Too Many Pokemon!

I previously noted that it is important to have a variety of pokemon available to catch and add to your team early and then to funnel in new pokemon in an even and consistent way--something that Ruby and Sapphire had a serious problem with--but this is just plain comical.

So I caught Snorlax (cause I always catch Snorlax), found the game's pokemon breeding center, went through a cave, Bulbasaur and Froakie both evolved (into Ivysaur and Frogadier, respectively), I found a town, found a second cave, and along the way I caught Seviper, Drifloon, Zubat, Axew, Croagunk, Onix, Sandile, Helioptile, Hippopotas, Lunatone, Solrock, Machop, Cubone, Inkay, Illumise, Ducklett, Spoink, Absol, Mienfoo, and Wingull.  Of these, I briefly had on my team: Seviper, Absol, Mienfoo, Machop, Cubone, Onix, Croagunk, Axew, and Helioptile. 

...And then I realized that I was going absolutely bonkers with all the new pokemon: I was like a fat school kid on Macaroni and Cheese day (something I have years of experience at, as a matter of fact). 

Ultimately, I decided to just leave it up to my little brother to pick for me: welcome to the team, Hippopotas.


I was originally sent to the last town to ask about Mega Evolutions, and the people there sent me on my way to Ambrette town.  When I got to Ambrette town, I found the professor I was looking for and he told me to go piss off and explore the aforementioned "second cave" (only accessible by riding on top of a Rhyhorn).  He must have had an important meeting...or perhaps he just didn't like the idea of some snot-nosed kid asking him about things he has never heard of JUST BECAUSE he is a scientist.  Because all scientists know all of science...right?   

Hint: wrong


Current Squad:

FROGADIER/Froakles/lvl.18
IVYSAUR/Ivy/lvl.18
SCRAGGY/Scrappy/lvl.18
FLABEBE/Pixie/lvl.17
PIKACHU/PikaPi/lvl.18
DODUO/Birdface/lvl.17

On Rotation: Hippopotas, Ralts

Running the Gauntlet to Gymleader Viola

Something I've always wanted to do but never have done is to battle my way through a pokemon gym to a gymleader without healing my pokemon at the 'center.  I'm not sure if this is a man thing or just me being a tool, but I always wanted to experience this as a challenge.  The problem is that I'm something of a nervous little baby (when it comes down to it) and I have never been able to force myself to ACTUALLY go through with it.

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After thoroughly exploring Santalune city, I found myself in the pokemon gym--headed by Gymleader Viola, the Bug gymleader. 

Let's just be perfectly honest with ourselves: the only pokemon type less threatening than the Bug type is the Normal type--so I was not worried at all heading-into this place.  I ended-up spending most of my time trying to level-up Pikachu and Spewpa (evolved from Scatterbug).

My favorite leveling technique is the "sacrifice KO" wherein I weaken an opponent to within one sliver of health with a stronger pokemon of mine, then allow that pokemon to be knocked-out so I can finish the weakened foe off with a pokemon I am trying to level (so that the second pokemon gets ALL the exp.).  I guess this is like the "Sacrifice Fly" in Baseball--but this makes me quite possibly the worst pokemon trainer in the known universe.  Honestly, I kind of see where Team Plasma was coming from with the whole mistreatment of Pokemon thing from the previous game, because I obviously only see them as tools. 

Sorry I'm getting so emotional, but cut me some slack; I just realized I'm the villain.

Usually this sacrifice KO would not be a problem, but in this one case, there was no exit from the gym, so I found myself at the gymleader with three pokemon left remaining and no way to heal-up.  What is worse is that nice, shiny, super-effective against Bugs Farfetch'd I just got was one of my sacrifice KO's.

I found myself challenging Viola with a fully rested Froakie, a weakened Zigzagoon, and a Metapod who was barely alive.  It is times like this that I thank the game for forcing me to get those 90 potions at the start.

She had two pokemon and her first was Surskit, who I took out with Froakie, my lead.  Her second pokemon, Vivillon, who was much harder.  In the end, the battle came down to a "next hit wins the
game" moment between Metapod and Vivillon, and let me just say THANK GOD FOR PARALYSIS.

Metapod evolved into my favorite pokemon, Butterfree, after the battle.  Let me just say that I hope the whole game is this exciting.


Current Squad:


FROAKIE/Froakles/lvl.11
BUTTERFREE/Felix/lvl.11
ZIGZAGOON/Ziggy/lvl.10
SPEWPA/Bubbsey/lvl.9
PIKACHU/PikaPi/lvl.10
FARFETCH'D/Quackin'/lvl.11

The Beginning of Pokemon Y

The start of a new journey is always the most interesting part, but if this is the best the game gets then it is enough for me.

I can already tell that this game has a lot of potential--and that it will at least be better than Diamond and Pearl versions: a decent choice of starting pokemon and character customization.

Let me start over:
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I recall the start of Pokemon White being something painfully dumb and after taking a few minutes to reread my blog post just now I am thankful that Nintendo decided to start this title without the melodramatic nonsense: you turn the game on and you immediately choose your name, gender, and what you look like.  Granted, the options for facial customization are PRETTY limited (you only get to choose between "blond anime kid," "brown-haired anime kid," or "dark-skinned anime kid"), but being able to play as something other than the typical "wirey Japanese kid" is fairly monumental.

I named myself "Darien" as I named my first pokemon character back in Red Version and within four minutes, I got to choose my first pokemon.  I met my character's friends in town and they asked me what nickname I wanted to have (D. Swiggy, of course) and then gave me a pokemon and a pokedex, saying that the "Professor Sycamore" told them to do this.

Basically my first pokemon might actually have been stolen.  Wouldn't it be funny if Y version was a "Team Rocket" Game?  

The choice of Starter pokemon this time around was the ridiculously cheerful grass type "Chespin", the painfully adorable fire type "Fennekin", and the type I always choose "Froakie".

Since I have chosen the water-type starter in every game barring White Version (and Red version, but we'll get to that some other time), the toss-up between Fennekin and Froakie was decided in water's favor.  I am curious about whether anyone will acutally choose Chespin.  To me Chespin looks less like a pokemon I would choose to start an adventure with, and more of a pokemon I would pick up in a forest somewhere on the way to my first gym battle and then let rot in the PC.

So I still haven't met the professor yet and may have gotten a stolen pokemon as my starter, but none of this matters because in this game YOU CAN WALK DIAGONALLY.

As a matter of fact, go back and ignore all the criticism I have so far, the diagonal walking totally makes up for it all.

Current Squad: