Last time, I took a shortcut through a cave that was actually a shortcut, and also got a new pokedex despite that making no sense.
The 3D effect with the cliffs and all is gorgeous. Also, fun little jumping puzzle. It’s easy, but hopping is always nice. And there’s the town.
But, gotta head back and weed my berries. (When am I getting fly?)
Inkay
Opponents who stare at the flashing of the light-emitting spots on its body become dazed and lose their will to fight.
Zubat, finally. It’s surprisingly rare when the cave is supposed to be a zubat hangout. I get it in a luxury ball, too.
Even though it has no eyes, it can sense obstacles through ultrasonic waves it emits from its mouth.
Hey, neighbor! says a white box as I reach the town, but it’s Alt-me. This is Ambrette Town, he continues in his more usual blue. You just go through the aquarium to get to Cyllage City. But first, we should go to Fossil Lab and have them tell us about Fossils. Alt-me, I already have Pinkie for the “helpful reminder” thing. Get to the battling, dammit. Maybe we’ll learn something about those mysterious stones related to Mega Evolution.
A sign!
Ambrette Town
Where amber dust dances.
Someone trades a dive ball for a pokeball, and apparently this is one of those daily things.
To the fossil place! Is this the first time we’ve had access before we could get a fossil? There’s a bunch on the shelves, but I can’t seem to steal any. There’s even that dragonite skull from last time. There’s also lots of paper on the desks, shelves full of books, a bulletin board and a computer that’s on, but as usual, you can’t read any of it.
Welcome, future archaeologists!
Well, I know who’s in charge of dealing with the field trip kids!
You were drawn here by the mystique of Fossils no doubt!
I am going to strangle the next person who starts arguing with me about game capitalization, I really am.
I’m Calem, and this is Serena, Alt-me introduces. We’re researching Mega Evolution. Do you know anything about it?
You know, this plot really isn’t annoying, but let’s admit that it’s pretty dumb. If people actually knew about it, they’d already know about it. You can’t find out something unknown by just asking lots of people to explain it to you.
Oho! So you’re Professor Sycamore’s students! I’ve heard about you! Mega Evolution, you say… I’m sorry, but all I know is that it has something to do with mysterious stones. See, Professor Sycamore already gave us the exact stone necessary. He already knows. This is dumb. Still, since you’re students of the professor, you must know about Pokemon Fossils, correct? Less “students” and more “kids he roped into helping him”. So, you know, grad students. Thus no, Serena wasn’t told anything about them. BUT I KNOW! So I’ll say yes.
Wonderful! I expect no less from Professor Sycamore’s students! That’s right! Fossils are the legacy of prehistoric Pokemon! You should really go to the dig site and see the real thing first hand. Fossils for me?!
Is that so? says Alt-me, better keeping a lid on his greed. Well, if you don’t know anything about Mega Evolution…
Hold on! says another scientist. Pokemon that can be restored from Fossils just might have something to do with Mega Evolution. “I mean, we can’t rule it out, what with having no clue what does have to do with mega evolution. Just poke everything, it’s a video game, you’ll hit the right answer eventually.” The assistant in Glittering Cave right now might know something about that!
It probably isn’t, but it’d be nice if it was Bianca!
Well… As long as I’m here, I guess I’ll go see that assistant. Right, Alt-me, right, you’re totally not just getting some fossils.
In another building, someone wants to see a pokemon with a high speed stat. None of mine get close.
Onward! I get a rocky helmet and also apparently I’ll get to ride rhyhorn, and another person mentions Serena’s mom.
And there’s a rhyhorn! And it handles like a rhyhorn. I can see why rhyhorn races would involve a lot of skill now.
Whoa! The Sandile you stepped on attacked!
Well now I feel extra guilty. Still, need to fill the pokedex somehow… Goes right into the greatball.
It moves along below the sand’s surface, except for its nose and eyes. A dark membrane shields its eyes from the sun.
Hippopotas. How do you accidentally step on one of these?
It lives in arid places. Instead of perspiration, it expels grainy sand from its body.
Helioptile. Weird. But it’s a boy, so, later.
To Glittering Cave! Outside someone warns me that apparently caves are confusing and there’s a sign explaining escape ropes.
Ooh, very nice inside, and the perspective helps make it much more confusing. Also, having pokemon not just appear out of nowhere but lurk in dark spots is interesting.
Rhyhorn.
Strong, but not too bright, this Pokemon can shatter even a skyscraper with its charging Tackles.
Machop. Goes right into the pokeball.
It hefts a Graveler repeatedly to strengthen its entire body. It uses every type of martial arts.
So if there’s no graveler around…
Kangaskhan. Those live in caves now? Really difficult to catch. Finally I just get lucky with a critical capture thing.
It raises its offspring in its belly pouch. It lets the baby out to play only when it feels safe.
Okay, I’ve made it to a new area.
What’s this? says Flamehair Jr and comes over with some sinister music. Well, well. What do we have here? A nosy little Trainer has come poking around. Listen up! We’re the fashionable team whose very name makes people tremble in fear; Team Flare!
I don’t think that semicolon is right…
Team Flare’s goal is to make it so we’re the only ones who are happy! We don’t care one bit about what happens to other Trainers or Pokemon.
Disaffected asshole youth team!
Get out of here, kid. Don’t you know not to play with fire?
Don’t YOU know not to tell Serena what to do? She plays with fire all she wants. It’s on now.
Getting my fancy suit dirty isn’t the stylish way to do things, but if you insist… I’ll obliterate you! Get her, Houndour!
The houndour has one level on my pancham, but she still oneshots it. He also has a zubat, because enemy teams always have zubat. Now it’s my espurr’s turn for a oneshot. And that’s all. Trainers don’t seem to have many pokemon in this game.
What’s this? You’re a pretty tough Pokemon Trainer, for a kid. But what yourself! I’m not the only member of Team Flare. And hopefully the others are more badass.
There’s a crackable boulder, and smashing it releases a dwebble. I’m running out of pokeballs. Think I’m going to retreat and buy some.
Solrock! Right into the pokeball.
Solar energy is the source of its power,
so it is strong during the daytime.
When it spins, its body shines.
Lunatone! Very much not right into one, even after lowering its health it just uses up what I have.
Outside it’s raining.
Back at the pokecenter, a guy informs me that fossils are rare but there’s even rarer stones on route 10. A backpacker meanwhile says, Pokemon Fossils… What do you think they dream about? Which makes you wonder if the fossils are even fossils – they do produce more experienced pokemon than you’d expect.
Back to the cave. This time I’ll try the side passages.
Cubone!
It wears the skull of its dead mother on its head. When it becomes lonesome, it is sad to cry loudly.
Found a hard stone. Yay…? And shadow claw! Pancham can learn it, too.
Hey, the female grunt gets pants this time! YAY!
How the hell did an onix fit in that rock.
Burrows at high speed in search of food. The tunnels it leaves are used as homes by Diglett.
Okay, now I’ve run into two Team Flare members. And my failrival has appeared to “help” because I need that totally. AND THEN he asks if I’m ready, and therefore I can just say no, even though the other two who actually challenged me are still right there. Dammit, game, tutorial mode should be over.
Anyway, time for battle.
If you’re just trying to make yourselves happy, I won’t stop you. But when you threaten people, it’s like who do you think you are, anyway? That’s a pretty okay speech for a kid.
He’s got an espurr, L18. And it’s actually doing some decent support, throwing up a light screen. Reflect would’ve been more useful, admittedly. And a L20 frogadier.
Oh man! My favorite, fashionable Team Flare suit is filthy! These guys just aren’t that threatening…
if we can restore Fossils, we can make some good money! Ah, so you’re sort of like a whiny version of Team Rocket. Well, still a big step up from past teams, I’ll take it.
How about you, Alt-me? Anything to add?
I’m a Pokemon Trainer. Protecting Pokemon is what I do.
Uh, firstly, no, not really, secondly, what did that have to do with anything? I guess these guys might be theoretically trouble for pokemon, but they really seem more anti-human at the moment.
HOLY SHIT OLD AMBER FROM ROCK OMG OMG BEST FOSSIL POKEMON WILL BE MINE
Anyway, found the researcher, who isn’t Bianca on a trip. He’s got two fossils, I can have one, jaw or sail. As I am all about the murdering, jaw sounds better.
Actually…You get some flavor text.
It’s the Jaw Fossil. It looks like it could chew up anything…
It’s the Sail Fossil. It shines with all the colors of the rainbow…
That latter one is more Serena’s style, I think.
Alt-me says that with the team around he should train to get stronger, and reminds me that there’s a gym nearby. Yes, but we could also get stronger by fighting each other, remember? Is that ever going to happen?
I still don’t have a dwebble and I’m hoping for more fossils, so I’ll refresh the rocks and smash them all again.
And there’s dwebble!
It makes a hole in a suitable rock. If that rock breaks, the Pokemon remains agitated until it locates a replacement.
Another old amber!
MAWILE! And it’s a girl one.
I just really love her look, okay? I want to write fanfic just to have one feature. Actually slightly disappointed with this sprite, since she’s facing the wrong way.
Well, it takes three primer balls, but I get her.
It uses its docile-looking face to lull foes into complacency, then bites with its huge, relentless jaws.
And she’s now part fairy type! I still don’t see the point of fairy type, but maybe it does something good with her. Anyone? Is it an improvement or should I raise one in an earlier game instead?
Outside, the hiker now says, Ever wonder what it’s like for Pokemon that turn into Fossils? Do you think they dream in there? Scriptwriter, fossils are dead. Why are you so weird.
Also nice, looks like I can still make pokemon hold fossils, which is always good for trading.
[ Trainers don’t seem to have many pokemon in this game.]
They don’t, and it quickly becomes really infuriating.
The jaw fossil is better if you want something that is going to be a beast, but I love the design of the pokemon that comes from the other one so I went with that.
I was super-anti-fairy type when I found out about it, but I’m kind of liking it if only because it adds something new. Was it necessary? Not in the least. But it doesn’t hurt. I’m planning to raise a Sylveon to see how it handles.
Yeah, trainers only having a couple pokemon is infuriating. this game was way easier than past ones, and it was intended to be. Not over-leveling is nearly impossible unless you ignore half the features in the game.
There is no way this was easier than the fifth gen. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t a challenging game, but it’s an improvement, even if only by like 5%. God, Gen V sucked. VI has a lot of problems- dungeons are small, levelling curve is generous (though pretty much exactly the same as IV and V), no one has a full team– but it is hardly the debacle of the last games, IMO. Granted, my expectations were so low I could really only have been disappointed if the AI just forfeited at the start of each battle.
[and it was intended to be.]
What makes you say this?
Well, first off, my money in this is limitless. I bought multiple outfits, still could load up on obscene amounts of full heals and full restores before the Elite 4. Not that I needed it. I rocketed though the whole thing without touching a single heal item – from beginning to end.
Secondly, I expected with the ease of leveling that there would be a curve of difficulty. I left my exp share on, and I didn’t trade out pokemon that often. I get attached to mine. I turned off the share around the 5th gym when I noticed there was no increase. I was still overleveled until the end of the game.
This may have been, in part, thanks to the fact that I used Pokemon Amie. I enjoyed it, I liked playing with my pokemon, and this meant every pokemon I had got huge boosts in experience points, evasion, and critical hits. I basically one hit the entire E4. At least with the previous Gen overleveling was hard to do during the main game, because the curve of experience given lessened the higher your levels became.
It comes down to how I would create the games as a challenge for myself.
I think I had two pokemon faint throughout X, so I don’t think Nuzlocking it would create a challenge. The only thing I could possibly think of doing would be a no item, exp off, no Pokemon Amie Nuzlocke run.
Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed X way, WAY more than the previous games. I like most of the new pokemon designs, the plot is fun, the world is beautiful, the new features are fun and interesting, and I can wear pants as a female! But, when it comes to actual difficulty, I found this to be one of the easiest games I’ve ever played.
Hm, see, to me, the gameplay elements were really interesting and they compensated for the ease. I don’t really go into these games expecting any challenge anymore, and while “challenging” is definitely on the top of my “wants” list for these games, it’s not really my main draw. In general, I guess I found this game not challenging, but… interesting. I really appreciated the creativity that went into XY. And if a game is going to be easy, it should at least have the courtesy to be easy in an engaging way. I suppose the crux of my position is that VI did this while V (and, honestly, IV) didn’t.
However! I did play this game a bit differently then I usually do. I never turned on the Exp. Share because just the name game me horrible Gen I flashbacks of having to scroll through endless dialogue. I also usually play like you– getting attached to pokemon and keeping one team the whole time. I rotated much more this time, and because I assumed I’d be ahead of the curve, raised several pokemon from eggs instead of catching them at level 35 or whatever. My team doesn’t really quite feel “composed” yet, and I imagine I’ll shuffle it a bit more.
As a result, I think I’ll probably come out of the Elite 4 at around level 65. By comparison, I finished BW2 at 90. I think I would have finished much closer to my BW2 levels if I had finalized my team at the fourth or fifth gym like usual as opposed to… never. Started with fennekin really screwed me over, I hated that thing.
It’s after midnight and I’m rambling. Hopefully that had some kind of semblance of a point. Dx Sorry if I’m talking past you. Blame baseball.
Well, at least it’ll have a lot of room for a fanmod to the ROM.
Probably not so much. Since 3DS games are encrypted, so there will be no possibility of ROM mods until when/if somebody manages to break it. This is also why there aren’t already rips of e.g. all the new summary sprites for pokemon, information on pokemon/moves and so on is still scattered and contradictory relative to how fast people got onboard with the gen V games, etc.–it is no longer possible to rip data directly from the games. If there are special event pokemon in there (presumably), people actually have no way to find out about them until the actual event!
I have confidence in people managing it eventually. I mean to replay the previous games and also still haven’t played the modified BW, so I have plenty of time to wait.
“I still don’t see the point of fairy type, but maybe it does something good with her. Anyone? Is it an improvement or should I raise one in an earlier game instead?” Well, one of steel’s weaknesses is to fighting but fairy resists it so that gets rid of one of mawile’s cons. Also mawile’s steel type means it’s immune to one of fairy’s greatest fears – poison (I swear I whip out my fairy types and suddenly everyone knows poison jab). I think mawile’s worth a try since you’re interested.
It also has a really cool-looking mega-evolution.
Alright then!
I’ve heard that fairy types were introduced because dragon types were considered overpowered, so basically the same purpose as dark types.
I always thought the thing that was there to prevent dragon types from being overpowered was called ice beam.
It also served to prevent them from being useful at all in half the cases.
You know I don’t mind the fairy type at all but I kind of wish they had buffed the ice type instead or in addition to a new typing. Like, maybe make ice type resistant to dragon moves (not immune – I don’t think fairy types are op or anything but dragon moves not effecting them seems silly/excessive) and get rid of one of ice’s weaknesses (steel makes the least amount of sense to me). Given almost every ice dual type is weak to loads of stuff and fire/rock/fighting moves are pretty common, I don’t think it would’ve made them too tough. Though I admit I’m kind of fond of ice types and I might be kind of resentful that now my sylveon’s more practical then my beloved glaceon.
I heartily agree with this as a better solution.
Yeah, ice type’s always been rather lackluster compared to sticking the move on something else.
I feel steel makes sense in the same way rock and fighting does, but honestly those two are kind of dubious as well. And most ice types really don’t have the same solid aesthetic as rock types to justify them being more brittle. Maybe keep fighting (since fighting’s got the whole immunity issue already in its corner), ditch rock and steel weaknesses. And you’re right, resisting dragon would work fine with how nebulously the type’s defined…though come to think, fairy’s really just following in dragon’s own nonsensical footsteps.
At least you’re able to breed a second fossil pokemon of whichever you get and trade it for the other one right now in this game, so it’s not such a big deal. It does take an annoying amount of time to get Fly, I remember complaining about that a lot to myself.
Well, I’ve also got a ditto, eevee and all the starters, so no problem there with trade fodder.