Unovia's Pokemon Diamond "Nostalgia Run"

[Unovia]

At this point, this is the first exposure to Mt. Coronet, the major mountain of the Sinnoh Region. It separates Sinnoh West from Sinnoh East, almost making Sinnoh act like two distinct Regions. Unfortunately, at this entrance, you can't do too much, since there are Strength Boulders in the way. The only positive is that Mt. Coronet has higher level Pokemon than the ones outside the mountain. Also, there are some pretty rare Pokemon here. I got the really rare Cleffa here!

Since we couldn't really explore, I decided to move back to the battle with Gardenia. In the next Log, we will run through the Eterna City Gym and beat Gardenia. Until then, we will see you!

 

[Greninjaman]

I predict that Gardenia will not be a problem. After all, you got a FIRE type.

 

[Unovia]

My Team:
Caesar (Monferno)-Level 20
Valkyrie (Staravia)-Level 20
Sphinx (Luxio)-Level 20
Roosevelt (Rosalia)-Level 20
Bubblegum (Shellos)-Level 20

Standing outside the Gym, I took a deep breath, and walked in. I saw Gardenia ready to meet me. She challenged me to take her Gym on, then departed inside.

Gym Puzzle: The Puzzle is very tricky, since you have to battle each trainer individually once you solve out the clues. I like the one in Platinum better (the flower clock).

Gym Trainers: The Trainers are not too difficult, but they do set you up rather nicely for Gardenia. Them being part of the Puzzle is a nice touch.

Gym Leader: Gardenia opened with Cherubi (Level 19), and I opened with Caesar (Level 21). One Flame Wheel took it out in an OHKO. Next was Turtwig (Level 19), and I switched to Valkyrie (Level 21). I was able to hit with Wing Attack, which almost took down Turtwig an an OHKO, but it survived on a sliver. Turtwig used Withdraw, raising stats as Gardenia healed it. I hit again with Wing Attack, which, due to the Withdraw, needed 2 hits instead of 1. Finally was her big bad Roserade (Level 22). I changed back to Caesar, who hit hard with Flame Wheel. I was hoping for a burn, but it didn't happen. Roserade tried and failed to use Stun Spore, then struck with Magical Leaf, even though it was clear that Gardenia was hoping for a Status Ailment first, considering Roserade has Poison Sting & Stun Spore. Magical Leaf didn't do much to Caesar, however, and another Flame Wheel beat it down. 2nd Badge down!

Now that we have Cut, we will focus on Cutting some trees in areas that we have gone through previously. First, however, it's FRIDAY tomorrow, meaning it's time to catch Drifloon at the Valley Windworks. In the next Log, we will catch Drifloon, then focus on cutting trees down. Until then, we will see you!

 

[Greninjaman]

Nice. Your team is looking great so far. I had a feeling this Gym was going to be easy, though it seems Gardenia put up a bit more of a fight.

 

[Unovia]

Nice. Your team is looking great so far. I had a feeling this Gym was going to be easy, though it seems Gardenia put up a bit more of a fight.

Yeah, but Roserade is always a bit problematic.

 

[Greninjaman]

Yeah, but Roserade is always a bit problematic.

Yeah. If you're not careful. At least you had an easier time with her then I did with Erika.

 

[Unovia]

Before I turned my focus to hunting down Cuttable trees, I decided to travel to the Valley Windworks. On Fridays, a single Drifloon floats in front of the Windworks. This Drifloon is going to eventually be one of my HM users, specializing in the use of Defog (HM05) and Fly (HM02). It came in at Level 22 and took quite a bit to capture. Eventually I did, however.

With Cut acquired, I walked around a few areas that had Cuttable Trees. I could have gone to the northern part of Route 204, but I didn't want to go back there, since it would take quite a bit to get back, especially for a worthless TM (TM78-Captivate), so I decided to skip it in favor of the trees near, and in, Eterna Forest. I decided Kricketune would be my "Cut Master". Cutting the trees in the end of Eterna Forest, I ran into an old Mansion, the Old Chateau. In the next Log, we will go through the Old Chateau. Until then, we will see you!

 

[Greninjaman]

I hope you're not afraid of ghosts.
Speaking of the place, I wonder what they will do with the building's spirits of the old man and the little girl for the Diamond and Pearl remakes, since they don't do anything.

 

[Unovia]

	Walking into the old, clearly abandoned mansion, I was a bit nervous, uncertain of the Pokemon I would find inside. It was rather easy for me to collect the items, but the place is a maze. I managed to catch a Gastly, which I will probably use to Mean Look fast runners (Cresselia & Mesprit) later in the run.
	The most significant Pokemon in the Mansion is Rotom, which occupies the TV in one of the abandoned rooms. In Platinum, it is easier to catch Rotom because it appears much earlier, but in Diamond & Pearl, Rotom is only available at the Chateau in the post game.

Leaving the Mansion, and Eterna Forest, behind, I went back to Eterna City and cut the trees in front of the mysterious building in the city. Hopefully, I will be able to explore it and see what is going on there. In the next Log, we will take a look around the building. Until then, we will see you!

 

[Unovia]

I hope you're not afraid of ghosts.
Speaking of the place, I wonder what they will do with the building's spirits of the old man and the little girl for the Diamond and Pearl remakes, since they don't do anything.

That is a big question. I know that using the Dual Slot feature, you can catch Gengar, so I am hoping that will be possible. I also hope that Rotom will be available as soon as you go to the Chateau.

 

[Unovia]

I came into the mysterious building, only to discover it is a Team Galactic Building! None the less, I was ready for them.

There are quite a few grunts here, more than there were in the Valley Windworks, suggesting a larger percentage of support for this side of whatever they are planning. Jupiter, the Commander for this mission, does suggest that Team Galactic is trying to create a new world by understanding the legends of Sinnoh. It was easy to sweep the grunts, since they used Bug types. Thank you Caesar!

Getting to the 5th floor of the building, I see Jupiter taunting a bike salesman. I had never actually gone into the bike shop before this encounter, so... Going into this battle, I set up Sphinx (Luxio) and Bubblegum (Shellos), moving the Quick Claw to Bubblegum, hoping to use the item to boost its speed. Hint, it did not happen. Jupiter opened with Zubat (Level 18), and I opened with Sphinx (Level 22). One Spark lead to an OHKO on Zubat. The real challenge is Skunktank (Level 20). Let's make this clear. Stunky does not evolve to Skuntank until Level 34, unless she caught one directly on Routes 221 and Routes 225. Even so, there is no physical way that you can get a Level 20 Skunktank. Moving on from my rant, I used Bubblegum (Level 22) against her Skunktank. This thing can poison if it stays up too long, though it largely decided to lower my stats with Screech. In addition, if you lower the HP enough, it packs a Sitrus Berry, allowing Skunktank to get a few more hits in potentially. I just focused on constant use of Mud Bomb, which eventually took it down. So grateful for his rescue, the bike man gave me a bike when I came to his shop.

I am going to take some time and get my HM team up in Levels and then move onto Route 206 & Wayward Cave. Until then, we will see you!

 

[Unovia]

Before I take a few days to train up my HM team, I decided to take on Route 206 & Wayward Cave. Route 206 is Cycling Road, and there are quite a few trainers here, and it was nice to actually use my bike. Besides, I wanted to do a few captures and get a new team member. Speaking of the new team member, I want to have a short discussion about the comparison between Stunky (which I named Josephine) and Skorupi (which, once I capture it, will be named Skorpios). I also captured a Bronzor.

Pros: -You get Stunky pretty early in the game. -Comes already set with the Poison/Dark typing. -Faster speed (74) than Skorupi (65) -Skunktank is a good placeholder for Drapion. Cons: -Stunky has to be babied for a while before it can be useful.

Pros: -Skorupi gives an active moveset from the get go. -Drapion has a faster speed (95) than Skunktank (84) -Drapion can be very tanky, taking a lot more hits. -I prefer Drapion over Skunktank. Cons: -Skorupi can come in mid-game. -It's home is the Great Marsh, and it is a tough capture.

I couldn't really explore Wayward Cave too much, since you need Flash. I did find the secret entrance, where Gible is available, but I can't get to the exact location without the use of Strength. Once I got done with checking out Route 206, I ran into Dawn, who complemented me on my seen Pokemon. I also got the VS Seeker. I have to train Josephine up (she came in at Level 14) to Level 22-23. I will also get the HM Team set up to Level 22. Should not take too long.

In the next Log, we will explore Route 207, Southern Mount Coronet, & Route 208. It will take a bit to do. Please be patient with me! Until then, we will see you!

 

[Unovia]

It took a while to train up Josephine (Level 24), but once I was ready, I went from Route 207 to Mt. Coronet.

In Mt. Coronet, I ran into a blue haired dude who was talking about a "new world". Just as quickly as he came, he left, allowing me to continue on. Just what was he talking about?

Completing my momentum through Mt. Coronet, I came into a crossroads of a few bridges (Route 208). The experience never hurts, so I decided to take my time to clear out the trainers. I saw a house that was the Berry Master's House. The Berry Master gave me a few berries and I continued on my way to the next City, Hearthome City. In the next Log, we will explore Hearthome City. Until then, we will see you!

 

[Unovia]

In Hearthome City, I explored every location, meeting and talking to Bebe, who runs the PC System, the Pokemon Fan Club, the Poffin House, the Foreign Building, & the Pokemon Hotel. A fisherman met me, leading me to the Contest Hall, where a woman in purple met with me. Fantina.

She talked to me about how she was a contest star, then discussed her role as a Gym Leader, saying "I am not ready for her yet". In Platinum, she is the 3rd Gym Leader, while in Diamond & Pearl, she is the 5th. One day, we will be battling her (Log #38). After Fantina left, I went into the Contest Hall, where Mom surprised me. She gave me a tuxedo, hoped I would participate in the Contests, then left.

As I was running through town, Barry met up with me, and we battled. This was the first time since Route 203 where we met up.

Barry opened with Starly (Level 19). Bubblegum (Level 23) OHKOed it. Bubblegum also beat Ponyta (Level 20) with an OHKO. Roselia (Level 20) battled Valkyrie (Level 23), using Stun Spore, though Valkyrie fought through it and beat it down. Finally Valkyrie battled Prinplup (Level 21). A few hits and Prinplup went down.

As I finished there and considered going to Route 209 & Lost Tower, I got an egg from a hiker. What will come from it? Hopefully soon, we will find out. In the next Log, we will go to Route 209 & Lost Tower, also collecting an Odd Keystone. We may be able to check out the tower there. Until then, we will see you!

 

[Unovia]

Before I left Hearthome City for Route 209, I left Hearthome City back for the Cycling Road, hoping to use it to hatch the mystery egg. After about 20 Minutes of riding up and down the Cycling Road, the egg hatched into a Happiny, which I quickly boxed. Just as quickly, I rode back to Hearthome City, then traveled east, onto Route 209. I trained by beating the trainers, eventually coming to the Hallowed Tower.

The Hallowed Tower is interesting, for if you bring the Odd Keystone here and have 32 friends in the Underground, you can find a Spiritomb, which would be a fantastic member for any team, especially since in this Generation Spiritomb is weak to nothing (It would not get a type it is weak to until Fairy in Generation VI). Too bad I can't get it. Rest well, you demon.

Moving on, I climbed the Lost Tower, where there were a lot of battles, which at the end, rewarded me with HM04 Strength (which I can't use until after I beat Byron). To close out this Log, I settled into Solaceon Town to rest after the long journey. In the next Log, we will explore Solaceon Town & the Solaceon Ruins. Until then, we will see you!

 

[Unovia]

Solaceon Town is a place where a Pokemon Daycare is next to a ruin cave. It is an ancient town that is somehow connected to the Unown. After I explored the town (there isn't much here), I went to the Ruins.

In Solaceon Ruins, there are the Unown, making this area similar to the Ruins of Alph in Johto. There are several items at the lowest point of the ruins. In order to get there, however, there are a number of directions that you have to take. Top Right, Lower Left, Top Right, Top Left, Top Left, Lower Left Once I grabbed the items (I missed a chance to catch an Unown), I left there for Route 210.

On Route 210, there were a group of Psyduck.

These Psyduck pose a roadblock, stopping much progress beyond them onto Route 210. There has to be a way to counter that. While I was in the area, I bought a few Moomoo Milks and had a few battles at the nearby restaurant, then made moves for Route 215.

In the next Log, we will go to Route 215 and Veilstone City. Until then, we will see you!

 

[Unovia]

Route 215 is a very rainy Route, with near constant rain. There are quite a few trainers here, including a double battle with a pair of Ace Trainers! I was worried I would have more battles, but it was quicker than I expected to go through there, arriving in Veilstone City. There are a lot of things to do here, including shopping at the Veilstone Department Store, playing at the Veilstone Game Corner, and of course, a Pokemon Gym, the 3rd in the quest.

As I prepared to go to the Gym after checking out the town (there are a few Galactic Grunts here that I can't battle yet), I met with Dawn, who wanted to see my progress, then departed. I don't quite feel ready, so I am going to train on Route 215 using the VS Seeker. My Team is Level 27 and Maylene has her highest at Level 30, so I want to at least match her team before I take her on. In the next Log, we will have a training session using the VS Seeker on Route 215, since I don't want to go to Route 214 yet.

Until then, we will see you!

 

[Unovia]

I spent some time training up for the battle against Maylene. I didn't know what her levels were (I looked them up. In Diamond, her highest is Level 30) and I figured I would get some levels at the Gym, so my use of the VS Seeker wasn't too much. My Team was Level 27 at this point, so adding at least one level or so would benefit. I trained the entire team to Level 28 before I went into the Gym. Luckily, it didn't take me too long.

In the next Log, we will take on the Gym. Until next time, we will see you.

 

[Unovia]

Walking into the Gym, I looked around before I took it on.

My Team:
Caesar (Monferno)-Level 28
Sphinx (Luxio)-Level 28
Josephine (Stunky)-Level 28
Roosevelt (Roselia)-Level 28
Bubblegum (Shellos)-Level 28
Valkyrie (Staravia)-Level 28

Gym Puzzle: The Puzzle was a bit of a challenge, much more challenging than the other puzzles, mainly because it took a while to figure out due to the sliding elements.

Gym Trainers: I liked the "Karate Quads", and they helped prepare you against Maylene.

Gym Leader: For this fight, I reduced to Caesar (Level 29), Bubblegum (Level 28), & Valkyrie (Level 28). She opened with Meditite (Level 27) and I opened with Valkyrie. Meditite used Detect, which blocked the first Aerial Ace, but the second one OHKOed. She then brought out Machoke (Level 27), who was OHKOed by Valkyrie. Most of my team were set for Lucario (Level 30). I changed to Bubblegum, who focused on using Mud Bomb. Lucario used Metal Claw and Bone Rush, which eventually took down Bubblegum. I switched to Caesar, who ended the fight with one Flame Wheel. 3rd Badge down! Maylene was the hardest Gym Leader so far.

Upon leaving the Gym, Dawn met up with me, saying that she dropped her Pokedex and Team Galactic took it. Time to get it back. In the next Log, we will be the hero and rescue the Pokedex from some Grunts. Until then, we will see you.

 

[Unovia]

Dawn lost her Pokedex to these grunts. The battles aren't too bad, and it would have been easier if I had not been switching around my team. Having Beautifly & Dustox were interesting. Once I beat the grunts, I got the Pokedex back. The grunts talked about not needing the Pokedex "because Cyrus planned to create a new world". Running into the warehouse after one of the grunts, I got the Fly HM.

Glad I got to rescue Dawn. In the next Log, we will explore Route 214 & Valor Lakefront. Until then, we will see you!