It took me nearly two hours to play through the tutorial.
And we’re back in the Unova Region for another “Trevor Plays…” blog post! So, here’s where we left off: We just got a Pokemon and a Pokedex, we nicknamed our Oshawott Oshkosh, I have 10 Poke Balls and I’m about to leave my hometown for the first time. I’m also 10 years old in-game.
Let’s get crackin!
I’m standing on the threshold of the Aspertia gate. Muzak is playing on the intercom. A woman sits at the receptionist desk. Why does a city gate need a receptionist desk?
As I walk towards the gate exit, the woman yells, “Hey! You can’t go without—” Oshkosh peeks out from behind me.
“Oh?” She says. “You’re with Oshawott! Okay, this is a going-away gift! Don’t be shy. Take it.”
I still don’t know if the adage, “don’t take things from strangers” applies in these games. I obtain a potion.
The receptionist tells me to go to a Pokemon Center if Oshkosh gets hurt. This world is full of Captain Obviouses.
There’s a big scrolly-text thing lining the wall of the gate. A dude’s standing there, almost like they’re hypnotized, looking at the text. “Hmm, I see!” he says. “I love to read news and information about the city displayed on the electic bulletin board on the wall!”
No one actually talks like that, Game Freak. Stop it.
I read the bulletin board for a while before deciding it’s time to move on. The trash can is empty. I walk out onto Rt. 19.
Bianca is waiting for me next to some tall grass. She beckons me to come over. “This reminds me of that day on Rt. 1,” she says. She then walks out into the grass and engages in a battle with a Purrloin. Her Lillipup takes it down to about five percent health before she throws a Poke Ball and catches it. I don’t get any Pokedex info. Great job!
The basics of catching a Pokemon are, according to her: find a healthy Pokemon; lower the Pokemon’s HP using your Pokemon’s moveset; Status conditions make it easier to catch the Pokemon; throw the Poke Ball. You’re right, I needed a tutorial.
Bianca tells me my destination is Floccesy Town, to the east. I start walking.
The first Pokemon I see is a Lv. 2 Patrat. I’m assuming this is the Unova analog to Rattata. Oshkosh hits it once with a Tackle before I throw a Poke Ball. Patrat still socks Oshkosh one, dropping his health to 20. I manage to catch the Patrat, but I have a feeling that isn’t a mean feat.
I nickname Patrat “Patrick.” Don’t judge me.
PATRAT POKEDEX ENTRY: Extremely cautious, one of them will always be on the lookout, but it won’t notice a foe coming from behind.
Patrick — Level 2
Max. HP (14)
Attack (7)
Defense (5)
Sp. Atk (6)
Sp. Def (7)
Speed (7)
To Next Lv. (19)
I heal Patrick, switch him to the front of my party, and continue my hike to Floccesy.
A girl sits in the tall grass up ahead. I start to walk over to her, but another Patrat appears. Patrick Tackles it, but not before the wild Patrat can get a Leer in, lowering Pat’s defense. He tackles again, bringing its health down to less than half. Thanks to that incessant leering, if it decides to actually attack Patrick, he’s pretty much done. But no! Patrick defeats the wild Patrat, gaining a level and learning Leer!
Patrick — Level 3
Max. HP +2 (16)
Attack +1 (8)
Defense +1 (6)
Sp. Atk +1 (7)
Sp. Def +1(8)
Speed +1 (8)
To Next Lv. (20)
The girl says she’s searching for Pokemon in the tall grass; this is certainly not an irrational action, though from what I’ve seen so far, there really isn’t much in terms of variety here. She tells me that if I don’t want to meet Pokemon, I should avoid the tall grass. Just as she says that, another Patrat attacks. I dispatch it with Patrick’s Tackle. This Patrat isn’t afraid to throw punches of its own, but ultimately, Patrick is victorious. He gains 17 experience points from the battle.
A dude is sitting on top of a ridge. I climb up to ask him why. “Do you know about ledge jumping?” he asks.
“No,” I reply.
“That’s so?” he says. “Well then, watch me carefully!” And with that he flings himself off the ridge. As I look on, horrified, the kid dusts himself off and says, “It’s really cool how you can take shortcuts by jumping off these, right?”
More like a nightmare. I obtain a Potion in the tall grass.
I’m just walking along Rt. 19, minding my own business, when another guy jumps from an even higher ledge to meet me.
“My name is Alder!”
Ooookay, so why are you jumping from cliffs to meet me?
“I’m a Trainer with a keen interest in the world,” he says. “One of my goals is to tell people about how wonderful it is to walk toward the future together with Pokemon! And you are?”
He inspects me, Patrick and Oshkosh. “You have some fine-looking Pokemon, but you’re not exactly a seasoned trainer yet.” The powers of deduction on some of these NPCs, I swear. Alder offers to train me at his place, before walking into Flocessy Town. I double back onto Rt. 19, wanting to level Oshkosh up before proceeding. I meet another Purrloin in the tall grass. Oshkosh tackles it, damaging it enough to catch.
PURRLOIN POKEDEX ENTRY: Their cute act is a ruse. Tey trick people and steal their valuables just to see the looks on their faces.
Purrloin’s nickname is Purrgatory.
Purrgatory — Level 2
Max. HP (14)
Attack (7)
Defense (6)
Sp. Atk (7)
Sp. Def (6)
Speed (7)
To Next Lv. (19)
I beat another Patrat with Oshkosh and Patrick, leveling them both up. Oshkosh learns Water Gun! I head into Floccesy Town, where this mysterious Alder character awaits.
Patrick — Level 4
Max. HP +2 (18)
Attack +1 (9)
Defense +1 (7)
Sp. Atk +1 (8)
Sp. Def +1(9)
Speed +1 (9)
To Next Lv. (48)Oshkosh — Level 7 Max. HP +2 (25)
Attack +1 (13)
Defense +1 (13)
Sp. Atk +1 (15)
Sp. Def +1 (12)
Speed +0 (9)
To Next Lv. (75)
I save my game at the entrance to Floccesy Town, one of many places I’ve never been before.
**_SAVE GAME
4/20/2014
Floccesy Town
Gym Badges: 0
Time Played: 2hr33min
Pokedex: 4