The Wela Volcano Park Trial

After my requisite amount of side-questing to fill in my pokedex, I made my way to the base of the Wela Volcano.  Ash hung in the air--the taste of carbon and sulfur on my cracked lips.  Nothing could live in this hot, poisoned place, I thought to myself.  Nothing but...

Salandit...

I think that Hawlucnha and Greninja may have been my favorite new pokemon from the 6th generation.  I mean, I did like Dragalge--but I never really had much of an opportunity to appreciate it since it was on my team for such a short time.  Salandit might be the one from this generation that really sticks with me.  I've been fond of them all so far--but something about this Poison/Fire lizard is really getting me excited.

The addition of my newly captured Salandit (named Sassy Sally) completes my Water, Grass, Fire core, so my ragtag pokemon team might finally be considered to be well-rounded.  I'm not going to be using Bagon much for probably the next island or two.  I'll take him out whenever I go on a pokemon-catching spree, but for now, I'm considering him to be simply "in training, non-active"--a lot like Ash's Charizard who was off training in the Charicific Valley until Ash needed him in the Unova finals.  Until Bagon learns Dragon Claw, he's more-or-less just filler--and my team does  not  need filler.

I picked up a Pink Nectar item along my route.  The pokemon Oricorio is a pokemon whose form and type changes based on what nectar it is allowed to sip.  Since I'm currently vacationing on Akala Island, I decided to allow Ori-Chan to take the form of the locals.  I have Yellow Nectar with me to switch her back if necessary, but "when in Rome"--amiright?

At the very top of the mountain, I met Captain Kiawe.  He said that his trial would be unlike any of the others that I had yet experienced.  I would need to rely on my powers of observation.  Ooh, so cryptic!  What he meant by this was that I had to play the easiest and silliest three-round memory game of my life. The first round was a "spot the difference between the fire-dancing Marowaks" sort of thing.  When I chose the Marowak that was different, it attacked.

The second round featured a ridiculous photo-bombing hiker.  Let's see if you can spot the difference...

"Or a coconut!" - Hiker, probably

It all culminated in a sneak attack made by the totem of the mountain, Salazzle...

Look out!  It's right behind you!!!

Current Squad:

Brionne/Pako Pako/lvl 20
Crabrawler/Ppunches/lvl 19
Salandit/Sassy Sally/lvl 20
Oricorio/Ori-Chan/lvl 20
Steenee/Bouncee/lvl19
Sylveon/Sly/lvl 20

On Rotation:
Grimer/Sludj/lvl 20
Misdreavus/Missy/lvl 19
Trumbeak/Pip Pip/lvl 19

Pokedex: 78 caught

Not Leveling Up

Usually by now I have a Venusaur.

Let me explain--when I played Red version, my Ivysaur evolved after I battled Giovanni for the first time--before I fought Erika for my 4th badge...this is not a one-time thing, the idea of me not spending millions of hours leveling-up my pokemon before entering a new area is very new to me!

Currently I have six badges and Pignite is only level 34. Granted I'm almost there but I guess this says something about the way I'm playing this game now. I'm not grinding levels like a madman--and I'm constantly shuffling my team, which I guess is too much to say for Ash Ketchum...

Ash's Pikachu HAS to be level 500,000 by now considering how much he uses it. Now I have to ask this because nobody else is: how is he still losing battles? He has no right to be losing battles with a level 500,000 pokemon--even a Magikarp could one-hit KO any pokemon in existence if it was level 500,000--and not just KO--a level 500,000 Magikarp's Tackle would have to be about as powerful as an H-bomb (and would leave nice, adorable Magikarp-shaped holes in the victims)...


The TV show should be less about Ash's journey to get gym badges, and more about how entire towns and communities are destroyed in his wake as he scours the land looking for something else for his Pikachu to murder.

This is most likely why I'm struggling so much as well...but to be honest, the game is a lot more fun this way... I mean, sure its funny the first few times you 6-0 sweep an opponent's team with a level-100 Metapod, but at some point you need to start challenging yourself...

Current Squad: