Let's Play Pokemon Emerald! (LP #7)

I'm pretty sure there's a fix for this, but there's not much this actually affects that I care about. If anything not having clock-based events work would be beneficial for me due to how it fixes Feebas to a certain spot.

I should mention that since this is the real Emerald and not a rom hack, I'd normally be hosed when it comes to getting trade evolutions... if it weren't for this wonderful universal Pokemon randomizer that gives you the option to only change impossible evolutions and nothing else.

Cheers for that, by the way.



[Current OST: Opening Selection]

I love Hoenn's trumpets as much as Sinnoh's jazz, so hell yeah.


: "Welcome to the world of Pokemon! My name is Birch. But everyone calls me the Pokemon Professor."

There's a lot of Pokemon Professors, let's be real. You can't all be "the". The professor of a region, maybe, but not the definitive.

[He releases a Grimer from a Pokeball]



"This world is widely inhabited by creatures known as Pokemon. We humans live alongside Pokemon, at times as friendly playmates, and at times as cooperative workmates. And sometimes we band together and battle others like us. But despite our closeness, we don't know everything about Pokemon. In fact, there are many, many secrets surrounding Pokemon."

([s]I find it unfortunate that he releases Grimer instead of Lotad or something, because that's actually not what I think about the game for once.[/s])

I do like opening intros like this, because they perfectly explain what Pokemon... well, is. This would make as much sense to a newcomer as it would to an expert, which is good because not everyone follows the different generations of Pokemon games.

(I started with Red and went straight to Sapphire, so.)

: "To unravel Pokemon mysteries, I've been undertaking research. That's what I do. And you are?"



Alright... I tend to cycle through male and female depending on which games I've played (unless it's a direct continuation, but that's rare). The last Pokemon game I played was as a dude, so today we're going with the female choice.



Her name will be Aurora because it's a pretty name.

(It's also a name I gave to my Alolan Ninetales, but there's absolutely no chance of me playing anything past Gen 5, let alone Gen 6, so I might as well not worry about it.)



"You're Aurora who's moving to my hometown of Littleroot. I get it now! All right, are you ready?"

Wouldn't be ready if I didn't start this LP, prof. Hit me with your best shot.

: "Your very own adventure is about to unfold."



"- where dreams, adventure and friendships await! Well, I'll be expecting you later. Come see me in my Pokemon Lab."

Friendships indeed, because I have a hell of a plan regarding what I'll be doing and who I'll get.

It's not super strict, mind, because I do have some wiggle room for what my team is going to wind up being.

Let's just say I have some shenanigans up my sleeve.



Something something about the shrinking animation, but nothing's coming to me. I guess I just came up short.

... A bit of my soul broke off just from saying that.

[SFX: The sound of a moving truck]



[Boxes shuffle as the truck moves, followed by it coming to a halt. The young girl stops clinging onto them and lets out a sigh of relief]

: "I just had to go in the back... that wasn't anywhere near as fun as I thought it was gonna be."



: "Come on, jello knees... work!"

Side note, I do like how we start off riding in the back of a moving truck. When the door opens up, you know you're in for the long haul.

[Aurora jumps off the truck and lands on grass]



[Current OST: Littleroot Town]

Mom: "It must be tiring riding with our things in the moving truck."

: "Sure was. It was scarier than I thought if I have to be honest with you."

Mom: "Well, this is Littleroot Town. How do you like it? This is our new home! It has a quaint feel, but it seems to be an easy place to live, don't you think? And, you get your own room, Aurora! Let's go inside."

: "Yeah, I'm really digging it already. It's so different from where we lived, though..."

The Littleroot Town theme is pretty soothing and a good song for the beginning town - it's one of the more memorable ones to me, just sayin'.

... Not much of a town if there's only three buildings though, huh?



"The mover's Pokemon do all the work of moving us in and cleaning up after. This is so convenient!"

: "Y-yeah. They're kinda tough-looking, though..."

Mom: "Aurora, your room is upstairs. Go check it out, dear! Dad brought you a new clock to mark our move here. Don't forget to set it!"

: "I won't, mom!"

... Wait. Where does mom sleep? Does she not have her own room or something? Pokemon house designs have never made sense to me, but oh well.



: "H-hi, big guy. Don't mind me."

I like seeing Pokemon used for different utilities than just beating the crap out of each other, so this is real neat. That said, is the practice of using Pokemon as mover-men a common thing? Were they trained for this kind of thing?



It was 11:47 PM by the time I took this screenshot, so at least we have the time of when I first played out this chapter.

... Yeah, I'm kind of a night owl. What is this thing people call a "healthy sleep schedule?"



: "It's pretty nice, mom."

"Good! Everything's put away neatly! They finished moving everything downstairs too. Pokemon movers are so convenient! Oh, you should make sure that everything's all there on your desk."

Something about that new house smell always gets me in a hopeful mood.

... I have to be real though, covering Emerald after the likes of Snakewood gives me some serious deja-vu vibes because they both take place in Hoenn. Not only that, it was LP#1 while this one is like... #8 or something.

I've advanced so much in terms of my LPing and commentary style since 2015 that just thinking about it is surreal to me. I didn't even have portraits or a team set-up when I started out, for corn's sake!



: "Let's see... there's the two adventure rules and all of the tips dad taught me in case I ever became a full-fledged trainer. Ugh, I hate that I still can't decide what my first Pokemon should be..."

I've decided to go in a different path with Aurora by having her start out shy and unsure of herself, as opposed to just making her a primo badass right from the start.

You know, now that I'm not distracted by game design that threatens to consume my soul.



: "I better take this potion along in case something happens..."

Something I appreciate is that every(?) Pokemon game gives you a free Potion if you're willing to check your PC at the start, just so you can have an advantage against the first few battles you get yourself into.



: "... Yeah, this is definitely the same weird Johto soap opera she loves to watch. I just don't get it."



: "Huh? What's up?"

[Aurora walks over to the TV]


[Current OST: Encounter! Reporter]

Mom: "Look! It's Petalburg Gym! Maybe Dad will be on!"

: "Oh snap, really?"

Interviewer: "... We brought you this report from in front of Petalburg Gym."

[The TV stops flashing]

I always found it interesting whenever the TV started flashing in some random house, cause that at least meant a new line of dialogue or something. Clock events not working kind of puts a hamper on that, but oh well.



"I think Dad was on, but we missed him. Too bad."

I find it interesting that this is one of the only Pokemon games that not only hints that you even have a dad, but that they're also an actual character and a gym leader to boot.

It's something you don't see very often.

Mom: "Oh, yes. One of your dad's friends lives in town. Prof. Birch is his name. He lives right next door, so you should go and introduce yourself."

: "Alright, I'll do just that. See you later, mom!"



: "I just wanted to say hi to my new neighbor. How's it going?"

Birch's Wife: "Oh, you're Aurora, our new next-door neighbor! Hi! We have a son about the same age as you. Our son was excited about making a new friend. Our son is upstairs, I think."

... You know, in hindsight, Birch has an unfortunate name just for how easy it is to replace that one letter.

Damn, his namesake is cool-looking though.



... A Pokeball? Aww snap, here we go boys.

: "Huh? I thought they said he was he-- oooh, a Pokeball! I wonder what's..."



Aw crap, we got found out!





[Current OST: Brendan's Theme]

"Who are you?"

: "W-wah! Sorry, I didn't know this was yours. I'm your new neighbor and your mom said it was okay to come up and..."

: "Oh, you're Aurora, aren't you? Moved in next door, right? I didn't know that you're a girl. Dad, Prof. Birch, said that our next-door neighbor is a Gym Leader's kid, so I assumed you'd be a guy."

[Aurora squints her eyes at him]

: "... Interesting assumption to make."

: "My name's Brendan. So, hi, neighbor! Huh? Hey, Aurora, don't you have a Pokemon? Do you want me to catch you one?"

: "Alright, stop just for one second. I've been preparing to get a Pokemon myself for a long time, so no thank you, please."

Brendan is... pretty crude at the beginning of the game. I don't think he does it on purpose, he's just oblivious.

: "Aw, darn, I forgot... I'm supposed to go help my dad catch some wild Pokemon. Some other time, okay?"

[Brendan walks over to his PC]

: ("... Whoof, dodged a bullet there. He seems nice, but he's also a total blockhead.")



"Better leave it right where it is."

It is his, after all. It's not like the scenario in Snakewood where the Pokeballs didn't belong to anybody (alive anyway) and you were in the middle of a zombie apocalypse.

... That should be the last Snakewood comparison I make because even just talking about it is giving my tongue a rash.



"There are scary Pokemon outside! I can hear their cries! I want to see what's going on, but I don't have any Pokemon... Can you see what's going on for me?"

: [gulps] "Oh boy. S... sure. I'm not scared or anything, you just wait here."

What an absolute unit Aurora is for going into the grass without any Pokemon.



[Current OST: Help!]

[Aurora springs forward and sees Professor Birch chased around by a Zigzagoon]

: "What the...?!"



"In my bag! There's a Pokeball!"

: "Oh... oh man... what do I do? I'm not good with stressful situations like this!"

[Aurora runs over and scrambles through the bag, with three Pokeballs falling out]

I love how the good professor gets threatened by a Zigzagoon of all things and we have to save him... like wow, dude, you've been doing this for how long?

This is our time to shine, though.



Awww snap.

The Hoenn starters are a hard sell for me because I like all three of them - I can't just choose one! But, if I had to, I'd pick...



#258 - 260: Swampert Family
Type: (Mudkip) / / (Everything after)
Ability: Torrent
Appearances:

• Mudkip
  
• Marshtomp (Level 16)
  
• Swampert (Level 36)
  

Stats of final evolution: 530 (100, 110, 90, 85, 90, 60)
Additional forms?: N/A

You bet your ass I like Mudkips! Too bad he can't turn into a Swole Boy with Anchor Arms due to the lack of Mega Evolution, but I think I'll live.

(My other choice was Torchic because of course, but I held off because I've always played Torchic before and wanted something new.)



[Current OST: Wild Battle Theme]

One of my favorite variations of the normal battle theme. I can't quite pin down why I like it so much other than it being really energetic.

#263 - 264: Linoone Family
Type:
Ability: Pickup
Appearances:

• Zigzagoon
  
• Linoone (Level 20)
  

Stats of final evolution: 420 (78, 70, 61, 50, 61, 100)
Additional forms?: N/A

(Man it's good to have a retrospective series that you can shamelessly copy from for stuff like this. You can read up on what I think of each Pokemon, if you like. The entries for the Let's Play are edited to only include Gen 3 stuff, so nothing from the prior games will be counted, like Mega Evolutions.)

... That's right, Gen 3 was the first one to introduce Abilities, a game-changing element that added a whole new layer of personality and utility to each Pokemon.

A level 2 Zigzagoon should not give you any trouble, though... unless we go by the horror stories of people encountering this same Zigzagoon as a shiny.

That really is like, my nightmare scenario; running into a shiny Pokemon without any Pokeballs.



: "A-ah! Attack!! Do something!"

: ("Certainly!")

Sure, they'll growl at you, but that does emotional damage at best (And lowers your attack by one stage).

Us on the other hand?



[Current OST: Victory! Wild Pokemon]

: "Did... did we really do it? I can't tell."

We can smack 'em down.



[Current OST: Route 101]

"I was in the tall grass studying wild Pokemon when I was jumped. You saved me. Thanks a lot! Oh? Hi, you're Aurora! This is not the place to chat, so come by my Pokemon Lab later, okay?"

I still find it pretty silly that the professor couldn't handle a level 2 raccoon despite this being, well, his job. Like cut me some slack.

Nice first route theme, though. It's pretty chill.



[Current OST: Professor Birch's Lab]

"I've heard so much about you from your father. I've heard you don't have your own Pokemon yet. But the way you battled earlier, you pulled it off with aplomb! I guess you have some of your father's blood in your veins after all!"

: [Blushes] "Awww shucks, it was nothing... you were in danger, so I just went on autopilot."

Birch is the only person I've ever heard say aplomb, so that's a new one for me.

: "Oh, yes. As thanks for rescuing me, I'd like you to have the Pokemon you used earlier."

: "Hhuh!?"



: "Ooooh! Thanks, Professor!"

: ("Hello there! I like your style, miss.")

Sick. Birch gives you the option to nickname the Mon, so...



Alexander it is! I'm pretty sure I had a long, detailed reason for why that name in particular, but I kind of forgot what it was.

: ("Certainly one of the better names I've been given in my time with the professor. Can't wait to start fighting alongside you, Aurora!")

: "I... I can't believe it. I finally got my first Pokemon!" [Squees and hugs Alexander tight]



"I think you'll make an extremely good trainer. My kid, Brendan, is also studying Pokemon while helping me out. Aurora, don't you think it's a good time to see Brendan?"

: "Errr... alright, I guess!"

: "Great! Brendan should be happy too. Get Brendan to teach you what it means to be a trainer."

: "... Do you have to phrase it like that? Doesn't... exactly inspire confidence."

Standard opening, but that's fine. Forgive me if I don't have much to say as a commentator, but it'll take a bit for the good stuff to happen anyway.



"There's a Pokemon Center in Oldale Town right close by."

: "Thanks for the info!"

Aurora has never actually used their services, so she just knows that they exist. We as players know what they do, so I figured "why not make the tutorial stuff in-character for her."



[Current OST: Oldale Town]

Oldale is another good one because just listening to it is relaxing. I'll save my thoughts for the songs that really impress me, so for now I'll just say it matches the town it's attached to. (Aka. small and cozy)



[Current OST: Come Along]

"Can I get you to come with me?"

: "Um... alright."

[The shop clerk drags her along]



"We sell a variety of goods including Poke Balls for catching Pokemon. Here, I'd like you to have this as a promotional item."



Not a fan of the sequence because everyone knows what a Pokemart does, but thanks for the free potion anyway. Let's just hope we don't have to actually use it.

: "A... ah. I appreciate it. Now if you'll excuse me."

[Aurora awkwardly slides away from the Mart owner and avoids eye contact]



#261 - 262: Mightyena Family
Type:
Ability: Intimidate
Appearances:

• Poochyena
  
• Mightyena (Level 18)
  

Stats of final evolution: 420 (70, 90, 70, 60, 60, 70)
Additional forms?: N/A

Poochyena and its evolution may look cool with a neat ability (Intimidate halving the attack of every Pokemon it switches into), but aren't too good as a long-term investment due to other better Dark types out there.

Also, I didn't understand it was meant to be a hyena and not a wolf until just recently, so you got me. Now, if they were shiny then maybe I'd be singing a different tune, but as it is? Nah.



... I think what's meant to be happening is the Poochyena fainting and Alexander leveling up, but I just wound up screen-capping dead air. Oops.



[Brendan notices us and turns around]

: "Hey, it's Aurora! ... Oh yeah, Dad gave you a Pokemon. Since we're here, how about a little battle?"

: ("Oh man... my first real trainer battle...!") [heart drops]

: "I'll teach you what being a trainer's about!"



[Current OST: Rival Battle]

The rival battle them is... alright. I don't find it particularly impressive, just that it does its job.

Also, I didn't know the hat Brendan's wearing is supposed to be... well, a hat and not white hair. I've always thought it was cool until I realized he had normal brown hair underneath, so boo.



#252 - 254: Sceptile Family
Type:
Ability: Overgrow
Appearances:

• Treecko
  
• Grovyle (Level 16)
  
• Sceptile (Level 36)
  

Stats of final evolution: 530 (70, 85, 65, 105, 85, 120)
Additional forms?: N/A

While the last choice I would have picked, the Sceptile family is definitely no slouch with that nice speed and special attack stat. Leaf Blade from this guy hurts, especially since this was before the Physical-Special split. Grass counts as special, so things were pretty good for Sceptile... until Gen 4 came along and made Leaf Blade a physical move. (Ouch.)

I meant what I said when I liked all members of the Hoenn trio.



Battle-wise, Brendan shouldn't be too tough as long as you have potions and don't get your defense lowered too much.

... It helps that there's wild Pokemon in the grass around him so you could practice to your heart's content before actually fighting him, making the rival battle thing even easier.



: ("Ggh! They're a bit tougher than I expected...")

: "Alexander looks pretty beat... I should use a potion just to be on the safe side."

Don't underestimate Treecko's speed though, cause with enough leers you will be very squishy. I always liked how the rival picks the perfect counter to your starter just to make it extra challenging.

However, by the time they become really dangerous you could find a good counter yourself, so...



: ("Ha-ha! Take that! No dirty trick you have will slow me down.")

This was after the potion, so whoof.



Alexander even learns Mud-Slap! Sure, it's not that impressive, but at least we get a different attack than friggin' Tackle... that also lowers accuracy.



[Current OST: Victory! Trainer]

: "H-hey, thanks. You weren't too bad yourself either."

That was a pretty good fight to start off the game... now let's just hope we can keep that up.



"I think I know why my dad has his eye out for you now. Look, your Pokemon already likes you, even though you just got it."

: ("He's not wrong there.")

: "Aurora, I get the feeling that you can befriend any Pokemon with ease. We should head back to the lab."

[Brendan jumps off the ledge and heads back down]



: "A... alright, I'll meet you there, I guess."

Man, I'm curious as to how many chapters I can do now that I'm starting college.

It's something that got me back in the groove either way, cause I was feeling pretty uninspired for the past few months. (I might even update the Retrospective to include the Gen 2 beta pokemon)



: "Um... yes, please! I just want my Mudkip to be healthy."

[She hands Alexander's Pokeball to the nurse]



"We hope to see you again!"

: "... Again? No thank you, I think I'll be fine. So do I pay you or...?"

NPC in the back "It's free!"

: "Huh! Wow, so convenient."

I didn't really think much of the "We hope to see you again" line until I got older, then it just became unnecessarily sinister. You would never really want to see the doctor again, so it's just odd to me.



"Naturally, that means you're free to use it!"

: "Oh really? I was curious as to why there was even a PC in the corner, so that's good to hear!"

... Yeah, you'd think the computer would be reserved for medical use, but apparently trainers can use it however they want. That's why she asks.



"Aurora, you should hustle too."

[Brendan goes further south]

Not quite sure why we needed this intermission. A fade to black would be nice, but Littleroot isn't that far anyway.



"I heard you beat Brendan on your first try. That's excellent! Brendan's been helping with my research for a long time. Brendan has an extensive history as a trainer already."


: ("Curious as to why he doesn't have anything more than a Treecko, though...")



... Yeah, where are the rest of his Pokemon if he's been a trainer for a long time? It's weird.


: "Here, Aurora, I ordered this for my research but I think you should have this Pokedex."





: "Whoa! It's super cool... what does it do, though?"

: "The Pokedex is a high-tech tool that automatically makes a record of any Pokemon you meet or catch. My kid Brendan goes everywhere with it."


(It is also infamous for giving people heart-breaking, nightmarish tidbits about their favorite Pokemon! You know, for the kiddies!)

: "Whenever my kid catches a rare Pokemon and records its data in the Pokedex, why, Brendan looks out for me while I'm out doing fieldwork and shows me."

So... he likes to be a showoff.

Two can play at that game, son.



"Well then, here. I'll give you these."

Oh?





: "Wow! Now I can catch Pokemon by myself. Thanks Brendan."

: ("I almost feel bad for the blockhead thing from earlier.")

: "You know it's more fun to have a bunch of Pokemon. I'm going to explore all over the place to find different Pokemon. If I find any cool Pokemon, you bet I'll try to catch them with Poke Balls."

Sweet, now we can finally catch some Mons. I should mention that I will try to go as far as getting all the Hoenn mons legitimately (the most you can get on Emerald anyway) without having to rely on gameshark.



"Oh! What an adorable Pokemon. You got it from Prof. Birch. How nice!"

: ("Oh please, I'm not good with flattery.")

Mom: "You're your father's child, alright. You look good together with Pokemon! Here, honey! If you're going out on an adventure, wear these Running Shoes. They'll put a zip in your step!"

This was also the game that introduced the Running Shoes!

No more Bicycle for fast travel, at least right now.



: "Thanks, mom! I've always wanted a pair of these."

Mom tells you about instructions to use the shoes. "pressing B to run" respectively, but even that's a little too video-gamey for me. What is this mystical B button?

Mom: "... To think you have your very own Pokemon now... Your father will be overjoyed. But please be careful. If anything happens, you can come home. Go on, go get them, honey!"

: ("I'll be sure to take good care of her, madam! Nobody can get past me.")

: [Waves as she runs off] "Bye, mom!"

I will be coming back to Littleroot on occasion because Aurora gets home-sick. (Yeah, I think we'll be going in a slice of life direction for some parts of this LP.)



Look at us go nyoom. I love the running shoes, alright?



#265 - 269: Dustox and Beautifly Family
Type: (Wurmple and the cocoons) / / (Dustox) / / (Beautifly)
Ability (Dustox): Shield Dust
Ability (Beautifly): Swarm
Appearances:

• Wurmple
  
• Cascoon (Level 7 depending on personality value)
  
• Dustox (Level 10)
  
• Silcoon (Level 7 depending on personality value)
  
• Beautifly (Level 10)
  

Stats of final evolution (Dustox): 385 (60, 50, 70, 50, 90, 65)
Stats of final evolution (Beautifly): 385 (60, 70, 50, 90, 50, 65)
Additional forms?: N/A

Oh snap, we ran into our first catchable wild Pokemon! Bring it on.

Wurmple is an interesting first bug Pokemon just on the principle that it evolves into two different branches depending on "personality value" (which I still don't understand, but oh well) - one leading into Dustox and the other leading into Beautifly.

They're equally not that great, but not every Pokemon I plan on using will be super-competitive all-stars. You know, to further the slice of life aspects I'm gunning for.

Stats don't define a character, their personality does. A "weak" character can be just as compelling as a "strong" one, so there's that.



: ("Who do you think you are, vermin! Confronting me without even so much as a bow in my presence!")

[Alexander shakes off the string]

: ("Whoa! I've heard of stuck up, but this is something else...")

I've heard String Shot got a buff lately - it lowering the speed of every enemy by two stages instead of one. Why would you ever need it aside from the novelty, though? Beats me.

Oh yes, while we're at it... a funny story about Wurmple.

You see, I have a counterfeit Emerald cartridge that works just as well as the real thing but lacks the ability to trade to Gen 4 and loses some audio channels when you save.

I was walking around with my mom at the local mall. I was bored out of my mind so I figured to hunt for Ralts because hey, I like Gardevoir. That is, until I wound up encountering... I shit you not, a shiny Wurmple.

It was simultaneously a beautiful and terrible thing because that's the first non Gen 6-7 shiny I've gotten in YEARS, yet it just had to appear on the fake Emerald cartridge of all things.



: "Alright... how do I do this? Is there a specific pose for throwing Pokeballs? What did Dad say?"

[The Wurmple starts tackling into Alexander]

: "Aw, screw it!"

[Aurora chucks a Pokeball at it]



: ("Hey, what are you--! You can't do this to me!")

: "Come on..."



: "YEAH!! We did it! My second Pokemon... and I caught it by myself!"

: ("Excellent work, Aurora!")

: ("Although... ")

Yeah, doesn't Wurmple have a catch rate of 255? There's no way you're not going to get it, although it raises the question of why you would to begin with aside from 100% completion. Maybe you like moths or butterflies or something, I don't know!



Huh. Neat. I'm not sure if I'm going to show off the Pokedex entries via screenshot or just displaying them via text, cause I can imagine it being pretty cluttered if I have to catch a lot of Pokemon at a time.

Eh, I'll decide later.



: ("Ugh, how dare you... Listen here, you mongrels! My name is Empusa, and I am royalty! If you don't treat me well, I'll make sure you pay for it!")

: "Ooof, we sure picked a real winner, huh."

: ("... I'll say. Maybe you should refrain from just catching every Pokemon you see, master.")

I should mention that I will be catching Pokemon that aren't going to count as main party members due to the sheer volume of mons that will be involved, if only just to make it a bit easier on myself.



: "My first step as real trainer... Hoenn, I'm coming for you!"

Rad. Next time on Pokemon Emerald, we're going to explore the countryside a bit more before we meet up with some new friends. (I'm pretty excited, if you can't tell.)

See you guys then.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Team setup:

Seen - 5

Own - 2

Badges - 0

(Alexander, level 7, , ) - "Let's get a move on, then!"

(Empusa, level 3, , ) - "Hmph! If you're going to be my trainer, at least make yourself presentable!"

[Current OST: Route 101]

Last time on Pokemon Emerald, we obtained our first two Pokemon and embarked on an adventure through the Hoenn region. Let's see how that goes, shall we?



: "Me too! Although I can't imagine the stress that goes into taking care of so many living creatures..."

This guy cracks me up because... well, because of what Aurora said. Imagine what the consequences a 802 Dex run would have like in-universe, even if you don't keep every Pokemon or get legendaries.

One trainer can only do so much, you know.



[Current OST: Encounter! Youngster]

"You can't say no to my challenge!"

: "W-wah! I see! Let's battle then."

I'm pretty sure I've addressed this before, but trainer encounters in Pokemon are always so silly to me. You could be talking about plucking flowers and suddenly it turns into a cold-blooded brawl with Hyper Beams flying everywhere.



[Current OST: Trainer Battle]

Damn, I love the soundtrack in this game. The normal trainer battle theme is just made to get you pumped. ([s]You can take shots for every time I compliment the music. Just don't blame me if your liver starts to give.[/s])

But oh shit, our first trainer battle. I wonder what he has?



... Seems about right. I mean, the playable character always seems to have some ridiculously rare and powerful starter while the common NPCs just grab whatever's nearby.



Though something tells me that even if we didn't have a starter, we'd win handily.



Howl is a move that raises Attack, but is utterly useless no matter the situation. For example: Alexander tackles into them because they wasted a turn howling.



: "But you didn't even give me a chance to speak back? If this is how being a trainer is like, then it's kinda weird..."

I love how he gets salty after we win despite him being the one who challenged us. Pretty sure the same thing happened in real life during one of PIMPNITE's sweep videos.



#270 - 272: Ludicolo Family
Type: /
Ability: Rain Dish (Heals HP in rain) or Swift Swim (Doubles speed in rain)
Appearances:

• Lotad
  
• Lombre (Level 14)
  
• Ludicolo (Water Stone)
  

Stats of final evolution: 480 (80, 70, 70, 90, 100, 70)
Additional forms?: N/A

Lotad and its family has always been amusing to me, mostly because it's (still) the only Water/Grass type in the entire series... oh and it evolves into a kappa dressed up as a mariachi dancer. That big dumb duck beak is what kills me, alright? 

Sad to say we don't quite grab one of our own because... you know, Alexander. (Plus, even if you evolve them into Lombre, they don't gain any water type moves barring Hydro Pump... at level 49. No, seriously.) 



"The grass goes up my nose and... fwafwafwafwafwa... fwatchoo!"

: "Oh! Bless you, little guy. Do you need a tissue or something?"



: "Oh really? Then let's uh... have a battle then?"

Aurora and the youngster are beginners. I am not. Instead, I am the trans-dimensional disembodied voice that they can hear sometimes! 

... Man, let's playing sure gets wacky after a while. 



Alexander beats up another Zigzagoon and grows to level 8! 

: ("If we keep going like this, I'll be able to evolve in no time.")



#276 - 277: Swellow Family
Type: /
Ability: Guts (Increases Attack if affected by a status. Negates the halved damage from burns.)
Appearances:

• Taillow
  
• Swellow (Level 22)
  

Stats of final evolution: 430 (60, 85, 60, 50, 50, 125)
Additional forms?: N/A

Swellow is one of the coolest bird Pokemon in terms of looks alone, and they're still ridiculously fast even tod--

: ("Are you trying to get me killed?! Pull me out, IMMEDIATELY!")



: ("Nearly gave me a heart attack... if it was on purpose, I'll try you for treason!")

Feh, you're no fun. Besides, it's not like I was gonna keep Empusa in to fight the Taillow... even in the best of times that'd be a dumb idea.

Nah, I'm spreading the experience out cause this is just what you did before Gen 6's Experience Share.



Anyway, Swellow is one of those cool birds that unfortunately doesn't have much in attack power. That, and I've already used one before in a previous LP.

I have different plans for Emerald, you see. 



[Current OST: Victory! Trainer]

: "Wh... well, alright. Better luck next time, then... you rude little guy."

Yeah, this route is just full of brash young tweens ready to duke it out for some reason. Such is life.



: "Oooh, berries! I remember dad saying that these are good to use on my Pokemon... I kinda want to eat into one myself."

: ("They do look rather tasty...")


: [Stomach growls] ("G-guh. You better save at least one of those for me, v-vermin!")


Berries are... an interesting mechanic in Gen 3. This was the first gen where you could plant berries and water them to make them grow faster if I remember correctly.

Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire let you keep track of which berries you planted, which was nice, but even then it wasn't that useful. 



: "... Did I just kill the tree by plucking the berries? Nature's weird."



: "... Oh well! Might as well take these ones too." [Hums happily as she plucks more berries]



: "Bug Pokemon? Oh that's funny, I have one too! Let's compare."

Bug Catchers are one of the weirdest trainer classes to me, if only for one reason... they use actual bug-catching nets and Pokeballs. How does that work?



Either way, Alexander gets gooed on by another Wurmple... only to knock them unconscious with a tackle covered in string.





: ("Finally, an opponent my own size... En garde, you cur!")

[Aurora does the bait and switch again, leaving Alexander to tackle down the enemy Wurmple]



: ("Oh come on! I finally get to fight a member of my species and you deny me of it!")

: ("Well, pardon me, miss Empusa but-")

: ("That's lady Empusa to you, Mudkip!")

: ("Alright, fine! Lady Empusa, you're not in good shape. That's why Aurora put me in - she doesn't want you to get hurt!")



: ("Besides, you still get a cut just for entering and leaving! So don't complain.")

: ("Tsch! I suppose you're right. If that's how it is, then I'll hold my tongue... for now.")

: "Behave, you two. Come on, you just met each other - don't act like this."

: ("Sorry, master Aurora.")



Easy trainers aside, we got roughed up quite a bit so I'm going back to Oldale.



"But it turns out they were only my own footprints..."

... 

Whatta dummy. I love how he had to block you for this too, to make it extra silly.



I catch a Zigzagoon for the inevitable HM slog, so have fun.

: ("Welcome to the team, new friend!")

: ("... Hmph!") [Turns away from the Zigzagoon]

: ("What's wrong with her?")

: ("I'm not quite sure, but don't ask.")



: "Alright, everyone's healed up. I should be able to get to dad's gym before lunch rolls aro--"

[A faint shout can be heard in the distance]

???: ("Where'd you go!? Brother!?")

: "What the heck...?"



#280 - 282: Gardevoir Family
Type: 
Ability: Trace (copies the ability of the opponent) or Synchronize (if hit with status, apply same status on opponent)
Appearances:

• Ralts
  
• Kirlia (Level 20)
  
• Gardevoir (Level 30)
  

Stats of final evolution: 518 (60, 65, 65, 125, 115, 80)
Additional forms?: N/A

[Not Pokemon Emerald music: Felis]

: "Whoa! What kind of Pokemon is this?"

: ("A-aah! A human! Now I know I've strayed too far from home!")



: ("The last thing I need is some thug and their trainer. Get away from me!") [The wild Ralts growls at Alexander and Aurora with a high-pitched voice]

: ("Not the worst I've heard, but... Miss, I think you need to calm down and just tell us what's wrong.")

: ("What, I'm just supposed to confide in a stranger?!")

: ("Oh jeez. Aurora, how about you handle this?")

: "I... um, heard you screaming for your brother. Are you two lost?"

: ("... Crap, I shouted too loud. Yes, I lost my brother. But... no offense, but I'm not going to go with a human to find him. I can do this on my own!")

: "... Why?"

: ("... Because how am I supposed to know you won't just whisk me even further from him? This isn't the first time this has happened, you know.")

: "That is a valid thing to be afraid about, but... I promise to help find him for you."

: ("You... promise? But... we don't even know each other.") 

: "What would I gain from lying? I just started my adventure to be a... whatever it is Pokemon trainers achieve to do."

: ("Hmmm... alright. B-but if you break your promise, I'll... I'll bite your face off!") [She growls again]

: ("... Interesting threat, although I doubt think she'll really do it.")



: ("M-my name is Junelle. I would say nice to meet you, but I need more time to think this over.")

: ("Welcome aboard, miss Junelle. You can trust master Aurora - she's a woman of her word.")

... A lot of fanfare for one little Ralts, huh? I mean, I spent a lot of time even looking for one, so why not right?

Something tells me she's going to be a great addition to the team... once she learns more moves than just Growl. 



[Current OST: Encounter! Lass]

"Help me further my career!"

Not if I have anything to say about it, lass. 

... By the way, this is arguably my favorite encounter theme in the entire series - it just sounds so sweet and happy that it gives me a severe case of 【ｆｅｅｌｉｎｇｓ】.



She's cute, I'll give her that... but we're even cuter. 





#285 - 286: Breloom Family
Type: 
Ability: Effect Spore (10% chance of applying either poison, sleep or paralysis upon contact)
Appearances:

• Shroomish
  
• Breloom (Level 23)
  

Stats of final evolution: 460 (60, 130, 80, 60, 60, 70)
Additional forms?: N/A

I've recently learned Breloom is actually a really good Pokemon competitive-wise, so my love of its unique mushroom reptilian design is even more justified.

... Also, they have Stretch Armstrong arms apparently. That will never stop being amusing to me.



Unfortunately, the first Shroomish we ever encounter is one that belongs to a trainer. Shame they had to go out like this.



: "I am sorry, but... if I'm gonna be serious about this, then I'm not gonna hold back. Maybe we can rematch sometime?"

Spoiler-y note: we will never rematch the trainers around the region because I hate getting bothered on the Pokenav. (Out of everything that got an upgrade in ORAS, the Pokenav was the bomb. Too bad they didn't keep the Dexnav for Gen 7.)



We save ourselves some money for a potion. 



[Current OST: Petalburg City]

This one is catchy but not my favorite. Still really good though.

: "This is the town where dad keeps his gym... I should probably ask around before I go meet him."



"... Depending on the types of Pokemon, a battle could be easy or hard. For example, your Mudkip is a Water type. It's strong against the Fire type but it's weak against Grass or Electric type Pokemon."

: "Wow! Thanks for the advice, miss. I'll be sure to keep that in mind for later."

Man, it's gonna be... interesting if Aurora ever encounters something weird like Dark/Ghost. You know, the one type that had no weakness before Gen 6.



"Whoever made it must be some kind of scientific wizard!"

You're telling me... apparently it gets so advanced in modern games that you can just bring Pokemon with you via a portable PC in your bag.

Technology both terrifies and amuses me - it's like magic, alright?



"It's a shining grin full of hope... Or it could be a look of somber silence struggling with fear... What do you see reflected in your face?"

Holy shit this got deep really fast. At least let me face the first gym leader before you drop these philosophical things on me, game!



"How would I put it? I just got the feeling that he lives for Pokemon."

: "Sounds about right... And I have to fight him eventually. Oh boy..."



"It is automatically sent to a Storage Box over a PC connection."

: "Whoa... so I never really have to carry more than six at a time! That's and the PC thing is a load off my mind."



: "Oooh, an extra ball! It even looks cool, too."

Premier Balls are just for bragging rights, correct? They don't really have an added effect, they just look nice compared to the standard ball.

Either way, now I'm prepared if the dreaded Shiny Pokemon ever pops up.



"So it's useful if you're in a hurry."

I wish more games with random battles had Repel functionalities in them, because nothing ruins my mood more than the game interrupting me mid-walk with some common trash mob I have no trouble dealing with for the millionth time.

... It's even worse if you put sidequests where you have to backtrack through said areas, so there's that too.



This guy directs us to the Gym and prevents us from passing, so that's expected.

He tells Aurora that the first thing to do in every town with a gym is to go straight to the gym, and it's like... I dunno, let me do what I want? What if I don't want to fight right away, pal? 



[Current OST: Gym]

(Great song, even if I'm not all that fond of the gym theme or its various remixes throughout the series)

Norman: "Well, if it isn't Aurora! So you're all finished moving in? I'm surprised you managed to get here by yourself."

: "Thanks dad, but I didn't do it by myself. I finally caught my first four Pokemon... with Professor Birch's help, of course."

Norman: "Oh, I see. You're with your Pokemon. Hm... then I guess you're going to become a trainer like me, Aurora. That's great news! I'll be looking forward to it!"

I love how you not only have a mother and a father in Emerald, but he's also a gym leader. That's a nice subversion of the Disappeared Dad trope. 

[A meek boy comes in and walks up to Norman]



Norman: "Hm? You're... Uh... Oh right. You're Wally, right?"

Wally: "I'm going to go stay with my relatives in Verdanturf Town. I thought I would be lonely by myself, so I wanted to take a Pokemon along. But I've never caught a Pokemon before... I don't know how."

Enter [s]the precious muffin that can do no wrong[/s] Wally, your sort-of rival! He's a frail, sickly boy and his relatives are even looking for him outside of the gym.
 


"Aurora, you heard that, right? Go with Wally and make sure he safely catches a Pokemon."

: "Wait, why me? I just started too, dad!"

You did catch like three on your own, so...

Norman: "Wally, here, I'll loan you my Pokemon."



Wally: "Oh wow, a Pokemon!"

Norman: "Hm. I'll give you a Poke Ball too. Go for it!"



: ("... Was it really that easy this entire time? Why does dad help a stranger's kid before his own daughter, though?")

Yeah, that is kind of odd. Aurora didn't even want to become a trainer specifically, yet dad figured "nah, she doesn't really need a Pokemon to be alright'... in this world where you cannot even leave town if you don't have a 'Mon of your own. 



[Current OST: Come Along]

Anyway, let's help Wally catch his first Pokemon. It can't be that hard, right? We were able to do it under pressure.



"Don't they? Please watch me and see if I can't catch one properly... Whoa!"

We've got a live one here, folks! Let's see what it is and see if Wally doesn't need our -





WHAT

The first Pokemon this Sour Apple Boy encounters on his journey and it's a friggin' Ralts of all things? The rarest Pokemon on this route that took me a half hour of grass sifting to even find?!

... Give me some of that luck, Wally, you clearly don't need it. 



 (Junelle): "Hey wait... that's my brother! Oh my goodness, he's actually going to get caught by a trainer!!"

: "What?! Hey, Wally, maybe you should -"

Side note, I don't think it's possible for Wally to wind up killing the Ralts - this entire scene is scripted. Though I am curious as to what happens if he was forced to land a critical...



Wally: "You... you throw a ball now, right? I'll... I'll do my best!"

I'm pretty sure the actual purpose of this scene is to demonstrate that Ralts even exist on this route, because a first-time player isn't going to run into them by accident due to their low encounter rate.

Sure, they start off weak, but then they evolve into a fantastic Pokemon. ([s]Whose design the internet uh... really liked.[/s])

[Wally throws the Pokeball at the Ralts and...]



: "Wow! Good job, W... oh wait, that's a bad thing."

 (Junelle): ("I... ugh. At least I know where he is now. We can trust Wally too, right?")

: "He doesn't look like a bad kid, so I assume so. If my dad gave him a chance then I should too."

 (Junelle): ("Aww... you're so sweet. Maybe I won't regret this after all.")

: ("What an... odd way for this to turn out. I'm amused.")



"Aurora, thank you! Let's go back to the gym!"

: "No problem, Wally."



Wally: "Thank you, yes it did. Here's your Pokemon back. Aurora, thank you for coming with me. You two are why I was able to catch my Pokemon. I promise I'll take really good care of it. Oh! My mom's waiting for me, so I have to go. Bye, Aurora!"

: [Blushes] "Awww, shucks... bye, Wally!"

[He leaves the gym]



"Aurora, if you want to become a strong Trainer, here's my advice. Head for Rustboro City past this town. There, you should challenge the Gym Leader, Roxanne. After her, go on to other Pokemon Gyms and defeat their Leaders. Collect badges from them, understood?"

: "Y-yes, sir!"



"But that's only after you become stronger."

Very interesting! Norman is the first gym leader we meet, but he's too powerful for us right now. I like how they hype him up in addition to him being a dad that's actually present.





With that said, let's rush over to Rustboro and -



"Let me guess, from the way you're dressed, you're a Pokemon trainer?"

[The strange man turns around and ponders to himself]

Who the heck are you?

???: "Well, maybe not. Your clothes aren't all that dirty. You're either a rookie trainer or maybe you're just an ordinary kid."

: "Well, excuse you then! What's your deal, mister?"



"I'm sorry to have taken your time."

[The strange man walks off screen]



: "Well then. That was awkward. Who was that guy?"

That, my friends, was an Emerald-exclusive character. He's the proprietor of one of the most interesting additions in a third version game yet, but I'll have to save it for later.

... Especially since I have a lot of ideas for that part of the game and if I say even one thing, I'll risk spoiling the whole plan. 

(Whoops, did I just say that out loud? )



"It will be easier to catch if it's been poisoned, burned or lulled to sleep."

: "Sounds kinda nasty, but I'll keep it mind."

... How do status effects modify the Pokeball catching algorithm? That entire system by itself is infinitely interesting to me given all the math that goes into it.



Meanwhile, youngster Billy challenges us to see who is the king of the sand.



#273 - 275: Shiftry Family
Type: 
Ability: Chlorophyll (Doubles speed in strong sun) or Early Bird (Reduces amount of turns spent asleep)
Appearances:

• Seedot
  
• Nuzleaf (Level 14)
  
• Shiftry (Leaf Stone)
  

Stats of final evolution: 480 (90, 100, 60, 90, 60, 80)
Additional forms?: N/A

Shiftry and its ilk have always been an interesting set of Pokemon to me, mostly due to Shiftry's cool cry and the fact it's an evil kabuki tengu tree with tornado fans.

Like that's pretty rad, let's be real.

... I also find it interesting how Nuzlocke was derived from a Nuzleaf being drawn as John Locke from LOST. That... that's pretty wacky, I can see why it caught on.



: [Gasp]

Oh shit, Alexander fainted!? What happened?

: ("I... I smell bread...")

... That's right, this Seedot in particular has Bide. I didn't beat them in time, so Alexander took the brunt of the attack. Whooooooops. 



: ("Whoof, I actually saved the day! Go me, huh!")

... We would have been screwed if we didn't have Zigon. That's a bit of a harrowing thought. 



: "Oh man, I messed up bad... Alexander, I hope you'll be okay!"



: "A... are you alright, Alexander?"

: ("Don't worry, master Aurora! I've taken harder knocks than that before.")

: "Oh good. I was starting to sweat a little because I've never had a Pokemon faint on me before... I wasn't sure how permanent it would be."

[She squeezes the Mudkip]

... Hmm. 



"He was once a mighty sailor who never feared the sea, however stormy."

He sounds cool, but I don't think he's quite as impressive as she makes him out to be.



: "Fated?! What's going on here?"



... Interesting introduction and pretty sprite aside, Lady Cindy here doesn't do anything interesting.

If I'm not mistaken, all the rich NPCs are carrying Full Restores which is kind of overkill on a level 7 Pokemon, don't you think? I wish I had that kind of money to throw around. 





Excellent. Alexander's type match-up game is steadily improving... because we really do need a water type for one of the later gyms down the line.



: "You too, miss. Now uh... excuse me, please."

[Aurora slides away into the forest]

: ("How about we don't, though?")



[Current OST: Petalburg Woods]

A serviceable dungeon song, at the very least. I'm not too crazy about it.



"That's why I always check where I'm walking."

: "Oh snap, really? I wonder... "



: "Neat! Still, this is gonna drive me nuts for a while... Not knowing, that is."

I might as well scour these maps for any hidden items, even if we don't ever get the Itemfinder. (Frankly, the best Itemfinder was in Gen 4 where you could just tap on the screen and not have to wait and guess.) 





Mushy friend!



: ("That's right, I helped.")

: ("Um... wow another Pokemon already? Hello, I guess! My name is Junelle. What's your name?")



: ("Just call me Amanita. If you're new too then I guess we'll get along. Say, how fond are you of moss? That stuff is delicious!")

: ("That sounds... interesting, but no thank you please.")

: ("Pfeh! Disgusting.")

: ("... Wow, rude. Guess I'll just be sticking with you then, Junelle.")

We've built a team of five Pokemon already and it's only chapter 2. I dread to think about the amount of main-stays we'll have in later chapters. 



Oh no, he has a team of four Pokemon. This is gonna be a time-waster, isn't it?



 (Empusa): ("I might as well slap around these common cretins while I'm willing and able! Stand back, you lot!") 

That she does. She gets rid of at least one of them anyway, due to her being... well, not that strong.



Meanwhile, Amanita grows to level 7 and gains a semi-useful ability! It's not exactly the Spore that puts enemies to sleep, but it'll have to do for now.



They put a Paralyze Heal here because they knew you'd probably get hit with it after fighting some of the Shroomish here. Pretty smart warning there, Game Freak.



A small amount of grinding to get Empusa leveled up and...



: ("Alright, moment of truth... which cocoon will I become? Please be Silcoon...")



: ("Come on...")



: ("What?! I'm this ugly thing!? NOOOOOOOOOOO-")

: ("... It's a proper reflection of her heart, at the very least.")

: ("Indeed!")



I knew I made the right choice making her a snooty rich girl-type Pokemon, because if she evolved into Silcoon we would never hear the end of it. 

I'm kind of surprised the "personality value" lined up with her actual personality, because whoof.



"Hello, have you seen any Pokemon called Shroomish around here? I really love that Pokemon."

: "I do, funnily enough!"

[Pulls out Amanita and shows her to the man]

: "Shroom?!"

: "Her name is Amanita and she's --"

[A man dressed as a pirate walks in from the top of the screen]



[Current OST: Encounter! Team Aqua]

"You had to dawdle in Petalburg Woods forever, didn't you? I got sick of waiting, so here I am!"

(Aqua has such a badass encounter theme, the bass and piano in this song is sick.)



"Hand over those papers!"

[The researcher ducks behind Aurora]

Researcher: "Aiyeeh! You're a Pokemon Trainer, aren't you? You've got to help me, please!"

: "Excuse me, what!?"

I love how a grown man cowers behind a teenager for help - that's just beautiful.



"No one who crosses Team Aqua gets any mercy, not even a kid! Come on and battle me!"

: "A... alright then! B-bring it on!"

I mean I'd be scared if a random man dressed as a pirate was going to assault me because I got dragged into a situation that wasn't my business to begin with.



[Current OST: Team Aqua/Magma Battle Theme]

The song is disproportionately badass compared to what we'll actually face, which is... 



... A level 9 Poochyena. I'd be mildly threatened if Poochyena was mildly intimidating.

: ("You know what, I'll just release my anger on you!! Choke on this poison!")

[Empusa gets put away to prevent her getting hurt again]

: ("AUGH")



Comedy aside, Amanita and Alexander work together to paralyze and wash out this bad boy.

(... I'm gonna start a trend with names that start with A, aren't I? Because I'm not doing it on purpose!)



Good work, fellas. 



[Current OST: Victory! Team Aqua and Magma]

I thought the regular trainer victory theme was alright, but this is something else. It's so uplifting that it's in its own league altogether!



"Come on and battle me again! I wish I could say that, but I'm out of Pokemon... And, hey, we of Team Aqua are also after something in Rustboro. I'll let you go today!"

[The Aqua Grunt runs off]

What a dork. 

: "What the heck was that all about...? Anyway, you're safe now, mister."



"Thanks to you, he didn't rob me of these important papers. I know, I'll give you a Great Ball as my thanks!"



Something we can't even buy yet! Nice. 

Researcher: "Didn't that Team Aqua thug say they were after something in Rustboro, too? Uh-oh! It's a crisis! I can't be wasting time!"

[The Devon researcher runs off]



: "Um. Alright. That sure was a thing."

We prevented someone from getting robbed! Hooray.



This guy just tells us to stay out of the tall grass if our Pokemon are weak, which is pretty considerate but blatantly obvious.

Thankfully the layout here is well-designed so you don't really have to get in a fight if you just want to leave. I like the tall grass system from the Pokemon games, but caves are just straight up random battles and I don't like them as much.



Welcome to the Too Good to Use Club, how rare are you? 



Is that how it works? Because I have to admit, if someone brought a bug that was bigger than a lunchbox I would have to run away screaming no matter how cute it actually is.



#290 - 292: Nincada Family
Type (Nincada): /
Type (Ninjask): /
Type (Shedinja): /
Ability (Nincada): Compound Eyes (Increases accuracy of moves by 1.3x)
Ability (Ninjask): Speed Boost (Boosts speed by one stage per turn)
Ability (Shedinja): Wonder Guard (Pokemon cannot be harmed by attacks that isn't super-effective, weather or statuses notwithstanding)
Appearances:

• Nincada
  
• Ninjask (Level 20)
  
• Shedinja (Nincada evolves while you have an empty team slot and a spare Pokeball) 
  

Stats of Ninjask: 456 (80, 70, 70, 90, 100, 70)
Stats of Shedinja: 236 (1, 90, 45, 30, 30, 40)
Additional forms?: N/A

The Nincada line is an extremely fascinating set of bug Pokemon. They're all cicadas based off of ninjas, with Shedinja being a hollow, molted shell that gained its own sentience.

I also love the creativity behind their designs, with Shedinja's ability being especially notable. I love how its health is only one friggin point to prevent it from being broken. (Also, you may not want to stare at the back of a Shedinja for too long or it'll steal your soul. Fun for the kiddies.)



Harden doesn't help much when you have a super-effective Water move. If there's anything interesting I learned recently, it's that Speed Boost originated in Gen 3 and Ninjask was its primary user before the later gens happened.

It's already lightning fast with a base speed stat of 160, which is mind-bending in how fast that must be. Good thing this isn't an active time battle system or Ninjask would be extremely busted regardless of how low its other stats are. 



Ooooh, and Junelle even learned a real attack to boot! 

...

Now nothing can stand in my way! 



: "Aw come on, don't be like that."

Popularity is overrated, kid. Peace and quiet is where it's at. 



: "What the-? Why can't I walk past these trees?"

A reminder to backtrack and a display of the playable character's inability to jump past anything. 



Anyway, I feel that's enough for one chapter. Next time on Pokemon Emerald, we're going to tackle the first gym and see if we can't stop those Aqua grunts from doing any more damage.

See you guys then!



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Team setup:

Seen - 15 (+10)

Own - 6 (+4)

Badges - 0

(Alexander, level 10, , ) - "I feel we're going to make a great team, the lot of us."

 (Empusa, level 7, , ) - "I hate, hate, hate everything about this. Why Cascoon of all things...?" [Sob]

 (Zigon, level 4, , ) - "Whoa, relax. It's not that big of a problem, huh? I bet you'll look fine."

 (Junelle, level 6, , ) - "... What a drama queen."

 (Amanita, level 7, , ) - "You said it, chica. Either way... Hey, Junelle. We're going to be travelling a while, so we might as well chat about stuff we like."