Pokemon SoulSilver - Heading to Azalea Town

While using the Pokewalker, I got 2 Onix (Rock/Ground, Male, Lv. 10), as well as a Yellow Shard, Hyper Potion, and Sitrus Berry.

I headed west to Route 36, and I talked to a couple people on the path. One told me that an odd tree was blocking the way to Ecruteak City, and the other gave me HM06 (Rock Smash). I checked out the odd tree the one traveler mentioned, and I realized it was a Sudowoodo, a Rock-Type Pokemon that bears resemblance to a tree. I figured that Blake could probably make it move with Water Gun, but I decided to just head south toward Azalea Town like I had planned.

When I went through the south path, I came across the Ruins of Alph. There were many stone buildings covered with overgrowth and surrounded by breakable stones. I taught Rock Smash to Samuel in place of Taunt, and then smashed a rock to reach a Hyper Potion, and to my surprise I also got a Dome Fossil from the rock. I smashed another few rocks and found a Rare Candy behind one.

I went to the Ruins Research Center, built in a corner of the ruins, and I found out that the archaeologists have been studying the ruins for a decade now. The scientists there told me that the ruins are about 1,500 years old, and that the walls have odd patterns drawn on them. What they still didn't know is who built the ruins, and why, but they suspected that the odd patterns must be a clue to the purpose of the ruins.

I explored the ruins more, and found myself in a chamber of one of the buildings. I talked to a woman there, who told me they were reconstructing ancient stone panels of Pokemon artwork. I decided to try my hand at putting one back together. I found it to be easy enough, and the result was ancient artwork of Kabuto, a Water/Rock-type fossil Pokemon. When I put the last piece into place, a trap door opened beneath my feet, and Blake and I both fell down below!

When I landed in a chamber, I found myself greeted by a scientist who had been reading glyphs nearby. He asked if I came in from above, and realized I had solved the stone-panel puzzle. He was pleased, and realized I have some talent with archaeology. He handed me an Unown Report, which records Unown as I capture them. Little did he know that I owned ALL types of Unown in Sinnoh.

The scientist left, and I found myself alone with Blake. We started our way out of there, and encountered a wild Unown. I ran, not interested in grabbing more of them, and I found a ladder which lead me to the upper chamber of a stone building, and I ran back outside. I decided I had done enough there, and I went east after I grabbed a hidden Great Ball.

I found myself going south to reach Azalea Town, and I came across a man who stopped me, asking me what the hurry was. He looked at my Pokemon, and realized how strong they were, that my training around Violet City and the Violet Gym must have been very useful. He gave me a souvenir of Violet City, a Miracle Seed, and I let Seth hold it before continuing south.

While heading south, I caught an Ekans (Poison, Male, Lv. 4) and then I came across a Trainer. He sent out Rattata, and I sent out Blake. Rattata used Quick Attack for minor damage, then Blake countered with Scratch for great damage. Blake Scratched it again and knocked it out, and I kept him in the fight when Zubat was sent out. Blake hit it with Scratch for great damage, and it missed with Supersonic, then Blake Scratched again to knock it out and won the battle.

I went through more tall grass and caught a Hoppip (Grass/Flying, Female, Lv. 6) and beat a Rattata, which made Blake grow to Level 12. While I was going around trying to find more new Pokemon, the egg hatched, and it revealed itself to be a Togepi! Professor Elm called immediately after, and I told him that the egg had hatched. He was excited, and told me he knew that giving me the egg was the right thing to do. He asked me to come back there and show him what kind of Pokemon it was, and I promised to do so as soon as I reached Azalea Town.

I gave Togepi an Exp. Share to hold, and fought a wild Pokemon to bring it up to Level 2. I caught a Mareep (Electric, Female, Lv. 6) while training, and through several battles Samuel grew to Level 12, Seth grew to Level 10, and Togepi grew to Level 6. I came across a Trainer who was on the phone, and I interrupted because I wanted a battle. She sent out Nidoran, and I sent out Blake. Blake used Scratch for good damage, and Nidoran used Tail Whip. Blake used Water Gun for great damage, and Nidoran countered with Growl to lower Blake's attack. Blake Scratched it again for good damage, and was hit by Growl to lower his attack further. Blake Scratched it once more and knocked it out, and won the battle.

We exchanged phone numbers, then I continued on my way. I went further south and found myself against another Trainer, who went down easily against Blake. I fought against another Trainer nearby, a Fisherman, and both his Poliwag went down easily against Elekid. I fought another Fisherman and beat him easily too, then a third Fisherman went down against Elekid, who grew to Level 13. I exchanged numbers with the Fisherman, and then I came across TM09 (Bullet Seed) and a Great Ball nearby. I taught Bullet Seed to Seth, and continued on my way.

I fought and defeated another Trainer, and Seth grew to Level 11 and learned Wrap. I checked on Elekid, and he was holding something, but it seemed too important to him to let go. I came across a Pokemon Center and healed my team, and talking to a couple people I received an Old Rod and a couple Lure Balls. I went further south, fought against a Trainer, and Togepi grew to Level 8.

I went back to heal my team, and then when I went further south, I found myself in front of the entrance to Union Cave. I realized I would have to fight my way through to get to Azalea Town, and I knew it would be a hard fight. If I was going to continue my journey through the Johto Region, I needed to overcome the challenge ahead of me!

Current Team:

Seth (Bellsprout, Grass/Poison, Lv. 11)
Samuel (Chimchar, Fire, Lv. 12)
Togepi (Normal, Male, Lv. 8)
Blake (Totodile, Water, Lv. 12)
Lucas (Pidgey, Normal/Flying, Lv. 13)
Elekid (Electric, Male, Lv. 13)

Pokemon SoulSilver - Violet Gym

After getting through Sprout Tower and encountering problems commanding Samuel, I knew I had to get my first Gym Badge soon or I'd have troubles with the rest of my team.

My team consisted of:

Elekid (Electric, Male, Lv. 11)
Samuel (Chimchar, Fire, Lv. 11)
Seth (Bellsprout, Grass/Poison, Lv. 9)
Blake (Totodile, Water, Lv. 11)
Lucas (Pidgey, Normal/Flying, Lv. 13)

I went inside, and was advised by the man near the entrance that Grass-Type Pokemon are weak against the Flying-Type Pokemon that the Gym Leader uses. I was sure my team could handle the challenge ahead, even if it's a different challenge than that I've faced before.

I went forward to stand on a panel on the floor, and it raised up high to bring me to a zig-zagging floor with glass panels on the left and right sides. I could do a zig-zag to fight two Trainers and then reach the Gym Leader, or I could go around the two Trainers on the glass floors at the sides and fight the Gym Leader directly. I decided on the latter option, as I didn't know how much longer the rest of my Pokemon would obey my commands.

The Gym Leader introduced himself as Falkner. He told me about how everyone spoke of the weakness of Flying-Type Pokemon to Electric-Types, but he said he wouldn't allow such insults to bird Pokemon. He told me he would show me the real power of bird Pokemon, and then the battle started.

Falkner sent out Pidgey, and I sent out Elekid. I thought myself lucky to have caught it with the Pokewalker when I didn't have any Pokemon who were strong against Flying-Type Pokemon otherwise. Elekid used Thunder Punch for massive damage and knocked it out in a single blow!

Falkner sent out Pidgeotto next, and I kept Elekid in the fight. Elekid hit it with Thunder Punch for massive damage, and it countered with Tackle for great damage. Elekid hit it with another Thunder Punch, and the battle was over. I had won, and Elekid grew to Level 12!

Falkner was quite disappointed in his loss, and revealed that the Pokemon he used belonged to his father. He accepted defeat however, and gave me my first Gym Badge from the Johto League, the Zephyr Badge! With the Zephyr Badge, my Pokemon would obey commands up to Level 20, and I could now use Rock Smash outside of battle. Falkner also gave me TM51 (Roost) as a reward for my victory.

With the Zephyr Badge in hand, Falkner suggested I head to Azalea Town next. I left the building, confident in my team, and I received a call from Professor Elm. I was informed that he and his team had discovered some information, and that he couldn't really discuss details, but he told me he wanted me to carry the Egg that Mr. Pokemon had found. He told me to find his assistant at the Poke' Mart, and that I could get the egg from him.

At the Poke' Mart, I received a Super Potion from a Delivery Man, courtesy of Mom, before I talked to the assistant who handed over the Mysterious Egg. Apparently soon after I left the lab, Elm received a call, and talked to someone, then decided he couldn't think of anyone more suited to protecting the egg than me. The assistant left, and I found myself there with my new Elekid, who seemed quite happy after those easy victories.

When I left the Poke' Mart, I found myself confronted by a Geisha, who noticed the Egg I carried. I told her how I came to have it in my possession, and then she asked that I take good care of the egg for her. She told me she was counting on me, then left. I stood there confused, wondering who that could have been and WHY they had any interest in one of countless Eggs out in the world? I was just glad she didn't want to steal it!

I pondered putting my Elekid back in the PC, but then decided that he proved his worth and deserved a spot on the team. I needed an Electric-Type Pokemon in my team, and I'm sure I'll eventually find a Name Rater to give him a proper name!

Current Team:

Elekid (Electric, Male, Lv. 12)
Samuel (Chimchar, Fire, Lv. 11)
Seth (Bellsprout, Grass/Poison, Lv. 9)
Blake (Totodile, Water, Lv. 11)
Lucas (Pidgey, Normal/Flying, Lv. 13)
Egg - Unknown

Pokemon SoulSilver - Sprout Tower

During my time with the Pokewalker, I caught a Kangaskhan (Normal, Female, Lv. 8), 3 Paras (Bug/Grass, Female, Lv. 6), 3 Hoothoot (Normal/Flying, Female, Lv. 6 and Lv. 7), a Magby (Fire, Male, Lv. 9), an Elekid (Electric, Male, Lv. 11), a Staryu (Water, Lv. 10), and 2 Slowpoke (Water/Psychic, Male, Lv. 8). I also found a Star Piece, 2 Energy Powder, 1 Ice Heal, 2 Full Heals, 2 Revives, 1 PP Up, 2 Rawst Berries, 2 X Accuracy, and 1 X Special Defense. The Bellsprout who walked with me all that time also grew to Level 9.

With Operation: Rapid Training failed, I had to go on and just keep up with normal training. I went back to Route 31 and fought hard, and Seth and Lucas grew to Level 9, while Samuel grew to Level 10. After healing my team again at the end of the training, I decided to do more training at Sprout Tower.

I went inside the tower, and at the center of the room on the bottom floor, there was a large wooden pillar that was slowly swaying side to side. The people inside said that the pillar was what remained of a 100-foot-tall Bellsprout, and that it swayed because of all the ferocious battles being waged in the higher floors. I heard from one of the monks around the pillar that whomever reaches the top of the tower would receive a great Move. I knew I had to get it for myself!

I went up to the second floor, and encountered a Sage who wanted to battle. I sent out Seth, and he sent out a Bellsprout. I switched over to Lucas, and Bellsprout used Vine Whip for minor damage, then Lucas used Gust to knock it out, and he grew to Level 10. Another Bellsprout was sent out, and Lucas used Gust to knock it out too. The Sage sent out his last Bellsprout, and I switched out to Samuel, who used Ember to knock it out and win the battle.

I went past the Sage and fought a Rattata with Seth, who won the battle easily, then I went to the first floor again down the next ladder. I grabbed a Paralyze Heal, then went around and found myself against another Monk. The Monk had a few Bellsprout and I beat the first couple easily with Samuel, who grew to Level 11. I beat the third Bellsprout fairly easily with Samuel too, but he refused to listen to my commands most of the time. I decided that if I was going to continue further, I needed to get my first Gym Badge!

I went to the Violet Gym, and talked to the man at the seemingly empty Gym. I was surprised to find out from the sign outside that this first Gym was focused on Flying-Type Pokemon, and I had never seen such a thing before in the past two regions. I was informed that I needed to do more training at Sprout Tower if I was going to be allowed to fight the Violet Gym. I felt concerned then; how could I get through the rest of Sprout Tower, let alone against the Violet Gym, if my Pokemon suddenly started to refuse my orders? I had not encountered this problem before, and I wondered if perhaps it was just because Samuel was a traded Pokemon?

I went around in Sprout Tower and got to the second floor again, and I grabbed an X Accuracy before I encountered another Sage. The Sage sent out Bellsprout, and I sent out Blake. Blake used Scratch for massive damage, then Bellsprout countered with Vine Whip for good damage. Blake used Scratch to knock it out, then another Bellsprout was sent out. I kept Blake in the fight, and he used Scratch for massive damage, then Bellsprout countered with Vine Whip. Another Scratch from Blake knocked it out, and a third Bellsprout was sent out. Blake knocked it out easily with a critical Scratch, and he grew to Level 11 and won the battle.

I got to the top of Sprout Tower, and found a few Sages waiting for me. I fought the first one easily with Lucas, and he grew to Level 11. I fought against the next Sage, and his Bellsprout went down easily against Lucas too. So far so good, Lucas was Level 11 and still fighting under my commands, hopefully he'd continue to do so. I fought against yet another Sage, his Bellsprout went down easily against Lucas, who grew to Level 12, then Hoothoot was sent out and Lucas beat it too.

I went past the Sage and saw Aiden standing before the Elder Sage. The Elder was talking with him, telling him that what he showed the old monk was good, and then handed over a TM to the punk. He told Aiden that he should care more about his Pokemon, and that the way he treats his Pokemon can be too harsh. The Elder Monk told Aiden that Pokemon are not tools of war, and Aiden simply turned away. He saw me, and told me that for someone calling themselves Elder, he was no match, and that those who lecture how you should be nice to Pokemon cannot defeat him. Aiden told me how he only cared about strong Pokemon that win, and that the rest of them don't mean anything to him.

Aiden left using an Escape Rope, and I grabbed a nearby Escape Rope before I talked with the Elder Sage. The Elder greeted me, and he told me that Sprout Tower was a place where "people and Pokemon test their bonds to build a bright future together." He then told me he was the final test, and that he wanted to check the ties between my Pokemon and I.

Elder Li sent out Bellsprout, and I sent out Lucas. Lucas used Gust for massive damage, and then it countered with Vine Whip for good damage. Lucas used Tackle to knock it out, and then Hoothoot was sent out while I sent out Blake to fight it. Blake used Scratch for good damage, and Hoothoot missed it's attack. Next, Blake used Water Gun for great damage, then Hoothoot used Hypnosis to put Blake to sleep. Blake was asleep, and stayed asleep when he got hit by Peck several times, the minor damage of each hit adding up.

I switched to Samuel, and he got hit by Peck for good damage. Samuel refused to follow orders, and was hit by Peck again. Samuel used Scratch for great damage, and then was put to sleep by Hypnosis. Samuel was fast asleep, and got hit by Peck a few times for great damage. I switched to Seth, and he got hit by Peck for great damage, then Hoothoot used Hypnosis again, and Seth was asleep. I switched to Lucas, who got hit by Peck for good damage. Lucas used Tackle and finally knocked out Hoothoot.

Bellsprout was the last Pokemon that Elder Li had, and I kept Lucas in the fight. Lucas used Gust for massive damage, then it used Growth to increase it's special attack. Lucas used Gust for great damage, and knocked out Bellsprout to grow to Level 13 and learn Quick Attack, and finally the battle was won.

Elder Li told me that the way I battle is quite elegant, and that I should be able to stand up to Falkner. He gave me TM 70 (Flash) and told me about the ability of Flash to light up caves. I used the Escape Rope I got from this floor, and I went to the Pokemon Center to heal my team. Now that I've gotten Elder Li's blessing, I'm going for that Badge!

Current Team:

Lucas (Pidgey, Normal/Flying, Lv. 13)
Samuel (Chimchar, Fire, Lv. 11)
Seth (Bellsprout, Grass/Poison, Lv. 9)
Blake (Totodile, Water, Lv. 11)

Pokemon SoulSilver - Pokewalker

I did some experimenting and found that my Exp. Shares were actually SLOWING DOWN the training of my team, halving what the main Pokemon got and giving scraps to the rest. I took the Exp. Shares away from them and decided to just go about things the old-fashioned way. I thought I could get away with a poor-man's version of Exp. All, but I was wrong.

I went ahead and grabbed another Bellsprout (Grass/Poison, Male, Lv. 3) who I named Seth, and I plan on using him for my team. I went ahead and put the other Bellsprout into my Pokewalker, thinking he could do good for me. I had Bellsprout brought to the Pokewalker and traveling through the Noisy Forest.

From what I've come to understand of the Pokewalker, I can get rare items and Pokemon through it when I'm not playing SoulSilver. When I build up Watts through walking (20 steps = 1 Watt) I can use them to search for Pokemon, OR for items. I decided after a bit of walking around to test out the Poke' Radar first, and I found an Oddish who managed to flee, though fortunately I already have one chilling out in Sinnoh. I tried the Dowsing Machine afterward and got an Energy Powder for my trouble.

I tried again with the Dowsing Machine a couple times but missed items, then I tried out the Poke' Radar again and found a Venonat who managed to bring Bellsprout down to one hit and then escaped a Pokeball and fled. I tried a couple more times with the Poke' Radar and was finally successful in catching a Venonat!

I found the Pokewalker to be quite interesting to use, a mix between a pedometer and a virtual pet, though without the constant attention the latter normally requires. I felt happy to have a way to catch uncommon Pokemon early and without having to bring my 3DS everywhere. It was especially nice to start on SoulSilver and the Pokewalker right before starting my official duties at my new job. It's only a few days a week but those days are focused almost entirely on work, or sleep. So I'll be able to make some kind of progress on breaks and lunches at least!

Current Team:

Lucas (Pidgey, Normal/Flying, Lv. 7)
Samuel (Chimchar, Fire, Lv. 9)
Blake (Totodile, Water, Lv. 10)
Seth (Bellsprout, Grass/Poison, Lv. 3)

Pokemon SoulSilver - Onward to Violet City

I said goodbye to Mom, then I left New Bark Town for Cherrygrove City again. Just after I left the town, I met up with Lyra. She gave me an introduction to catching Pokemon with Pokeballs (as if I really needed an explanation, but so it goes every time I start a new adventure) and then gave me 5 to start with. I took the time to catch a few Pokemon, including a Sentret (Normal, Female, Lv. 4), a Pidgey (Normal/Flying, Male, Lv. 2) I named Lucas, and a Rattata (Normal, Female, Lv. 2). With several new Pokemon caught, I headed off to Cherrygrove City.

When I got to Cherrygrove City, I went to the Pokemon Center to heal my team, as well as to put through a plan I had before starting my journey here. I received Samuel (Chimchar, Fire, Lv. 5) from Sinnoh as well as my 4 Exp. Shares AND a Rare Bone, and sent my Rattata over there to relax with the rest of my Pokemon there until I can bring them forward later on. My plan is to be able to use those 4 devices along with the 5th I know I'll find here, and be able to train my team quickly through this league and beyond.

After I sold the Rare Bone for $5000, I grabbed some more Pokeballs, Antidotes, and a Potion before I went north to do some training and get to Violet City. I quickly caught a Ledyba (Bug/Flying, Female, Lv. 5) and put it into the PC, and while at the Pokemon Center I also handed out my Exp. Shares to my 3 Pokemon. I went back to Route 30 and caught a Weedle (Bug/Poison, Female, Lv. 4) while doing training with Samuel. I fought against several wild Pokemon, and Samuel grew to Level 7, though the others weren't getting much experience from the Exp. Shares they held.

I went forward and came across a Trainer, Youngster Joey, and he wanted to win after his loss. I sent out Lucas, who was badly injured from training, against his Rattata. Instead of using a potion, I switched to Samuel, who got hit by Quick Attack for good damage. Samuel used Ember for great damage, then Rattata countered with Tail Whip. Rattata used Quick Attack for good damage, then Samuel used Scratch to knock it out and win the battle, and Lucas grew to Level 3. After the battle, I decided to give Joey my number for his Pokegear.

I went back to heal my Pokemon, and deposit Weedle, then continued further north. I did more training, and Samuel grew to Level 8 while Lucas grew to Level 4, and then I got into a battle with another Trainer. He sent out Pidgey, and I sent out Lucas. Lucas used Tackle for good damage, then it attacked with Tackle for good damage. Lucas Tackled again for great damage, then Pidgey countered for good damage. I switched to Samuel, who got hit by Tackle, then he used Scratch to knock it out. Next he sent out Rattata, and I kept Samuel out to fight. Samuel used scratch for great damage, and was Tackled for good damage. Samuel used another Scratch and knocked it out, winning the battle.

I used a Potion to heal Lucas and kept going north. Soon I came across another Trainer, a Bug Keeper named Don, and he sent out Caterpie while I sent out Lucas against it. Lucas used Tackle for massive damage in a critical hit, then Caterpie countered with Tackle for good damage. Lucas used Tackle again and knocked out Caterpie, and he grew to Level 5 and learned Sand-Attack. Another Caterpie was sent out, and I kept Lucas in the fight. Lucas used Sand-Attack, and Caterpie missed it's Tackle. Lucas hit it with Tackle for great damage, and then avoided it's String Shot. Lucas Tackled again for great damage, and avoided another String Shot, then a final Tackle knocked it out and won the battle.

Soon I found myself on Route 31, continuing north and doing more training. I fought against a wild Ledyba and Lucas grew to Level 6, while Exp. Share let Blake grow to Level 10. I grabbed a Potion from the nearby Dark Cave, a pitch-black cavern that needed to be lit up by a Pokemon to explore. I headed west and snagged a Blk Apricorn next to a tired Trainer, then I found myself against another Bug Catcher, named Wade.

Wade sent out Caterpie and I sent out Lucas. Lucas used Sand Attack to lower it's accuracy, then avoided it's String Shot. Lucas used Tackle for massive damage, then got hit by String Shot. Lucas used another Tackle and knocked it out. Another Caterpie was sent out, and I kept going with Lucas. Lucas used Tackle for massive damage, and got hit by Tackle for good damage. Lucas used Tackle again to knock out Caterpie, and then Wade sent out Weedle. Weedle used String Shot to lower Lucas' speed, then Lucas used Tackle for massive damage. Weedle got off another String Shot to lower Lucas' speed further, but he countered with Tackle to knock it out. Lucas grew to Level 7, and Samuel grew to Level 9 and learned Taunt. Another Caterpie was sent out, and a couple Tackles knocked it out and won the battle.

I gave Wade my number, and grabbed a nearby Pokeball, then I kept heading west. I spotted a Bellsprout (Grass/Poison, Male, Lv. 3) and caught it before I managed to get to Violet City. While I was in the building between Route 31 and Violet City, Lyra came up from behind. She wondered how I managed to get past her, then gave me a Vs. Recorder which apparently allows me to record my battles. She left into Violet City, and I followed behind her.

The first thing I did when I got there was to heal my Pokemon. While at the Pokemon Center (which was a darker color than others) I encountered several people who were asking questions, one about my thoughts on some show, and another about which kind of Trainer I liked, neither of which I answered.

I encountered a few unique places in Violet City, including the Pokemon School, Sprout Tower, and a Pokemon Gym! I checked out the Poke' Mart first to get some supplies, then I encountered a large man who asked if I had fought and beaten the Gym Leader. When I told him no, he brought me over to the Pokemon School and introduced himself as a teacher there. I talked to some students and the teacher, and was told all I had known previously.

I decided to take it easy for a while, and when I'm rested up I'll go ahead and check out Sprout Tower. I'm sure I can get plenty of training there before I fight the Gym Leader, and I may need it.

Current Team:

Lucas (Pidgey, Normal/Flying, Lv. 7)
Samuel (Chimchar, Fire, Lv. 9)
Blake (Totodile, Water, Lv. 10)

Pokemon SoulSilver - A New Adventure in New Bark Town

I started out in my room, and I looked around a bit. I saw a bed, TV, Wii, a tree in the corner, and a desk with computer and chair. I decided to check out the PC for information. I found I had mail from someone named Lyra, which read "Adventure! Excited! I love Pokemon!" and it had a picture of a Marill on it. I turned off the program and went downstairs.

When I got downstairs, I was greeted by Mom. She told me that my friend Lyra was just here, and that she had been playing hide-and-seek with her Marill. She then remembered that Professor Elm was looking for me, and she was told he had a favor to ask of me. She reminded me that his lab was right next door to us, and then gave me a bag and my Trainer Card, and unlocked abilities on the menu including Save and Options.

I left my house on a windy day, and was bumped into by Marill. Suddenly the next door neighbor came down her stairs and called to the Pokemon, and it perked up and ran over to her before they both left. I assumed that must be Lyra, and her Marill. I looked around a bit and found a sign, I found out I was in New Bark Town, "Winds of a New Beginning" as the sign said. Each house had a windmill to get power from the strong winds blowing through the area.

I looked around a bit, and realized the house Lyra left from must be Professor Elm's place. I went up and saw a red-headed kid at the side of the house, watching through a window. I confronted him, and he asked what I was staring at. He then pushed me out of the way and shoved me aside, then went back to staring into the window. He was quite suspicious, but I had no way of doing anything against him at that time, so I just went into Professor Elm's home/lab.

I went inside, into the lab, and was greeted by Professor Elm. He told me he had been waiting for me, and asked if I knew anything about his research. Of course I knew the general basis of his research, being about Pokemon, but what HE did exactly, I did not. He told me, as I knew, how Pokemon were carried in Pokeballs, but that before they were invented, people used to walk with Pokemon, just like Lyra does with Marill. He told me how Pokeballs were great because you can carry many Pokemon, but that walking with them must have some advantages.

Professor Elm wondered if walking with them might have something to do with how Pokemon grow or evolve, and told me that was why he would give me a Pokemon. He asked that I walk beside this Pokemon, outside of it's Pokeball, to see if it brings any special feelings or bonds between Pokemon and people. He then directed me to a device that held Pokemon for me to choose from.

Suddenly, we heard a sound, and he told me that he got an e-mail. Elm went to his PC, and read the message, before turning back to me. He explained that he had an acquaintance that people call Mr. Pokemon, and he told me that this man kept finding weird things and raving about his discoveries. Professor Elm told me that he just got an e-mail from him saying that this time it's real, and he assumed it was probably another Pokemon Egg, but that the lab was so busy with their research... It was then that Elm asked me to go in their place, and find out what was going on. I agreed, assuming I could get my Pokemon soon!

Professor Elm remembered, and reminded me to choose a Pokemon from the device nearby. I looked, and within lay Chikorita (Grass-Type), Cyndaquil (Fire-Type), and Totodile (Water-Type). I decided to grab Totodile (Water, Male, Lv. 5) and I named him Blake. I walked back over to Professor Elm with Blake right behind me, and he asked how I liked walking with my Pokemon. It was certainly a unique feeling, being followed by my Pokemon, but I liked it. He told me I could take Blake all the way to Mr. Pokemon's house. He told me that if he got hurt, I should take him to this Pokemon Center healer he had in the corner.

Professor Elm told me that Mr. Pokemon goes everywhere to find rarities, and that his house was past Cherrygrove City. I was instructed to go north just past Cherrygrove to find Mr. Pokemon's house. He told me he was counting on me, and then I saved. I looked to Blake, wondering what he thought of the situation, but he only stared intently at my face. With my progress saved, and a good start behind me, I left for Mr. Pokemon's house. Before I could leave, one of the researchers stopped me, and gave me some Potions to help me on my task. He told me not to hesitate to use a Potion if I thought my Pokemon was in danger.

With my new Pokemon companion following behind me and some Potions in my bag, I left for Mr. Pokemon's house. When I got outside, I was met by Lyra and her Marill. She told me how cute Blake was, and that by walking with him he would become more friendly. She also told me I should talk to him sometimes too, then realized I should go show him off to Mom, and then she and Marill left.

I went back home to show Mom my new Pokemon, Blake, and she agreed that he was cute. She realized that Professor Elm must have given him to me, and I explained that Elm had a task for me to do, that I had to go to Mr. Pokemon's house. She was concerned for my safety, but realized for Elm to make such a request of me means it must be important. Then Mom remembered that my Pokegear came back from the repair shop, and the option appeared below.

Mom explained the Pokegear, telling me it's what every Trainer should have. She explained that I could use the Pokegear to make a phone call too, and explained how to do so. Names were registered on the telephone function, all I had to do was press a name and make a call. It was simple enough, and I wondered if I could find Apps for it like my old Poketch could. I bid my mother farewell, and then left with Blake for Mr. Pokemon's house.

I started heading west, then was stopped by Professor Elm, who forgot to give me his number to call him on the Pokegear. He told me to call him if anything came up, and then he left, and I continued on my way. I found myself on Route 29, heading toward Cherrygrove City, and through a lot of tall grass. Soon enough I had my first battle against a wild Pokemon.

I came across a Pidgey, and I sent out Blake to Scratch it for good damage, and then it missed it's attack. I had Blake press on with another Scratch for good damage, then it hit Blake with Tackle for good damage. Blake used Scratch again and knocked it out, and gained quite a bit of experience. I kept going, knowing that with so much tall grass I would be in at least a few more battles.

I met up with one Trainer along the route who was waiting to get daytime Pokemon, and I managed to get through about halfway before finding myself in another battle against a Sentret. Blake used Scratch on Sentret for great damage, then it scratched back for good damage. Blake hit it with Scratch for good damage, then it used Foresight, and then Blake knocked it out with a final Scratch, and he grew to Level 6 and learned Water Gun.

I healed Blake with a Potion, and I checked on him, and he seemed quite happy. I took that as a good sign and continued west, where we quickly came up to Cherrygrove City. When I first stepped foot inside Cherrygrove, I was approached by an old man who realized I was a rookie Trainer. He told me he could teach me a few things, and I followed him as he showed me the Pokemon Center, the Poke' Mart, and Route 30 where I would find Mr. Pokemon's house. He also went to the west of the city and showed me the sea, telling me how some Pokemon could only be found in water. As he kept running off, and I followed, he commended my effort in keeping up with him by giving me his Running Shoes, which were brand new.

After the old man went into his house, I decided to check out the Pokemon Center, and found it to be very different from the ones I was used to in the Sinnoh Region. The Pokemon Center had two different staircases going up to an area just above the counter for trading and battling, and one staircase leading down to an underground area that was still closed to the public. I looked to the Poke' Mart, and inside it was pretty much the same, but outside it had a spinning sign to make itself even more visible.

I was just about to start north on Route 30 and suddenly had the old man running to catch up with me. He told me he had another token from him, and he gave me something called a Map Card for my Pokegear, which apparently is it's equivalent of Apps for Poketch. Thanks to him I could see the Town Map on my Pokegear. He told me that Pokegear becomes more useful as you add Cards, and I knew I would have to look far and wide for all of them. He wished me luck on my journey and then went back home.

I went through tall grass, fighting Pokemon like Weedle, Kakuna, and Ledyba, and Blake grew to Level 8 and learned Rage. I healed him with a Potion when I got to a house I thought was Mr. Pokemon's house, but it belonged to someone else. I should have known, because it's more quaint and normal than what I would assume would be the home of someone who names themselves Mr. Pokemon... He was happy to get a visit though, and told me of Apricorn Trees like I had passed by and seen in front of his house. He gave me an Apricorn Box, with which I could carry many Apricorns, and I knew I'd have to find out about them soon.

I shook the Apricorn Tree in front of the gentleman's house, and found a Grn Apricorn. I placed it in my box, wondering what exactly I would use it for. I kept on going north, getting into a few more fights with Blake, and he grew to Level 9. I found Mr. Pokemon's house, a bit more quaint than I had expected earlier, and I grabbed a Pnk Apricorn from a nearby tree before I went inside.

I went inside, and I saw who I assumed was Mr. Pokemon talking with Professor Oak. He did indeed introduce himself as Mr. Pokemon, and led me further into his home before he grabbed something from a nearby display case. He gave me a Mystery Egg, and told me he wanted Professor Elm to investigate it. He told me a friend of his from Ecruteak gave it to him, and he bet that I couldn't find that kind of egg in Johto. He figured that Professor Elm might be able to tell what was inside there, having heard that he was the best when it comes to evolution research directly from Professor Oak.

Mr. Pokemon was kind enough to let Blake and I rest and heal up, and then Professor Oak approached me, and introduced himself, though I of course knew him from Sinnoh. He explained that he was just visiting his friend, and heard that I was running an errand for Elm, so he waited for me. Oak was amazed at my rare Pokemon, Blake, as he stood before me, and realized I was helping Elm's research. He knew I would treat my Pokemon well, and then asked me to help him out. Oak explained the workings of the Pokedex, of which he held the latest version, and he gave it to me, telling me to go out there and complete the Pokedex. Soon after, he left to get to Goldenrod for his radio show, but believed we would meet again and gave me his number.

When I left, I got a call from Professor Elm, and he was very shaken up. He told me it was a disaster, that it's just terrible, wondering what he should do. He told me to get back there right away, and I knew something had gone very wrong.

I ran as quickly as I could back to New Bark Town, and got to the edge of Cherrygrove City to Route 29 when I spotted the red-headed kid who I saw at Professor Elm's house earlier. He knew I got a Pokemon at the lab, telling me it was a waste. He said this Pokemon was too good for a wimp like me, asking if I knew what he meant. He said he would show me what he meant with his good Pokemon. Wimp, he said... I am Champion of the Hoenn and Sinnoh Leagues, and I am not one to be trifled with!

The boy sent out Chikorita, and I sent out Blake. Blake used Rage for great damage, then Chikorita used Growl to lower his attack. Blake used Scratch for good damage, and Chikorita used Growl again, and the boy commented on how well I was doing for someone so weak. Blake gave it another scratch and it just clung on, but it missed it's own Tackle. Blake used Rage again, and knocked out Chikorita and won the battle.

After the battle, I wanted to know who he was, so he showed me his Trainer Card and told me he would be the world's greatest Pokemon Trainer. He had the same goal Simon had, a goal that is far more quaint than my goal of being a Pokemon Master! He shoved me aside and started going into Cherrygrove, then stopped and went back, telling me to give back his Trainer Card where I saw his name, and then he left.

I went straight back to New Bark Town, and into Professor Elm's lab. There I encountered a Police Officer talking with Elm, and he told me they were investigating the case of the missing Pokemon. He quoted a rule stating that the perpetrator will always return to the scene of the crime, so he thought I was the one who did it. Lyra came up right after and told the officer that I had nothing to do with it, and she explained how she had seen the red-haired boy looking into the building, like I had too.

I explained that I had battled a boy like that, and he asked if I had happened to get his name. I told the officer his name was Aiden, and the officer thanked me before he left to search for the boy. Lyra was glad that they understood I was innocent, then she left.

I talked to Professor Elm, and he was very upset. He remembered my trip to Mr. Pokemon's house, and asked what it was that he had found. I handed over the Mystery Egg, and he said that while it may be something he's never seen, it's still just an Egg. He told me how Mr. Pokemon is always fascinated by them, and told me that they may as well find out what secret it holds. He told me they would keep it for a while at the lab to find out about it.

I told Professor Elm about meeting Professor Oak, and how he gave me a Pokedex, and he was shocked and impressed. He told me how Professor Oak is superb at seeing the potential of people as Trainers. He said how things were going to be fun, and told me that since Blake liked me so much, I should take the Pokemon Gym challenge. I agreed, now that I've got my Pokedex I can explore the whole region and catch all the Pokemon I can. He told me to talk to Mom before I left for my adventure.

Mom was understanding about me going on an adventure, and wondered what she could do to help. Then she decided that every time I'd receive prize money, she would save some of it for me. I told her I was just fine with her holding onto some, especially if I could find a place like the Seven Stars Hotel somewhere around this region. Mom wished me luck, and told me that my Pokemon and I could accomplish anything we wanted.

With a good start under my belt and Blake at my side, I decided this was a good place to stop for now. Things are going well, and I feel a certain exhilaration at starting fresh like this. I loved my previous two teams, but there's a certain satisfaction in training weak Pokemon to become strong.

Current Team:

Blake (Totodile, Water, Lv. 9)

Pokemon Pearl - Finished

I've caught just about all the Pokemon I can, though I'll be coming back here and there to get a few extra Pokemon I haven't caught yet. I suppose I could spend another few days trying to get the Pokemon, then post about my finish, but I just want to dive right into SoulSilver.

Pokemon Seen: 287
Pokemon Owned: 181
Time Spent: 153 hours, 18 Minutes

I'll start on SoulSilver tomorrow and get right into things. I didn't realize I'd spend so much time in Pearl, as great as it is, and I've still got 3 games ahead of me right now including SoulSilver. Fortunately, I'm going to be doing things a bit differently with SoulSilver than with any other game thus far or after, and all will be revealed soon enough.

Pokemon Pearl - The Resort Area, and my Final Battle against Simon

I went back to the old man's house at the Survival Area, but I didn't find Buck anywhere around. The old man was surprised to hear that a Pokemon like Heatran existed, and wondered if it had been created with the rest of Sinnoh. I decided to head to the Fight Area, and then go east to the last town in the Battle Zone, the Resort Area.

I surfed through the sea and managed to sneak through all the Trainers, and then I got to the Resort Area. I explored the area, not too much to see except for the large mansion of the Ribbon Syndicate, a place dedicated to Pokemon Coordinators. There wasn't even a shop there either. I could have went north to explore the path between the Resort Area and Stark Mountain, but I decided to just head back to the Fight Area.

I found Simon in front of the path to the Battle Tower, and I approached him. He told me I wasn't the only one who was getting tougher, and told me he would prove it to me in a battle. Simon and I started this journey all those months ago from watching that documentary about the Red Gyarados, and the battle we got into with our Starters defending ourselves from those Starly. Simon could be annoying at times with his rushing headlong into things, but at least he's got a good heart, and he means well.

I agreed to fight, and my final battle against Simon began. He sent out Staraptor, whose Intimidate cut Lucius' attack. I immediately switched out to Maximus, who got hit by U-Turn for good damage, then Snorlax was sent in. Maximus used Spark for great damage, and caused paralysis, then Snorlax countered with Crunch for good damage. I had Maximus use Thunderbolt for great damage, then Snorlax used Rest to heal up while sleeping. I gave Maximus a Fresh Water while Snorlax slept, then he hit it with Spark for great damage. Maximus used Spark again for great damage, bringing it to red, but then it countered with Body Slam after it woke up for massive damage, and it knocked out Maximus.

I sent out Alexander to fight, and a quick Rock Smash finished off Snorlax. Simon sent out Staraptor next, and I decided to go ahead and send out Marcus against it. Intimidate cut the attack of both Pokemon, and then Marcus flew high, avoiding Close Combat, then Marcus hit it with Fly for massive damage, before Staraptor used Steel Wing for good damage against Marcus. Marcus used Brave Bird against Staraptor to knock it out, and then we switched out Pokemon.

Floatzel was sent out by Simon, while I sent out Annabelle. Floatzel used Aqua Jet for good damage, then Annabelle countered with Wood Hammer to knock it out instantly with one powerful blow, and she was hit with recoil for great damage. Heracross was sent out next, and I sent out Lucius against it. Lucius was faster, and hit Heracross with Flare Blitz for massive damage, and he knocked it out in a single blow! Lucius also received great damage from recoil.

Roserade was sent out next, and I sent Maria out against it. Roserade used Poison Jab for minor damage, but it caused poison, then Maria countered with Earthquake for massive damage. Roserade used Giga Drain on Maria for massive damage, knocking her out and regaining most of the health it lost, then I switched out to Annabelle again. Roserade tried Giga Drain again, and it did great damage and recovery, then Annabelle countered with Earthquake for massive damage. Roserade used Poison Jab for good damage, but Annabelle clung on and hit Roserade with Cut to knock it out.

Finally, Simon sent out his starter, Infernape, and I decided to finish it with the Pokemon who won me the Championship, Marcus. Marcus' Intimidate cut Infernape's attack, then it used Flamethrower for great massive damage, and a burn, before Marcus flew high. Unfortunately while in the air, Marcus was affected by Burn and knocked out. I switched over to Alexander, Fighting-Type against Fighting-Type! Infernape used Shadow Claw for good damage, then Alexander countered with Revenge for massive damage, and it barely clung on. Infernape hit Alexander with Flamethrower for massive damage, but Alexander clung on and struck Infernape down with Cross Chop, winning the battle!

Simon was shocked, but told me it was okay. He told me that the tougher I get, the tougher he and his team can get too. He told me that there's no end to Pokemon. I left Simon feeling proud of my team, confident in my abilities as a Pokemon Trainer, and of my future as a Pokemon Master.

Current Team:

Lucius (Rapidash, Fire, Lv. 60)
Annabelle (Torterra, Grass/Ground, Lv. 61)
Marcus (Strapator, Normal/Flying, Lv. 61)
Alexander (Machamp, Fighting, Lv. 61)
Maximus (Luxray, Electric, Lv. 61)
Maria (Gastrodon, Water/Ground, Lv. 61)

Pokemon Pearl - Capturing Heatran

I went back to the old man I encountered at the Survival Area, and told him that the Magma Stone had been found. He was surprised that the legend was true, and then told me that if that was the case then the volcano's Pokemon may awaken and cause it to erupt!

I went over to Buck who was standing nearby, apparently the old man's grandson, and he said he would put the Magma Stone back. He realized that it was keeping the volcano under control, and told me he could put it back himself. He left for Stark Mountain, and I was close behind to make sure everything went smoothly.

I got to Stark Mountain, and decided to go and grab some items I couldn't get before with Buck at my side. I managed to get an Iron Ball, Nugget, Max Elixir, an Ultra Ball, and TM50 (Overheat). I also fought against several Trainers, though none of my team got any stronger. I got to the end of the cave and got to the third room again.

Buck was nowhere to be found, and all I saw standing there was Heatran, and he looked pissed. It didn't look to me like Buck had come back to return the stone at all, and I knew I'd have to knock out Heatran or more preferably catch it to stop it from setting off the volcano. I put Maria in first for the battle, then I went to the Pokemon ready to stop the destruction of the Battle Zone.

Heatran (Fire/Steel, Female, Lv. 70) was just 9 Levels above Maria, and I knew I'd have to be careful with my attacks or Heatran would go down easily. Heatran used Iron Head on Maria for good damage, and she flinched. Maria's Quick Claw let her attack first with Surf, and it did great damage, then Heatran used Scary Face to lower Maria's speed. Maria was able to use Surf again with Quick Claw, and Heatran was down to the red, and it missed it's Fire Spin. It was then I started with Dusk Balls.

Heatran was struggling to get out of the Dusk Balls, and Maria was the right Type-Combination to perfectly counter Heatran's attacks. I had her use Recover to heal up after she got to the yellow, then kept on with the Dusk Balls. Maria suffered some damage and used Recover again after a few attacks, but Heatran kept having to struggle to get out of the Pokeballs. Another few Pokeballs, some healing, more Pokeballs. Heatran wasn't making it easy, but usually it struggled at least once.

Finally Heatran landed something to cause a Burn on Maria, and I had to use a Burn Heal on her for a turn before keeping up with the Dusk Balls. After a while Maria was knocked out by one of Heatran's attacks combined with Burn. I switched over to Lucius who I figured could at least stand up to the Fire attacks for a while.

Lucius' Flash Fire ability kept him from being hurt by Fire-Type attacks from Heatran, and actually allowed it to gain boosted power with it's Fire attacks. I kept on trying to catch Heatran with Dusk Balls, and finally it gave up! I caught my last Legendary Pokemon in Pearl! I used an Escape Rope to get out of there, and then I grabbed a nearby Life Orb before I flew back to the Survival Area to heal my Pokemon.

Current Team:

Lucius (Rapidash, Fire, Lv. 60)
Annabelle (Torterra, Grass/Ground, Lv. 61)
Marcus (Strapator, Normal/Flying, Lv. 61)
Alexander (Machamp, Fighting, Lv. 61)
Maximus (Luxray, Electric, Lv. 61)
Maria (Gastrodon, Water/Ground, Lv. 61)

Pokemon Pearl - Stark Mountain

After I went around Sinnoh to gather supplies and ready for the adventure ahead, I went east to Route 226 where I found a house on top of one of the cliffs that held a Hiker and nothing else. He was surprised I made it to his house, but shared in my disappointment that there was nothing there otherwise.

I went east, going up and down a few cliffs, and I battled a few Trainers. Through the battles, Alexander and Lucius both grew to Level 60. After I got through the cliffs I kept on east through some water and around a lot of big rocks, battling a Swimmer along the way. In the middle of the pond there was a house, and when I went inside I met up with someone named the "Meister" who altered my Pokedex to allow me to read descriptions of Pokemon in other languages.

I got through the sea and went north to find myself near the base of Stark Mountain, where ash was raining down from the volcano. I had to go up the route using my bike on some ramps, and I got into a few battles which saw Annabelle grow to Level 61. I got through the path and found myself in front of Crasher Wake and Simon. Wake admired how strong I had become to train there, and how strong my bonds with my Pokemon were becoming.

Simon told me that we stood before Stark Mountain, and that Buck was on his way. Simon told me he would find the volcano's treasure before him, and if he could do that then a 21-win streak at the Battle Tower could be possible. We watched as Simon ran off, then Wake turned to me, surprised that I was going to Stark Mountain too. He warned me of the strength of the wild Pokemon, and that my Pokemon needed to be well trained to get through. He told me to be fully prepared, and I was, I had the items I'd need and my Pokemon were strong enough to tear through even the Ace Trainers around here.

Crasher Wake left, and I rested up at a house at the base of Stark Mountain before I went up. I went across a beam on my bike, and ran into Buck. He was surprised to see me, and called me wimpy, concerned about the strength of my team going in. Buck then wondered why he asked, realizing he didn't care anyway, and told me the race was on to see who got the Magma Stone first. Buck left, and I was determined to find this Magma Stone before him!

I went through a few Trainers on my way to the entrance of the mountain, and Marcus grew to Level 61. Finally I found my way inside the volcano. There were several levels to the place, and many large boulders to move around. I pushed aside some boulders, made my way around the early part of the cave, and found an Escape Rope and a PP Up. I have 5 of the latter item now, I think I should look through my dream team and see who needs the boost most.

I got to the top of the first area, and found Simon by the entrance to the next area. He was angry, and told me that Buck wiped out his team. He was surprised at the strength Buck possessed, but looked upon his loss as room to become even tougher. I admired his point of view on that, it was very mature and better than I would think of loss. I continued on and went to the next area of the volcano.

I met up with Buck again shortly ahead in the second area, telling me how he wiped the floor with Simon, and how he made sure that Simon was taught a lesson. However, Buck didn't know if he could beat Simon again the next time, knowing that you're bound to run into tough Trainers everywhere. He told me that he found out about this place, but the Pokemon are tough, and suggested we team up together. I decided that would be a good idea, to build my team up and get through this place.

I continued forward with Buck, fighting in a couple Double Battles with wild Pokemon alongside his Claydol, and then we got into a battle against a pair of Ace Trainers. They had a Aerodactyl, Kangaskhan, and Ursaring who all went down easily against Maria and Claydol, and Maria grew to Level 61. We went through fighting more wild Pokemon, and Alexander grew to Level 61 through it.

Near the end of the cave, Buck and I encountered a Dragon Tamer and a Veteran who were itching for a fight. They sent out Loudred and Bagon while I sent out Maximus and Buck sent out Claydol. Maximus and Claydol worked together to knock out Bagon, before Loudred used Uproar on Maximus for good damage. Shelgon was sent out next, and both Maximus and Claydol did massive damage to it, before it countered with Crunch to knock out Claydol and then Loudred hit Maximus with Uproar for good damage. Maximus used Spark against Loudred for massive damage and knocked it out, before Shelgon used Scary Face on Maximus.

Donphan was sent out, and it used Rock Tomb on Maximus for minor damage, then Shelgon hit Maximus with Crunch for good damage, and after that Donphan was found to be immune to Spark. I switched to Marcus, whose Intimidate cut their attacks, then Donphan and Shelgon both used Scary Face. Shelgon used Zen Headbutt for good damage, then Donphan used Slam for good damage, then Marcus countered with Close Combat which hit Donphan for great damage. Donphan used Rock Tomb against Marcus for massive damage, and knocked him out, then I switched out to Maria. Maria used Earthquake against Shelgon and Donphan, which knocked out Shelgon and left Donphan with massive damage, before it countered with Slam for great damage. Maria knocked out Donphan with Waterfall, and then Tauros was sent out last.

Maria's Quick Claw let her use Earthquake first, and it did great damage, before Tauros countered with Giga Impact for great damage. Maria's Quick Claw started again and she did good damage to Tauros. Tauros used Rock Slide, then Maria used Recover to heal up. Tauros missed with Zen Headbutt, then Maria hit it with Waterfall for good damage, and it clung on. Tauros used Zen Headbutt for good damage, then one more Waterfall knocked it out and won the battle.

I used a few Max Repels to get through the cave without incident from wild Pokemon, and we got into one final battle against a pair of Trainers. I got through them quickly enough, and Maximus grew to Level 61, then we got to the end of the cave. Buck was excited to see the exit, telling me his instincts told him the treasure was just ahead. He said goodbye, and told me I may be the toughest besides him.

I ran in after Buck, and he presented me with the Magma Stone, the treasure of Stark Mountain. He figured that since he found it, that made him the greatest Trainer out there. He thanked me for my help, then there was an earthquake. Buck was amused, thinking the volcano was in shock because he got the stone, but I was concerned about being in a potentially active volcano. Buck left and told me to say hello to Simon for him. I used an Escape Rope to get out, then flew back to the Survival Area.

I'm not sure what that earthquake was, but I'm willing to bet the Magma Stone was there for a reason. I'm gonna need to find Buck and hope he'll let me bring the stone back, or else that volcano may just erupt and take out the entire island with it!

Current Team:

Maximus (Luxray, Electric, Lv. 61)
Annabelle (Torterra, Grass/Ground, Lv. 61)
Marcus (Staraptor, Normal/Flying, Lv. 61)
Alexander (Machamp, Fighting, Lv. 61)
Lucius (Rapidash, Fire, Lv. 60)
Maria (Gastrodon, Water/Ground, Lv. 61)

Pokemon Pearl - Heading to the Survival Area

I Flew back to mainland Sinnoh to go near the top of Mt. Coronet and snag myself a couple Dratini (Dragon, Male, Lv. 19) (Dragon, Female, Lv. 20) with my new Super Rod, then I Flew back to the Battle Zone and went north toward the Survival Area.

As I went through Route 225, I could see there was a lot of tall grass, most certainly containing very powerful wild Pokemon, and of course many Trainers wanting to test their might against the wilderness ahead. It wasn't long before I came across my first Trainer, who was ready for a fight.

The Bird Keeper sent out Farfetch'd and I sent out Maximus against it. Maximus hit it with Spark and took it out in one blow, then she sent out Swellow to fight. Swellow used Endeavor for great damage against Maximus, then he countered with Spark to knock it out and win the battle, and afterwards Maximus grew to Level 60. It was after the battle that the Bird Keeper informed me that she had come from the Hoenn region, the same place I had started my journey. I could only wonder what was happening back there now...

I went a bit further up the path and found myself caught in a Double Battle with a pair of Trainers. The pair sent out Zigzagoon and Slowpoke, and I sent out Marcus and Alexander. I was surprised at the selection of Pokemon being thrown at me thus far, and I wondered how many more I'd see before the end of all this. Marcus hit Slowpoke with Brave Bird for the knock out, then Zigzagoon hit Alexander with Flail for minor damage, then Alexander countered with Revenge to knock it out. Next they sent out Skarmory and Slowbro, and I was ready. Marcus hit Slowbro with Close Combat for massive damage through a critical hit, though it wasn't very effective, and then Alxander missed Cross Chop against Skarmory, before it hit Marcus with Night Slash and Slowbro used Amnesia to increase it's special defense. Marcus hit Slowbro with Brave Bird to knock it out, then Alexander hit Skarmory with Cross Chop to knock it out and win the battle.

I took a moment to heal Marcus, who had gotten injured by recoil from Brave Bird, then I continued on northward. As I healed my Pokemon, I came across the various stat-boosting items such as Carbos, Iron, and Protein, and I pondered if I should use them. I know I've done a great job training my Pokemon so far without them, and I don't want to mess up their stats by using them either. Before I really knew what I was doing, years ago, I had used them on my team on the old copy of Pearl, and their stats are quite odd; When I have the ability to work on stats, I'm torn between making certain stats even higher, and trying to strengthen lower stats. I doubt the latter works, but I don't want to be single-minded in the former either.

The area was like a maze, and I went through it slowly, before encountering a Pokemon Ranger. He sent out Donphan and I sent out Marcus, who hit it with Close Combat for great damage before it countered with Assurance for good damage. Marcus hit it with Brave Bird for great damage and knocked it out, winning the battle. As I went through I found a Hyper Potion and a Rare Candy, and I also encountered Spearow, Fearow, and Ratata, of which I failed to catch Spearow and Ratata, and didn't bother with Fearow.

 I came across another Trainer who was itching for a fight, and I sent out Marcus against his Lickitung. Marcus hit it with Close Combat to knock it out in one blow, then Miltank was sent in and I kept Marcus in the fight. Marcus went high to warm up, avoiding Miltank's attack, then he hit it with Fly for massive damage, before it countered with Zen Headbutt for great damage. Marcus finished the battle with Brave Bird, and I continued on after healing him.

A short distance north of the last Ace Trainer I fought, I came across a house in the middle of Route 225. I went inside and was greeted by a Worker, who gave me Fresh Water for my weary Pokemon. I was grateful, as it was what I was using to heal Marcus. I watched the TV a bit before I left, then cut a tree to the west to grab a Lax Incense, and after that I continued north. I surfed on a pond atop a hill and found myself a Dubious Disk, something I could use to evolve my Porygon, but not something I can bring forward to X/Y.

I fought against another Ace Trainer, and his Pinsir went down easily against Marcus, who grew to Level 60, while his Mightyena went down quickly against Alexander. I thought it was funny that he mentioned after the battle how he pumped his team full of things like Carbos and Protein, where I was wary of doing anything to change the stats of my own team (as mentioned just above).

I continued north and fought against another Ace Trainer, whose Flaffy and Tropius both went down easily against my team, and then I kept on going, feeling that I was near the end of the route. I went west and grabbed some berries, then continued north through a field of tall grass. I saw a spot to use Rock Climb, and when I got to the top I fought against my final adversary on Route 225, a Dragon Tamer. Alexander made short work of both Dratini and Dragonair and I grabbed the Dawn Stone on the cliff I was at before climbing down and heading east.

I made it to the Survival Area, and I went to the Pokemon Center to heal my team before I talked with the people around. Among those I talked to I met the Cameraman who filmed the "Search for the Red Gyarados" documentary that prompted Simon and I to visit the lake so long ago. I had almost forgotten about that before meeting him. I also got TM42 (Facade) from a Black Belt, and was told by an old man that Stark Mountain looming ahead was said to have been made by a single fiery Pokemon.

I'm going to rest here a bit, then I'll continue onward to Stark Mountain. If all the Trainers come here to train their Pokemon, then this must be a tough place to explore. I'll need to take stock of my items, and buy more supplies if I'm short on anything. I refuse to lose against either Trainers OR wild Pokemon in that volcano!

Current Team:

Alexander (Machamp Fighting, Lv. 59)
Marcus (Staraptor, Normal/Flying, Lv. 60)
Annabelle (Torterra, Grass/Ground, Lv. 60)
Maximus (Luxray, Electric, Lv. 60)
Maria (Gastrodon, Water/Ground, Lv. 60)
Lucius (Rapidash, Fire, Lv. 59)

Pokemon Pearl - Onward to the Battle Zone!

I went to the southern area of Snowpoint City and talked to the Sailor there, and told him I wanted to set sail for the Battle Zone. Finally, I was ready to meet up once more with Simon!

When I got there, Simon met me at the docks, wondering what took me so long, and told me he would fine me $100 million. He then told me he would become the greatest Trainer ever, to which I wondered if he didn't have the skill and drive to become a Pokemon Master. Simon told me he was there to toughen up himself and his Pokemon, then a man came up from behind him.

The man laughed, and apologized for that, telling us he couldn't help but overhear. He said that becoming the greatest Trainer ever would be really tough, because we were talking about him! He said he would prove it by going to the volcano right then and there. When we looked at him with confusion, he realized we didn't know what he was talking about.

The Trainer told us that this was the Battle Zone, and at the far end was a volcano. Inside the volcano, there was supposed to be a treasure, to which Simon replied "So? What's the big deal?" Simon asked if finding the treasure first would make him the greatest Trainer ever, then told me and the Trainer that he would do just that. Before that though, he told me he would go to the Battle Tower, then he ran off, as per usual with Simon.

The Trainer commented on Simon's usual habit of running around everywhere, then introduced himself as Buck, telling me that Simon couldn't beat him. Buck asked if I knew Simon, to which I responded yes, and then he told me I should go after Simon and tell him not to underestimate the volcano. Buck also told me that I should shape up at the Battle Tower as well, that he didn't like my chances of getting to the volcano otherwise. Buck left, and I decided to go to the Battle Tower after Simon.

I did some exploring before I left the docks, receiving from citizens there a Super Rod and a Scope Lens. After I pocketed the two items, I went north to the Battle Park. I was greeted by a few receptionists manning the path to it, and one gave me a Point Card for my first time there. The receptionist explained to me that those cards are used only in the Battle Park, and was told to talk to the receptionist next to her if I had any information. I talked to the other receptionist, and was told that the Point Card confirmed my status as a challenger and also was used to store Battle Points, or BP, that I can use to get items.

I talked to another receptionist who explained the rules of the Battle Park and Battle Tower; My Pokemon could only be Level 50, had to be different species with some being banned (Legendaries), and all Pokemon had to use different hold items. It seemed simple enough, and made it sound like it was a lot more about being skilled at battling than it is about being overpowered. After getting a grasp of the rules, I went in.

I came to the building that held both BP shops, and was immediately tackled from behind by some man with wild blonde hair. He looked around, confused, then apologized, explaining he was in a rush. A second later, he realized who I was, saying it brought back memories, which I didn't understand because I never met him before... The stranger mentioned that if I'm there, then "he" can't be far behind, meaning Simon. He commented on how fun it should be, then he headed into the tower.

Just a second after the stranger entered the Battle Tower, Simon went and tackled me from behind just as the stranger had. Simon realized who he had bumped into, and told me he wanted to see how he measured up before going to Stark Mountain. Simon commented about the stranger I talked with, but then shrugged it off, telling me how he got here on his own power, and that he would meet with the stranger soon enough. Simon headed inside right after, and I decided to follow.

I talked to a few people who were in the lobby of the Battle Tower, and one asked me about my feelings at various points of a match, from starting a battle, to becoming number 1, and I answered his questions as truthfully as I could. I talked to other people around the lobby, and they all seemed very excited to be there, and extremely confident about their Pokemon. I admit I felt very confident about my team, especially after having gone through the Sinnoh League with them, but I decided I didn't want to go through more battles unless necessary.

I've got the opportunity to explore this new island with my Pokemon, and I'd rather spend my time seeing the sights than fighting a bunch of Trainers. I may come back to the Battle Tower to fight, but right now I want to see what there is to see.

Current Team:

Maximus (Luxray, Electric, Lv. 59)
Annabelle (Torterra, Grass/Ground, Lv. 60)
Alexander (Machamp, Fighting, Lv. 59)
Marcus (Staraptor, Normal/Flying, Lv. 59)
Maria (Gastrodon, Water/Ground, Lv. 60)
Lucius (Rapidash, Fire, Lv. 59)

Pokemon Pearl - Snowpoint Temple and Regigigas

I had heard that the temple up at Snowpoint City held the great and powerful Pokemon Regigigas, leader of the Legendary Golems, and that the only way to awaken him was to have the three golems with you when you are in his presence. I switched out Maria, Lucius, and Marcus out for Regice, Regirock, and Registeel, knowing that I was going to be a lot weaker with the three golems only at Level 40.

After I got my team set up, I went to the Snowpoint Temple. I talked to the woman at the stairs, who told me only the chosen may enter the temple, then she asked me to leave. I didn't understand, I was the Sinnoh League Champion, why was that not enough? Suddenly Candice came up from behind, telling her that I could be let in, that Cynthia sent word to her. Candice asked if I was working on my Pokedex, and told me there should be many rare Pokemon in there.

I went inside, and the first thing I saw were several pillars with a large, odd statue at the center. I used a Max Repel, then I went downstairs I saw several rocks around with several ice blocks on the floor, and I managed my way to a Calcium before getting to the next set of stairs. In the second level of the basement, I found a basic maze of rocks, pillars, and a couple ice blocks in the floor. I made my way through easily enough, and got down another level.

When I got to the third level, I realized I had finally hit the hard part of this temple. What laid before me was a floor covered in ice blocks with several rocks around there. I knew I needed to be damn careful around here or I'd be stuck slipping around for a while. I slid around for a couple minutes, but managed to figure out how to get through using the few rocks around, and the single piece of dirt in the center of it all.

I got down to the fourth level, and found myself in another minor rock maze. I grabbed a NeverMeltIce near the bottom right corner, then I went down to the fifth level. On the fifth level I found another large area of ice, and within the center lay the massive Legendary Golem, Regigigas. I had to take several trips through the ice field, but I soon figured out the way I needed to go with the various rocks.

I got to the center, where Regigigas (Normal, Lv. 70) stood, and I moved Maximus to the first slot in the hope that his Electric-Type attacks could paralyze it. I read the inscription at his feet, which said "A body of rock. A body of ice. A body of steel. When gathers the three Pokemon, the king shall appear." Regigigas suddenly shook and came alive, and then the battle started.

Maximus went out to fight it, and he started with Spark for massive damage with a critical hit, then Regigigas countered with Stomp for great damage. I had Maximus use Thunderbolt for great damage, bringing it to the yellow, then Regigigas used Confuse Ray to confuse Maximus. I decided to stop trying to attack it, for fear of knocking it out, and I started using Dusk Balls against it.

The first Dusk Ball did nothing to it, and the powerful golem escaped immediately. Another Dusk Ball was sent out, and then Zen Headbutt hit Maximus for great damage. Another ball, another escape, and them Regigias used Stomp for great damage, then "got it's act together," which I didn't understand.

I switched to Annabelle, then Regigigas used Stomp for great damage that cut her health in half. It escaped another Dusk Ball, then knocked out Annabelle with Stomp. I sent out Alexander, another Dusk Ball failed, and then he was hit with Zen Headbutt for massive damage, just barely clinging on. Alexander got knocked out after another failed attempt by Superpower, and I decided to try sending out Registeel against it.

Regigigas used Stomp for good damage against Registeel, then used Confuse Ray against it. Registeel's health was being chipped away quickly by the might of it's leader, and my Dusk Balls did little against it... Eventually Registeel was knocked out, and I sent out Regice against it. Unfortunately for me Regice went down immediately after just a couple Dusk Balls.

I sent out Regirock to stand against it, while I kept trying Dusk Balls. Finally it started to struggle with one, and I thought just maybe I had a chance. I decided to use my Revives to bring back the team, right before Regirock got knocked out, and I sent out Annabelle again. I used a couple Fresh Waters on Annabelle to heal her, then I tried another few Dusk Balls. I had Annabelle use Giga Drain, but she flinched from Stomp before she could try draining it to the red.

Regigigas was brought to the red, then it hit Annabelle to bring her to the red. I gave Annabelle a Hyper Potion to heal her up, and then used an X Defend to try keeping her in the fight. I was right on the money, as Annabelle's high defense combined with X Defend kept her going even through it's powerful attacks, and after several more Dusk Balls it was FINALLY caught!

I used an Escape Rope to get back to the entrance, then I went to the Pokemon Center to deposit the Legendary Golems again and get my team back together. Now that all that has been finished, I think I'll go check out the boat here at Snowpoint City that Simon was talking about before...

Current Team:

Maximus (Luxray, Electric, Lv. 59)
Annabelle (Torterra, Grass/Ground, Lv. 60)
Alexander (Machamp, Fighting, Lv. 59)
Marcus (Staraptor, Normal/Flying, Lv. 59)
Maria (Gastrodon, Water/Ground, Lv. 60)
Lucius (Rapidash, Fire, Lv. 59)

Pokemon Pearl - The hunt for Giratina

I noticed a new area on the map when I looked over it, an area that hadn't existed before along Route 214. I looked over the information, and according to the map the new area was "the fourth lake of Sinnoh that was kept secret." A fourth lake? Kept secret all this time? Why kept secret, and what could be there if the other 3 lakes all had their own guardians?

I first went to the Pokemon League to stock up on a lot of Dusk Balls, some Super Potions, some Hyper Potions, and some Max Repels. I then went to Veilstone City and then went south on Route 214, finding a path about halfway down going east. I walked the path and through an opening of the forest to find a field of tall grass. I went through it, used Rock Climb to go up the side of the mountain, and lo-and-behold there I found myself on the edge of this hidden fourth lake!

I had to make my way around either side of the lake to get down to it, and I used a Max Repel before going through the tall grass and the fog, then used Rock Climb to climb down to a cave. I went inside the cave, and found it to be extremely foggy. I saw a large wall right by the entrance, which mentioned something about going past three pillars to something that sleeps, before 30 is surpassed.

I roamed through several rooms before I found the first pillar, which read "1, 4" which seemed to note somehow how many pillars I had found and how many rooms I had gone through. I had to use another Max Repel, then I continued to search. After a while of searching and another Max Repel, I found the second pillar after going through another 10 rooms. I checked another few rooms, and then found the third and final pillar!

I went past the pillar through the northern door, and came across the terrifying sight of Giratina (Ghost/Dragon, Lv. 70). This thing was huge, and looked ready to fight. I saved my game, switched Bolt (Magnezone, Electric/Steel, Lv. 53) (which I had swapped with Maximus) and went up to this powerful Pokemon, ready to catch it. I knew this would be a tough fight, and I wanted to start out strong the same way I had caught Rayquaza.

The world distorted around me before the battle commenced. Giratina started with Heal Block to stop Bolt from healing by it's own means, then Bolt used Thunder Wave to paralyze it. Bolt used Flash Cannon next to do good damage, then Giratina just vanished. With Giratina out of sight, Flash was ineffective, then Giratina rematerialized to use an attack called Shadow Force which missed. Bolt used Flash again to lower Giratina's accuracy, then it countered with Slash for great damage on a critical blow. I had Bolt start doing damage, first a Thunderbolt for minor damage which showed Giratina to be resistant to Electric-Type attacks, then Giratina's Slash missed again. Bolt used another Flash to lower accuracy, and then Giratina was stopped by paralysis.

I was feeling apprehensive at this point, with Bolt's attacks doing so little against Giratina, I wasn't sure any of the rest of my team could do too much against it. Bolt used Flash Cannon again for good damage, and Giratina was stopped by paralysis again. Bolt worked on dealing damage, another Flash Cannon missed but the next landed successfully for great damage, and Giratina was stopped by paralysis once more. Bolt used Thunderbolt to do minor damage, and then dodged Heal Block. Bolt used another Thunderbolt to nudge Giratina into the red, then Giratina vanished. Both Pokemon missed their attacks, Bolt with Flash and Giratina with Shadow Force.

With Giratina in the red, I had Bolt use another Flash to make it impossible for Giratina to land a blow, then it vanished again. I decided to try a Dusk Ball, but it was impossible with the Pokemon out of sight, so Bolt missed with Flash before getting hit for massive damage by Shadow Force. I threw a Dusk Ball and it didn't even shake, but at least Giratina was stopped by paralysis. I had Bolt use another Flash, then Giratina missed with Slash. I used another Dusk Ball, and it broke after one shake, then Giratina disappeared.

I gave Bolt a Hyper Potion before Giratina missed with Shadow Force again. I used another Dusk Ball and it did nothing, then Giratina missed Slash again. I kept at it with the Dusk Balls, giving Bolt an X Spc. Defense while Giratina was warming up to miss Shadow Force again. Giratina refused to be caught, but I kept on it. Things were going okay until Giratina used Earth Power to OHKO Bolt.

I switched over to Annabelle and then used another Dusk Ball against Giratina. I used a few more Dusk Balls before it landed Earth Power against Annabelle for good damage, though she resisted it. I kept at it with Dusk Balls, and Giratina kept missing it's attacks. I started to make real progress, with Giratina struggling to escape the Dusk Balls, but it did keep escaping. I started to worry about my Pokeball count when I used over half my Dusk Balls, wondering if I had enough!

I got down to my last 3 Dusk Balls, and I decided to switch over to Timer Balls. Annabelle got hit by another Earth Power, but generally Giratina was stopped from fighting between the fog, Bolt's Flash attacks, and paralysis. Finally all Giratina could do was Struggle, and with that it knocked itself out. I cursed the damn thing before doing a soft reset to try again.

I started over with Bolt, going through the same strategy as before with a Thunder Wave and Flash to keep Giratina from doing damage, and finally of course to strike it down to the red. Bolt took a powerful, critical Shadow Force for massive damage, but survived to get healed up while Giratina missed another attack. After a few hits with Flash Cannon and an extra Flash, I used a single Dusk Ball on Giratina, and caught it. I was both happy at the capture, and a bit frustrated that it took around 50 Pokeballs before and just 1 now.

Behind where Giratina stood, there were words on a wall. It read "This is... That where life sparkles... That where life has faded... A place where two worlds overlap..." I headed north past where Giratina stood and back at the entrance, then I flew back to Veilstone City to put Bolt back in the PC and save. I was happy to have caught such a powerful Pokemon, and I wondered how much longer before I'd be moving on to Pokemon SoulSilver!

Current Team:

Marcus (Staraptor, Normal/Flying, Lv. 59)
Maria (Gastrodon, Water/Ground, Lv. 60)
Alexander (Machamp, Fighting, LV. 59)
Lucius (Rapidash, Fire, Lv. 59)
Annabelle (Torterra, Grass/Ground, Lv. 60)
Maximus (Luxray, Electric, Lv. 59)

Pokemon Pearl - The quest for Cresselia

I heard of some trouble happening in Canalave City, so I flew over there. I talked with a few people around the city until I found myself at the home of Sailor Eldritch, the man who brought me to Iron Island.

I went inside and found his wife standing watch over their son who was laying in bed. I looked over him and noticed him thrashing about in his sleep. He was obviously being tormented by something, and muttered "Dar... Dark... is watching... me..." I talked with the mother, who explained that such things had happened before in Canalave City, where people never woke up from their nightmares.

I talked to Sailor Eldritch and he told me he lost his love of sailing since his son fell into his horrible nightmare. He told me that he needed the Lunar Wing from Fullmoon Island to awaken his son and I agreed to help get it. We immediately set sail for Fullmoon Island on a quest to save his son.

When we got to Fullmoon Island, I headed north, then east on a small path before finding an opening into the woods. I went into a small clearing in the forest and Cresselia resting at the center of it. I went up to it and then it flew up and disappeared. Fortunately for me, I spotted a Lunar Wing it left behind, and grabbed it before heading back to the Sailor to return to Canalave City.

I went back into the Eldritch home and went up to the boy, and the Lunar Wing began to glow. Almost immediately I saw how the boy's face became untroubled, and he stopped thrashing about, and then he woke up! It was then that Sailor Eldritch came in to find his son awake and well. He thanked me for saving his son, then told me that getting his son back has regained his spirit as a sailor. I was told to come sail with him later.

I took Sailor Eldritch up on his offer, and went to Iron Island to check out that empty house before. I found it to be occupied by Byron, of the Elite Four! He told me that his son trains as hard as I do, but he still treats him like a child. He realized how ridiculous that was, what with him being a proper Gym Leader and all, and realized how tricky it is between a father and son. He also realized he had wasted my time, and gave me a Metal Coat as an apology. Byron told me how some Pokemon evolve into the Steel-Type using the metal coat, and how they need to hold it while training.

I left Iron Island and got back to Canalave City, then I flew over to Eterna City and went east to Route 211 to search for Cresselia who was roaming around the region. After a short while of looking, I finally came across Cresselia (Psychic, Female, Lv. 50) and decided now was the time to use my Master Ball. I tossed the Master Ball at her and bam, caught it immediately.

With a new Legendary Pokemon under my belt, I decided to call it a day. I flew back home, took a shower, and rested up, knowing I still had a lot more to do.

Current Team:

Lucius (Rapidash, Fire, Lv. 59)
Maria (Gastrodon, Water/Ground, Lv. 60)
Marcus (Staraptor, Normal/Flying, Lv. 59)
Annabelle (Torterra, Grass/Ground, Lv. 60)
Alexander (Machamp, Fighting, Lv. 59)
Maximus (Luxray, Electric, Lv. 59)

Pokemon Pearl - Back to Victory Road

It took far too long, but finally I have finished bringing all my Pokemon from Sapphire over to Pearl. I'm glad to have finally gotten all my Pokemon brought over, especially my old team. When I got my Pokemon brought from Sapphire, I did a bit of TM-teaching and evolving, turning my Pikachu into Raichu and Vulpix into Ninetails, because both were past Level 20 and I thought it was a good point for them to evolve.

After I finished with my old Pokemon, I flew over to the Pokemon League and then went south back to Victory Road. Now that I was Champion of the Sinnoh Region, I was determined to find out what was in that part of the cave at the end. I went to the entrance and the man was gone, so I went inside.

I found myself in another large part of the cave, just before some stairs, and I went down the stairs, up a path, and down some more stairs. I went through another opening and went into a foggy room, and found myself just short of another Trainer. I went up to her, and she introduced herself as Marley. She asked me to help her get through the tunnel, and I agreed to help her out. It had been a while since I've partnered up with anyone, so it was refreshing after so many battles alone.

Marley and I fought against a pair of wild Pokemon, and we came out victorious even with the fog making it very hard to land blows. Maximus grew to Level 58 and we continued on. We went north, I pushed a boulder over, and then we beat another pair of wild Pokemon before heading further north. The fog was definitely proving a problem, but I refused to use such a limited move as Defog on my Pokemon for something like this!

We encountered a pair of Ace Trainers, and got into a Double Battle. They sent out Bibarel and Pachirisu, and I sent out Annabelle while Marley sent out Arcanine. Arcanine used Helping Hand to boost Annabelle, then Pachirisu missed with Super Fang, and then Annabelle hit Bibarel with Wood Hammer to knock it out. Rapidash was sent out next, and Arcanine used Helping Hand to boost Annabelle before getting hit by Super Fang from Pachirisu, then Rapidash used Growl on both Pokemon before Annabelle Cut Pachirisu for great damage. Arcanine used another Helping Hand, which was rather useless, then Pachirisu used Sweet Kiss on Arcanine to confuse it, before Rapidash used Fire Blast against Annabelle for massive damage, and Annabelle's Giga Drain missed.

I switched out to Maria, and Arcanine hurt itself in it's confusion before Pachirisu missed with Charm, then Rapidash sprang up for a Bounce Attack. Arcanine hurt itself in it's confusion again, then Pachirisu missed Charm again, and then Rapidash used Bounce on Maria for good damage before she hit Pachirisu with Waterfall for massive damage to knock it out. Azumarill was sent out again, and Rapidash used Quick Attack on Arcanine for minor damage, before it used Agility to increase it's speed, and then Maria used Waterfall against Rapidash to knock it out before Azumarill used Double Edge for great damage against Arcanine.

Beautifly was sent out next, and I wondered how much longer this battle would last if Marley refused to have her Arcanine do anything offensively. Arcanine shook off confusion and used Helping Hand, then Maria used Waterfall against Beautifly for massive damage to knock it out in a single blow, before Azumarill used Double Edge against Maria for minor damage. I switched Maria out for Maximus, then Arcanine used Helping Hand, and then Azumarill used Aqua Tail against Maximus for good damage. Arcanine used Agility to increase it's speed, then Maximus hit Azumarill with Spark to knock it out. Blissey was the last one sent out, and Arcanine used Helping Hand before Maximus used Spark again and knocked it out in one blow to win the battle!

Marley and I continued north, fought off a pair of wild Pokemon, and Annabelle grew to Level 59 before we went down some stairs. I messed up a boulder puzzle, got into another couple wild Pokemon battles, and went east down some stairs. We found ourselves in a rock maze, trying to get through it with all the fog in the way. We got into another wild Pokemon Battle, and kept on through the maze.

We got through the maze, with several battles bringing Maximus and Maria up to Level 59, then I went north a ways before coming to a fork in the path, one east and one up stairs north, with both getting to Trainers. I decided to go north, and so we encountered another pair of Ace Trainers. I sent out Marcus with Marley's Arcanine against them, and after a long battle we came out victorious with Marcus having grown to Level 59.

We came across a boulder I could only move to block the way, so we turned around and went to the east and fought against a couple pairs of wild Pokemon. We came across a pair of Trainers and beat them after another long battle, and then went down some stairs into more of the rock maze. We fought another pair of wild Pokemon, and Alexander grew to Level 59, then we went down some stairs to the east.

We came across another pair of Trainers and fought through them, and Lucius grew to Level 59 while Maria grew to Level 60 upon victory. Marley and I kept going east, fighting a pair of wild Pokemon, and then we went north up some stairs.

Marley stopped me, telling me this was the place. She said there was a stone tablet ahead, and that she wanted to see the Pokemon that visits it. Marley told me she appreciated me escorting her, and then she left. I went after her out the cave, but not before I got into a battle with another wild Pokemon before the long set of stairs leading out of Victory Road, and Annabelle grew to Level 60.

I found myself on Route 224, a northern route with fields of tall grass and plenty of trees. I went on up and went against a Trainer whose Polywhirl and Gyarados both went down easily against Maximus. I went past him through a field of tall grass to find another Trainer, and the Veteran went down easily against my team.

I managed to sneak past another couple Trainers, and surfed a little bit to get to the most northern part of the Route, and I found this large white rock. I checked it and it was unmarked, but polished like a mirror. I decided to go south on this part to battle an Ace Trainer, then Flew back home after that rough path through Victory Road.

I know there's lots to collect here in this part of Victory Road, but at this point I'm hard pressed to care... This trip has been tough what with Marley's Pokemon doing little to help on top of having such difficulty landing hits in the fog! Maybe at some point I'll try, but seeing as I can't bring items over to Pokemon Y, I don't see the need to go through so much effort.

Current Team:

Lucius (Rapidash, Fire, Lv. 59)
Maria (Gastrodon, Water/Ground, Lv. 60)
Marcus (Staraptor, Normal/Flying, Lv. 59)
Annabelle (Torterra, Grass/Ground, Lv. 60)
Alexander (Machamp, Fighting, Lv. 59)
Maximus (Luxray, Electric, Lv. 59)

Pokemon Pearl - Pokemon Breeding for fun and profit!

So I decided to spend some time between my two playthroughs to go ahead and start breeding a couple different Pokemon I knew I'd need to fill my collection fully. When you're dedicated to breeding and hatching Pokemon, it really doesn't take too much time, especially if you're not picky about stats, natures, and the like. Other people like to breed using Ditto, but when possible I like to go ahead and breed Pokemon with the same kind of Pokemon so that there's no major difference between stats to weaken them.

On my main copy of Pearl I had a pair of Burmy I caught from Honey trees and knew I'd need to breed them to get at least a couple more females to complete my collection, because of the nature of Burmy evolution. Male Burmy evolve into Mothim, a moth-like Bug/Flying-Type Pokemon, while female Burmy evolve into Wormadom, which is where things get interesting. Wormadom, like Burmy, is a bagworm Pokemon which uses it's surroundings to make a coat to protect itself. Wormadom can be one of three different Type combinations depending on the coat Burmy was wearing when it evolved; Bug/Grass, Bug/Ground, and Bug/Steel. Each of the three has different moves they learn for their typing, and are thus needed to get a full Pokemon collection.

On my secondary, old copy of Pearl, I had a couple of extra Eevee I caught at the Trophy Garden, and I knew I needed to breed them to get each of the Eevolutions. As everyone knows, Eevee has many evolutions, with three being from Evolutionary Stones, two being from leveling up in specific areas, two from leveling up with high friendship both during the day AND night, and then the new Fairy-Type that evolves when it levels up when knowing a Fairy-Type move.

I started out by breeding the pair of Eevee, with my preference being that two Pokemon of the same species breed so that the stats that the children inherit be around the same as normal. I know that any Pokemon can breed with a Ditto, but Ditto can have various stats that don't quite mesh with the strengths of the Pokemon it's breeding with, so I'd rather have a Pokemon that inherits the strengths of it's species than that of a random blob like Ditto.

With the Eevee, I put them together in the Day Care Center and rode my bike around waiting for them to breed. It didn't take too long before they had an egg, and it was during their breeding that I realized I could use the Day Care Checker to find out when they laid eggs instead of just constantly checking with the old man.

Eventually I received 8 eggs from the pair, and found an easy path to hatching all of them with the bike. I went into high-speed on the right side of the path in Solaceon Town, going north through a straight path up Route 210, then back south through Solaceon Town and down straight through Route 209, back and forth until I finally got them to hatch. I used some Evolutionary Stones to get Vaporeon, Jolteon, and Flareon, then went to Snowpoint City to evolve one to Glaceon and Eterna Forest to evolve another to Leafeon. I saved the last few to evolve later on when I'm in Pokemon Y.

After hatching and evolving all those Eevee, I went and started breeding the pair of Burmy I have to get all the various evolutions. I went through the same bike route as the Eevee to get a LOT of eggs, a lot more than I realized I was getting, but those two were quite prolific. I realized that all those burmy will be very nice to trade with in Y when I get there, unless of course they've become a lot easier for people to find in later games.

I got around 24 Burmy eggs I've worked to hatch, and I evolved the parents to a Grass/Steel-Type Wormadam and Mothim. I'm still undecided if I want to just get the other two types evolved and call it a collection, or if perhaps I want to take four of their children and train them from the start. I know the parents could be just convenient to have, but then I'd rather raise their children to be more powerful...

I also went ahead and bred a Skarmory, Trapinch, and Torkoal with a Ditto because I had them nicknamed with bold letters (before I switched to normal) and would prefer all the names to be normal. I'm leaving the trio I bred in a separate box with the other Legendary Pokemon I got from the other couple copies of Pearl, to use as my team after I'm all done. I'll get to train their children later on to be as strong as they can be, and I'll have an interesting team in Pearl if I ever need to go back.

Just a few more days before I'm finally done transferring Pokemon over to Pearl from Sapphire, and then I can finally move on with the game. I've been biding my time too long, I want to move on!

Current Team:

Maximus (Luxray, Electric, Lv. 57)
Annabelle (Torterra, Grass/Ground, Lv. 58)
Lucius (Rapidash, Fire, Lv. 58)
Alexander (Machamp, Fighting, Lv. 58)
Maria (Gastrodon, Water/Ground, Lv. 58)
Marcus (Staraptor, Normal/Flying, Lv. 58)