Writing Project: Johto Journeys (Part 1)
About three weeks ago, I received Pokemon Soul Silver in the mail from a friend, and I decided to stretch a bit and write a fictitious journal by the trainer who was traveling. Since I had a person playing alongside me, I included them in the narrative for the fun of it. And since they're enjoying reading it so much, I decided to share it.
Day #1
I arrived today in Johto aboard the S.S. Anne, following a letter from an old friend. Vicki seemed to think there were things to interest me, so I packed a few things and in a tradition I like to keep alive, left behind my previous stable of Pokemon in the care of a friend. A new region, a fresh start, and new challenges to work with . . . or at least, familiar challenges in new territory. Already it's quite different from Sinnoh, warmer overall I think. Hard to tell.
I bought myself this unit called a Pokegear, which is a pretty neat piece of technology. I heard it's a popular thing among the trainers here in Johto, which means it's a lot like the Poketch I had. I figured I should mail that back, since I probably won't be using it here as much as the Pokegear. I winced a bit at the price, since that put a dent in the money I'd brought along; I'd just have to be frugal about my purchases until I started actually dueling here.
Most of the trip south towards New Bark Town I spent dozing, letting the countryside flow by. I didn't get all the way there, just to Cherrygrove City. A small little seaside town, it was still rather busy. An old man pulled me aside, claiming to be a guide and showing me where to find the Pokemart and Pokemon Center. Afterwards he decided to give me a gift of a Map Card to add into the Pokegear and some new shoes. This is a good thing; I'd worn my old ones out rather badly some time ago and comfy shoes are a must. I figure in three weeks, these shoes will need replacing, but I can enjoy the new-shoe feel while I have it.
I also noticed a lack of berry trees around here, which surprised me. Apparently the soil here isn't suited for growing them, or something. Instead there are Apicorns. These largish fruit don't seem to have a use to Pokemon, rather they are of use to people for making specialty Pokeballs. I can't wait to learn more about these Pokeballs, since I am always interested in tools to make this journey easier. Strangely, I wasn't able to buy myself my usual dozen Pokeballs to begin; apparently there had been a big sale on them earlier. I'll just have to pick them up tomorrow, when the new shipment arrives.
It was late in the evening when I finally reached New Bark Town, just in time to meet Professor Elm before he closed his lab for the night. He allowed me to choose one of three distinct Pokemon for my first one in the region, and I went with Cyndaquil. I admit to an affinity to training Fire-type Pokemon, but it's not that difficult a choice. Vicki mentioned in her letter she was working on finding me a couple worthy partners to train up, so I hope to have a balanced stable of Pokemon soon. Whenever I can find her, that is . . .
Shortly after being given the Pokemon, I also ran into Professor Oak; it's amazing how much this man gets around. He didn't seem to remember me from Sinnoh, but given his distracted nature overall, it's to be expected. He handed me a new version of his Pokedex unit, asking for me to try to fill it out. When I mentioned owning an older version he seemed delighted and mentioned he would be more interested in comparing the information gathered by both units after I collected a reasonable sampling size.
I wonder, and not for the first time, if this is not his way of pushing younger trainers to learn about more Pokemon than the favorites for tournament fighting. I'll admit, I'm already making plans for trying to get an Eevee somehow . . . rare as they are, I should be able to find one with effort. I was encouraged to leave my Pokemon walking around with me rather than carried in a Pokeball; this is not something I was used to but if it wasn't going to tire out my new Cyndaquil, then I'd take notes on that too.
As I left, I saw a somber red-haired young man peering at the lab from the side window, and commenting under his breath how the lab seemed smaller than 'the other one'. Before I could ask him what he was doing there, he noticed me and moved on with a scowl. I don't get a pleasant feeling off him, but I can't put my finger on why yet.
I spent some time on the nearby Route getting to know the Cyndaquil I'd been given. It was eager to show off, and a little . . . difficult to predict. I don't know what to make of it, but I'm going to get used to it soon enough. Mostly there were Hoothoot and Rattata around the Route at night, and I managed to scan both before retiring for the night. At the Pokemon Center I met Lyra; she was sitting with a Marill, who was rather bouncy and energetic. She told me a little bit about the region and yet most of it was running through one ear and out the other.
I begged off for bed, being far too tired to keep up with conversation. I thought about how to get in touch with Vicki before drifting off. No, if she was going to meet me, it'd happen in its own time . . . patience . . .
Day #2
I am amazed at the somber and older style of buildings in Violet City, even the gym has an appearance which is similar. I asked around town, and they say it's an aesthetic choice entirely. A juggler at the Pokemon Center said he would trade me berries for shards of stone; I suppose I'll need to keep my eyes peeled to see if I can get some berries. Otherwise I might need to write back to Sinnoh and try to get some that way. The Gym Leader here, Falkner, is a specialist with Flying-type Pokemon; I think I will need some work to deal with him, since Cyndaquil is still likely too weak to handle a gym battle. Not only that, but if I recall correctly, there are wild Mareep around here; an Electric-type would be just what the doctor ordered to handle this gym without too much trouble.
I noticed signs posted about the 'Ruins of Alph' and how it was a big tourist attraction. I'll choose to sightsee later on, after I do some training and hunting for a Mareep. And possibly some additional support Pokemon so I can handle things. I know I won't find a Starly around here, but maybe I can find a bird which I can start training. Other than Hoothoot, that is!
I tried asking at the Pokemon Center, but nobody remembers seeing anyone who looks like Vicki around here. I'm not surprised, with how many trainers would pass through a city with a gym. I've been encouraged a lot to challenge Falkner, and start the path to the Pokemon League; I'm willing to be patient though, rather than be turned away as a loser.
Day #3
I traveled past the Ruins of Alph, and decided to peek in rather quickly. There were some interesting old statues of Pokemon scattered about, which was intriguing. There was also ancient writing on the walls, and the glyphs seemed to move when I wasn't looking. That's also intriguing . . . no, wait, that's not the right word. The right word is 'creepy'. I left rather quickly before there were ghosts or anything; I appreciate training Ghost-types, but not when I don't have anything to really fight back.
North of this patch of ruins, there was a blockage in the road. Apparently an "odd tree" was blocking the path to Ecruteak City, and it was really creeping out a guy watching who claimed it didn't shift in wind at all. He offered me a copy of an HM which would teach Rock Smash; I figure I'll need this again and tuck it away. Then I left him to have a staring match with this tree; I wasn't going to deal with it yet. Really counterproductive to stand there and try to figure out what was striking me as odd.
They wouldn't let me even enter to challenge Falkner at the gym, until I checked out the Sprout Tower. I sigh every time someone decides to make me jump through hoops like this. But it would allow me to see more of Johto's landmarks, so it would be fine with me for now. The legend I heard on entering said there was a hundred-foot tall Bellsprout which made the core of the tower. Along the way up, I was challenged by Sages and Gastlys. I really do hate dealing with Ghost Pokemon, as they are usually QUITE annoying. The Sages largely were using Bellsprouts, so I had Cyndaquil handle it quite well. At the top, the red-haired young man was just finishing a duel with the master. I learned his name was Silver, and he was more than a little arrogant about his prowess.
I followed after him in a challenge, and managed to come out on top. As a reward I was given a copy of a TM containing Flash; I know this move is going to come in handy for when I need to enter a cave, so I'll keep it ready for when I have to pass through one. I was pretty sure I saw one on the road, but since I have bigger fish to fry . . . I'll not worry about it yet. I still have to prepare for Falkner and the Violet City Gym.
Day #4
Falkner, leader of the Violet City Gym, has a thing for high places it seems. He built an elevator to lift up to a wooden platform high in the tower of the gym. I wish I wasn't as afraid of heights as I am, with no handholds here. Still, it shouldn't be too diffuclt with my Mareep trained for fighting Flying types. Falkner didn't really like seeing an Electric-type on the field, but I fight my battles smarter rather than harder. The advantage made it that much easier to take down his Pidgeotto, which could have been difficult to take normally. I earned the Zephyr Badge, and shortly afterwards I got a call from Vicki on the Pokegear.
She said she'd be heading my way shortly, and she had the Pokemon to trade me . . . hopefully I won't have an issue training them. The rest of the day was spent trying to train up a Pidgey I caught earlier. I do so wish I still had my Staraptor, but training up a Pidgey will be just as satisfying.
At the Pokemart I was stopped by a delivery agent who handed me an egg, saying Professor Elm wanted me to carry it around and see what would hatch. A strange old lady looked over the egg and told me to take special care of it. I wonder what kind of egg it is, for such attention to be paid to it. Only one way to find out, though! I tucked it into some of my spare clothes and set it in an empty part of my bag so I could carry it around.
I caught myself a Pidgey, and stopped to assess what I had so far. A Mareep, a Gastly, a Pidgey, a Cyndaquil, a Beedrill, and a Rattata. Well, there was the Hoothoot but I didn't feel comfortable with it; it would sometimes just stare at me. The Rattata, I can probably do something with, but I don't know if I'll have much use for it later. Hopefully I can find someplace to release it to the wild when I no longer need it, just to be fair. I have more than enough Pokemon in Sinnoh . . . which I'm neglecting slightly by coming here to Johto in pursuit of another shot at the Pokemon League. (I made it all the way to the Champion and Cynthia was just too good for me to take on . . . at least she respected me for trying.)
But, I can use the Gastly, since there's rarely a reason to avoid having a good Ghost-type around. Beedrill is actually a pretty fierce fighter, and I can always use one of those around here. Mareep fills a nice hole in my lineup for an Electric-type . . . unlike a fair number of trainers I ran into in Sinnoh, I don't feel like filling it with a Pikachu. They just really lack the stamina for my style - I normally keep to Jolteon. I should see if I can get that one transfered over . . . maybe it would be less hassle than having to raise another one.
Day #5
Vicki met me for lunch, and we chatted a bit. She handed me a pair of pokeballs which had a Chikorita and Totodile in them, meaning I had a pretty solid team starting. If they'd only listen to me, which means there's training ahead. After listening for a while about how she got her Zephyr Badge, I parted ways and headed south out of Violet City. I ran into some fishermen who thought Magikarps would be a useful dueling Pokemon; I think they got disabused of that notion fairly quickly. Along the way I walked under a bridge of some sort, and thought to remember it for later. At about midway, I found a Pokemon Center to rest at in the late afternoon and chatted with the people inside. One of them was trying to sell a Slowpoke Tail for a million dollars, but I waved him off. I don't know what it's for, and don't think it's worth that much money at all - there were salesmen who tried to sell me Magikarps before, but always at a steep price for a common fish.
I was also handed an old fishing rod by a fisherman who was getting his Magikarp fixed up. He said something about needing to get new gear, and offered me the rod so he didn't have to keep it. I could probably get a little bit of use out of this for a while, though it's of dubious usefulness. Another man saw the rod and asked if I was fishing . . . then handed me a pair of strange Pokeballs called "Lure Balls". They were made from Apicorns, which impressed me. I learned Azalea Town is where I can find someone who knows how to change the Apicorns into something useful . . . a man named Kurt.
I reached a place named Union Cave, and decided to stop here for today. I don't think a late night trip through the caves would be a fine idea, and it is almost time to rest the Pokemon now too. Tomorrow, I'll be going through . . .
Day #1
I arrived today in Johto aboard the S.S. Anne, following a letter from an old friend. Vicki seemed to think there were things to interest me, so I packed a few things and in a tradition I like to keep alive, left behind my previous stable of Pokemon in the care of a friend. A new region, a fresh start, and new challenges to work with . . . or at least, familiar challenges in new territory. Already it's quite different from Sinnoh, warmer overall I think. Hard to tell.
I bought myself this unit called a Pokegear, which is a pretty neat piece of technology. I heard it's a popular thing among the trainers here in Johto, which means it's a lot like the Poketch I had. I figured I should mail that back, since I probably won't be using it here as much as the Pokegear. I winced a bit at the price, since that put a dent in the money I'd brought along; I'd just have to be frugal about my purchases until I started actually dueling here.
Most of the trip south towards New Bark Town I spent dozing, letting the countryside flow by. I didn't get all the way there, just to Cherrygrove City. A small little seaside town, it was still rather busy. An old man pulled me aside, claiming to be a guide and showing me where to find the Pokemart and Pokemon Center. Afterwards he decided to give me a gift of a Map Card to add into the Pokegear and some new shoes. This is a good thing; I'd worn my old ones out rather badly some time ago and comfy shoes are a must. I figure in three weeks, these shoes will need replacing, but I can enjoy the new-shoe feel while I have it.
I also noticed a lack of berry trees around here, which surprised me. Apparently the soil here isn't suited for growing them, or something. Instead there are Apicorns. These largish fruit don't seem to have a use to Pokemon, rather they are of use to people for making specialty Pokeballs. I can't wait to learn more about these Pokeballs, since I am always interested in tools to make this journey easier. Strangely, I wasn't able to buy myself my usual dozen Pokeballs to begin; apparently there had been a big sale on them earlier. I'll just have to pick them up tomorrow, when the new shipment arrives.
It was late in the evening when I finally reached New Bark Town, just in time to meet Professor Elm before he closed his lab for the night. He allowed me to choose one of three distinct Pokemon for my first one in the region, and I went with Cyndaquil. I admit to an affinity to training Fire-type Pokemon, but it's not that difficult a choice. Vicki mentioned in her letter she was working on finding me a couple worthy partners to train up, so I hope to have a balanced stable of Pokemon soon. Whenever I can find her, that is . . .
Shortly after being given the Pokemon, I also ran into Professor Oak; it's amazing how much this man gets around. He didn't seem to remember me from Sinnoh, but given his distracted nature overall, it's to be expected. He handed me a new version of his Pokedex unit, asking for me to try to fill it out. When I mentioned owning an older version he seemed delighted and mentioned he would be more interested in comparing the information gathered by both units after I collected a reasonable sampling size.
I wonder, and not for the first time, if this is not his way of pushing younger trainers to learn about more Pokemon than the favorites for tournament fighting. I'll admit, I'm already making plans for trying to get an Eevee somehow . . . rare as they are, I should be able to find one with effort. I was encouraged to leave my Pokemon walking around with me rather than carried in a Pokeball; this is not something I was used to but if it wasn't going to tire out my new Cyndaquil, then I'd take notes on that too.
As I left, I saw a somber red-haired young man peering at the lab from the side window, and commenting under his breath how the lab seemed smaller than 'the other one'. Before I could ask him what he was doing there, he noticed me and moved on with a scowl. I don't get a pleasant feeling off him, but I can't put my finger on why yet.
I spent some time on the nearby Route getting to know the Cyndaquil I'd been given. It was eager to show off, and a little . . . difficult to predict. I don't know what to make of it, but I'm going to get used to it soon enough. Mostly there were Hoothoot and Rattata around the Route at night, and I managed to scan both before retiring for the night. At the Pokemon Center I met Lyra; she was sitting with a Marill, who was rather bouncy and energetic. She told me a little bit about the region and yet most of it was running through one ear and out the other.
I begged off for bed, being far too tired to keep up with conversation. I thought about how to get in touch with Vicki before drifting off. No, if she was going to meet me, it'd happen in its own time . . . patience . . .
Day #2
I am amazed at the somber and older style of buildings in Violet City, even the gym has an appearance which is similar. I asked around town, and they say it's an aesthetic choice entirely. A juggler at the Pokemon Center said he would trade me berries for shards of stone; I suppose I'll need to keep my eyes peeled to see if I can get some berries. Otherwise I might need to write back to Sinnoh and try to get some that way. The Gym Leader here, Falkner, is a specialist with Flying-type Pokemon; I think I will need some work to deal with him, since Cyndaquil is still likely too weak to handle a gym battle. Not only that, but if I recall correctly, there are wild Mareep around here; an Electric-type would be just what the doctor ordered to handle this gym without too much trouble.
I noticed signs posted about the 'Ruins of Alph' and how it was a big tourist attraction. I'll choose to sightsee later on, after I do some training and hunting for a Mareep. And possibly some additional support Pokemon so I can handle things. I know I won't find a Starly around here, but maybe I can find a bird which I can start training. Other than Hoothoot, that is!
I tried asking at the Pokemon Center, but nobody remembers seeing anyone who looks like Vicki around here. I'm not surprised, with how many trainers would pass through a city with a gym. I've been encouraged a lot to challenge Falkner, and start the path to the Pokemon League; I'm willing to be patient though, rather than be turned away as a loser.
Day #3
I traveled past the Ruins of Alph, and decided to peek in rather quickly. There were some interesting old statues of Pokemon scattered about, which was intriguing. There was also ancient writing on the walls, and the glyphs seemed to move when I wasn't looking. That's also intriguing . . . no, wait, that's not the right word. The right word is 'creepy'. I left rather quickly before there were ghosts or anything; I appreciate training Ghost-types, but not when I don't have anything to really fight back.
North of this patch of ruins, there was a blockage in the road. Apparently an "odd tree" was blocking the path to Ecruteak City, and it was really creeping out a guy watching who claimed it didn't shift in wind at all. He offered me a copy of an HM which would teach Rock Smash; I figure I'll need this again and tuck it away. Then I left him to have a staring match with this tree; I wasn't going to deal with it yet. Really counterproductive to stand there and try to figure out what was striking me as odd.
They wouldn't let me even enter to challenge Falkner at the gym, until I checked out the Sprout Tower. I sigh every time someone decides to make me jump through hoops like this. But it would allow me to see more of Johto's landmarks, so it would be fine with me for now. The legend I heard on entering said there was a hundred-foot tall Bellsprout which made the core of the tower. Along the way up, I was challenged by Sages and Gastlys. I really do hate dealing with Ghost Pokemon, as they are usually QUITE annoying. The Sages largely were using Bellsprouts, so I had Cyndaquil handle it quite well. At the top, the red-haired young man was just finishing a duel with the master. I learned his name was Silver, and he was more than a little arrogant about his prowess.
I followed after him in a challenge, and managed to come out on top. As a reward I was given a copy of a TM containing Flash; I know this move is going to come in handy for when I need to enter a cave, so I'll keep it ready for when I have to pass through one. I was pretty sure I saw one on the road, but since I have bigger fish to fry . . . I'll not worry about it yet. I still have to prepare for Falkner and the Violet City Gym.
Day #4
Falkner, leader of the Violet City Gym, has a thing for high places it seems. He built an elevator to lift up to a wooden platform high in the tower of the gym. I wish I wasn't as afraid of heights as I am, with no handholds here. Still, it shouldn't be too diffuclt with my Mareep trained for fighting Flying types. Falkner didn't really like seeing an Electric-type on the field, but I fight my battles smarter rather than harder. The advantage made it that much easier to take down his Pidgeotto, which could have been difficult to take normally. I earned the Zephyr Badge, and shortly afterwards I got a call from Vicki on the Pokegear.
She said she'd be heading my way shortly, and she had the Pokemon to trade me . . . hopefully I won't have an issue training them. The rest of the day was spent trying to train up a Pidgey I caught earlier. I do so wish I still had my Staraptor, but training up a Pidgey will be just as satisfying.
At the Pokemart I was stopped by a delivery agent who handed me an egg, saying Professor Elm wanted me to carry it around and see what would hatch. A strange old lady looked over the egg and told me to take special care of it. I wonder what kind of egg it is, for such attention to be paid to it. Only one way to find out, though! I tucked it into some of my spare clothes and set it in an empty part of my bag so I could carry it around.
I caught myself a Pidgey, and stopped to assess what I had so far. A Mareep, a Gastly, a Pidgey, a Cyndaquil, a Beedrill, and a Rattata. Well, there was the Hoothoot but I didn't feel comfortable with it; it would sometimes just stare at me. The Rattata, I can probably do something with, but I don't know if I'll have much use for it later. Hopefully I can find someplace to release it to the wild when I no longer need it, just to be fair. I have more than enough Pokemon in Sinnoh . . . which I'm neglecting slightly by coming here to Johto in pursuit of another shot at the Pokemon League. (I made it all the way to the Champion and Cynthia was just too good for me to take on . . . at least she respected me for trying.)
But, I can use the Gastly, since there's rarely a reason to avoid having a good Ghost-type around. Beedrill is actually a pretty fierce fighter, and I can always use one of those around here. Mareep fills a nice hole in my lineup for an Electric-type . . . unlike a fair number of trainers I ran into in Sinnoh, I don't feel like filling it with a Pikachu. They just really lack the stamina for my style - I normally keep to Jolteon. I should see if I can get that one transfered over . . . maybe it would be less hassle than having to raise another one.
Day #5
Vicki met me for lunch, and we chatted a bit. She handed me a pair of pokeballs which had a Chikorita and Totodile in them, meaning I had a pretty solid team starting. If they'd only listen to me, which means there's training ahead. After listening for a while about how she got her Zephyr Badge, I parted ways and headed south out of Violet City. I ran into some fishermen who thought Magikarps would be a useful dueling Pokemon; I think they got disabused of that notion fairly quickly. Along the way I walked under a bridge of some sort, and thought to remember it for later. At about midway, I found a Pokemon Center to rest at in the late afternoon and chatted with the people inside. One of them was trying to sell a Slowpoke Tail for a million dollars, but I waved him off. I don't know what it's for, and don't think it's worth that much money at all - there were salesmen who tried to sell me Magikarps before, but always at a steep price for a common fish.
I was also handed an old fishing rod by a fisherman who was getting his Magikarp fixed up. He said something about needing to get new gear, and offered me the rod so he didn't have to keep it. I could probably get a little bit of use out of this for a while, though it's of dubious usefulness. Another man saw the rod and asked if I was fishing . . . then handed me a pair of strange Pokeballs called "Lure Balls". They were made from Apicorns, which impressed me. I learned Azalea Town is where I can find someone who knows how to change the Apicorns into something useful . . . a man named Kurt.
I reached a place named Union Cave, and decided to stop here for today. I don't think a late night trip through the caves would be a fine idea, and it is almost time to rest the Pokemon now too. Tomorrow, I'll be going through . . .