PB:SitBC Ep4. Go Forth and Immolate, Young Man
So, last time I dinked around, and Plot happened! We got introduced to our villain, the Animal Wrongs Group Team Plasma led by the nefarious Ghetsis; and the person who will probably turn out to be our rival, the self-loathing Pokémon Trainer known only as N.
Our two friends having run off to pursue their pursuits, and Accumula Town’s mysteries more-or-less revealed to me, I head off through the tunnel to Route 2. And am surprised to find a huge marquee in the transition tunnel, which lets you know such things as the fact that Striation City’s Gym is also a restaurant. Wow. I think I would trust that about as much as I’d trust a Chinese buffet next to an animal shelter.
Okay, that was cheap. I’m sorry.
Outside the tunnel, Mom calls! This is the first time I get to see her portrait and not just a tiny pixilated icon, and is it wrong to say she’s pretty hot? She’s calling because she wants to talk to you (As you would), but then she immediately hangs up because… she’s standing right behind you? Apparently Mom is a bit of a practical joker. But she’s here for a reason, too! She gives over the Running Shoes, which let you dash around. Apparently she’s had them for some time and just got around to giving them to you.
After a brief run back to Route 1 to level Silas, I return to Route 2, putter around a bit, find a Potion in the grass, find a Purrloin I name Serena, and have other kids pick fights with me. There’s a kid who acts like jumping over a small ramp is a major stunt.
Bianca catches up with me at the end of Route 2 and asks if she can challenge me, saying that her Pokémon have gotten stronger last time. She then proceeds to send out a Level 6 Lillipup against my Level 8 Oshawott. She claims that she and her Pokémon are going to do their best and then has her Pokémon use Odor Sleuth to find out my Oshawott is, in fact, NOT already dead, and I’m about to make a joke about her thinking I’m running a dog-washing service when she uses a potion on her Pokémon. Well, good on her there, I don’t even always remember to do that. I still take him out handily, of course. And then her only other Pokémon is her Fire-tagged Tepig. And I now have a water-tagged attack I’m flying in all directions like the friggin’ Death Blossom. “I couldn’t win” she laments. I’m sorry, Bianca. You really needed to grind a bit more to have a chance here.
She takes it in stride and runs off back into Route 2 to grind, even though Striation City is in the other direction and her only two Pokémon are already KO’d. I roll up on Striation City and hit the Pokémon center first, to rest and such, then decide to check out the town’s night life. One old man tells me about an old factory the locals call “The Dreamyard”, and how there’s a Pokémon there that can make dreams appear. Not for much longer! Thanks old man!
Barging uninvited into one of the houses, a kid tells me you can never have too many balls and gives me a Great Ball. Thanks, kid! I can already tell you’re a master at handling balls. In another house I find Fennel, except her assistant tells me I can’t see her right now because she’s in the middle of something and he’s way too scared of her to let me interrupt. I guess that’s fair. I’ve known a few mad inventors, and you don’t want to run the risk of getting turned into a Pokémon because you walked in at the wrong time! You might have to play a Mystery Dungeon game then.
In another house a boy tells me he initially decided to specialize in Fire Types, but he keeps losing against Water Types, and dejectedly informs me he’s thinking of diversifying. Listen to me, Kid, I have a level 81 Delphox waiting for me in Kalos. She taught me a valuable lesson: If fire isn’t working, it means you’re not using enough. EVERYTHING BURNS. It’s not just an observation, it’s a mandate. Go forth and immolate, young one.
Another girl gives me a surprisingly cogent piece of advice: Training six Pokémon can be hard, so some people focus on three at a time. That’s a surprisingly thoughtful idea. Put the Pokémon you want to level up front and swap between them as needed. Put three better Pokémon in the spots behind them in case you get in over your head. When the ones up front outweigh the ones in back, swap them around.
I find the Pokémon school, which has some interesting tidbits for you. Like you can interrupt evolution by pressing B while it’s happening. Of course, I have yet to get a good answer why you would want to cancel evolution, since near as I can tell Evolution increases a Pokémon’s stats and only increases the number of abilities they can learn. The only reason I’ve found not to is if you like the appearance of the lesser-evolved version better (kudos to you if that’s why you don’t let it evolve. I know I’ve watched things evolved and gone “What the hell?” at the results)
If there’s another reason not to let your Pokémon evolve, please let me know. I’m dead serious.
Anyway, Cheren is there, working through problems at a chalkboard. He tells me how the Poison status works and reinforces the importance of challenging gyms. He also asks if he can challenge me to a battle so he can see how well items work. I’m slightly concerned with this because he’s actually been working with his Pokémon and his Snivy is a level higher than my Oshawott, and oh yeah Grass-typed Pokémon are strong against water types. I don’t even touch Water Gun in this fight because I know it won’t do enough. I just keep mashing the “Tackle” button instead. It serves me in good stead, and I even knock it out. Briefly. Then it eats the Oran Berry it was holding and gets back up.
I barely take out the Snivy with Kelpie’s ruddertail intact, but by that point I think it’s time to let Kelpie rest, so I match Cheren’s Purrloin with my own. Then I remember this is a Bad Idea because his Purrloin is Level 8 and mine only just got rested from when it got caught out on Route 2. She holds her own admirably for a few rounds before I swap out another Pokémon a little more in the right league. I squeak out a victory, and Cheren says losing to me means he still has a lot to learn. Hey, relax. You gave me the closest fight I’ve gotten from another trainer yet. He hands me some Oran berries as part of my reward, and returns to his studies.
On the west end of town is a nice park, and while running around talking to people I greet an old man who brusquely informs me I can’t go through the gate behind him because I don’t have any gym badges yet. He then offers me some “Friendly advice” that I need to challenge a gym leader and test my ability. Feh. I hate it when a game assumes you haven’t done something because you are planning not to, especially when it’s something basic like challenging a gym!
To the east of town is the Dreamyard as mentioned by a previous passer-by. “A place for Novice Trainers”. Looks like this will be a good place to hone my team and maybe even add to it. And I might even get a Pokémon that makes dreams come true!
But that’s for next time!
Our two friends having run off to pursue their pursuits, and Accumula Town’s mysteries more-or-less revealed to me, I head off through the tunnel to Route 2. And am surprised to find a huge marquee in the transition tunnel, which lets you know such things as the fact that Striation City’s Gym is also a restaurant. Wow. I think I would trust that about as much as I’d trust a Chinese buffet next to an animal shelter.
Okay, that was cheap. I’m sorry.
Outside the tunnel, Mom calls! This is the first time I get to see her portrait and not just a tiny pixilated icon, and is it wrong to say she’s pretty hot? She’s calling because she wants to talk to you (As you would), but then she immediately hangs up because… she’s standing right behind you? Apparently Mom is a bit of a practical joker. But she’s here for a reason, too! She gives over the Running Shoes, which let you dash around. Apparently she’s had them for some time and just got around to giving them to you.
After a brief run back to Route 1 to level Silas, I return to Route 2, putter around a bit, find a Potion in the grass, find a Purrloin I name Serena, and have other kids pick fights with me. There’s a kid who acts like jumping over a small ramp is a major stunt.
Bianca catches up with me at the end of Route 2 and asks if she can challenge me, saying that her Pokémon have gotten stronger last time. She then proceeds to send out a Level 6 Lillipup against my Level 8 Oshawott. She claims that she and her Pokémon are going to do their best and then has her Pokémon use Odor Sleuth to find out my Oshawott is, in fact, NOT already dead, and I’m about to make a joke about her thinking I’m running a dog-washing service when she uses a potion on her Pokémon. Well, good on her there, I don’t even always remember to do that. I still take him out handily, of course. And then her only other Pokémon is her Fire-tagged Tepig. And I now have a water-tagged attack I’m flying in all directions like the friggin’ Death Blossom. “I couldn’t win” she laments. I’m sorry, Bianca. You really needed to grind a bit more to have a chance here.
She takes it in stride and runs off back into Route 2 to grind, even though Striation City is in the other direction and her only two Pokémon are already KO’d. I roll up on Striation City and hit the Pokémon center first, to rest and such, then decide to check out the town’s night life. One old man tells me about an old factory the locals call “The Dreamyard”, and how there’s a Pokémon there that can make dreams appear. Not for much longer! Thanks old man!
Barging uninvited into one of the houses, a kid tells me you can never have too many balls and gives me a Great Ball. Thanks, kid! I can already tell you’re a master at handling balls. In another house I find Fennel, except her assistant tells me I can’t see her right now because she’s in the middle of something and he’s way too scared of her to let me interrupt. I guess that’s fair. I’ve known a few mad inventors, and you don’t want to run the risk of getting turned into a Pokémon because you walked in at the wrong time! You might have to play a Mystery Dungeon game then.
In another house a boy tells me he initially decided to specialize in Fire Types, but he keeps losing against Water Types, and dejectedly informs me he’s thinking of diversifying. Listen to me, Kid, I have a level 81 Delphox waiting for me in Kalos. She taught me a valuable lesson: If fire isn’t working, it means you’re not using enough. EVERYTHING BURNS. It’s not just an observation, it’s a mandate. Go forth and immolate, young one.
Another girl gives me a surprisingly cogent piece of advice: Training six Pokémon can be hard, so some people focus on three at a time. That’s a surprisingly thoughtful idea. Put the Pokémon you want to level up front and swap between them as needed. Put three better Pokémon in the spots behind them in case you get in over your head. When the ones up front outweigh the ones in back, swap them around.
I find the Pokémon school, which has some interesting tidbits for you. Like you can interrupt evolution by pressing B while it’s happening. Of course, I have yet to get a good answer why you would want to cancel evolution, since near as I can tell Evolution increases a Pokémon’s stats and only increases the number of abilities they can learn. The only reason I’ve found not to is if you like the appearance of the lesser-evolved version better (kudos to you if that’s why you don’t let it evolve. I know I’ve watched things evolved and gone “What the hell?” at the results)
If there’s another reason not to let your Pokémon evolve, please let me know. I’m dead serious.
Anyway, Cheren is there, working through problems at a chalkboard. He tells me how the Poison status works and reinforces the importance of challenging gyms. He also asks if he can challenge me to a battle so he can see how well items work. I’m slightly concerned with this because he’s actually been working with his Pokémon and his Snivy is a level higher than my Oshawott, and oh yeah Grass-typed Pokémon are strong against water types. I don’t even touch Water Gun in this fight because I know it won’t do enough. I just keep mashing the “Tackle” button instead. It serves me in good stead, and I even knock it out. Briefly. Then it eats the Oran Berry it was holding and gets back up.
I barely take out the Snivy with Kelpie’s ruddertail intact, but by that point I think it’s time to let Kelpie rest, so I match Cheren’s Purrloin with my own. Then I remember this is a Bad Idea because his Purrloin is Level 8 and mine only just got rested from when it got caught out on Route 2. She holds her own admirably for a few rounds before I swap out another Pokémon a little more in the right league. I squeak out a victory, and Cheren says losing to me means he still has a lot to learn. Hey, relax. You gave me the closest fight I’ve gotten from another trainer yet. He hands me some Oran berries as part of my reward, and returns to his studies.
On the west end of town is a nice park, and while running around talking to people I greet an old man who brusquely informs me I can’t go through the gate behind him because I don’t have any gym badges yet. He then offers me some “Friendly advice” that I need to challenge a gym leader and test my ability. Feh. I hate it when a game assumes you haven’t done something because you are planning not to, especially when it’s something basic like challenging a gym!
To the east of town is the Dreamyard as mentioned by a previous passer-by. “A place for Novice Trainers”. Looks like this will be a good place to hone my team and maybe even add to it. And I might even get a Pokémon that makes dreams come true!
But that’s for next time!