A Quickie before Two Island

After completing the Grand trial, Kahuna Hala stamped my trainer passport as certification and handed me Fightinium-Z as a prize.  He also said that I would be allowed to ride around his Tauros.  He gave me a Ride-Pager so that I could summon Tauros out of the ether when I so please.

Illima was there to watch the match (apparently) and congratulated me on my victory, asking me to rematch him (apparently Ilima is a "him")
when I get the chance someday.  As I recall, that Smeargle was a pain in the ass, so this might end up being farther in the future than he would prefer.

The Office Supply Bandit Lillie mentioned stalking me a little longer until she can deliver her annoying plot-device pokemon “Nebby” home to its family.  I’m so happy that this partnership of absolute one-sidedness can continue to be crucial to the development of the story.  What new trials will I have to overcome next?  Will Nebby get caught in a tree?

I was told to go to the marina in Hau’oli City when I was ready to take the fairy to the next island and my next adventure.

I’m not quite ready.

As it were, this game lacks HM moves.  I know, right?  How am I going to teach Pako Pako Surf?  That’s my standard starter master-level move!  I always teach my starter Surf!!  The alternative to HM moves is this Pokemon Ride system.  Tauros apparently has the ability to smash rocks whilst you ride it.  

This means it’s time to explore Melemele a bit more.

I had battled trainers with the pokemon before, so I knew where they were.  It was time for me to seek out a few remaining pokemon for my pokedex.  Bonsly was on Route 1 in an area separated by rocks.  I had spoken to a few different trainers who had each talked-up Ten Carat Hill as being a great place to catch really rare and powerful pokemon.  I saddled-up my trusty Tauros steed and made my way through the cave.  I found the adorable rock-typed Rockruff, the dizzy Spinda, the creepy Sableye, and Carbink and Roggenrola.  I'm less excited about catching those later two.

Current Squad:

Popplio/Pako Pako/lvl 16
Crabrawler/Ppunches/lvl 14
Trumbeak/Pip Pip/lvl 14
Pikachu/Rai Rai/lvl 15
Misdreavus/Missy/lvl 15
Growlithe/Growlie/lvl 14
On Rotation:
Oricorio/Ori-Chan/lvl 17
Grimer/Sludj/lvl 14
Slowpoke/Pokey/lvl 15
Yungoos/Chompy/lvl 15

Pokedex: 45 caught

There is no Magikarp guy...

Something slightly disturbing I noticed today was that I have yet to encounter "The Magikarp guy".

I broached this subject with a friend of mine and he knew what I was talking about immediately. There is, in every game, one trainer who is usually named something like "Fisherman Dale" or "Swimmer Arnold" who has thought it fit to have caught six Magikarp and believes himself to be unstoppable. Because Magikarp don't learn any attacks that cause damage until level 15, he spends the whole match using splash for "No Effect!" Really, he is just the game's biggest time sink.

I have found a "Basculin guy" who trains six Basculin (which apparently come in two flavors: red and blue), but he was actually a capable foe.

This would normally not be important but for the fact that I haven't found ANY old pokemon in the game at all. Where I would normally come across Zubat (namely: everywhere) I have found "Woobat" (real clever Nintendo...), there are no Wurmple, Caterpie, Pikachu--I haven't even come across a single Ratatta (what most would dream of doing).

I think this means that there are no old pokemon in this game--or at least that they don't become available until after I beat the main game...I'm not sure if this is awesome or sad.  I would be ALL FOR so many new pokemon if the pokemon I were seeing didn't look so lame. (Pictured: Klink, the gear pokemon...not kidding).

I guess what I'm saying is that if you're going to erase all your cool old pokemon, don't replace them with this:

Nacrene City at Last!

After finally catching my Purrloin and training it up, I'm starting to realize with a certain bit of disappointment that it kind of sucks. I guess this should not have come as much of a surprise to me considering how often I've seen other trainers carrying it up to now but the result--frustration--is still the same.  This begs Nintendo to say something about the ratio between a Pokemon's "usefulness in battle" and "difficulty to find". 

As the title suggests I have just arrived at Nacrene City where the second gymleader resides and to be honest the road was quite long--and was made noticeably longer by my meddling friends, who just would not leave me alone.

I was excited to come across my first cave and immediately went inside...then three minutes later I came right back out again because I needed "Surf" to get anywhere in it. I know you want me to come back to earlier areas Nintendo, but could you at least put up a sign, "Don't bother getting your hopes up beyond this point"?

Along the way I replaced my final two Growlie's with a Rock type called "Roggenrola" (I really hope this isn't a rock-and-roll pun) who I named "Rock Jock" and a flyer named "Pidove" whom I accidentally just named "A"...just "A". Noteworthy to state that I had some serious trouble making the current squad badge (at the bottom of the page) this time because Roggenrola doesn't have a face or really any appendages at all. Its just a rock. I wish I could come up with a joke for this but it's seriously just a rock!

Right after this I fought a trainer whose opening comment was "You can never have too many Lilipup!" which I found to be hilarious given my situation--and he closed with, "I don't think I have enough Lilipup."  You have no idea...

I haven't gone 30 steps without either Cheren or Bianca bugging me about something--I wonder if that will become less annoying as I continue playing...

Current Squad: