Gotta catch… some of them?
For my next obsessive blog series, I’ve decided to play Pokemon White 2 on the Nintendo DS. This is the first Pokemon game I’ve played in like, ten years, so suffice it to say that I have literally no idea what’s going on in the world of Pokemon right out of the gate. That being said, I’m not going to use any other walkthrough or anything that could give me a cheaty advantage. I’m going to approach this game as I would any other normal game: learn the mechanics, blindly stumble my way through the main plot, and when it’s all done, go back and clean up any loose ends I might leave behind.
For the purposes of this prelude, however, I did some research. White 2 is set in the Unova region of the Pokemon world, two years after the events of Black and White. The criminal organization of this game is Team Plasma, who are clearly PETA analogues (but with a twist! Zany!), and we don’t actually meet the regional Pokemon Professor, Juniper, until later in the game. The starters are Oshawott, Snivy, and Tepig — water, grass and fire types, respectively.
I’ve always been a fan of water types, so I’m going to go with Oshawott.
But we haven’t gotten to that part yet.
Starting The Game
The first thing I’m noticing is that the animation is loads better than previous Pokemon games. This is what I’ve been missing out on in the decade since I lost my copy of Pokemon Crystal. I will say the character designs are still kind of goofy, but that’s a pretty trivial point.
I’m going to be boring and play myself in this game. My rival’s name is Hugh (also pretty boring). This whole intro screen really hasn’t changed at all. Except, according to the game, it’s winter — in April? I assume there’s a reason for this.
So, in the opening scene, my in-game mom gets a call from Aurea Juniper, who tells her that I’m getting a Pokedex from someone named Bianca, who is notable because big green hat. She goes inside and calls me out into the living room.
“Do you want to have a Pokemon?” she asks. I say no, initially — just to see what’ll happen.
“What?! That’s a shock! I’LL ASK YOU AGAIN.”
Uhm, I said no.
“WHAT?! THAT’S A SHOCK! I’LL ASK YOU AGAIN.”
Jesus. Fine. Yes.
Now that step one has apparently been completed, she asks me if I know what a Pokedex is. I haven’t played a Pokemon game in a decade, but that doesn’t mean I’ve been living under a rock the entire time. I say yes. She tells me what it does anyway. I love games that force tutorials on you. One more question: do I want a Pokedex?
I could test the game’s response, but I’ve already wasted five minutes in this intro conversation. According to mom, my “course of action has been set!” I don’t know what this means. I thought this was a Pokemon game.
So my task is to go find Bianca, she of the big green hat, so that I can get a Pokedex and Oshawott. Before I leave, I check out the other stuff in my house. Mom has a ferris wheel souvenir, and a Darumaka Pokemon Doll. The reaction text: “It’s a Darumaka Pokemon Doll Mom received in the past. When you get knocked down, just get up again!”
Chumbawamba Reference Count: 1
I leave my house to search for Bianca. There’s a guy standing in the street, looking at the forest that borders my town. “The power of science is amazing!” he says. I reflexively name him Bill. Unfortunately, he’s not wearing a bowtie. “Now you can use communications to play with a hundred people at the same time!” Ooookay.
Instead of going wherever the next event is triggered, I decide to take a look around. I barge into my neighbor’s house, because everyone leaves their door unlocked in the Pokemon world. It’s fine this time, because apparently my neighbor is Hugh, my probable rival. His dad asks me if I’m going to have Hugh brag to me about his Pokemon again. That’s kind of a weird thing to do. Hugh’s mom tells me that a Pokemon is the ticket out of the town. I’m starting to wonder if this place is cursed or something. The trash can is empty.
Upstairs, a little kid is sitting at a massive table in front of a TV displaying static. I ask him what he’s doing, but all he says is, “I want to have a Pokemon battle soon!” In a long, thin room adjacent to this TV area, a girl is standing in front of a sink. Come on, Nintendo.
“What kind of relationship do you want with the Pokemon you meet?” she asks me. I’m assuming it’s a rhetorical question, because before I can answer, she says, “I’m happy just having them by my side!”
It’s definitely time to leave. I run out of the house and back out onto the street.
Hugh runs up to me as I walk up the street. “Hey! You get a Pokemon yet?” he asks. I wonder if he’s asked me this every day up to this point.
“There aren’t any Pokemon Trainers around here, and I’m getting bored!” He says. I tell him that an aide to Professor Juniper is here to give me a Pokemon and Pokedex. His little sister, hitherto silent, looks me in the eye and basically threatens my life: “If you get a Pokemon, take really, really good care of it, OK?” Why is this town so ominous?
I learn that Hugh is on a mission, and he needs someone he can trust besides his Pokemon (which I have a sneaking suspicion will be the opposite type of whatever I choose; so probably a Snivy). Apparently, I’ve got good instincts, which is a lie.
Hugh sends his sister home, and we go off to find Bianca.
Just kidding, more breaking and entering.
I walk into the house of someone who looks suspiciously like Ralph Macchio in-costume. Dude tells me that it’s a shame I don’t have a Pokemon, because if I did I could compete with Hugh to see who is the better Trainer. The girl sitting in a corner tells me that we will both take a journey with Pokemon together. I don’t know, man, that seems unlikely. The trash can is empty.
Upstairs, there’s a little kid looking at a nightstand, who apparently knows about Bianca, because they ask me if I found her already. Jesus christ, even the game is getting sick of my lollygagging. I leave the house, Hugh in tow.
A kid on the street tells me that my mom is great at getting Pokemon to rest. I wonder what she did before this game? Another kid is standing in front of the currently-closed Trainers’ School. He seems to be the only child excited by the prospects of a school opening. I try to go into the Pokemon Center, but Hugh tells me that Bianca definitely isn’t there. Hey man, she wasn’t in Ralph Macchio’s house either, but I didn’t hear you complaining then!
An old man tells me that I can see Route 19 from the Outlook. It’s from him that I learn I’m in Aspertia City, and the Outlook is the city’s pride and joy.
Continuing my spree of illegal entry, I walk into the home of someone who looks like they have a small dog. Apparently, the dog is a Pokemon, because of course it is, and apparently it’s weak because it hasn’t battled yet. Pacifism is alright too, I guess. From the other kid on the ground floor of this house, I learn that Aspertia City is in the corner of the Unova Region, “so this isn’t exactly the big leagues for Pokemon battling.” The center of the region is where it’s at. The trash can is empty.
Upstairs, a dude wonders if there’s a Pokemon that was dropped on the ground, and a girl who has bad clairvoyance (she says I’ll meet a Pokemon. Doesn’t say when, doesn’t say how, doesn’t say which Pokemon. Utterly useless fortune telling).
Hugh tells me to hurry up. Fiiiiiine. I’ve talked to probably literally everyone in this town anyway, let’s bounce.
The Outlook is the only place we haven’t checked. As I walk up to the top, Hugh apparently has an epiphany.
“Oh, I get it!” he says. “The Outlook is Aspertia’s most famous spot! I’ll bet Bianca is up there looking at the scenery!” Good deduction, my dear Watson. Too bad I already thought of it.
The trash can is empty.
The Outlook is actually pretty spectacularly designed for a DS game. Route 19 looks chilly. Bianca is there, looking out over Unova. “It’s so pretty!” She says, before turning to me to gain my agreement. She asks me if I know someone named Trevor.
“No,” I say.
“Oh wait! You’re Trevor!” She says, ignoring me. “Wooow! You’re exactly like what I heard!” I don’t know what that even is supposed to mean.
As if I had no knowledge of the Pokemon or Pokedex she was coming to give me, Bianca asks if I want to help complete the Pokedex and take one of the three Pokemon she has with her. Filling up the Pokedex is totally fun! Too bad you need both Black 2 and White 2 to do it!
Next up, choosing my Pokemon. I’ve already spent way too long in this town, so we’ll cut to the chase. I said I’d choose an Oshawott, so that’s what I’m picking now. It’s a good thing too, because apparently Oshawott and I are a perfect match. I’m going to nickname Oshawott Oshkosh.
Upon getting Oshkosh and the Pokedex, Bianca decides it’s time for a battle. But before that, Hugh sees my Pokedex, gets jealous, and asks Bianca for one as well. In a complete non sequitur, Bianca remarks that “Pokemon distribution has really changed compared to two years ago.” I forget that this game is the first direct sequel to a previous Pokemon game.
Anyway.
My First Battle
Hugh has, as I predicted, a Snivy — but he raised his from an Egg he apparently found. Oshkosh and Snivy are pretty evenly matched at this point. I tell Oshkosh to use Tackle, but Snivy is faster than me. Upon landing our first attack, Hugh barges onto the field and yells, “I won’t forget the pain you just put my partner through!” Dawg, it’s a Pokemon battle.
Snivy critical-hits me on turn two. I have a feeling this is going to end poorly for me and Oshkosh. I don’t have any healing items, and I know the next turn is going to be where Snivy KOs me. To my surprise, Snivy just uses Leer. So I continue to tackle my way to my first Pokemon battle victory. Oshkosh gets enough experience from the battle to level up!
Oshkosh—Level 6
Max. HP +2 (23)
Attack +2 (12)
Defense +1 (12)
Sp. Atk +2 (14)
Sp. Def +1 (11)
Speed +1 (9)
I also got $5.
Hugh doesn’t take the loss well. “This is different than battling with wild Pokemon,” he says. “Whatever, I’m just happy to know you’re a Trainer I can count on.” I still have no idea what he’s referring to. Bianca decides to play “Moral Relativist” and then shows me around my own town.
She takes me to the Pokemon Center where I heal Oshkosh, then she shows me how to use the PC (which I guess I need to know? Has it really changed so much?), and the PokeMart, which is now inside the Center. She gives me some Poke Balls and tells me to follow her out to Rt. 19.
Before I go, I use some of the sweet loot I’ve taken from Hugh (plus the $30 I already had) to buy some potions.
Current cash: $11
I leave the Pokemon Center, and my mom and Hugh’s little sister show up. Mom seems to like Oshkosh, which is great, because I can’t give him back. She then gives me some Running Shoes, which would have been nice to have a little bit ago. I put them on. Apparently there are instructions to them, which I need to have read to me? “Now, you and Oshawott can run anywhere you want!” She says. Hugh’s little sister awkwardly hands me two Town Maps — one for me, and one for him. This is reminiscent of the first generation of games. Bianca thinks this is weird, as people should only ever have one Town Map.
I say goodbye to Mom, and walk toward Rt. 19, where my first caught Pokemon hopefully waits!
**_SAVE GAME
4/20/2014
Aspertia Gate
Gym Badges: 0
Time Played: 1hr30min
Pokedex: 2