Joe. Further on the bridge, i actually run into the Shadow Triad, who try to dissuade me from looking for Ghetsis. They failed, of course. That man almost plummeted the region into chaos and manipulated a vulnerable young boy for his own gain. to top it all off, the guy murdered my party. I will hunt him down to the ends of the earth if i have to. The triad unfortunately vanish before they can be arrested, but i'll get them some other time.

At the other end of the bridge, i find myself on Route 15. There's an institution here that claims to be able to transfer pokemon from Hokkaido - sorry, "Sinnoh" - to New York, but the guy in charge isn't making any sense. Apparently, i need to put my Diamond cartridge in a DS or something. Do i look like i'm rich enough to afford diamonds? and wtf is a DS anyway? so yeah, i leave this place and catch a Throh on the route. I name it Ernie; it's probably a more useful teammate than Rioolrat, so i let it onto the team. Sorry Rioolrat, you did good work against Ghetsis, but i cannot justify having 2 pure normal pokemon on my team when i don't have to.

Time to train up my new team members. During this training, Wind Fish evolves into Gyarados. However, as i'm training, a Marowak's Thrash crits and kills Ernie from full health before he even got a chance to contribute to my team. Guess that means Rioolrat's back.

After training for a while, i decide to call it a day for now.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My current team:

Talos (Golurk) lv 60
Rioolrat (Watchog) lv 61
Present (Jellicent) lv 61
Belle (Cinccino) lv 61
Meh (Boldore) lv 60
Wind Fish (Gyarados) lv 36

 

[There Is No Arceus]

After finishing up my training, i proceed through the route. However, a trainer's Exeggutor does way more damage with Leaf Storm than i expected, which kills Rioolrat from full health. Rest in peace, friend. I know i kicked you from the team on multiple occasions, but you always clawed your way back in, and you even took part in the final battle against Ghetsis. RIP.

Fortunately, not long after, i reach the end of the route and find myself in the beautiful White Forest. This gorgeous woodland is a must see for anyone visiting New York; hope they never build a city here. I catch myself an Aron while strolling through the trees, and i name it Ary. Ary will be joining us in Rioolrat's place. After plenty of relaxing in nature, i decide to continue my journey north onto route 14, a very pretty riverscape ideal for some fishing or just relaxing by the waterside. I run into a Shuckle here, which i catch and name Sukkel. This is a good place to start training Ary up, but for now, i'm calling it a day.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My current team:

Wind Fish (Gyarados) lv 65
Meh (Boldore) lv 65
Talos (Golurk) lv 65
Belle (Cinccino) lv 65
Present (Jellicent) lv 66
Ary (Aron) lv 5

tbh i was looking to replace Rioolrat already with whatever useful mon i could find in white forest or route 14, but it's still sad to see a loyal teammate go out like this.

 

[There Is No Arceus]

As i'm training, Ary evolves into Lairon and then into Aggron. I continue training for a while, then i decide to call it a day.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My current team:

Ary (Aggron) lv 49
Meh (Boldore) lv 65
Talos (Golurk) lv 65
Belle (Cinccino) lv 65
Present (Jellicent) lv 66
Wind Fish (Gyarados) lv 65

 

[There Is No Arceus]

After i've trained Ary up to where the rest of my team is, i decide to head on. I beat a few trainers, then i decide to call it a day.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My current team:

Talos (Golurk) lv 65
Ary (Aggron) lv 65
Wind Fish (Gyarados) lv 66
Meh (Boldore) lv 65
Present (Jellicent) lv 66
Belle (Cinccino) lv 66

 

[There Is No Arceus]

As i am exploring the waters of this route, i run into the sage Giallo; he seems to regret his past actions, but that is no reason why he should escape justice. One of the sages is caught; still 6 to go. I continue exploring this river, and come across the entrance to what feels like a holy place. This Abundant Shrine is probably one of the prettiest places in all of New York, everything about the scenery here just oozes life. I catch myself a Chimecho here, which i nickname Jinglebell. I hang around for a bit more, then i pay my respects to this Landorus thing everyone here worships and head off to look for the other sages.

I pass through route 14 again and then north into the seaside Undella Town. In this seaside resort town, i fish up a Shellder, which i nickname Lucy. One of the locals tells me that the bay to the east of here is a must-see, so i head out there, catching myself a Wailmer along the way. I name this Wailmer Werner and proceed to explore this beautiful bay. If you ever visit eastern New York, be sure to check out the Undella area; i've seldom seen such natural beauty on the waves.

I can't stay in the touristy spots forever though; i have criminals to catch. So i depart from Undella Town and head north onto route 13. Here, i get my hands on an Audino, and i name it Mirabel. I explore this coastline a bit, then i decide to call it a day for now.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My current team:

Ary (Aggron) lv 66
Talos (Golurk) lv 67
Meh (Boldore) lv 67
Belle (Cinccino) lv 68
Present (Jellicent) lv 68
Wind Fish (Gyarados) lv 68

 

[There Is No Arceus]

As i continue exploring the coastline north of Undella, i come across a cave. This big chasm seems to have been created by a meteor or something; it's quite a sight to see the trees growing in the crater. I encounter a Jynx in the cave complex, which i catch and name Minaj. I also find this big frozen chicken at the depths, but it's ugly so i ignore it.

After i'm finished exploring this chasm, i head west into Lacunosa Town. This town's got some impressive walls and defensive arrangements, but other than that, there isn't much of note here, so i head on to route 12. I catch myself a Pinsir in this lush field, which i nickname Pence. On the other side of this greenery, i reach one of eastern New York's most popular tourist destinations: the Village Bridge. The people in this village just built their houses atop a bridge across one of the major rivers here. It's truly a sight to see. While exploring the grasses around the bridge, i find and catch a Seviper, which i nickname Jessie.

The sages are still at large though, so after snapping a few pics, i move on from this tourist spot, to route 11. I catch Murica the Rufflet, but i can't seem to find any more plasma sages here. I only found one in all of eastern New York, so i guess my hunch was pretty wrong. What i do find is tragedy; I wasn't paying attention and didn't notice the opposing Pinsir's Mold Breaker, so its swords dance-boosted superpower hit right through Meh's sturdy and got the OHKO. You did well, Meh, far better than i'd ever expect from a Boldore. Rest in peace, friend.

Joining our team in Meh's place will be Jessie the Seviper. After training it for a bit, i decide to call it a day for now.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My current team:

Jessie (Seviper) lv 60
Ary (Aggron) lv 68
Belle (Cinccino) lv 69
Present (Jellicent) lv 68
Wind Fish (Gyarados) lv 68
Talos (Golurk) lv 68

 

[There Is No Arceus]

After i finish training Jessie up, it's time to resume my search. I remember this cave west of Opelucid called the Challenger's Cave; that seems like the ideal location for dangerous criminals to be hiding. While exploring this cave, i run into a Boldore, which i name Meh Jr in honour of our recently departed friend. I also find some very strong trainers, but no sages. Eh, better luck next time. I think i'll just call it a day for now.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My current team:

Jessie (Seviper) lv 68
Ary (Aggron) lv 68
Belle (Cinccino) lv 69
Present (Jellicent) lv 69
Wind Fish (Gyarados) lv 68
Talos (Golurk) lv 69

I should probably clarify that i know exactly where the sages are. i'm just visiting all these other places to get the encounters and fight the trainers.

 

[There Is No Arceus]

Since i had no success in the Challenger's Cave, i opt to start investigating the places where i encountered Team Plasma before, to see if there's any hints there. I start out with the Cold Storage, south of Driftveil. Bingo; Zinzolin of the Seven Sages was hiding here. He seems to regret nothing, so it's a good thing he'll now be behind bars. Since there was a sage here, i check out another place where i met the evil hippies before: the Relic Castle. I encounter a grunt as i'm exploring; he runs away, so i pursue and he leads me to Sage Ryoku's location. Ryoku also has no regrets, so i'm glad to put him behind bars. As i'm arresting Ryoku, Looker informs me that he checked the Dragonspiral Tower and found it empty, so there's no need for me to search for the sages there. That means my next stop is going to be Chargestone Cave, where i strike gold again; Bronius of the Seven Sages is hiding here. He summons a few plasma grunts to protect him, but i dispatch them easily and arrest the sage.

Since N's Castle sunk beneath the ground after his defeat and is now inaccessible, that leaves only one location where the remaining three sages might be: the Dreamyard. I actually discover a sizeable subterranean complex here i didn't find last time, but i don't manage to get my hands on any new pokemon here. After fighting my way through a bunch of trainers, i reach the other side of the complex, where i find Gorm of the seven sages. He tries to sneak up on me from behind, but you can't catch me off guard so easily; this guy is going behind bars.

I'm afraid my leads are exhausted now. two of the sages are still at large, including Ghetsis himself, and i have no idea where to look. I opt to check the most remote places in the region i can think of, so i head to Route 18 Island. I find the sage Rood here, who truly seems to regret having ever allied with Ghetsis. I hope this man will one day reform and atone for his actions, but for now, his crimes cannot go unpunished. As Looker and I arrest this sage, Looker tells me that N was seen in a faraway land with a dragon pokemon, probably Kitty the Zekrom. Glad to hear he's doing well for himself, but we still have the big bad to catch.

Since Ghetsis will probably have trained quite a bit since we last met in N's castle, it's probably wisdom for me to do some more training. I train for a while, then i decide to call it a day for now.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My current team:

Ary (Aggron) lv 71
Wind Fish (Gyarados) lv 71
Talos (Golurk) lv 71
Present (Jellicent) lv 71
Belle (Cinccino) lv 71
Jessie (Seviper) lv 71

 

[There Is No Arceus]

After i finish up my training, it's time to continue the manhunt on Ghetsis. I hear a rumor about a strong trainer in Undella Town, so i head there suspecting it's big G himself. As i search the houses, the person i run into is not Ghetsis but rather Cynthia, the champion from Sinnoh. She doesn't seem to recognise me, which is understandable as it's been a long time since we last spoke, but she recognises that i'm strong so she challenges me to a battle. I have no other leads to act on right now, so i might as well. She leads with her Spiritomb and i lead with Belle. I set up a safeguard, then i poison with toxic. I then keep using non-offensive moves to try and drain her PP for sucker punch, but Cynthia just keeps spamming double team. I fail to re-poison after Cynthia uses a full restore, so we're now just stalling for PP. This is way easier for Cynthia as Spiritomb has Pressure, so to avoid having to face a +6 evasiveness Spiritomb with a pokemon it can hurt, i have to use PP restoring items. I do manage to re-poison him with my new Toxic PP, and he goes down to the poison. Second is Cynthia's Lucario, so i switch to Talos. Talos takes about a quarter from dragon pulse, then OHKOs back with earthquake. Milotic is up third, and this is Present's job. Present gets frozen by a blizzard, then a Dragon Tail forces me to switch to Wind Fish. Wind Fish gets a bite in, but then i opt to switch back to Present. Cynthia seemingly doesn't understand Water Absorb, so a hydro pump heals me up a bit, and i thaw out the next turn and recover off all the other damage. Energy ball then brings Milotic into the yellow as Dragon Tail brings Belle back out. One tail slap later and the water serpent is down. Then comes Braviary, and i send out Ary. The big bird deals pitiful damage as rock slide two-shots. Cynthia then opts to go for her ace Garchomp, so i switch in Wind Fish for the intimidate. Stone Edge does not get the kill on me, but neither does my Ice Fang kill him. I opt to switch to Present, who tanks a Dragon Rush and to my surprise also the following Crunch, but my Surf leaves the big dragon with a sliver. I'm afraid i'm going to have to sack someone now. i opt to keep Present in, but then Cynthia just throws the match by going for a move that can miss: stone edge. it misses and Present lives. Last is Cynthia's Eelektross, the same kind of monster that made Ghetsis such a pain. I send Jessie out and hit him with a poison jab, which in combination with the recoil from his Wild Charge does well over half. A second poison jab leaves him with a sliver, but he uses Wild Charge for a KO-Suicide, taking Jessie to the grave with him and granting me the victory.

Rest in peace Jessie. You took part in only one important battle, but we couldn't have done it without your sacrifice. This loss gets me thinking about all the others who gave their lives to allow us to reach this point:

Herzball the Woobat. You weren't with us for long, but it was still very sad to see you lose your life against a random Lillipup. RIP.

Timon the Patrat. You were important in many of our early game victories, including against Chili and our rivals, but then you died due to my stupidity. RIP.

Naveen the Tympole. Your sacrifice allowed us to beat Lenora. RIP.

Blargh the Patrat. I was never going to train you, yet you valiantly gave your life to get us the win on Lenora. RIP.

Poison Ivy the Servine. Our starter, you played an important role in most battles the early game, until your life was tragically ended by a Purrloin's Pursuit. RIP.

Koh the Yamask. You joined us at the relic castle, and were pivotal against Elesa, but then you died to a preschooler's Herdier. RIP.

Scrooge the Ducklett. You weren't with us for long, but we appreciated your effort in fighting Team Plasma in the Cold Storage. If only you had lived, i'd have had a fly user in the late game. RIP.

Escargot the Dwebble. You were with us for a long time, and played an important role in defeating Elesa. Then you lost your life on the way to Celestial Tower, where we rang the bell in your honour. RIP.

Beethoven the Gurdurr. You came in to replace Scrooge, and were pivotal in defeating Clay's Excadrill. Then you lost your life in the massacre in Wellspring Cave. RIP.

Leafy the Leavanny. Came in to replace Poison Ivy, and was essential against both Elesa and Clay. Died in the massacre in Wellspring Cave. RIP.

Feuerball the Darumaka. Joined us in Manhattan's deserts, and played significant roles in defeating Burgh and Elesa. Then he lost his life in the massacre in Wellsprinv Cave, just a few levels before evolving. RIP.

Farge the Klink. Joined us after Escargot's death and played an important role against Skyla, then lost his life in the massacre in Wellspring Cave. RIP.

Louie the Simipour. One of our longest serving team members, you joined the team before the first gym and played essential roles in more battles than i can count. Then you lost your life in the massacre in Wellspring Cave. RIP.

Cerberus the Stoutland. You too were with us almost since the start, serving as the backbone of my team until you met your demise in the massacre in Wellspring Cave.

Soeq the Sawsbuck. Joined us after the Massacre in Wellspring Cave, but was never the strongest of our team. Still hated to see you go against that Scraggy's hi jump kick though. RIP.

Bolt the Stoutland. Joined us at the P2 Lab when i decided Koesneeuw wasn't good enough. You were essential in beating Brycen, but then you lost your life against Iris's gym trainers. RIP.

Minipete the Emolga. I traded NoGraveler the Boldore for you after the massacre in Wellspring Cave, and you helped the team recover from that. You had limited appearances in important battles, but we still hated to see you go down in the Opelucid Gym. RIP.

Koesneeuw the Cinccino. Came in after the Massacre at Wellspring Cave, but was quickly replaced by Bolt the Stoutland. Still, when you came back to fight the Opelucid Gym, you gave your life for our victory. RIP.

Red the Basculin. You were one of many water types, but your sacrifice still helped us beat Iris. RIP.

Plat the Stunfisk. You joined us after the Icirrus Gym, and were essential in beating Iris, but then you lost your life in Victory Road. RIP.

Ughvis the Stunfisk. Came in to replace Plat, but lost his life in the first elite four fight. RIP.

Past the Jellicent. Joined us after the Massacre in Wellspring Cave, and was pivotal in a great many battles, including against Brycen and Iris. Died in our battle against the elite four's Caitlyn. RIP.

Kitty the Zekrom. You joined our team in our most dire hour, when N was about to crush us with his Reshiram. Our victory against him is in large part thanks to you, but then you unfortunately went down against Ghetsis. Not really sure why i'm mentioning you here, since you're alive and well with N, but oh well. I hope we meet again.

Lumiere the Chandelure. Came in after the eighth gym, and played a pivotal role against the Elite Four. You were especially important against N, but then you sadly lost your life against Ghetsis. RIP.

Dolores the Audino. You came in after the massacre at Wellspring Cave, and though i tried to replace you after a lacking performance in Icirrus, you ended up proving your worth against Iris and the Elite Four. Sadly, you ended up losing your life to Ghetsis. RIP.

Leonardo the Carracosta. You also came in after the massacre in wellspring cave, and you proved pivotal agains Brycen's Ice types, as well as against Iris and the E4. You were the backbone of my team for much of the late game, which makes it extra sad when you lost your life against Ghetsis. RIP.

Item the Amoonguss. Came in after the 8th gym, and served admirably throughout victory road and the Elite Four. Was one of the last to go down against Ghetsis. RIP.

John the Excadrill. You joined the team for the fight against N, but then you lost your life when I was tricked by his zoroark. RIP.

Blargh the Shelmet. Gave his life to allow us to escape Victory Road and train up a new team to fight Ghetsis. RIP.

Irritant the Watchog. Gave his life to allow us to escape Victory Road and train up a new team to fight Ghetsis. RIP.

Nobunaga the Bisharp. Came in to fight Ghetsis, but died during training. RIP.

Vuurmot the Volcarona. Came in for revenge against Ghetsis, and died getting just that. RIP.

Ernie the Throh. Came in to replace Rioolrat and diversify my team, but died during training. RIP.

Rioolrat the Watchog. No matter how many times i tried to kick you from the team, you always seemed to worm your way back. You were pivotal in a great many battles, from Lenora all the way to Ghetsis. Then you died to a random trainer's Exeggutor. Thank you for your service, my friend. RIP.

Meh the Boldore. I never thought anything could make me care about a Boldore, but you did it. You were essential in beating Ghetsis's Eelektross and clearing much of the postgame, but then you lost your life to my stupidity. RIP.

Jessie the Seviper. You were only with us for the end of the postgame, but you valiantly gave your life to get us the victory over Cynthia. Thank you friend. RIP.

Now it's time to resume my search for Ghetsis. I will never give up this hunt. I will pursue that fiend to the ends of the earth if i have to.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The winning team:

Belle (Cinccino) lv 74
Wind Fish (Gyarados) lv 75
Talos (Golurk) lv 74
Present (Jellicent) lv 75
Ary (Aggron) lv 74

I was expecting Cynthia to switch after her spiritomb could no longer hurt me, but i guess npcs in this game don't do that. also forgot about Pressure, but i guess it no longer matters.

This challenge took far longer than i expected. I had a lot more free time than during the previous one, yet they took about as much time. Guess it didn't help that i wiped twice.

Anyway, Chapter 8: Crystal will start in a few days.

 

[There Is No Arceus]

Chapter 8: Crystal

Rules for this game will be as follows:

1. I will be playing the english-language virtual console version
2. The challenge is complete upon defeating Red
3. I will not be making use of the Game Corner
4. Legendary pokemon, roaming or otherwise, will not count as my encounter for that area.

I've been looking forward to a return to Johto. Crystal was my first pokemon game, so i have a lot of nostalgia for this region. I know the Johto games are deeply flawed, to the point that you can justifiably call them the worst pokemon games, but i don't care. i love this region. Of course, i have only played Crystal once since HGSS came out so there might be some differences that will surprise me, but i doubt this game has any curveballs to throw my way.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After searching for months, i have come to conclude that Ghetsis is probably no longer in New York. A news report tells me that there has been a recent surge in crime in the Kansai - sorry, "Johto" - region, so my suspicions are that Ghetsis may be hiding with those crooks. I guess i should be returning to Japan anyway to see my mom again. Luckily, she has recently moved to a place called New Bark Town located in the Kansai, so that will be where i'm heading. She thought i was currently training on Mt. Silver for some reason, but i'll let that slide.

I spend the night in my room in mom's place, then the next morning she tells me the local professor, a fella named Elm, was looking for me. She also gives me a Pokegear, which is less advanced than the pokenavs and rotom phones i have owned in the past, but i guess it'll be useful. Anyway, i head over to Elm's lab and he asks me to do him a favor. He wants me to raise one of the three pokemon he caught recently. I had to leave all of my pokemon behind in New York when i came here, so i gladly accept his Totodile, which i nickname Toto. Elm then asks me to head over to his friend Mr. Pokemon and pick up some oddity the guy came across. Do i look like some errand girl? ugh, fine, i'll just do it.

I head through Cherrygrove City, where a guy feels the need to explain to me what a pokemon center and a poke mart are. He does give me a map card for my pokegear though, so i guess we're cool. I head up north from here and find Mr. Pokemon's house. He apparently got some kind of weird egg from the day-care couple and wants to show Elm. Not sure how this egg differs from other pokemon eggs, but whatever. Professor Oak, the senile old man from Kanto, is also visiting here right now. Probably not a good idea for someone with dementia to wander this far from his home though. does his family even know he's here? should i contact my old rival Ben so he can pick up his grandpa before he gets lost? of course, it comes as no surprise to me that Oak does not recognise me; he does not remember me abandoning his pokedex quest, so he gives me a new pokedex to gather the data on all the pokemon in the Kansai. I just smile and nod along; not gonna do it though. Oak then mentions heading to Osaka - sorry, "Goldenrod City", and since i can't stop him and send him back to Pallet Town, the only thing i can do is give him the directions and hope he doesn't forget them and get lost.

Just as i leave the house, Elm calls me and tells me to return to his lab ASAP. As i head back though, i run into a trainer with a Chikorita that looks an awful lot like the one Elm had. Toto scratches the thing to death, but this asshat tells me that this means nothing and he's gonna become the strongest trainer ever. He tells me his name is Mark and i should be prepared for the next time we meet. Whatever; this isn't the first dipshit with delusions of grandeur i come across. I return to New Bark and find the cops investigating the lab. When i speak with the cop, he tells me that a Chikorita was indeed stolen from here, so i tell him Mark's name. I then hand the mystery egg to Elm, and he tells me about the gym challenge that i already know about, being the champion of 7 regions and all. His aid then gives me some poke balls to start on my journey.

I say goodbye to mom once again, and head out onto route 29, where i catch myself a Sentret that i name Timon. A quick excursion onto route 46 lets me get my hands on a spearow, which i name Nigeria. This seems to be a dead end though, so i head back to route 29 and on to Cherrygrove. From cherrygrove, i head north to route 30 and catch Rommel the Caterpie. I will not be training Rommel, but i guess it is now time to train up my other two new catches. After i'm done with that, i head through route 30 and onto route 31, where i find another Caterpie and name it Blargh. There's a cave on this route, but it's too dark to properly explore, so after catching a Geodude and naming it Armstein, i head back out. On the other end of route 31, i reach Violet City, a nice, rustic town with a big pagoda that seems to swing back and forth. This pagoda might hold some interesting pokemon, but i'm first going to explore the route down south, Route 32. A man there blocks my way through, but i can get to the mysterious ruins of alph. There's nothing here though aside from some puzzles i can't seem to figure out. Eh, i'll come back later.

I head back to Violet and head to the pagoda, which is apparently called Sprout Tower due to its central column shaking like a bellsprout. I encounter a Rattata here, which i catch and name Pettigrew, then i decide that this is a nice place to train Armstein up. After Armstein is a decent level, i proceed with climbing the tower, and face off against a ton of sages who all seem to only use bellsprout. When i reach the top, i see Mark has just battled and defeated the elder, who scolds him for not treating his pokemon well but still gives him HM05 Flash. Mark scoffs at this and uses an Escape Tope to head off. It's not my turn to challenge the elder, Sage Li. He leads with Bellsprout and i lead with Nigeria. Peck two-shots as vine whip does next to nothing, and Li sends out his Hoothoot, so i switch to Armstein. He can barely hurt me, so a great many tackles later, he goes down. Li's last mon is another Bellsprout, so i switch back to Nigeria, who one-shots it with peck. As a reward for winning, Li gives me HM05 Flash, but i'll need to get the gym badge from this town before i can use it.

I think i'll call it a day for now.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My current team:

Toto (Totodile) lv 7
Timon (Sentret) lv 8
Nigeria (Spearow) lv 10
Armstein (Geodude) lv 9
Blargh (Caterpie) lv 4
Rommel (Caterpie) lv 4

I love this game. Those retro sprites. That retro music. It all brings me back to when i was a little girl, trading pokemon with my friends at school or staying up past my bedtime to look for rare nighttime pokemon. i love gen 2.

 

[FelipePR]

Spoiler: Best Score Pokémon Game

Pokemon SoulSilver Version

Return to the beloved Johto region first introduced in the Pokémon Gold and Silver Version games for the portable Game Boy system. Several new enhancements for the series, such as updated graphics and touch screen features, enrich these timeless adventures, and the new Pokéwalker accessory...

www.metacritic.com

 

[There Is No Arceus]

Spoiler: Best Score Pokémon Game

Pokemon SoulSilver Version

Return to the beloved Johto region first introduced in the Pokémon Gold and Silver Version games for the portable Game Boy system. Several new enhancements for the series, such as updated graphics and touch screen features, enrich these timeless adventures, and the new Pokéwalker accessory...

www.metacritic.com

Aye, HGSS is awesome. i don't think it's the best in the series, but it most definitely is everything a remake should be. I'll play it later in this series though; for now, i'm playing Crystal.

 

[There Is No Arceus]

Time to tackle the gym. This is a flying gym, so no one will have to sit this one out. There is no gym puzzle here; i just need to fight my way through the gym trainers. I manage this and make my way to the gym leader, Falkner. He leads with his Pidgey and i lead with Armstein. I take him out with three tackles, but his mud-slaps have caused my accuracy to go down the drain. Because of this, i switch to Nigeria as Falkner sends out his Pidgeotto. His gusts do more damage than my pecks, so i have to switch Armstein in again on a gust. Two mud-slaps bring me in crit range, so i opt to sack Blargh to bring Toto in. Toto proceeds to scratch away at the big chicken and take him down, earning me my first Kansai gym badge.

The moment i step outside the gym, i get a call from Professor Elm. He discovered something about the egg i gave him, and wants me to speak to his assistant in the pokemon center here. The assistant gives me the egg, and tells me to contact the professor when it hatches. I really dislike how this professor treats me as his errand girl, but sure, i'll work with him on this. I do not currently have a full party, so i'll just drag the egg around.

Now that i have the badge, the guy on Route 32 will finally let me pass. I catch myself a Bellsprout on this route, which i nickname Jinglebell. Jinglebell will be joining the team, which means Rommel is out. I proceed further down this pleasant grassland route when some guy offers to sell me a Slowpoketail. I'm kinda hungry, but i don't have enough money to buy it, so i refuse. There's also a pokemon center here in the middle of nowhere for some reason. I heal up, then i head on. There's a cave i'm going to have to traverse, the Union Cave. This natural grotto is quite pretty, with the way the subterranean water flows through the rocks. I catch a Zubat here, which i name Harkon. Harkon will be going in the box for now, but might get some use later on. I make my way through and find myself on route 33, where i catch another Geodude and name it Brapierre.

This short path leads me to Azalea Town, where i see what look like Team Rocket grunts. I thought those guys had disbanded years ago. If Ghetsis is here in the region, he's probably hiding with these guys. I look around for some allies in my fight against the crooks, and find the ballmaker Kurt. The guy explains what's going on; apparently team rocket are cutting off slowpoke tails to sell for profit. He heads on ahead of me into the slowpoke well; i follow him, but when i arrive, i see that Kurt has hurt himself while entering and can't go on. Guess it's up to me. I catch another Zubat here, which i name Serana. Then i head on to defeat all the rocket grunts here. I fight my way to the admin and challenge him to a battle so that he will answer my questions. He sends out his Koffing and i lead with Armstein. He poisons me, but other than that, there's very little he can do as i take him down with repeated rock throws. I won, but unfortunately the rockets here manage to flee before i can ask them about Ghetsis's whereabouts.

Kurt then takes me back to his home in Azalea and heals my pokemon. I decide it's probably a good idea to train a but before i challenge the gym here, so i head back down the slowpoke well for that. After a little while of this training, i decide to see if the Ilex Forest west of here has some interesting pokemon to train on, but as i exit the city, that thief Mark shows up. He does not believe i beat team rocket, and challenges me to a battle to show how tough he is. He leads with Gastly and i lead with Timon. We cannot hurt each other, so i just use a bunch of defense curls while he repeatedly puts me to sleep. He runs out of PP first and starts struggling, so after a while i have to switch to Jinglebell. Jinglebell brings him into the red, but then gets too badly damaged to stay in so i send out Toto. Against Toto, Gastly finally goes down to struggle recoil. Next up is Mark's Bayleef, so i switch to Nigeria. To my surprise, his not very effective razor leafs do almost half while my pecks do far less than i thought they would. This is going wrong. I end up having to sacrifice Nigeria so that Timon can come in. Timon's quick attack brings him into the red, but then Timon too falls. Jinglebell comes out and hits a wrap as Bayleef growls, then he tanks a razor leaf and kills the grass dino. Last is Mark's Zubat, for which i switch to Armstein. Bite gets a flinch on me, but i manage to OHKO with a crit rock throw on turn two.

We won, but at great cost. Timon and Nigeria have lost their lives today. Rest in peace, friends. Their places will be taken by Serana the Zubat and Pettigrew the Rattata. I'll train these guys up later; for now, i'm calling it a day.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My current team:

Armsteen (Geodude) lv 14
Toto (Totodile) lv 12
Jinglebell (Bellsprout) lv 14
Serana (Zubat) lv 6
Pettigrew (Rattata) lv 3
Egg

Should have realised Bayleef would be this strong. it's an evolved pokemon after all. i have no one but myself to blame.

 

[There Is No Arceus]

I head into the Ilex Forest and catch myself a Weedle there, which i name Waardeloos. I start my training, and while i'm doing so, Elm's egg hatches into a Togepi. I nickname it Ei and i will bring it to the professor when i have time. For now, it's going in the box and Waardeloos is joining us as fodder.

After i'm done with my training, it's time for the gym. This is a bug gym, so no one will have to sit this one out. There's no puzzle here; this gym is just a pleasant array of shrubs and greenery. I fight my way past the gym trainers and to the gym leader Bugsy. He leads with his Metapod and i lead with Toto. Three water guns take him out; he only lands a single tackle for 3 damage. Next is Kakuna so i switch to Serana. After repeatedly biting away at the thing, it goes down. Last is Bugsy's ace; his Scyther. I send out Armstein and launch a Rock Throw for the OHKO. Badge 2 is done.

I think i'll call it a day for now.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My current team:

Pettigrew (Rattata) lv 14
Serana (Zubat) lv 14
Jinglebell (Bellsprout) lv 15
Toto (Totodile) lv 15
Armstein (Geodude) lv 17
Waardeloos (Weedle) lv 5

 

[c la fet]

Jinglebell (Bellsprout) lv 15

lmao

 

[There Is No Arceus]

With two badges in hand, i head back into the Ilex Forest. In this dark, gloomy forest, i run into a guy looking for an escaped Farfetch'd. Said Farfetch'd apparently belongs to the woodcutter here and is essential for gathering timber. I opt to help out, and find the farfetch'd deeper in the forest. It's scared of me and runs away, but i eventually manage to guide it back to the Cutter and his assistant. As thanks, he gives me HM01 Cut, which i can use to progress further through the forest. I teach said HM to Jinglebells, intending to forget Growth, but i accidentally had it forget Vine Whip instead, which is bad. I should head on though. There's a shrine here to the forest's protector; i pay my respects and head on. No chance i'm ever meeting this protector spirit anyway. Deeper into the forest, i run into a guy who hands me TM02 Headbutt, which can apparently be used to get wild pokemon to fall from trees.

I take this TM back to Azalea, where i take Brapierre the Geodude from the box and teach it to him. Brapierre smashes his head against the trees by Kurt's house, and a Spearow falls out. I catch it and name it Seychelles. With that, Brapierre goes back in the box and it's time for me to head on. I pass through Ilex Forest to Route 34, where i catch Kutrat the Rattata. There's a day care here; the same day care in fact that gave Elm the Togepi egg. They offer me yet another egg, but i do not have room in my party so that'll have to wait a little. I head on through the route and find myself in the city of Osaka. These giant metropolises aren't really my thing with regards to tourism, but i decide to explore the town a bit anyway. A guy in the bike shop gives me a free bike so that i can advertise his shop, but i prefer to walk. anyway, i head for the pokemon center after that and deposit my fodder so that i can accept the egg from the day care man. Thinking about what might hatch from this gets me so excited that i hop on my new bike and start hyperactively cycling across town. As i'm doing this, the egg hatches and a Smoochum emerges. I name it Ai and start training it up to be a member of my team.

After i'm done training, i explore Osaka a bit more, including the tunnel that runs under the city. I beat all the trainers there, then i decide to call it a day for now.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My current team:

Ai (Smoochum) lv 16
Pettigrew (Rattata) lv 17
Jinglebell (Bellsprout) lv 16
Toto (Totodile) lv 17
Armstein (Geodude) lv 18
Serana (Zubat) lv 16

 

[There Is No Arceus]

I've heard that the gym leader here in Osaka is one of the toughest out there, so i opt to skip that battle for now. Instead, i'm going to explore a bit up north. A guy in the city gates asks me to bring his Spearow named Kenya to his friend on route 31. Guess what pal, i'm not your errand girl, and this spearow is mine now. I'm not even gonna write its name in all caps. Anyway, after committing this theft, i head on to route 35, where Toto evolves into Croconaw. I'm not sure if this evolution gives me sufficient firepower to beat the gym leader, so i continue exploring the route. I find myself a Snubbull in the grass, which i catch and name Demon. This route also houses an entrance to the National Park, one of the most pleasant locales in Kansai for a picknick. I come across a female Nidoran here, so i catch it and name it Mauw.

When i'm done enjoying the serene beauty of the park, i head on to route 36. The road here is blocked by a strange tree though; Cut doesn't work. The lady standing next to the tree tells me that it acted weirdly when it came into contact with water, so i guess it would be a good idea for me to head to the flower shop in Osaka and get myself a squirtbottle or something. The lady there won't lend me one though; i apparently have to beat the gym first. which doesn't make sense, but i guess i'll just start training for that then. After a short training session, i head into the gym. This is a normal gym, so no one will have to sit this one out. The gym puzzle revolves around navigating a maze in the shape of a Clefairy. I manage this and make my way to the gym leader Whitney. She leads with her Clefairy and i lead with Pettigrew. I two-shot with Hyper Fang while she brings me over half HP with a doubleslap. Then it's time for Whitney's Miltank. I send out Armstein and start spamming Magnitude, interspersed with the occasional Dig to break Miltank's rollout streak. After that crybaby Whitney stops sobbing about her defeat, she gives me my third Kansai badge, meaning i can now head to the flower shop and get the squirtbottle.

With the squirtbottle in hand, i head back to the strange tree and soak it. Turns out this is a Sudowoodo; it's not pleased by the water and attacks me. In a panic, i throw a poke ball at it, and it stays put. I name this thing Professor and head on to route 37, where i catch Birdyman the Pidgey. After i've passed through this short route, i find myself in Kyoto - sorry, "Ecruteak City", the cultural capital of Japan. This city's iconic Tin Tower attracts visitors from across the globe, and for good reason. Before i go to the touristy spots though, i heal up in the pokemon center, where i actually run into my old friend Bill. Guy apparently invented a time machine, but considering how his previous invention turned him into a pokemon, i'm not trusting this one. He invites me to come visit him in Osaka, so i guess i'll go there at some point.

Right now though, i'm exploring the city. The iconic Tin Tower is unfortunately inaccessible to anyone who hasn't yet beaten the gym here, so i can only gaze at it from a distance. So i head for another of Kyoto's tourist attractions, the dancing Kimono Girls. Turns out these lovely ladies are also trainers, using all the Eevee evolutions except for Leafeon, Glaceon and Sylveon. After i defeat these beauties in battle, a guy from the audience comes up to me and tells me how impressed he is that i beat all five of them, and hands me HM03 Surf as a reward. I teach this move to Toto immediately, but unfortunately i cannot use it until i get the badge here. Since you apparently need the badge for everything here, i decide to head for the gym, but the gym leader isn't there. I'll go looking for him next time; for now, i'm calling it a day.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My current team:

Ai (Smoochum) lv 19
Serana (Zubat) lv 19
Jinglebell (Bellsprout) lv 19
Toto (Croconaw) lv 20
Pettigrew (Rattata) lv 19
Armstein (Geodude) lv 21

i expected Whitney to pose more of a challenge than that. i guess a good strategy and a female geodude come a long way in beating what could otherwise be a strong opponent.

 

[There Is No Arceus]

Since i have time to kill before the Gym Leader gets back, i decide to visit the Burned Tower. I expect i need the badge for this like with the Tin Tower, but they just let me in. The moment i step inside, i meet this fellow called Eusine, who's hunting a pokemon called Suicune. There's apparently a rumor going around that it's here in this tower, but it's nowhere to be found. Anyway, i encounter another Rattata here, which i catch and name Skeever. I also run into that asshat Mark here, who is frustrated that he found no strong pokemon and takes it out on me with a battle. He leads with his Haunter and i lead with Serana. Serana gets paralyzed from one of Haunter's many Licks, but does eventually take the thing down with a great many Bites. Next is Magnemite, so i send out Armstein and one-shot with dig after taking heavy damage from sonicboom. that infernal Bayleef that killed two of my pokemon in Azalea then comes out, so i switch to Jinglebell, who lands a poisonpowder as Bayleef sets up Reflect. I then wrap him and start Cutting away as Razor Leaf does pitiful damage to me. Bayleef eventually goes down, and last is Zubat. I decide that this is Ai's job, but after a Powder Snow does half damage, confuse ray confuses me so i opt to switch. Pettigrew comes in on a Leech Life and finishes the Zubat off.

After this battle, the ground under my feet suddenly gives way and i find myself in a room with three cat-like pokemon. two of them head off immediately, but the third one takes an interest in me before heading off. Eusine then shows up, having dug a hole to this basement too. He tells me that the pokemon i just interacted with was that Suicune thing he's trying to get his hands on. dunno why he's chasing it though; it's pretty ugly.

Anyway, i decide to go do some training while waiting for the gym leader to come back. During this training, Pettigrew evolves into Raticate, giving me some much needed offense, though it probably will not do much against the upcoming ghost gym. Jinglebell also evolves into Weepinbell, but since it forgot its only grass move when i taught it cut, it also can't really hurt ghosts and thus won't be all that good in the gym.

My training's done though. The gym leader seems to be back, so it's gym time. This is a ghost gym, so Ai will be sitting this one out. Some of my other mons will also have limited use, but i'm not leaving them behind as they might contribute in some way. Anyway, Waardeloos the Weedle will be joining us as fodder. The gym challenge here revolves around navigating an invisible floor. While i am doing this and fighting the gym trainers, Serana actually evolves into Golbat, which will give me some nice firepower against the gym leader Morty. Speaking of morty, i manage to cross the invisible floors and reach him, so i challenge him to a battle. Before we battle, he tells me of his desire to see the rainbow pokemon, but i don't really care much. He leads with Gastly and i lead with the newly evolved Serana. Bite two-shots as he launches a spite i don't care about. Up next is his first Haunter, for which i keep Serana in; bite deals half damage and the curse he puts on me deals the other half. Two mons down without taking damage. Now though it's time for his ace, Gengar. I send out Armstein and go for a dig as he misses a hypnosis. This does not kill though, and he puts me to sleep. I'm forced to switch now; Toto comes in on a Dream Eater and bites the thing to the red as it misses another Hypnosis. The next hypnosis does hit though, putting Toto to sleep too. Serana comes in on another dream eater, but gets put to sleep before she can do anything. At this point, i decide to start switching back and forth between Pettigrew and Armstein to waste his PP for hypnosis and dream eater. After he's out of dream eaters, i keep Armstein in, who tanks a shadow ball, wakes up and kills with magnitude. Last is his other Haunter, so i keep Armstein in and kill him with Dig after tanking a night shade. Victory is mine.

This new badge allows me to surf on water, an ability i try out in the pond in northeastern Kyoto. I find a Poliwag here, which i catch and name Tajiri. I also head for the Tin Tower now that i have the badge, but the guy there tells me that because the legendary beasts at large, tourists are barred from visiting the holy site. lame, but i guess i'll respect their wishes.

Before i resume my journey, i decide to head back to Osaka to visit my friend Bill. Bill tells me that when he was working on his time machine thing, an Eevee came out of it and is now in need of a home. He gives me the Eevee as a token of our friendship and as thanks for everything i did to help his friend Celio on the Sevii Isles. I nickname this eevee Buibui, but i think it's time to call it a day for now.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My current team:

Ai (Smoochum) lv 21
Jinglebell (Weepinbell) lv 21
Armstein (Geodude) lv 23
Pettigrew (Raticate) lv 21
Serana (Golbat) lv 23
Toto (Croconaw) lv 23

 

[There Is No Arceus]

I head back north to Kyoto and then east onto route 42, a riverside route with a view over Mt. Mortar. This mountain is not as impressive as Mt. Silver to the east and pales in comparison to Hokkaido's Mt. Coronet, but it's still a nice sight. I encounter a Goldeen on the water here, which i catch and nickname Ponyo. After this, i decide to explore the mountain's interior, where i catch a raticate and name it Plague Rat. This is a dead end without Strength or Waterfall though, so i head on through route 42 and to Mahogany Town. There's advertisements for ragecandybars everywhere in this town, but i'm not hungry. I hear a rumor that there are Gyarados rampaging up north in the Lake of Rage, so i head onto Route 43 to investigate. There's an outrageously high toll on the road here, but i guess i'll just pay it. Anyway, i catch a Pidgeotto here and name it Vlieger. After i've made my way through to the Lake of Rage, i spot the rampaging Gyarados everyone's going on about; it's red for some reason. I surf up to it, and it just attacks me out of nowhere. I try to catch it, but i end up having to put it down for the safety of my pokemon. I do get something out of this though; a Red Scale that i can probably give to someone in exchange for something nice.

When i get back to the shore, i see my old friend Lance, the guy i left in charge of the Indigo Pokemon League. He tells me that a strange broadcast from Mahogany is causing the magikarp here to evolve prematurely, and asks me to help investigate. We head back there and to the souvernir shop, where Lance outright murders a man with his dragonite's Hyper Beam. Lance then reveals he found a secret entrance to a team rocket base here. We agree to split up and search for the machine they're using to evolve the magikarp, as well as any hints that Ghetsis might be hiding with these people. As i'm searching, a Koffing pops up as part of a trap, but i manage to catch it before it blows itself up. I name it Rauchball, but it will be going into the box. Anyway, we quickly discover that we will need two passwords to get into the boss's room, so we set out to seek out the rocket grunts who would know these passwords. As i'm fighting my way through hordes of Rocket Grunts, Armstein evolves into Graveler, meaning the backbone of my team can now perform its backboning even better.

Deeper into the base, i come across that asshat Mark. He tells me that Lance just beat his pokemon, and told him off for not loving his mons. He's quite upset, but he can't battle me right now, as his pokemon have all been defeated. Anyway, i use the two passwords i've learned, "Slowpoketail" and "Raticate's Tail" to gain entry to the boss's room. I challenge the Admin there to a battle; he leads with Zubat and i lead with Pettigrew. Hyper Fang OHKOs, and next is the Admin's own Raticate. I switch to Armstein for this; a crit Dig and a magnitude take him out. Last is his Koffing; i keep Armstein in and go for a Dig, which OHKOs. The admin runs off before i can interrogate him about the generator room's password, but his murkrow tells me that the password is Hail Giovanni. These guys seriously need to move on; Giovanni left them three years ago. Anyway, i head to the generator room and enter the password, but the rocket admin i stopped back in the Sevii Isles runs up to me and challenges me to a battle along with a grunt. Fortunately, Lance comes to my rescue and battles the grunt while i take on the admin. She leads with Arbok and i lead with Pettigrew. A crit Hyper Fang leaves him with a sliver, and my following quick atack gets the kill. Next is Gloom, so i switch to Ai. Confusion two-shots, and last is the admin's Murkrow. I turn to Armstein for this, and two-shot with rock throw.

Team rocket is now defeated, but unfortunately none of the rockets i interrogated knew anything about Ghetsis. Maybe i was wrong in thinking he was involved in the crime spree here. Anyway, to turn off the generator and stop the magikarp from evolving, i have to beat the Electrode powering it. After i've done this, Lance hands me HM06 Whirlpool for helping him, and we head our separate ways.

I think i'll call it a day for now.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My current team:

Toto (Croconaw) lv 24
Ai (Smoochum) lv 24
Jinglebell (Weepinbell) lv 24
Pettigrew (Raticate) lv 24
Serana (Golbat) lv 24
Armstein (Graveler) lv 27

I know you're supposed to head west first, but i prefer doing the Mahogany stuff before i head to Olivine, so as to spread out the Team Rocket stuff. Johto's level curve is all over the place anyway.

 

[There Is No Arceus]

Now that the local Team Rocket threat has been dealt with, i decide to get some training in before i challenge the gym here. Once this training is done, I head for the gym. This is an ice gym, so Jinglebell, Serana and Armstein will be sitting this one out. Instead, i'm bringing Waardeloos the Weedle, Rommel the Caterpie and Kutrat the Rattata as death fodder. The puzzle here is one of those ice sliding puzzles like we've seen before in Snowpoint City. I manage to find my way to the gym leader Pryce, and i challenge him to a battle. He leads with his Seel and i lead with Ai. My first Confusion confuses him and causes him to hit himself constantly, allowing me to kill him without damage. Second is Dewgong, for which i switch to Pettigrew. Two hyper fangs and a quick attack spell the death of this monster, in part due to a flinch. Last is his ace, Piloswine, so i switch to Toto. Surf two-shots while all he can do in return is Icy Wind. Another gym leader who barely posed a challenge, though it should be noted that one of his gym trainers almost killed Pettigrew.

With five badges in hand, i wonder where i should go next. The road to the east is blocked, so i guess i should be heading back to Kyoto. For now though, i'm calling it a day.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My current team:

Ai (Smoochum) lv 27
Pettigrew (Raticate) lv 28
Toto (Croconaw) lv 28
Serana (Golbat) lv 27
Jinglebell (Weepinbell) lv 27
Armstein (Graveler) lv 27