Awakening and Evolution: Salazzle, Primarina

I actually felt bad while it was happening.  There I was—the privileged kid who recently moved to paradise with my fancy, expensive gift pokemon and all the money I had earned by vanquishing all my opponents in battle—campaigning through the slums that Team Skull calls home, smiting them one by one.

I bet it is always raining here.  I bet this rain is always here.

None could beat me, nobody even came close.  I made it to the “mansion” (remember that?) and found it to be in the same shape as the rest of the town: run down, leaking.

As I made my sad trek through Po Town, I feel as though I learned a lot about myself and about my own privileges.  In addition to this, Sassy Sally evolved.  It may very well be that Salandit only evolves once its trainer has been sufficiently existentially awakened.  However, I can't prove this one way or another and the simpler solution, that it evolves at level 34, is more likely the case.

Along the way, I was treated to even more examples of why Team Skull is my favorite gang ever.  I found one trainer who said that their goal was to collect all the Buginium-Z in the world so that Guzma would for sure be the strongest bug trainer in Alola.  Ultimately, I found an entire actual treasure chest of the z-crystals, so they must be pretty successful--at least by this metric (joke's on them, I stole a shard for myself).  I also found two girl gang members who were arguing about which Skull tank top was whose.  One of them suggested that they write their names on their own shirts.  The other responded by pointing out that that wouldn't matter because all of the Team Skull members' names are "Grunt".

I'll let that one sink in.

...

This is the best game.

At the top of the rundown mansion, constantly leaking due to the torrential rain of symbolism (Editor's note: who knew that weather has such a knowledge of poignancy!), I found Guzma again.  I had come here to save some kid's Yungoos.  Yungoos would be the prize in our battle.

It was an easier match than last time--I was able to take out Ariados with Salazzle's Z-Inferno Overdrive and the behemoth Golisopod with Pako Pako.  After the battle, Pako Pako finally evolved into Primarina.  At this point, I was just showing off.
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Salazzle is a well-designed pokemon that I had seen already, but Primarina was new to me.  Honestly, I think this is the perfect final evolution of this pokemon!  It is a Water/Fairy pokemon (a great offensive typing given its bulk and its Special attacking prowess) and its design screams "Mermaid".  I would have preferred a female (I already have one trans pokemon on my team in Sailor Star Fighter), but who can complain?!

Its schtick is that it is a singer and it attacks with its voice.  This is immediately apparent in its special Z-move, Z-Oceanic Operetta, a sound-based water type special move which deals massive damage.

Z-Oceanic Operetta

If I had to rank my favorite water starters, Primarina would land at third out of the seven: after Feraligatr and Greninja and above Empoleon, Swampert, Blastoise, and (bleh) Samurott (bleh).
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With Sassy Sally and Pako Pako at their maximum strength, I made my way back to Accerola, Hau, and Lillie.  What I found would shock me.

(Gotta mine those clicks where I can, yo)

Current Squad:
Primarina/Pako Pako/lvl 34
Electabuzz/Buzz/lvl 35
Salazzle/Sassy Sally/lvl 34
Oricorio/Ori-chan/lvl 33
Tsareena/Bouncee/lvl 34
Sylveon/Star Fighter/lvl 34

On Rotation:
Mareanie/Meanie/lvl 32
Trumbeak/Pip Pip/lvl 34

Pokedex: 180 caught

Choosing Pako Pako

Let me just say that this game has a LOT of cutscenes.  Professor Kukui met with me in my home and helped escort me to the next town over, Iki Town, to meet the Kahuna of the island Melemele there to get my first pokemon.  Whew, so many names of things!  Apparently, Kahuna are particularly strong trainers on each island, chosen by that island's totem guardian.  The totem of Melemele is apparently Electric Space Warrior Kamen Rider.

Naturally, the kahuna is suffering from "princess is in another castle syndrome" and I have to go off looking for him.  I stumbled across the "office supplies bandit" almost immediately, further proving my point that the introductory scene at Abstergo Industries was pointless.  Her pokemon is apparently purple puffball.

Purple puffball (probably a fairy type) is immediately attacked by a flock of spearows (and it's always spearow...the dicks...) and my character of course rushes to protect it.  I mean, that's kind of just what August does.  Anyways, bad goes to worse and I am eventually saved by the Electric Space Warrior Kamen Rider "Tapu Koko".  My total playtime right now is 30 minutes and it has all been cutscenes...

The Office Supplies Bandit is then revealed to be Professor Kukui's assistant Lillie and th Kahuna shows up because the plot called for it.

The pokemon choosing ceremony that followed was actually quite sweet.  You start the way one always does--by choosing the water type.  But after this, it involved your choice deciding whether or not to come to you.  The animators do a good job of showing the pokemon's initial indecision and eventual warm acceptance.  I used to volunteer at dog shelters and it's the same sort of look that the dogs would have when introduced to prospective new owners and it honestly made me tear up a little (I need a dog really badly).

I named my little Popplio "Pako Pako".  I can't believe I so quickly went from "grump" to "fangirl".

Current Squad:

Popplio/Pako Pako/lvl 5