PokéJournal: Update 017

-I'm baaaaaaaaaaaack! 

-Here I am, once again, training on the Ice Path. At the same time I’m going around using the Dowsing Machine to see if I’ve left any items behind. I don’t find anything using the machine but I find a Heart Scale after smashing a rock. That’s a good find.

-I’m really just looking to train my team. I know I have to go see the Kimono Girls but I’d rather wait and toughen up my team. I get tired of training in the Ice Path so I head down Route 45. I encounter a couple rock types so I switch out Quilava with Heracross for my lead Pokémon. I keep on battling and find a Full Heal.

-I was fighting a Gligar and it used Knock Off on Heracross and she lost dropped her Amulet Coin. It gave me a mini heart attack. Wouldn’t it be the worst if you could actually lose items, important held items, to wild Pokémon?

-There’s an old saying among Pokémon trainers that states: “If your Pokémon don’t run out of PP while training, you’re doing something wrong.” Guys, I’m doing it right. The only reason I’m flying back to Blackthorn City is to heal up Heracross’ PP. If this little game had better graphics we’d see dozens of Gravelers and Geodudes fainted in the tall grass. I swear it’s better than the smell of napalm in the morning.

-Finally, I got a call from a trainer I’ve battled before. He’s on Route 34. Gotta earn all the Experience Points! The fastest way to ending a battle quickly is to have Pokémon of a higher level than you opponent (check) and using type advantages to score big hit points (check). Can someone please explain to me how Dugtrio manages to use Sucker Punch? He doesn’t have fists. Maybe he punches with his tongue? Or is that his nose? Who cares, Ice Fang!! The Youngster Ian gave me a Leppa Berry after the battle was over. Does that mean we’re friends now? He’s the good kind of friend. He lets you battle his Pokémon as a training exercise and he gives you prize money when you win. Call me again soon!

*I stopped playing for about a year after this battle. You can tell because the commentary below sounds like I’m a little lost and I don’t seem to know what to do in the game at that point besides running around looking for items and battling wild Pokémon. I’m also too stupid to think of reading my previous PokéJournal to help me remember where I am in the game’s storyline.*

-Heracross is a beast. I love her so much. She’s just a powerhouse of a Pokémon. Another thing I love is finding items with the Drowsing Machine. One free Super Potion for me!

-Sweet! A couple battles later I find a Rare Candy thanks to the Dowsing Machine! Aw yiss.

-Quilava evolved into Typhlosion! This is a great gaming session. So many good things are happening right now.

-I'm outside Goldenrod and the Pokémon are pretty weak here. They're about eight to ten levels stronger in the water but even they only got up to level 20. I get Skarmory to fly to Mahogany town to get some better training done. I travel up to route 43 for some stronger Pokémon to battle.

-The first Pokémon I meet is a level 16 Mareep. No much of a jump on levels. Shit where can I find strong Pokémon? I haven't played this on so looong!

-I decided to keep going on and use Dowsing Machine in the hope of finding items. A Venonat attacks me and since I don’t have one yet I switch out Heracross for Sandslash who is the weakest in my party. He gets poisoned immediately :(

-I use cut and Venonat faints in one hit. Double sad face.

-I walk around somewhat distracted by the blurred vision of Sandslash's poisoning but I decide to keep going. Another Venonat attacks! Again, I send out Sandslash. I try a different move but Venonat faints after one use of Headbutt.

-Sweet, a Noctowl. No messing around this time. I'm going to use Ampharos and paralyze the female Noctowl. To my great amusement Noctowl uses Peck and paralyzes herself because of Ampharos' battle ability, Static. I'm worried I'll defeat Noctowl in a single shot so I throw a Dusk Ball without attacking. It works because of the paralysis. Pokédex update!

-I just found another Rare Candy near the Lake of Rage. Awesome! I also see another item on the edge of the lake so I'll go for a swim and get it. I hope I don't get bombarded by a bunch of Magikarp but I most likely will.

-And right on cue: the Magikarps! Oh my god. All the experience points, it's amazing.

-Good news everybody. Sandslash survived the poisoning! Hurray! She lives to be useless another day. I won't let her battle though because I'm worried the Magikarp will kick her ass. She's so weak and I just can't stop myself from worrying about her.(I’m pretty sure Sandslash is a girl but my game is turned right now and I can’t check.)

-I pick up one of the items around the lake. It's a Full Heal. Oh the irony, eh Sandslash? Sorry bud, I know that was mean.

-Here's a lesson in battling for all of you trainers out there. Don't bother using Counter after Magikarp used Splash. It's a waste of PP as it's more than ineffective.

-Apparently I've never gone all the way around the Lake of rage since I just met a trainer I haven't fought before. Gimme all your money and experience points!! I beat the trainer and move on.

-Great. It's a maze of trees. You know what that means. I'm going to get lost but I might find hidden items with the dowsing machine. Fingers crossed I find something good!

-Sandslash, make yourself useful and cut down some little trees.

*Again, I stopped playing and came back the next day.*

-I continue through the little trees and find a couple more items. I talked to a guy in the forest and he announced to me that he’s one of the Day-of-the-week Siblings. He’s the dude for Wednesday. Crap. Had I known that I would have kept playing yesterday. I’ll have to make sure to come back next week. Guess I’ll have to do something else now. Luckily, I remember what I was supposed to do after the last time I played so I head on over to Blackthorn City where I have unfinished business.

-You know what, before I do that I’m going to go find the Day-of-the-week Sibling for Thursday: Arthur on Route 36. I talk to a bunch of idiots before I get to him but once I do Arthur he gives me a Hard Stone. It raises the Strength of Rock Type moves. Sweet.

-I’m back in Blackthorn City and I go to the Dragon’s Den. The Den has no items in it and all the trainers have already battled with me. I’ve been here before! Aw crap. I’m not sure if I went passed the whirlpool so I go in the PC at the Poké Center and I find a Kingler with whirlpool so I go back to the Den.

-I meet up with the Master and he wants to give me a Dratini but my party is full. Come on! I’m getting tired of all the Magikarp in the water. I quickly go back to the Poké Center and drop off a Pokémon. I get the Dratini from the Master and he’s identical to the one I caught earlier except this one has Extreme Speed. Had I known I was going to get a Dratini for free I wouldn’t have spent so much time getting the one I caught a couple gaming session ago.

-It’s kind of annoying that since I haven’t played this game in a year I forgot where I was and what I was doing. I decide to reread the last few PokéJournals and I begin retracing my steps. Now I know what to do. So I’m off to Ecruteak City to meet with the Kimono Girls. When I get there Craphat is barging out the place. That’s a great sign because it means I’m where I should be. I’m back on track!

-Naturally they challenge me to a fight. The first Kimono Girl sends out Umbreon. I have Heracross and she is immediately confused. The dark attacks are weak against Heracross but Umbreon uses Last Resort and Heracross faints. Crap. I send out Feraligatr. Two hits of Ice Fang later and Umbreon faints.

-The second Kimono girl sends out Espeon. Feraligatr is now the head of my party. I use Crunch, a dark attack, because it’s super effective. Espeon goes down in one hit before it got a turn to attack. Typhlosion levels up to 37.

-Flareon is the next opponent. It’s another one-hit defeat thanks to Feraligatr’s Surf attack. It’s a shame that Heracross fainted because she’s missing out on some good experience.

-The fourth Kimono Girl sends out Jolteon so I switch out Feraligatr for Skarmory. Before I realise that Skarmory is a flying type he gets a hit of Thunderbolt which takes out two thirds of his HP. Oops. Come on Sandslash, swap out and prove your worth! At level 34 he’s four levels lower than Jolteon but he’s got type advantage so I’m confident she can win this fight. A few hits of Rock Smash do the trick and Sandslash is the winner! She doesn’t even get all that many experience points since three Pokémon where in this battle and Typhlosion is holding experience share. Poor Sandslash always gets the short end of the stick.

-One more Kimono girl to go and her Pokémon is, you guessed it, Vaporeon. It’s your turn Ampharos. Vaporeon is surprisingly fast and two back-to-back hits of Surf almost wipe out Ampharos. Luckily, with type advantage on his side one hit of Discharge is enough to defeat Vaporeon. Ampharos levels up just to rub in the victory.

-For being a great Pokémon trainer the Kimono Girls give me Clear Bell then the whole place shakes and a little girl comes screaming that there is a big Pokémon that just flew overhead. Before I can run out after them my mom calls to say she bought some items. I go to the Poké Center to heal my party and then I go to the Poké Mart to pick up the gift from my mom. I get a Muscle Band from her.

-It was kind of annoying playing after so long because I got complete lost in where I was at in the story mode. Thankfully I’ve found my way again, got some decent battles in and trained my Pokémon. It wasn’t terrible but you can easily tell that I’m out of practice. Rookie moves like I did in the Kimono Girls battles were kind of pathetic. I’ll get back into though because you never completely lose you Pokémon skills. See ya next time.

Pokémon caught: Noctowl.

Pokémon traded: None.

Gym Leader defeated: None. But I did defeat the Kimono Girls and you can’t heal in between so that’s a noteworthy battle.

Fights with Craphat (Rival): None.

Evolutions: Quilava into Typhlosion.

Pokémon in party: Heracross, Feraligatr, Ampharos, Skarmory, Typhlosion, and Sandslash.

Highest level in party: Skarmory at level 53.

Lowest level in party: Sandslash at level 34.

Pokédex: 105.

Time played:  45:49.