Penpals give great stuff! .JPN Soul Silver time!

Why does spring 2010 seem so much farther now away after reading this? Must be your awesome liveblogging skillz making want to play. I'm alreaday planning my team now thanks to you.

Also, have you stopped by Bill's house for the Eevee yet? There's no time capsule around, so I'm just curious as to how the event works.

Many silly, immature kids use it to spell rude words when they call their pokemon out.

XD! I never did this, preferring the tried and true method of a flashy entrance. Watching a burst of flame appear from my Infernape's crown after careful timing is pretty cool.

Oh, yes, I knew I forgot something! Bill's a pretty cool guy still, the Eevee I got from him was Adamant (and will later become a Leafeon with Renko's help)

Actually I also forgot to pick up the Eevee until I had reached Olivine, and I was pretty embarassed when I remembered. Ahahaha.

(Route 39)

Mari (making a pokegear call to Elm): I remember this pretty cool guy who was making adjustments in the Ecruteak pokecenter.

Elm (over the call): Ah, you're lucky to have a rare sighting of Bill.

Mari: So who is he?

Elm: He's none other than the awesome programmer who did the storage system we use for pokemon these days! I hear he did it by overhauling the Item Storage System we used to have.

Mari: Nice. Does he live anywhere around Johto?

Elm: He has a house in Kanto, northeast of Cerulean, but, yes, his hometown is in Goldenrod, so I'm sure if you wanted to meet him, you can go there. Of course, he might ramble on for hours about programming or Eevees, so be warned.

(LP Note: Bill is a pretty cool guy who also breeds some Eevee by the side, and sure likes his Eeveelutions. When he was first met in RBY by Red, he had accidentally glitched himself by a teleporter accident and become a Clefairy. In GSC, he was working on the Time Capsule. Now, in HGSS, he has made the final adjustments to the Wifi system and the GTS, allowing us to trade over the Internet! I wonder why Redchocobo disliked him so much as to paint him into a pedo pokemaniac. The Eevee Bebe gives you in Sinnoh is actually received from Bill while testing the Wifi System!)

(Goldenrod, Bill's old home, after a backtracking expedition)

Bill: Who might you be, Miss?

Mari: I'm just a trainer helping Elm and Oak with the Pokedex Project.

Bill: Ah, just like Red did a few years back.

Mari: Red? the old Kanto League Champion?

Bill: Yup, he helped me untangle myself when I messed up a teleporter experiment. I saw you in Ecruteak when I was testing the Wifi System, I'm sure.

Mari: You stay here?

Bill: Oh, no. My house is in the Cerulean district in Kanto. I'm here because I'm visiting some family friends before I head back, and also because the Magnet Line is shut.

(LP Note: Magnet Line is the Bullet Train that operates between Goldenrod and Saffron. Currently out-of-service due to a power failure in Kanto.)

Mari: You don't seem troubled about being stranded in Johto.

Bill: Oh, it reminds me of my old days before I went to college. Say, since you're a Trainer, can you do me a favour? I have an Eevee here who I was using to test the Wifi System, but I can't afford to keep him. Can you help me take care of him?

Mari: An Eevee? They're pretty rare!

Bill: One of my other hobbies is raising Eevee and its evolutions. So, will you look after the little guy?

Mari: Why not? Eevee are pretty cute.

(Mari receives an Adamant, Male Eevee!)

(After retracing her steps, Mari made it to the outskirts of Olivine.)

Mari: Wow! Look at all those nautical banners they have hung up!

(Gnaw doesn't understand the banners, but likes the colour patterns.)

Bump

Mari/Bato: You!

(Both reach for their pokeballs, and Gnaw sizes up Bato, who drops his battling stance first.)

Bato: Pah, I'm not in the mood to fight. The gym leader here is a weakling who's wasting time in the Lighthouse tending to some sick pokemon. (leaves)

Mari: Oh, forget about that guy, Gnaw. Let's explore the town!

(npc House)

Angler: Ah, I see you have my brother's Old Rod. You must have started fishing recently, yes?

Mari: It's cool, but I get a little tired to hooking up nothing but Magikarp.

(LP Note: They make for great speed Effort training, though.)

Angler: It must be the lure he fixed to it. I'll give you a slightly better fishing rod which can hook up better pokemon. It's alright, I was planning on making a better one anyway.

(Mari received a Good Rod!)

(Another npc house)

Man: I'd like a Krabby, but I don't have a fishing rod. I'd trade anyone who offers me a Krabby this Voltorb.

(Olivine Ferry Terminal)

Sailor: I can't let you through if you have no tickets, miss.

Mari: Awwwwww.

Boy at table: I wish I had a ticket to ride the SS Anne around the world! They throw big parties every time they call at a port.

Mari: Let's go see the sea, Gnaw! I'm in the mood to fish now.

Next: Fishing, even though Gnaw scares the fish! Lighthouse Climb, and a fetchquest!

I think Bill is a Pretty Cool Guy, eh makes Wi-Fi and has Eevees and doesn't afraid of anything.

Also, it seems I must capture Lugia before I can take on the Elite Four. That's a Broken Bridge that's new to me.

You could always defeat it and capture it later, if you just want to blitz through the game...

Eeveeeee~ *petpet*

Leafeon, good choice! My favorite is Espeon, but teaching it Bite before evolution isn't as much an advantage this time.:(

I can totally see Leafeon and Bato's Meganium having a Samurai-esque duel with cherry blossoms leaves floating in the background.

edited 21st Oct '09 6:41:16 PM by Neo_Crimson

@Starscream: It wasn't that bad. I used about 12 specialty pokeballs (all Heavy and Dusk), and finally caught Lugia as an Impish. It's okay not to have full-powered Aeroblast action, I can still use a physical moveset for it. Also, Gnaw can't withstand an Uber-level crit Aeroblast, sadly enough.

@Neo: You just sold me on it. League trip is delayed, brb training Leafeon.

(Olivine)

Having wandered around town a little, and having got a better fishing rod, Mari decided to go fishing.

Sailor: You don't fish near the Ferry Terminal, the constant movement of ships scares all the fish away!

Mari: Oh, I'm not going after fish...

(Wild Krabby was hooked!)

Mari: I'm catching some crabs! Gnaw, pin it so I can throw a pokeball!

Three Krabby later...

(npc house)

Man: You got a Krabby? Great! Let's begin the trade!

(LP Note: the Voltorb this guy trades in exchange for a Krabby holds a Cheri Berry.)

Mari: Voltorb sure looks like a pokeball.

Man: Pokeballs don't have eyes though.

(Olivine Pokecenter)

Mari: Now, to switch Krabby into my party and prepare my HMs.

Mari's party:

• Gnaw
• Sosuke (Elekid)
• Yuyuko (Gastly)
• Sally (Golbat)
• FEAR (Rattata)
• Krabby (Has learnt the HM moves Cut, Surf, Strength, and Rock Smash)

Mari: All right! Now to go back and check out some places I've been!

(One relatively uneventful backtrack to Union Cave later; Mari used the itemfinder to find plenty of loot on the way back through Johto.)

Pokemaniac in the Union Cave: I hear Lapras singing in the back of the underground river here on Fridays.

Mari: (Checking Pokegear) Aw, today's a Tuesday!

(Doubling back towards Cherrygrove, Mari crosses several ponds to explore for items; A green apricorn tree sits across a pond at Route 35, and a concealed item is hidden on an alcove surrounded by a pond and a forest just above Cherrygrove.)

Wild Poliwag (In Violet City Pond): Squeak.

Mari: Ooh, a tadpole! Gnaw, help me catch it!

(More treasures lie buried in the "Smuggler's Cave" under Union Cave, which leads to parts of the Alph Ruins not normally accessible from the gatehouses, and some old Potions are buried in the cave under the Burned Tower.)

Mari: I've been travelling a lot today, Gnaw, let's rest and continue tomorrow morning.

(The next day, Mari makes a quick trip to Kurt's house, to collect her Apricorn balls, and leave some new Apricorns for crafting, before heading back to Olivine. On Route 38, a Ninja Duck appears...)

Wild Farfetch'd: Squawk! (brandishes leek at Gnaw in a challenging gesture)

Mari: I didn't know that Farfetch'd appear in these parts! Gnaw, accept his challenge!

(LP Note: They do, Mari. Wild Farfetch'd have a relatively low encounter rate, and for some reason, are still more common than Chansey are in Kanto. There's a special hold item, the Stick, which boosts their crit rate. While Farfetch'd aren't that powerful, they get some nice moves naturally, like Aerial Ace and the ever-handy False Swipe. I catch one to teach Cut and Fly, and I replace Cut on Krabby with Whirpool later. Also, many fans want Farfetch'd to have a Fighting/Flying evolution in 5th Gen, because it's a cool ninja duck.)

A ninja duck? Gnaw was amused by the Farfetch'd and its challenge, but he accepted the challenge at his mistress's request.

This shouldn't be too hard, he thought as he lunged at the duck with ice crystalising over his maw. He'd wipe that smug expression off that- wait, where did itOuch

Stumbling more from surprise than real pain, Gnaw turned and glared at the Farfetch'd, which bowed ironically at him before swiftly closing the distance with its leek held like a sword. Frozen fangs met leek, and the two were deadlocked, Gnaw unable to dislodge the Farfetch'd from his teeth.

As Gnaw struggled to overpower the technical hold the Farfetch'd had managed on him, he heard his mistress call out, "That's perfect, Gnaw! Pokeball, go!" The pressure from the leek abruptly vanishing as the Farfetch'd was captured, Gnaw stumbled a few steps for regaining his balance.

While he wasn't badly hurt by the weak little Farfetch'd, its skill had at least embarassed him in front of his mistress, and he would not forget that insult from the upstart duck. How dare it try to jam his maw with its leek in such a crude fashion?!

(Olivine Lighthouse)

Mari: You're still grumpy about the Farfetch'd, Gnaw? It wasn't that bad, you're not even bruised by it!

(Gnaw growls in a manner that suggests that it was the duck's insult that was more important than any bruises or scars that he might have taken during the fight.)

Mari: Oh, you'll be fine, you big baby.

Sailor: This Lighthouse is an important part of Olivine, as it's meant to light the way through our rocky shoreline.

Mari: it wasn't lit when I came in, though.

Sailor: Yeah, the Ampharos who usually helps to power it isn't feeling well. Miss Jasmine went up to see what she could do, that lovely little angel.

Mari: Who's she?

Sailor: Jasmine is the cute little Gym Leader of Olivine; she doesn't look like much, but under her shyness is an iron will! I remember she used to train Rock pokemon a few months back, but I heard she recently changed her specialty to Steel.

Mari: That useless guy Bato was complaining earlier how he couldn't face her for her Gym Badge earlier.

Sailor: He'll have to wait until the Ampharos is better. Say, maybe you could help out.

edited 22nd Oct '09 2:36:40 AM by AceOfScarabs

Ha. I knew Paul Silver Bato wouldn't fight.

Farfetch'd are awesome, but shame their stats suck. You can also find Tauros and Miltank in that route, and they're harder to catch. Miltank's certainly worth the effort though.

Update tomorrow Morning :D

@Pata: Oh don't worry, Mari eventually catches them too.

And they're both awesome while on your side.

So many pokemon to choose from... Mari's going to have issues picking her final team to take the Elite Four on with. I have a feeling she'll stick with Gnaw at least. Maybe for hilarity/awesome value, she'll use her favourites which aren't very powerful because she can.

(Olivine Lighthouse, upstairs)

Mari: Why am I always being asked to help get things done?

(Gnaw shrugs)

Gentleman: Maybe, child, it's simply because you are already on a journey to begin with.

Mari: Huh?

Gentleman: Many of these people are already, how should I say it, anchored to their homes and are uncomfortable with the idea of travelling all over the country. So, when they see a person like you, free and roaming the land, they are compelled to ask you to help them with their errands as you travel from place to place.

Mari: That makes sense in a vaguely depressing way.

Gentleman: Not many people like moving outside of their comfort zones, child. You will understand when you grow older and wiser.

Mari: That old man was strangely depressing.

Birdkeeper: He's had a harsh life.

Mari: Sure sounded like it. Hey, what's this hole in the wall?

Birdkeeper: There's a rope ladder leading to the service walkway outside, and stairs that lead upstairs.

(Olivine Lighthouse, Service Walkway)

Mari: Wow, we're pretty high up!

(Gnaw peers over the edge of the railing cautiously)

Mari: Not much more left to climb, either.

(Olivine Lighthouse Top Floor)

Mari: That was one long climb.

Jasmine: Oh! (blushes) Who are you?

Mari: Jasmine, right? I heard the Ampharos is ill.

Jasmine: Amphy's caught somehing nasty. Um, could I ask you to go and pick up a medicine I ordered from Cianwood Pharmacy? I... need to stay to take care of Amphy.

Mari: (sigh) I could go, but why don't they ship it over?

Jasmine: It'd take too long for the ferry to get here, and the waters around the Whirl Islands make it more expensive to ship things that way. I also haven't seen any HM Fly users lately, so I couldn't ask someone to Fly there and pick it up. I'll unlock the door so you can use the lift to come back up here faster.

Mari: There was a lift? (groan) I wasted a lot of effort climbing the lighthouse?

In truth, during the actual playthrough I tried the lift first, but yes, the door was locked. Forced dungeon climb ahoy!

Mari: (sigh) At least the climb was good exercise for me. Oh, well, time to have dinner.

(Gnaw's stomach rumbles at Mari's mention of dinner.)

(After dinner, Mari unfolds her Devon brand raft, quality product of Hoenn, and harnesses her Krabby to it.)

Mari: Krabby, please use Surf and take us to Cianwood!

(Gnaw makes a gentle rumbling in the back of his throat as he gestures to Krabby, who nods and begins pulling the raft over the sea.)

Mari: I can swim, but not with my bag on, and certainly not that far.

(Sea Route 40)

Swimmer: Hey cutie! Why not enjoy the sea instead of Surfing like that?

Mari: I'm headed out to Cianwood, and I can't swim that far!

Swimmer: Oh. Well, don't let the Tentacruel use Wrap on you!

Mari: Ugh, I'm not interested in that sort of thing!

Swimmer: My sister doesn't come swimming with me over here any more, because a wild Tentacruel really did try to grab her; that's why I'm warning you!

Mari: Oh, great, now I'm worried about the wild encounters here. Sosuke, (lets Elekid out), protect me from any Tentacool or Tentacruel that come at us, okay?

(Sosuke salutes smartly)

Mari: Thank you!

(LP Note: Heart Gold Players may encounter the version-exclusive Mantine in Sea Route 40! Silver players like me Mari will need to trade for them or import one from Sinnoh.)

(Wild Tentacool appeared!)

Mari: Ah, a jellyfish! Sosuke, chase it away!

(Sosuke lets the Tentacool approach the raft! Suddenly, he dives into the sea!)

Mari: What are you doing?!

(A huge splash and a plume of water shoots high into the air! Sosuke had uppercutted the Tentacool with Thunderpunch! he lands on the raft, and suddenly begins glowing!)

Pokedex: (printed onscreen) What's this?! Sosuke has evolved into Electabuzz!

(LP Note: Next trade session, he becomes an Electvire. Sosuke will be Mari's other Glass Cannon besides Yuyuko the future Gengar, although I might still end up choosing other pokemon for the final team. His crazy power is tempting though.)

Mari: Awesome! Here, Sosuke, take this ElectrizerEeeeeek!

(A wild Tentacruel has grabbed Mari's ankle! It begins reaching up her leg!)

Mari: Someone knock that thing off me!

(Gnaw and Sosuke move! Gnaw was closer, and landed a bone-crushing Bite! Tentacruel flinched and released Mari, but it continued to pursue the raft!)

Mari: I don't want you to keep chasing me! Net Ball, go!

Click, click, click, ding!

(LP Note: Tentacruel is another classic HM peon, as it learns all the water HMs.)

Mari: Phew, that was close.

(Sea Route 41, site of the Whirl Islands)

Ocean currents roar in the distance as Mari Surfs by the Whirl Islands, the rocky formations and whirpools making them inaccessible.

Mari: Krabby, keep a safe distance from the fiercest currents!

(Another Wild Tentacool appeared! It waves menacingly at Gnaw.)

Mari: Not again. Since it challenged you, Gnaw, prove your strength and send it packing!

Gnaw dived into the sea, and immediately found the saltwater a little nasty to his tongue. Perhaps he wasn't a saltwater species after all!

As he approached the Tentacool, it spat a glob of something foul at him, which stung his tough hide with a chemical warmth. Ugh!

Ignoring the warm sizzling on his hide and the salty tang in his maw as he opened wide, he bit down hard on the Tentacool, feeling something crack under his fangs. Immsdiately it thrashed wildly, its raw boneless strength forcing Gnaw to release it, as it fled with a cracked gem in its cephalothorax leaking fluid into the sea.

Basking in his satisfaction in victory, Gnaw felt a warmth cover his body, washing away the stinging acid. As the warmth faded, he felt stronger and tougher!

To celebrate, he broke the surface with a joyful Waterfall-powered lunge.

Mari: Oh, wow! Gnaw, is that you? You look... majestic!

(With a thump that shook the raft and rocked up some small waves, Gnaw landed in the raft, scaring Krabby a ittle with the sudden movement.)

Pokedex: (printed onscreen) Analysing... Gnaw has matured into a Feraligatr!

(LP Note: Gnaw now towers over Mari, a majestic 2.3m to her 1.52m. he also weighs more than double her petite 41kg at a sturdy 88.8kg.)

Mari: Please don't reveal my real weight!

(LP Note: All data taken from the ingame pokedex, of course.)

Mari: You're such a giant now, Gnaw! (hugs him)

(Gnaw, aware of his newfound strength, carefully returns Mari's hug so he doesn't accidentally crush her.)

Next: Landing at Cianwood!

Mari's crew:

• Gnaw (Feraligatr)
• Sosuke (Electabuzz)
• Yuyuko (Gastly)
• Sally (Golbat)
• FEAR (Rattata)
• Krabby (HM user)

edited 23rd Oct '09 6:23:21 AM by AceOfScarabs

(Gnaw, aware of his newfound strength, carefully returns Mari's hug so he doesn't accidentally crush her.)

Dawww. Ash's Bayleef didn't realize this for a while after she evolved, obviously hilarity ensued.

edited 23rd Oct '09 6:02:59 AM by Pika Hikari KT

Also Electivire's no Glass Cannon; it has decent defense.

Not when he's Hasty.

Still can take any attack that's not Ground though.

The good thing is that as an Electvire, his toughness lets him partially overcome his nature (taking amazingly low damage from Lugia's Aeroblast!).

(Sea Route 41)

Mari: Look Gnaw, the outskirts of Cianwood isle!

(Gnaw looks glad to see dry land at last, mainly because he doesn't like saltwater much)

Swimmer: Hey! You surfed all the way here?

Mari: Sure did!

Swimmer: With a travel pack as stuffed as yours, no wonder!

(LP Note: Mari's bag is really full of stuff now. Hooray for Palkia-type Travel Packs!)

(Cianwood shore)

Mari: Phew. I'm sure my hair's a little bleached, and man do I smell of the sea! I feel like taking a shower first!

(She spots a camera stand near the shore, with a sign saying "Take a photo and remember you time spent here! ~Cianwood Town Council")

Mari: Hmm, sounds good! Okay, guys, (activates pokeballs), let's take a group photo! Cheese~

click

(LP Note: HGSS Johto is full of camera stands and photographers who'll take photos of you and you party! You can view these photos in your personal network from the pokecenter terminals!)

(Cianwood Pokecenter)

Mari: Aaaaah, that was a nice shower, I don't feel so bleached and salted anymore. let's take a look at our photo, Gnaw!

(LP note: At some point, I'll try and take photos from my DS Screen of some of Mari's photos. Gotta warm my cameraphone up!)

(Cianwood Pharmacy)

Mari: Hello! I'm here to collect on behalf of Jasmine of Olivine!

Pharmacist: Oh, you mean the Cianwood Secretpotion?

Mari: Why do you call it that?

Pharmacist: Marketing, it helps sell when it sounds like one of those awesome legendary medicines. Anyway, it's just a powerful (bitter) herbal mixture with concentrated Essence of Lum Berries in it, with a token treatment of other berry extracts to combat the bitter herbal taste.

(Mari receives the Cianwood Secretpotion!)

Pharmacist: That Ampharos has a generic illness probably transmitted from a Pidgey that wandered in looking for scraps. This medicine will work for it. (Notices Mari's badges) If you're on a quest to collect badges, Chuck's Gym is just a little way from this pharmacy.

(Mari goes exploring north of Cianwood. Encountering some loose piles of stones, her Krabby practices Rock Smash on them, uncovering a couple of Wild Shuckle and some items.)

Shuckle: Shuckle! (translation: Argh, the harsh light! It burns my eyes!)

Mari: Wierd little rockworm pokemon? (tosses Net Ball) I should let Elm study one of these.

(LP note: Shuckle is an oddity. It can never have more than an absolute 244 hitpoints ever, but its defenses are so extreme, it has the same tanking potential as a Cresselia, albeit with the weakness of Seismic Toss/ Nightshade. It can barely attack without Power Trick or Accupressure, but its movepool includes Knock Off, Encore, Wrap, Toxic, and Stealth Rock, allowing it to be a real pain in the neck when wielded by someone who knows their cunning tricks. It also learns Rest like the majority of Pokemon, and gets a special defense boost from being in a Sandstorm.)

(Cianwood Gym)

Gym Groupie: Hey there, Champ-in-the-making!

Mari: Are you stalking me or something?

Gym Groupie: Oh no, I'm paid by the League to give strategy hints to trainers taking on any Gym.

Mari: Ah. Still, I find it odd to meet you in every Gym I visit.

Gym Groupie: I have a Fly user in my party. Speaking of that, Chuck's Gym Badge will give you clearance to use Fly as a field move, allowing your Flyiing-types to ferry you to some places you've been to before.

Mari: Nice!

Gym Groupie: You'll need to best Chuck's powerful suite of Fighting-types, though. He's a tough man, and he trains alongside his pokemon, teaching them what he knows himself!

Mari: You're saying this gym also teaches people martial arts?

Gym Groupie: Sounds about right. He's currently meditating under an artificial waterfall, so you'll need to turn it off before he'll accept your challenge!

Next: Chuck shows Mari his moves!

BONUS: Mari's Rocket Photo in the Goldenrod Basement◊!

edited 23rd Oct '09 8:00:14 PM by AceOfScarabs

In other news, training in hell continues for Mari's Leafeon and FEAR the Raticate in the present. Once I update until the point I capture Lugia and can take on the Elite Four, I will ask what you guys want Mari to field in her team to beat the first round of the Elite Four.

For now, just sit back and enjoy Mari's quest to reach that point!

(Cianwood Gym)

Mari: Wow, they really did fit an artificial waterfall in here!

(LP Note: As mentioned in my previous update, Chuck is meditating under a waterfall, and will only be ready to battle you when you switch it off. Mari will need to climb a series of ladders and walkways staffed with Martial Artists looking for sparring partners to reach the crank for the water supply. One cool thing is all the Martial Artists in this Gym use different kinds of Fighting-types - expect to see the hitmons, Machop, and Mankey in here.)

Mari: I swear the room looks bigger than the Gym does from the outside.

Martial Artist Bob: Halt! I will spar with you!

Mari: Sorry, I'm not a martial artist. However, I can indulge you in a pokemon battle! Go, Sally! (sends her Golbat out)

Bob: Machop! Go and win this one!

(Sally struck fast and fierce with Wing Attack! It's super-effective! Machop used Seismic Toss!)

Bob: Hahaha! That's the way! Only three hits will end your Golbat with damage like that!

(LP Note: As most of you should know by now, Seismic Toss is a fixed-damage attack like Night Shade that deals damage equal to your experience level - especially handy when your actual attack stats can't overcome superior defenses, or when you fight a low-hitpoint critter like Shuckle. Sally the Golbat at this stage can only take 3 S-Toss hits from the machops in this Gym, so Mari will need to spend some serious healing on her if she cannot 1-shot them.)

Mari: You won't have the chance - Sally, wrap this up quick!

(Sally fiercely batters the Machop with another Wing Attack! Machop fainted!)

Bob: I have a second Machop! (sends it out)

Mari: This is going to be a long day... Sally, make use of your new move!

(Sally stares the Machop in the face! Machop was mesmerized by the Golbat's swirrrrrly eyes and was confused!)

(LP Note: Confuse Ray - the number one reason why Zubat Family is disliked as a wild encounter. I don't mind turning this power against my opponents, and neither does Mari, heh heh heh.)

Bob: No! Not that evil move!

(Machop was so mesmerised, it stumbled and hurt itself in its confusion!)

Mari: Now! Seize your advantage, Sally!

(Sally the Golbat gives the Machop a good going-over with Wing Attack! It was a critical hit! Machop fainted.)

Bob: Arrrgh! I hate fighting bats!

Mari: They're great for speed training, mind you.

Bob: Seriously?! Then I must man up and train against them!

(LP Note: Mari speaks the truth - the Zubat Family yields speed Effort!)

Pokedex: (printed onscreen) What's this? Sally the Golbat is evolving!

Mari: Yes! I've finally evolved her!

Pokedex: Sally has evolved into Crobat!

Several Martial Artists and lots of Fighting-types later, Mari finally reaches the top of the walkways, Sally in tow with a bottle of Moomoo milk hung around her neck so she can drink it with a straw.

Mari: Phew. Finally! (crank) This should deactivate the waterfall.

(The roar of the waterfall dies out as the water flow is cut. The large sluice that the water was pouring from folds up and into the pumps at the back as the flow dies to a trickle.)

Mari: Reminds me of those fancy machines I saw on Pythagoras Switch. All right! Time to face Chuck!

(LP trivia: Pythagoras Switch is a show from Japan with lots of Rube Goldberg Machine action. Yotsuba Kowai has watched and loved it, and it features a theme song done by Kuricorder Quartet, who also does the soundtrack of Azumanga Daioh! Mari has good taste in TV :D)

In the basin of the artificial waterfall is Chuck, sitting atop a boulder. Mari, Gnaw, and Sally approach him.

Chuck: You must be the one who turned off the water.

Mari: Yes, I did.

Chuck: I see you have quite a few badges already, eh? Bested Morty and Whitney even.

Mari: They weren't easy to beat.

Chuck: I am Chuck of Cianwood, and I am a real martial artist who trains alongside his pokemon. Please, step back a safe distance and allow me to demonstrate the strength I have gained from training with my Poliwrath.

(LP Note: I'm adding this event back in from the original GSC, when Chuck breaks a Strength Boulder before the fight. Creative storytelling license ahoy!)

(As Mari and her pokemon take a step back, Chuck climbs to his feet partway, then rests his fist on the boulder he had sat on.)

Chuck: Huuuuuuuuuo-TAH!

(Chuck used FALCON Focus Punch! The boulder shattered!)

Mari: Woah!

(Gnaw and Sally are shocked at the human's display of raw strength!)

Chuck: I have thus shown you my move, one that I have taught to my pokemon. Do you still wish to challenge me for my badge?

Mari: Err...

(Gnaw, noticing Mari's slowly draining confidence, pats her gently on her shoulder and tries to smile reassuringly in a way that should say "I can take this guy's pokemon on, don't you worry." Unfortunately, the effect was spoiled by his imposing mouthful of teeth. Nevertheless, Mari understands his gesture, disconcerting though it may have been to another person.)

Mari: Thanks for your vote of confidence, Gnaw. (turns to Chuck) My pokemon believe we can win, so I shall trust them as they trust me! Chuck of Cianwood, I am Mari of New Bark Town, and I wish to challenge you for the Badge of your Gym!

Chuck: So be it! I accept your challenge!

(LP Note: To speed things up, I decided to script this as a Double Battle even though the real fight with Chuck is in 1v1.)

Gym Leader Chuck has accepted the challenge! He sent out a Primeape and Poliwrath!

Mari: All right! Gnaw and Sally, coordinate well and take them down! Focus on the Primeape first!

(LP Note: Primeape has less defense, hence this choice.)

(Gnaw faces off against Primeape as Sally flies around to get a good hit in! As Gnaw lunges with a powerful Waterfall while Sally rushes in to use Wing Attack, Poliwrath pops up to bar Sally! Sally is mesmerised by the swirly pattern on Poliwrath and struggles to fight the Hypnotic effect! Sally loses the initiative as she struggles to keep awake, while Gnaw manages to keep going towards Primeape!)

Chuck: Beware of my Poliwrath! It will mesmerise you with Hypnosis if you are not wary!

(Primeape blurs as it uses Double-team! Gnaw manages to clip Primeape with a glancing blow, even though the brunt of the Waterfall missed!)

Mari: That almost hit! Keep at it, Gnaw!

Chuck: That was a good idea to field Crobat against me, with its resistance to our martial arts. However, I have taught my Primeape...

(Primeape hefts part of the broken boulder!)

Chuck: ...How to deal with fliers!

(Primeape used Rockslide!)

Sally fought desperately to stay awake, as she knew she had a big fight, and didn't want to disappoint either her Mistress or her Senior Gnaw.

The disintergrating boulder that hit her in a shower of rubble did the trick, jolting her wide awake with the shock and pain. Spinning out of control, she managed to right herself despite the pain.

As the Poliwrath approached her again, she knew what to do this time - the Hypnosis attack failed as she averted her eyes.

The blur she saw out of the corner of her eyes suggested that the Poliwrath had abandoned its plan to put her to sleep, and was hurtling towards her with a powerful Body Slam. She decided to try and turn its strength back upon itself by firing her Confuse Ray at it.

Gnaw was too slow to stop the Rock Slide from hitting Sally, but to his relief, his partner managed to recover from the hit quite respectably. He watched as she fired her Confuse Ray at the Poliwrath as it charged at her with a Body Slam, and heard his mistress call out to him.

"Gnaw! Support Sally so she doesn't get knocked out!"

Nodding his assent, he began to build up for another attack as Primeape moved to block him from assisting Sally the Crobat.

Gnaw roared, his battlecry saying "Out of my way! I will knock you aside if you bar me!", as he lunged with another fierce Waterfall attack.

The Primeape attempted to use another round of Double-team to mess up his aim, but Gnaw's focus was not on the Primeape, and so he plowed right through it, disregarding the blurred afterimages, knocking it spinning into the air in an almost cartoonish fashion.

Chuck: Oh, no!

(It was a critical hit! Primeape fainted!)

Sally was worried that the confusion would not affect Poliwrath's Body Slam, and as it closed in on her, she knew her hunch was right. Just as she was about to get hit, the Poilwrath was knocked off-course by a large, fearsome, yet reassuring shape.

(Gnaw's Waterfall impacted with Poliwrath in mid-Body Slam! It wasn't very effective. Gnaw knocked Poliwrath off-course and it missed Sally! Gnaw was paralysed! Poliwrath flinched)

Mari: Oh, no! Gnaw, that shouldn't have happened!

Chuck: My personal training has helped my Poliwrath fight off the effects of confusion! It should turn the tide despite the loss of Primeape!

Struggling to his feet, Gnaw felt a strange, paralysing numbness in his side where the Poliwrath's Body Slam had impacted. he felt no broken bones, but the numbness in itself distracted and slowed him down.

Taking a defensive stance tht protected his numb-and-tender side, he growled instructions to Sally, who bobbed her head and squeaked a reply.

As a united front, they charged the recovering Poliwrath in an attempt to prevent it from bringing its full strength to bear.

(LP Note: Falcon Focus Punch will fail if you get hit while charging it up.)

Due to his numbing paralysis, Gnaw wasn't able to reach the Poliwrath at the same time as Sally, who worried her foe with a furious barrage of Wing Attacks in an attempt to keep it off-balance.

The Poliwrath attempted to ward off her attacks by using Hypnosis, and it worked. However, it had to face the Crobat to do so, and as it turned away from the sleep-ridden Sally, it met a furious Feraligatr tail coming the other way at full speed.

(Gnaw used Brick Break! Poliwrath fainted.)

As the battered fighting frog toppled over, it hit the ground at the same time as Primeape, which had been airborne all that time.

Chuck: T-that's astounding!

Mari: Wooo-hooo! Gnaw, Sally, you two did it! Sally, return and have a much-deserved rest in your pokeball! Gnaw, take this Cheri berry, it'll clear up the paralysis!

Chuck: Your Pokemon show excellent teamwork and skill! No wonder they were able to surpass the strength of mine.

Mari: Thanks! I like the technique of your Poliwrath with its Hypnosis.

Chuck: That's just a natural trick it had since it was a Poliwag. Your ability to prevail means that you deserve this Badge! it will also unlock the Fly HM, should you possess it.

Mari: Thanks!

Chuck: you also deserve the wield strength like mine. Take this TM, which contains that boulder-smashing ability I demonstrated earlier. It's called Falcon Focus Punch, and your Crobat has demonstrated its weakness when it worried at Poliwrath, making it unable to focus enough to use this powerful attack.

Mari: Wow! I promise I'll find a worthy candidate to make full use of this powerful technique.

I'm guessing Poilwrath is a Battletoads Shout-Out, but whatever.

It's just my running gag from a fanart that had Poliwrath, Politoed, and Toxicroak doing a battletoads hi-five.

edited 25th Oct '09 7:18:17 AM by AceOfScarabs

Well played, Nintendo. Well played.

My recent slowness in updates is due to reading other people's LPs. In any case, let's go on with the show!

(Cianwood, outside gym)

Woman: Oh, that badge! You beat Chuck, didn't you?

Mari: It wasn't easy, but yeah.

Woman: I'm his wife actually. it's a good thing you beat him, because he wasn't doing much but meditation under that waterfall of his. Maybe your win will convince him to work that bulge off his belly. (produces HM 02) Here, this HM contains Fly. Consider it a present from me.

Mari: Uh, thanks?

(Cianwood pokecenter)

Mari: I'm going to need a flier. Let's see... Gnaw stays in the party... I'll be taking you, you, and you:

• Gnaw (Feraligatr)
• Sosuke (Electabuzz)
• Yuyuko (Gastly)
• Sally (Crobat)
• Krabby (non-combat HM user)
• Farfetch'd (Fly/Cut HM user)

Mari: Now, Gnaw, I know you don't like this particular Farfetch'd, but I want you two to behave yourselves, all right?

(Gnaw glowers at the Farfetch'd, who pretends it didn't notice Gnaw's mistrust.)

The Farfetch'd was impressed by his mistress's accomplishments. He was, in truth, hatched from a trainer's Egg while they were experimenting with breeding pokemon, and he was released into the wild as part of an Endangered Species Repopulation Act.

This being the case, he know a little about the Pokemon League, and was thus impressed by the badges his Mistress had on her person. While he disliked the brutish Feraligatr, he respected its strength, and did not wish to pick fights for the sake of argument.

Following his mistress out of the pokecenter on foot, he put on a strange harness as she asked him to, before she gave him a command to use a move she had just taught him earlier.

"Farfetch'd, Fly me to Olivine City!"

(As the Farfetch'd obeyed her command and took off, Mari took hold of her end of the harness.)

Mari: here's hoping this worrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrks

(A pulse of energy burst from Farfetch'd as the HM move kicked in! Farfetch'd was able to carry Mari with this surge in strength and power!)

Mari: Weeeee! This is much faster than Surfing!

(Olivine Pokecenter)

A roar of wind and movement heralds the approach of a HM user.

(Farfetch'd touches down perfectly! Mari tumbles a little on landing!)

Mari: Ow. Have to practice landing after flight, but man, is it fun! Gnaw, come back out of your pokeball! Farfetch'd, return to your pokeball and take a well-deserved rest!

(Gnaw blinks in confusion at the change in environment.)

Mari: Let's eat up before we head to the Lighthouse, Gnaw. I'm sure you're hungry.

(After a victory celebration meal - Olivine Pokecenter)

Mari: Hmm, what's this notification in my network- Oh! Renko's ready to trade again!

(The 3rd trade exchange plan results in Sosuke evolving into Electivire and being taught Fire Punch from the Pastoria Move Tutor, and Yuyuko receiving an upgrade to Gengar after a little express-leveling to 29 for Shadow Ball. Mari has one of her Slowpoke upgraded to Slowking for Pokedex credit shared between her and Renko, and she receives a freshly-hatched Kangaskhan.)

Renko: Congrats on your fifth badge! I believe you can train outsiders to an even higher level than before without them disobeying you.

Mari: Thanks, Renko. I notice you haven't asked me for many pokemon in trading.

Renko: Hmmm, perhaps I could use a Ditto.

(She receives the Ditto she asked for in another trade that gives Mari a Caterpie.)

Mari: A caterpie? I could catch one from the Bug Hunt.

Renko: You could all right, but you wouldn't win it then. Anyway, traded pokemon gain more experience, so it should catch up.

(LP Note: Butterfree are cool, despite their low stats and vunerable type combo. Between Compound Eyes and a wide selection of Status Powders, they are very effective at disabling many pokemon, and can also learn Whirlwind, which forces a switch in trainer battles, and Tailwind, which is handy for giving your side a temporary speed boost. They're one of my favourite Bugs for both reasons of tactical application and nostalgia!)

Mari: Hmmm, all right, maybe I can breed a shiny caterpie later with yours, after I evolve it of course.

Renko: It'll take a while before that happens.

(LP Note: The other reason I can't quite get a shiny by Masuda Method breeding? The odds are still very slim at 1 in slightly over 2000.)

(Olivine Lighthouse)

Mari: All right, we've got the secret potion!

Jasmine: Eeek! Oh, it's you, Miss Han.

Mari: Just call me Mari.

Jasmine: Er, okay, Mari... could you let me give the potion to Amphy? He'll only accept medicine from me.

(Jasmine manages to coax the Ampharos to swallow the Cianwood Secret Potion. The light house flares momentarily with a painful level of brightness as the Amphros recovers and tests its power to use Flash.)

Mari: Ack! My eyes!

Jasmine: Thank you, Mari. I'll be headed back to my gym.

Next: Jasmine's Gym!

Spam Fire Punch.