Catching up to Myself

With the fire badge in my grasp, I set off back into the wilds.

And then I was sent back to the pokemon center because my team was so underleveled.

And then I was sent back again

And again...

And a fourth time.

Yikes, when did this happen?

And it doesn't fucking help that every pokemon has leech seed or synthesis or recover or some fucking bullshit like that. I wasted 28 Great Balls on a level 27 frillish.

I DID manage to nab a uniquely typed Poison/Electric pokemon named Toxel.  It looks like the baby from the old Dinosaurs sitcom. I have an affinity to poison types, hit if it looks this stupid when it evolves, it is out of my team.

So I took the opportunity to train. I was able to take down some overleveled pokemon in the wild area by using pokemon with a hugely supereffective move. Finally, I dragged my entire team up to level 30.

And then everything in my team started evolving...
Stufful evolved into Bewear and can finally hold its own in battle.
Meowth evolved into Perrzerker and has gone from Sailor to Viking.
Sizzlipede evolved into Centiscorch and was able to defeat a pokemon 15 levels higher than it with its powerful fire moves.
Toxel evolved into Toxtricity...and it looks like an absolute creep, but I love her!! She has a unique typing and a brand new ability called "Punk Rock" which boosts the power of voice moves as well as lowering the damage of voice moves used against it.

I may have left Monsoke City in despair...but I entered Hammerlocke in triumph with a brand new team identity.

Pokédex: 48/88
Current Squad:

Thwackey/Cheeto/lvl 30
Thievul/Señor Zorro/lvl 30
Drednaw/Snorkle/lvl 30
Linoone/Trash/lvl 31
Centiscorch/Sizzle/lvl 30

Bewear/Kitiguma/lvl 30

On Rotation: Toxtricity,Perrzerker

Vs. Bede

I have been giving Trash the Zigzagoon a lot of attention recently. After my most recent teammate shuffle (henceforth called "the great purge"), I have been waffling with respect to the roles that I have pokemon filling. I have been curious about what Trash has to offer the team other than "Pickup" and those sweet face markings. Trash knows how to party, but she had yet to prove herself.

Bede led with the Psychic type Solosis. Trash was able to take it out handily with its STAB Payback. Hmm. Maybe Trash has a place here after  all...

His next pokemon was called Hatenna and my immediate reaction was just "what the fuck is that?" For some reason, I was seeing a blobfish in its design. I had no clue what type it should be, but my first instinct was water.

It had the ability Anticipation; ancitipation activates  on switch in and clues the trainers in that the opposing pokemon has a super effective move against it.

When I noticed that Anticipation activated,  I knew that something that Trash knew would hit it super effectively.

Trash's Moves: Payback, Headbutt, BabyDoll Eyes, Lick

Since Headbutt is normal and BabyDoll Eyes is a status move this meant that either the dark type Payback or the Ghost Type Lick were effective against it. Since Dark and Giost are effective against the same tyes--Ghost and Psychic--I knew that I could choose either move to hit Hatenna effectively.

Payback scored a huge hit, but Hatenna retaliated with Disarming Voice and sent Trash packing.

I had figured out that Hatenna was either a Psychic or Ghost type and decided to test this out by sending in Bleppo the Dottler for some recon. If Struggle Bug hit it for Super Effective damage, then Hatenna is a Psycjic type. If it hits it weakly, then it is a Ghost.


Just cross your fingers and take a big breath and...

Psychic

Sometimes a gamble pays off.

Bede sent out Gothita for his third pokemon and then it clicks all of the sudden.  He is a psychic type specialist.  For being the best pokemon trainer ever, I sure can be dense sometimes...

Pokédex:33/54

Current Squad:

Thwackey/Cheeto/lvl 17
Nickit/Kat-Kit/lvl 16
Chewtle/Snorkle/lvl 16
Rookidee/Chirpy/lvl 16
Dottler/Bleppo/lvl 16

Stufful/Stuffy/lvl 15

On Rotation: Growlithe, Zigzagoon

Signups for the Gym Challenge

With nearly every pokemon in my box knocked out or at critical health, I dragged myself through the gates to Monsoon City. Not since Pokemon Red version and my trek through Mount Moon have I been in such a desperate need of healing my pokemon. Back then, my excuse was Raticate (shudders): this time, I have no excuse.

After taking a stop at the Pokemon Center, I decided to put my Gym Challenge Signup off whilst I went shopping. I got a new haircut, some new digs, and customized my Gym Challenge Card with a cool Ultramar pose. This game allows you to be extra. Game freak must have been reading my live journal.

The portrayal of the Gym Challenge in this title is a lot like a sporting event.  The gyms are akin to soccer stadiums and the challengers all wear numbered Jerseys (oh, I was even able to choose my Challenge Number for my jersey). There are endorsements as well as sponsorships.  One NPC even seemed to imply that the Champion's cape is a rental spot for ad-space.  TOO. REAL.

The overall effect of all of this though?  A world that seems real and lived-in.
___________________________
The gym challenge signup location was filled with other challengers.  Hop and I were signed-up on Leon's endorsement, but we were far from the only ones in the lobby.  One NPC mentioned that everyone in the lobby was part of the group of challengers, so I went around to scope out the competition. There was the regular crown of unnamed NPCs, but there were two specifically unnamed NPSc each identified as "???".

One of these two was a cool looking goth chick with a black hamster pokemon.  The other was a curly-haired asshole.  He claimed that he was endorsed by the chairperson from the game's introduction and he told me to bother someone else.  It will be nice to beat him later on in the game.

Gym Types? Psychic, Fairy, Dragon, Grass

And apparently we are FULL STEAM AHEAD WITH THE PLOT because as soon as I made it to the next area, I was set upon by the Professor's assistant, Sonya.  She was there to tease the game's plot a bit.  Apparently, in "the olden days" there was this knight who saved the Galar region from a troupe of giant pokemon.  She said specifically that he used a sword and a shield and that apparently nobody knows what type of sword or shield he used.

Gym Types? Fire, Water, Ghost, Ice

Yeah, I'm calling this one right now.  There is no way that that would be an important detail unless it was to be a deliberate misdirection.  His sword and his shield were pokemon, weren't they?

Pokédex:22/33

Current Squad:

Grookey/Cheeto/lvl 15

Nickit/Kat-Kit/lvl 14

Chewtle/Snorkle/lvl 14

Rookidee/Chirpy/lvl 14

Dottler/Bleppo/lvl 14

Stufful/Stuffy/lvl 14

















On Rotation: Zigzagoon, Stunky, Tyrogue