Right then, back to the ruins populated by punks.

Electrode continue to self-destruct in my face. Are these another puzzle catch? I think the solution is a pokemon with imprison+selfdestruct. For now I’m just going to chuck ultraballs.

The area itself is kind of weird – there’s these knocked over bookshelves full of books – not that you can investigate them, naturally – and a much more modern looking trash bin. How old is this place?

But no one seems interested in those things. Instead, I’m ushered to “the boss” of the punks who’s some older businessman and gives me another skate trick. And that seems to be it.

Pawniard.

Blades comprise this Pokemon’s entire body. If battling dulls the blades, it sharpens them on stones by the river.

The recycling of entries for last generation is really the most annoying. Pidgey? I still think it’s lazy, but there’s a pretty good number of entries for them already. Pawniard doesn’t have that.

Also, one of the bins is moving and investigating it, something unknown runs off and leaves a max elixer. So for once, the trash wasn’t just empty.

Litwick! …just suicided.

Hey, pumpkaboo! And it’s a girl. It looks cute. And apparently it’s ghost/grass. That…wait, that seems entirely sensical. How strange.

The pumpkin body is inhabited by a spirit
trapped in this world. As the sun sets,
it becomes restless and active.

Litwick again.

While shining a light and pretending to be a guide, it leeches off the life force of any who follow it.

Binacle’s finally evolving! Into holy shit what is that. Barbaracle, apparently.

When they evolve, two Binacle multiply into seven. They fight with the power of seven Binacle.

Okay, just found a “protector” which the game informs me is “loved by a certain Pokemon” because god forbid item descriptions be useful. I guess you just have to stick it on a pokemon, trade it, and then try again until it works.

Phantump.

These Pokemon are created when
spirits possess rotten tree stumps.
They prefer to live in abandoned forests.

Not sure why we needed two ghost/grasses that possess things. Looking at their movesets, it seems pumpkaboo get offensive moves and phantump support moves. Well, I’ll try using the both, but generally support moves are a miserable slog for the actual game.

Further down, there’s this out of the way area blocked off by thorntrees, but all it has in its favor is there’s an opening in the fence to fish, no items or anything. And only two pokemon appear, both of which I’ve caught already. Maybe I’m going to get another rod soon?

And yes, there’s some shack where I’m handed a super rod. And then, the other guy explains he’ll give me diveballs if I manage to catch a bunch of pokemon in a row, and that pokemon are more common in hemmed-in bodies of water, like the spot I was just fishing at. When I outdo his record, he adds that also, sometimes rare pokemon appear if you fish longer.

My first assumption was literally different pokemon appear, but googling tells me that actually it means shiny pokemon are marginally more common. I don’t think I’ll be doing that grindfest, just fishing long enough to get the diveballs was boring.

Onward to the next city. Now it’s snowing! (Weirdly, though, the trees and general plantlife are back to green.)

Why hello, Serena! says an anonymous dialogue box. It’s sleevy professor who doesn’t realize the other guy is planning a holocaust.

And one of the pair, I think Trousers, who says, How have you been? Oh, you know, saving plants, leveling pokemon.


How’s your journey going? adds the professor, but I feel my previous answer covered it. You see, when I was younger, I visited many different regions as well. Uh…but I’m not going to be able to do that, am I? I met many kinds of Pokemon and noticed how each place has its own distinct flavors. So, I really came to enjoy trying new foods as I traveled. Because of my adventures, I’m an expert on the cafes all over Kalos.

Um… Professor… Took the words out of my mouth, Trousers.

Come now, Dexio. I’m going somewhere with this. Do you remember the Pokemon Lysandre mentioned in that cafe?

Uh…yeah, I guess he did say something about pokemon between his plan to murder me and everyone else.

Wonderful! I knew you would! Kalos’s Legendary Pokemon is called… Xerneas!

I guess the delay was because he had to check the lists of pokemon that we’ve been catching and determine which version of reality we’re living in.

According to material I’ve read, those who saw it were so overwhelmed by its power, they were only able to say that this Pokemon resembled the letter X. Apparently, this Pokemon can control energy. It gives life energy to plants and Pokemon and makes them full of vitality again.

Trousers obligingly chimes in, Wherever do you think a Pokemon that amazing could be now?

Prof: When Kalos’s Legendary Pokemon loses all of its vitality, it goes to sleep in a secret place. I don’t have a clue where it could be.

Then what good are you to me?

The writings that mention it are also around a thousand years old, so they aren’t much help.

Trousers: It would be absolutely astounding if you found it, Serena. Maybe I’ll look into the legend a little bit. If I find something, I’ll let you know!

Prof: Ah ha ha! Oh, it would be a thrill if you found it, indeed! But your journey is yours and your Pokemon’s alone.

Yeah wouldn’t want there to be anything important I actually needed to do. No, just “yeah I guess you could if you felt like it sometime that’d be cool maybe”, that’s so much more inspiring!

I want you to enjoy yourself and do whatever you’d like!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG

And he’s gone.

Then Green appears. Um… Is the Professor gone already? I was hoping to have him have a look at my Pokedex in person.

Right over there, get moving.

Oh well, I can still get my Pokedex evaluated at a Pokemon Center’s PC…

I SAID GET MOVING

Anyway, I’m heading off to go look for Pokemon in the Frost Cavern and fill up more of my Pokedex.

So he just stands there. Eh, probably better off, talking to the professor either way will just be a lot of “Well, do you think you did a good job? Then I guess this is good.”

I think Serena will follow his example and I’ll pick this up tomorrow.