That filler anime episode where they all go to the beach

My battle with the supreme guardian of the oceans was quite underwhelming, so I was ready to be on my way towards newer and greater adventures. Captain Lana congratulated me for defeating all those poor Wishiwashi (who were just trying to get a little good 'ole fashioned revenge) and gave me gifts for my ruthlessness.  I was given Waterium-Z, which I handed directly to Pako Pako.

Lana told me to continue my challenge with Kiawe's Trial at the Wela Volcano Park.   I wonder if it's going to be a fire trial...

I was also given a fishing rod and dive balls, so you know what that means...

FISHING TRIP!!

The amount of fucking around that I do in this game is absurd.  Not since my Skyrim playthrough have I gone so out of my way to avoid progression.  I caught Magikarp, Goldeen, Feebas (yessss), and the bug/water pokemon Dewpider.  If my playthrough was adapted into an anime (I'm willing to talk, Funimation), then this would be one of those filler episodes where the main characters decide to have a sleepover (or, as the title states, go to the beach) for no reason other than to avoid doing anything of consequence.

Fishing has been changed in this game--first of all, there is only one rod, rather than separated "Old", "Good", and "Super" rods.  This is good news in terms of simplifying the gameplay.  Actually, this is good news in terms of everything.  I suppose the only ones that would be disappointed by such a change would be the players who for some reason really really like to catch level 5 Magikarp.

But fuck those weirdos, amiright?

The other change is that you can only fish in specific spots where there are piles of rocks in the water.  This is something I'm less comfortable with.  I'm not sure if I hate the change because it's bad or if I'm just reacting as a curmudgeonly old man would (because let's face it, I'm definitely a curmudgeonly old man).

My desire to avoid the quest sufficiently sated, I made my way south.  The route had been blocked by Sudowoodo previously.  Snorlax may be the ultimate in "blocked-route plot devices", but Sudowoodo is a worthy heir to this throne.  It's a tradition that goes all the way back to the first game: Snorlax blocking the bike path, Sudowoodo blocking the entrance to Ecruteak City.  Two pokemon that may have never met, and yet share a connection.  It really is quite a beautiful relationship and I'm totally shipping it and I think I've been doing quite enough rambling now.

I was also introduced to the new battle mode introduced in this generation.  Nintendo/Gamefreak, every once in a while, likes to change things up just a little and add a new mode of battle.  Typically this mode will be horrible and pointless and make you want to quit playing.  This time around is the Battle Royale.  This is a Four player free-for-all style battle that ends when any one player loses all of their pokemon.  The player with the most total KO's wins.

I love the concept!

I lost my first attempt...

Current Squad:

Brionne/Pako Pako/lvl 17
Crabrawler/Ppunches/lvl 18
Trumbeak/Pip Pip/lvl 18
Oricorio/Ori-Chan/lvl 20
Steenee/Bouncee/lvl19
Sylveon/Sly/lvl 18

On Rotation:
Grimer/Sludj/lvl 17
Misdreavus/Missy/lvl 18
Bagon/Twumby/lvl 18

Pokedex: 65 caught

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

Exploring *cough* Totally Not Versailles *cough*

I remember reading something in passing a few months ago about how Pokemon Y's "Kalos region" is based loosely on France in the same way that Pokemon White is based loosely on the Unites States (namely New York).  This is the kind of thing that you forget about until it starts to stick out, and then it becomes all you think about and it changes your perception of the game.


Just two weeks ago, I came back from a brief excursion to France to attend the wedding of one of my sweetheart's cousins (note apostrophe placement).  I say this because realizing that I am playing a game about a place that I have visited in real life must be up in the top ten most disorienting things I have ever done (of course, right behind staying up for an entire week and also behind eating 7 McDonald's double cheeseburgers).

So here is the "Parfume Palace", a nearly exact copy of the Castle Versailles if the Castle Versailles was made of cartoons.

-------------------------------
I was sent here to recover the PokeFlute to wake up a Snorlax who fell asleep on the road.  I guess this means that Pokemon X and Y are definitely going to stay true to established "Pokemon lore"

I have the strange feeling that Snorlax don't exist in the wild as animals.  Rather, they exist as features of the terrain in any given area.  Every road in the pokemon world most likely has some statistical likelihood that they will, at any given moment, grow a Snorlax out of the ground in order to become blocked.  Maybe the cement they use contains some weird mineral called "Snorlaxium" or something and here is where my digression really starts to fall apart.

After arriving at the Parfume Palace and exploring every room of the Parfume Palace and playing around in the hedge gardens of the Parfume Palace I realized that I hadn't done any actual pokemon battling in over a quarter of an hour.  Usually this is no big deal but I am of the opinion that if you're playing Pokemon and more than 20 minutes go by without fighting any pokemon then you're officially doing it wrong, so I left and started exploring the surrounding grasslands where I caught Sentret, Oddish, Kecleon, and Gulpin in order to remind myself that I was playing a game and not something that could be confused for a game like a dishwasher. 

Normally I would take-up Sentret immediately over Zigzagoon for my team (since it's another favorite of mine) but I am really only keeping Ziggy for the free items I get from his ability "Pick-Up" at the moment.

Current team:

FROAKIE/Froakles/lvl.15
BULBASAUR/Bulby/lvl.15
SCRAGGY/Scrappy/lvl.15
FLABEBE/Pixie/lvl.13
PIKACHU/PikaPi/lvl.16
DODUO/Birdface/lvl.15

On Rotation: Ralts, Pickup...erhm...Zigzagoon