Sunday, March 29, 2015

Pokemon Black - Pokemon Liberation in Accumula Town

Immediately as I started along Route 1, I got into a battle with a wild Patrat (Normal, Female, Lv. 2) and I was able to catch it after just one good Tackle. Thus did I get my second Pokemon from the Unova region, and eager to get far more! After a bit of searching, I found a Lilipup (Normal, Male, Lv. 4) and caught him with Cole as well.

Cole was injured from the battles, and I found a kind person who handed over a Potion. I used the Potion to heal Cole, then I came across Cheren and Bianca at the end of the road. Already they wanted to compare the amount of Pokemon we all had, and when I showed them my three Pokemon they were quite impressed.

Suddenly the Xtransceiver was ringing, and I answered it to find the Professor calling. She told us she was in front of the Pokemon Center and was waiting for us, and we all went to the city where we met up with Juniper in front of the Pokemon Center. She led us inside to tell us of the functions of a Pokemon Center, the most important place for any Trainer to know of.

Next Juniper showed us the PC, where Trainers access their Pokemon stored in PC boxes, mainly. Next up, a surprise for me, was a blue counter in the corner which I was told was the Poke' Mart, apparently put inside the Pokemon Centers in Unova. Now I wouldn't have to go to two different places for my needs!

Juniper left for Nuvema Town after telling us to meet an inventor named Fennel when we got to Striaton City. We were told that she was an old friend of Professor Juniper's, and that she'd help us on our way. I bought a few Pokeballs, and a few Potions, then I left with Cheren and Bianca.

There was something going on in the plaza which had everyone's attention, and I decided to check it out. There was a small army of hooded people standing behind a man wearing a brown cloak. The man introduced himself as Ghetsis, representing Team Plasma, and he wanted to talk about Pokemon liberation.

Ghetsis spoke of the relationship between humans and Pokemon, and said that how we viewed Pokemon as partners that have come together for a mutually beneficial relationship was really a lie. He believed we humans were the only ones to benefit, spouting orders while our "partners" did all the fighting and work. Ghetsis spoke of how Pokemon were beings of unknown potential who we needed to learn from, and said our responsibility to our Pokemon was liberation.

Ghetsis believed that we needed to free our Pokemon, and only by doing so would humans and Pokemon truly be equals. The crowd was shocked by this speech, being told ideas they had never considered before, and it sounded odd to me as well. I had only ever imagined my Pokemon as friends and partners, never as slaves, and while Samuel may have ignored orders early because of disrespect, I had no problems with any of them.

Ghetsis hoped that everyone would consider the relationship between people and Pokemon, and the correct way to proceed. After they all left, people started talking among themselves, about how to proceed. One young man thought liberation was impossible, and I wasn't sure myself.

Before I could talk with Cheren about the matter, an odd man came up to us. He claimed that my Pokemon, Cole, was saying something, and Cheren mentioned how odd that was to say, the idea of Pokemon talking. I know that there are those who can speak with Trainers like myself, and that they can of course understand us even if they can't communicate in a way we can understand, but for a HUMAN to understand Pokemon speech was odd.

The odd man said they're talking, and seemed surprised that we couldn't hear it, telling us how sad it was. He called himself N, and Cheren introduced us, telling N of our purpose to complete the Pokedex and how we just started our journey. Cheren was out to become Champion, and I kept quiet about my own victories. N wasn't impressed, and he disliked the thought of us catching Pokemon just for that purpose. He claimed to be a Trainer too, but wondered if Pokemon are really happy that way.

N challenged me to a fight to see if he could hear my Pokemon again. I sent out Cole against his Purrloin, and Purrloin used Growl to lower Cole's attack before he struck with Tackle for minor damage. Purrloin used Scratch next for minor damage, then Cole Tackled again for minor damage. This would obviously be a long battle, especially as I had JUST started out without getting to do training at all.

Fortunately after a couple turns, Cole wasn't taking too much damage, but he managed a pair of critical hits that knocked out Purrloin, and then he grew to Level 7. Cole also learned Ember, before he grew to Level 8 too! After the battle, N seemed confused about what Cole had said, and told me as long as Pokemon are confined in Pokeballs, that Pokemon would never become perfect beings. N said he would have to change the world for Pokemon, because they are his friends.

Cheren thought N was weird, and I agreed. Cheren decided not to worry about it, but I knew this guy would be trouble later, especially if he was part of this Team Plasma. Cheren said he knew Trainers and Pokemon help each other, and then told me he would go on ahead. The next town, Striaton City, had a Gym Leader he wanted to battle, and I knew I'd have to get stronger to get my first Unova region Badge.

After Cheren left, I went to the Pokemon Center to heal my team. I would go ahead and get training done, making Cole stronger as well as the Patrat and Lilipup I found, not sure when I would be able to get diversity into my team.

Current Team:

Cole (Tepig, Fire, Lv. 8)
Lillipup (Normal, Male, Lv. 4)
Patrat (Normal, Female, Lv. 2)

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Pokemon Black - A New Adventure

I met Professor Juniper, and found out about my friends in Unova, a boy named Cheren and a girl named Bianca. Juniper thought we had a lot of potential, so she would give us all Pokemon to explore the world with. She wanted me to meet new people, gain new experiences, and find lots of Pokemon.

It was Autumn when I talked to Cheren, who was eager to get his Pokemon. He wondered what was keeping Bianca, who soon arrived. The Pokemon had been delivered to my house, and so Bianca and Cheren decided that I would get first pick. The Pokemon were in a gift box, and atop the box was a letter, which read "I've brought three Pokemon, one for you and one for each of your friends. Please settle your choices politely. Enjoy your Pokemon! -Professor Juniper" and after reading the letter I opened the box.

I chose Tepig, the Fire-Type starter. Bianca chose her Pokemon next immediately after, a Snivy, which left Cheren with Oshawott, which he claimed he wanted anyway. Bianca immediately wanted to battle, but Cheren didn't like the thought of battling inside my house. Bianca wasn't worried, because the Pokemon were weak, and so I was pulled into a battle against Bianca.

Bianca sent out Snivy, and I sent out my new Tepig, who got hit by Tackle, before he countered with Tackle as well. Both did minor damage, then Snivy hit Tepig with Tackle before Tepig countered with a critical hit that did good damage. Snivy used Leer to lower Tepig's defense, but Tepig finished the battle with another Tackle.

My room became a mess because of the battle, but Bianca was more concerned with my skills, telling me I'd be an awesome Trainer. Cheren brought the status of my room to Bianca's attention, whose first reaction was admiration for the strength of our Pokemon, and not on the fact that I had a disaster on my hands! She soon apologized though, and Cheren called her hopeless, before healing our Pokemon for us.

Bianca wanted a fight against Cheren too, and she assumed that he was knowledgeable enough without turning the room into a disaster area, which it already WAS. Cheren agreed, and then suddenly I was in a battle with Cheren as well.

Cheren sent out Oshawott, and I sent out Tepig, and the two attacked one-another with Tackle for minor damage. Tepig used Tackle again for minor damage, then Oshawott used Tail Whip to lower Tepig's defense. Tepig attacked once more with Tackle for minor damage, and then Oshawott countered with Tackle for critical damage that left Tepig hanging on. I had nothing to heal Tepig, so I hoped my next attack would win... and it DID! Tackle did just enough damage to knock out Oshawott, and Tepig grew to Level 6!

After the battle, Cheren was feeling good, excited even after his defeat, glad to finally be a Trainer. Cheren said we should apologize to Mom about my room, and Bianca followed him, leaving me to check out the damage. My Wii console was unharmed, fortunately, and so was my PC, but just about everything else was strewn about, with footprints everywhere. How did footprints get on the WALLS?!

I went downstairs and found Cheren and Bianca apologizing to Mom, and they offered to clean up, but she said she would take care of it later. She suggested we be on our way to meet Professor Juniper. Bianca had to go home first, but Cheren was ready to go. Mom talked to me after they left, telling me she could hear the Pokemon's cries clear downstairs. I was surprised to discover that she too had been a Pokemon Trainer, as it reminded her of her own first battle.

I rested my Tepig as Mom suggested, then she told me to get my Cross-Transceiver before I left. The Cross-Transceiver, or Xtransceiver as it was called for short, appeared to be a kind of Poketch used in the Unova Region. I wondered if it was capable of installing apps like my old Poketch was, but I knew I'd find out later as I left.

I found Cheren in front of Juniper's Lab, and he asked me to go check on Bianca to make sure she wasn't zoning out like she normally does. When I went inside, I found her father shouting at her, saying "No, no, a thousand times no!" and Bianca was standing there devastated. It appeared that her father would not let her go out and explore with her new Pokemon, though she still went to Juniper's Lab.

I talked to Bianca's dad, who was confused as to why his daughter, someone who knew nothing of the world, would be going on a journey with Pokemon. I talked with Bianca's mom, who said not to mind her father, that he was just being overprotective. She understood that all children go on adventures with Pokemon, that it's part of growing up, and I hoped she would be able to talk to her husband about Bianca's desire to see the world with her new Snivy.

We all met up outside Juniper's Lab, then we went inside to talk with Professor Juniper. She was about to introduce herself again, but Cheren said that we already know who she is. Juniper said that today is a day to remember always, and so we should behave with some formality. It turned out that Professor Juniper's focus of study was when and how Pokemon came into existence, a unique field of study I hadn't heard of before.

Juniper was surprised to hear we already had Pokemon battles, and she noticed that our Pokemon were beginning to trust us already. She asked if I wanted to name my Tepig, and I named him Cole. Juniper was going to tell us of our mission, but Cheren assumed it was for the Pokedex, of which Bianca was uninformed. It was indeed our purpose, and Juniper was surprised at how extensively Cheren had studied Pokemon.

Juniper went on to explain everything for everyone's sake, especially for Bianca. Juniper explained to us the workings of the Pokedex, and of course Juniper wanted us to encounter all the Pokemon in the Unova region. I agreed, along with Bianca and Cheren, to do what we could to complete the Pokedex. It turned out Cheren would do it out of gratuity to Juniper, who allowed him to be a Pokemon Trainer as he's always wished.

Professor Juniper thanked us all, and handed us each a Pokedex. She told us to meet her at Route 1 to show us how to meet Pokemon, and then she left. Bianca asked that, since Juniper asked us, if it would be okay to go on the adventure. Bianca thought about it as a way to explore and perhaps find out what she wanted to do in life, though I had reservations about her running off after her father's decision on the matter. Cheren said it was fine, that we could travel however we wanted while completing the Pokedex, though he knew nothing about Bianca's situation at home.

We met Mom outside of the lab, and told her what Professor Juniper wanted, and she was excited. It seems she knew what Juniper was going to ask, and she gave each of us Town Maps to get around the region. Mom said she would tidy up what's left of my room, and she marveled at the strength of Pokemon. She had no concerns over our safety, knowing we'd be safe with Pokemon at our sides. Mom said she would inform the parents of Cheren and Bianca, and she hoped that we would find many places we would like in the Unova region, and become wonderful adults.

After Mom left we all headed to Route 1, stepping in time to start our journey together. Juniper continued to explain the workings of the Pokedex, how it would fill automatically as we meet Pokemon, and fill with information when we catch Pokemon. She showed the others how to catch a Pokemon, a Patrat, with her Minccino, and then afterward she gave us Pokeballs to start catching Pokemon.

Juniper left after telling us she would meet us at Accumula Town, she left, and Cheren told Bianca about Pokemon jumping out in tall grass. Cheren and Bianca both left for Accumula Town, after Bianca suggested a competition to see which of us could catch the most Pokemon. Whomever caught the most Pokemon, including the one given by Juniper, would be declared the winner.

I decided that would be the end of it for today, but I knew it would be interesting as I went on. I'm glad to finally make it through to Unova, and I can't wait to experience all the new places and Pokemon.

Current Team:

Cole (Tepig, Fire, Lv. 6)

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Pokemon SoulSilver - Finished

I've done all I can in SoulSilver, save for climbing to the top of Mt. Silver and fighting Red, and then going after Groudon after that. It took me too much training to be ready for the Elite Four again, and I barely won this time. I decided that I would go back to Hoenn to find Groudon and the other few Pokemon I haven't caught yet.

Pokemon Seen: 275
Pokemon Owned: 94
Time Spent: 144 Hours, 44 Minutes

Next up for the blog is Pokemon Black, which I shall be gladly diving into today. I still find it hard to believe that I've been at this particular game for a year now. I expected to be more than halfway through Pokemon Black by now, and getting ready for Pokemon Y.

I will be playing Omega Ruby on my spare time, away from the blog, to get the last few version-exclusive Pokemon and Groudon, as well as another Legendary Pokemon I actually couldn't have gotten any other way. It's going to be interesting seeing new Pokemon in Unova, and then also visiting Hoenn again and fighting through to get the last of the Weather Trio.

Monday, March 23, 2015

Pokemon SoulSilver - The Elite Four Part 2

After a couple weeks of relaxation, and then a couple weeks of training against both Trainers and wild Pokemon, my team was ready to fight the Elite Four once more and claim championship of the Indigo League.

My team consisted of:

Edward (Electivire, Electric, Lv. 68)
Claire (Gengar, Ghost/Poison, Lv. 68)
Rayquaza (Dragon/Flying, Lv. 72)
Blake (Feraligatr, Water, Lv. 68)
Seth (Victreebel, Grass/Poison, Lv. 68)
Samuel (Infernape, Fire/Fighting, Lv. 68)

I went through the door and faced off against Will, the Psychic-Type Elite Trainer. I was ready to beat him and all others in my path, and claim my rightful place as Champion of the Indigo League!

I sent out Edward, and Will sent out Bronzong. I switched out for Blake, and Bronzong used Gravity, which stopped airborne attacks. Blake used Crunch against Brongzong for great damage, then it used Reflect to increase it's defense. I pondered a moment, knowing that Blake's Crunch attack could do good damage, but that a Fire-Type attack from Samuel would do massive damage but leave him open to the power of Psychic-Type attacks.

I decided I couldn't take the chance of Samuel being brought down too early, and so I had Blake continue with Crunch for massive damage, a critical hit that knocked it out. Gardevoir was sent out, and I kept Blake in the fight. Blake used Crunch for great damage, then Gardevoir countered with Psychic for great damage. Blake used Crunch again for great damage, but Gardevoir clung on and countered with Psychic for great damage. Will used a Full Restore to heal Gardevoir, then Blake used Crunch yet again for great damage.

Blake was badly hurt, so I used a Hyper Potion on him, then Gardevoir missed with Focus Blast. Blake used Crunch again, and Gardevoir was knocked out. I sent out Samuel when Jynx was sent out by Will, and he used Flame Wheel for massive damage that took Jynx out instantly.

I switched back to Blake when Grumpig was sent out, and he used Crunch for massive damage that left Grumpig barely clinging on to counter with Confuse Ray. Blake was confused, but managed to use Surf to knock out Grumpig. Slowbro was sent out next, and I sent out Edward against it. Edward used Thunder Punch for massive damage, and then Slowbrow used Amnesia to raise it's special defense. Edward used Thunder Punch again to knock it out.

Will sent out Xatu next, and I kept Edward in the fight. Edward used Thunder Punch again, and Xatu was knocked out instantly with a critical hit! The battle was over, and Will was defeated!

- - - - -

The next of the Elite Four was Koga, the Poison-Type Elite Trainer. He sent out Skuntank and I sent out Samuel. Samuel used Flame Wheel for great damage, then Skuntank used Toxic to poison Samuel. Samuel took a little damage from poison, then he used Close Combat to knock Skuntank out with a critical hit before taking more damage from it's Aftermath ability and the poison.

Crobat was sent out next, and I sent out Edward against it. Crobat used Cross Poison for great damage, then Edward countered with Thunder Punch for massive damage that Crobat barely survived. Koga used a Full Restore to heal Crobat, then Edward used Thunderbolt for massive damage that knocked it out!

I sent out Claire against Toxicroak, and Claire used Hypnosis to put Toxicroak to sleep, then she used Dream Eater for massive damage to knock it out instantly. Venomoth was sent out, and Samuel went out against it. Samuel used Flame Wheel for massive damage, and Venomoth was knocked out too.

I sent Claire out against Swalot, and she used Hypnosis to put it to sleep, then she used Dream Eater for massive damage. Swalot restored some HP with Leftovers, then Claire used Dream Eater again to knock it out. I kept Claire in the fight as Muk was sent out, and both Claire and Muk missed with their attacks. Claire hit Muk with Hypnosis, and then hit it with Dream Eater for massive damage. Another Dream Eater knocked it out, and the battle was won!

- - - - -

The next one up was Bruno, the Fighting-Type Elite Trainer. I sent out Claire against his Hitmontop. Claire used Shadow Ball for massive damage, and knocked it out instantly. Hariyama was sent out next, and I kept Claire in the fight. Claire used Shadow Ball again for massive damage, and when Hariyama countered with Payback for massive damage Claire barely clung on. I sent out Seth, and he got hit by Bullet Punch for minor damage. Seth used Sludge Bomb for massive damage, and Hariyama clung on and healed with Sitrus Berry before doing great damage with Payback. Finally Seth knocked out Hariyama with Leaf Blade.

I sent Claire out again against Hitmonlee, and I used a Hyper Potion to heal Claire before Hitmonlee used Blaze Kick for great damage, before Claire healed a bit with Black Sludge. Claire used Shadow Ball for massive damage, and then Hitmonlee used Swagger to confused Claire and raise her attack. Claire hurt herself in her confusion, and then Hitmonlee used Blaze Kick for great damage. Claire again hurt herself in her confusion, and then Hitmonlee took her out with another Blaze Kick. As punishment, I sent out Rayquaza against it. Rayquaza used Dragon claw to knock Hitmonlee out in a single blow.

I sent Edward out against Machamp, and he used Thunderbolt for great damage, before being hit by Dynamic Punch for massive damage that left him confused. Edward hurt himself in his confusion before Machamp knocked him out with Stone Edge. I sent out Seth, and he used Sludge Bomb for great damage before Machamp countered with Stone Edge for great damage. Bruno used a Full Restore to heal Machamp, then Seth used Sludge Bomb again for great damage. I used a Revive on Claire before Seth was knocked out.

I switched over to Claire, and she hit Machamp with Shadow Ball for massive damage, then it countered with Stone Edge for great damage. Machamp knocked Claire out with Bullet Punch, and I was forced to switch to Samuel. Samuel used Fire Spin to do minor damage and trap Machamp, then it countered with Dynamic Punch for massive damage and confusion, before it was knocked out by Fire Spin.

Hitmonchan was sent out next, and I sent out Rayquaza against it. Rayquaza hit it with Dragon Claw, and it went down hard. Lucario was sent out last, and I kept Rayquaza in the fight. Rayquaza used Dragon Dance to increase it's attack and speed, and Lucario failed with Counter. Rayquaza did massive damage with Dragon Claw, and Lucario missed it's attack. Rayquaza went high, and then avoided an attack before knocking out Lucario with Fly!

The battle was won, and three of my Pokemon were knocked out by his strong team. I used a few Revives and Moomoo Milks to heal my team, then I continued on. I was starting to get worried about the last Elite Four member, if Koga's Pokemon were ready for Claire like they were. However, if I was going to claim Championship then I would have to fight on.

- - - - -

The last of the Elite Four was Karen, the Dark-Type Elite Trainer. I sent out Samuel against her Weavile, and he used Close Combat to knock it out instantly, and he grew to Level 69! Honchkrow was sent out next, and I had Edward fight it. Edward used Thunder Punch for massive damage, and Honchkrow was knocked out in that single blow.

Spiritomb was sent out next, and I sent Samuel out against it. Spiritomb was unaffected by Close Combat, and then it used Confuse Ray to leave Samuel confused. I sent out Claire, and Spiritomb used Curse to lay a curse on Claire after taking half it's health. Claire used Shadow Ball and the attacke combined with it's halved health knocked out Spiritomb.

Absol was sent out next, and I sent Samuel out against it. Absol used Detect to protect itself from Rock Smash, but Samuel was able to get another attack off for massive damage, before Absol countered with Psycho Cut for massive damage, a critical hit that knocked Samuel out. Karen used a Full Restore to heal Absol, then Seth, whom I sent out, used Sludge Bomb for massive damage and left Absol with poison. Seth used Cut to finish it off.

Houndoom was sent out next, and Blake went to fight it. Houndoom used Nasty Plot to increase it's special attack before Blake hit it with Waterfall for an instant knock-out. Umbreon was the last to be sent out, and I kept Blake in the fight. Blake used Ice Fang for good damage, and then Umbreon was frozen solid but thawed out instantly to use curse to increase it's attack and defense. Blake used Waterfall for good damage, then Umbreon countered with Payback for great damage. I sent out Rayquaza, and Umbreon kept on using Curse to build it's stats up further and further while Rayquaza attacked it with Dragon Claw and Overheat, but it healed up with Sitrus Berry.

Karen used a Full Restore on Umbreon, and then Rayquaza used Dragon Claw for good damage. I switched out to Seth, and Umbreon used Confuse Ray to confuse Seth. Seth hurt himself in his confusion, then Umbreon used Payback for massive damage that knocked out Seth. I sent Edward out next, and he used Thunder Punch for good damage. Umbreon used Confuse Ray again to confuse Edward, then he hurt himself in his confusion while Umbreon used Curse again. Edward used Thunder Punch again for massive damage, a critical hit that knocked out Umbreon and won the battle!

- - - - -

After all that, I still had Lance to contend with. The former Champion wished for a rematch, and I was happy to give it to him. With his defeat, I would be crowned Champion of the Indigo League!

Lance sent out Salamence, and I sent out Rayquaza, whose attack was cut in half by intimidate. Salamence used Dragon Claw for massive damage, and Rayquaza used Dragon Dance to increase it's attack and speed. Rayquaza hit Salamence with Dragon Claw for massive damage, and it was knocked out in a single blow. Rayquaza grew to Level 73 upon defeating Salamence, but I had five more Pokemon to fight!

Altaria was sent out next, and Rayquaza used Dragon Claw for massive damage that knocked it out instantly. Dragonite was sent out next, and Rayquaza used Dragon Claw for massive damage, but Dragonite clung on and used Sitrus Berry to heal up before it knocked out Rayquaza with Draco Meteor. I sent Blake out against it, and Dragonite hit Blake with Hyper Beam for great damage, before it was knocked out by Ice Fang.

Gyarados was sent out, and I had Edward fight against it. Edward used Thunderbolt for massive damage, a critical hit that knocked it out instantly. Edward grew to Level 69, and Garchomp was sent out next. Garchop was unaffected by Edward's Thunderbolt, and he was knocked out by Earthquake. I sent out Blake, and Garchomp used Outrage for massive damage that knocked Blake out instantly.

I sent Claire out next against Garchomp, and she used Shadow Ball for great damage, before Garchomp used Outrage to knock her out too. Garchomp was confused due to fatigue, and I sent out Seth next. Garchomp was confused, but it was able to use Outrage again for massive damage, but Seth clung on and struck with Leaf Blade for great damage. I used a Max Revive on Rayquaza, and it recovered fully before Seth was knocked out.

Rayquaza was sent out, and it used Dragon Claw to strike down Garchomp. Charizard was the last, and it used Dragon Claw for great damage, before Rayquaza used Dragon Dance. Rayquaza's attack and speed rose, then he used Dragon Claw for massive damage that knocked out Charizard, and so the battle was won, my Championship achieved!

After so many difficult battles, I decided that it was time to move on from SoulSilver, and head onward to Pokemon Black. I had heard that Red could be found at the top of Mt. Silver, that I could be given the chance to fight Groudon upon his defeat, but it had taken me so long to train my team to fight the Elite Four that I would probably give up on my journey just to get them ready to fight Red.

I look forward to the experiences and challenge of a new region. Here I come, Unova!

Current Team:

Rayquaza (Dragon/Flying, Lv. 73)
Claire (Gengar, Ghost/Poison, Lv. 68)
Samuel (Infernape, Fire/Fighting, Lv. 69)
Blake (Feraligatr, Water, Lv. 68)
Seth (Victreebel, Grass/Poison, Lv. 68)
Edward (Electivire, Electric, Lv. 69)