As I said before, I will be spoiling this game, so if you want to play it for yourself, you can find links to download the game right here. And with that, let's begin!
Last time, we traveled to Superior City, did a couple of side quests, and earned the Discipline Badge by defeating Devon, the city's Gym leader. He specialized in Fighting-type Pokémon. And with that, we can move on to Route 302. Well, not quite. I still have a little bit of business in Superior City to take care of. Remember last time where I showed where the Dolly was?
Yup, right there. I still have to grab it. The woman laments that she needs the HM Strength to get the item there. Well, no need to fear. I have the HM! I taught it to my Machop that I caught in that very cave. Once I have him move that big rock, the Dolly is mine. So, no need for that Strength HM, ha ha ha! ...wait, so what was the point of teaching Strength to Machop, then? I feel like I just wasted my time.
The tunnel to Route 302 has a guard in it. He explains that it leads south to Onega Town. Much like Superior City is named after the American Lake Superior, Onega Town is named after Lake Onega in Russia. He warns me to be careful, as Team Olympus was spotted there. Really? Looks like I can get some payback.
Well, I'm getting ahead of myself. I actually have to get my butt to town first. Route 302 is the first time in the game we'll get game-exclusive Pokémon. The reason Pokémon games tend to come out in pairs is because each game will have certain Pokémon unique to each game. To get them all, you have to trade with someone who has the counterpart game. It's a way to encourage social interaction (as well as increase sales of both versions if you're being cynical). In Zeta, we can get Ponyta and Poochyena. In Omicron, this route is home to Purrloin and Blitzle. I really could use that electric horse. Ah, well. I still can get Shinx. And I like Shinx. Shinx is awesome.
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| Look at Shinx! Ain't it cute? |
It's also the first route where we'll find certain Pokémon at certain times of day. Yup, like in Gold and Silver, some Pokémon are only available at certain times of the day. On this route, for example, you can encounter Clefairy and Gastly only at night. I'm honestly a bit mixed on this. On one hand, it does encourage you to play at different times if you're looking for different Pokémon. On the other, you have to wait until a certain time for a certain Pokémon to appear. If you want to catch them all, it can be inconvenient.
I do want to take an opportunity to also talk about another thing about this game I don't like. You see, in all Pokémon games, if you beat a wild Pokémon, the Pokémon that participated in the battle and did not faint get experience points. Those experience points go towards making your Pokémon stronger. It's the classic RPG trope. Starting in Generation VI (Pokémon X, Y, Omega Ruby, and Alpha Sapphire), Pokémon can also get experience points if a wild Pokémon they're fighting gets captured. This was a good thing as it helped cut down on grinding a little bit.
Traveling down the Route, I found this guy with blue hair, looking like he came right out of an anime.
He's busy appreciating the beauty of the region. I don't blame him. Vesryn is a pretty place. He spots me and says I remind him of someone he knew. Maybe another trainer he knew. He remarks that Vesryn is a haven for Legendary Pokémon. Well, there was that monument to Ho-Oh in Superior Town...
He warns me to not get 'corrupted' by the Legendary Pokémon. I wonder what he means by that? He thinks I'll have enough trouble on my own already. Well, considering how Pokémon games tend to work, I'll likely cross paths with Team Olympus. Is that what he meant? He wishes me a nice day, then he takes his leave. Okay, then. Also, see that fisherman in the screenshot? He gave me an Old Rod. Nice! I can start fishing now!
Now that I got the Old Rod, I can talk about a little feature of this game that I really like. You can register certain items in this game to certain keys on the keyboard. You can literally use certain items at the push of a button.
I registered it to 'Q' because eh, why not?
One of the trainers you can battle in Route 302 is actually a breeder. She points out there's a Daycare Center around here. A Daycare Center is where you can place a Pokémon that needs to be leveled up a bit...or if you want to breed some Pokémon. Another reason I've been enjoying this game is because of the character dialogue. I'm serious, some of the trainers' dialogue is hilarious.
I never imagined I'd see McDonalds mentioned in a Pokémon game. But that's the fun of fan games, you can do some stuff Game Freak can't. Even funnier? This trainer here? He calls himself "Supa Hot Fire"! He thinks he's a rapper! It's great! And after you beat him, he admits he's no rapper! I love this game!
Route 302 leads straight to Route 303. Remember that Pokémon Day-Care Center that breeder mentioned? Here it is!
The men who run it are a happily married couple. That's...that's just awesome. If I can get a Ditto in this game, I'll have to come back here. If I can breed my Dustox with it, I might be able to get a Wurmple that will evolve into Silcoon, and then Beautifly. I think I mentioned that I hate Wurmple in a previous entry. Nearby the Pokémon Daycare is a cave.
This cave leads to a place called the Midnight Way. Behind the entrance there is a Super Potion. I'd pick it up. It can come in handy. Midnight Way is a cave that leads towards a building called the Midnight Mansion. The garden maze in front of it and the cave are good places to catch more Pokémon. That's about it, really. There's a Team Asgard grunt guarding the mansion's front door, and he won't battle you. We'll have to go back here later on. Funny enough, it's always raining at the Midnight Mansion. It's a never-ending thunderstorm there.
Seriously, it never stops raining there. It's weird. How does that work?! Is there something in the house affecting the weather? Is it haunted? It could be haunted. One of the trainers I battled on this route claimed the mansion was possessed. Also a word of warning, near the Midnight Way is a Psychic trainer who has a Kadabra that can pack a punch. At the end of the route is a bridge. And next to the entrance to Onega Town is a Berry Patch.
You can get a pair of Oran and Rawst Berries there. I like growing berries. It takes more time, but you save money on Potions and various other healing items. If only I had a watering can...
Our character's rival Jake is waiting to battle us at the entrance. Friggin' Jake and his swag... He brags about having two badges already, saying the Gyms here are terrible. Maybe he'll make his own gym one day. Dude, just because those Gyms were easy for you, it doesn't mean they were terrible.
He also says he wants to make his own gym. Yeah sure, pal. He says he'll run it out of a mansion and hand out Swag Badges. Hahahahahaha! Yeah, like the League will allow that, buddy. They'll laugh you all the way out of the region! I think he needs a bit of humbling. As such, it is time to battle.
Here's how the battle against Jake went for me:
1st Pokémon: Charmander (Lv. 14) - Easily defeated by Seadra
2nd Pokémon: Horsea (Lv. 16) - Easily defeated by Bulbasaur
Jake just grumbles and lets me by afterwards. I think I wounded his fragile ego a bit. Good. And with that, I have arrived in Onega Town.
Onega is a nice little town. When you arrive, there's a Pokémon Center right near the entrance. A clever bit of building placement if you ask me. There's quite a lot of wild Pokémon and Trainers on the previous two routes (not to mention Midnight Way and the front hedge maze of the Midnight Mansion), so having the Center here feels like you're finally getting relief at last. Nearby the Pokémon Center is a man with a Diglett who makes a joke about being so hip, all his Pokémon are underground!
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| Ohhhh, the punnage...it huuuuurts... |
Talking to the people here can reveal some interesting stuff. According to an old lady here, it's believed that the Pokémon known as Shaymin once lived here. Hmmm, between Shaymin possibly living in Onega in the past, and Zarivar Town having a shrine to Ho-Oh, I get the feeling that towns having a connection to Legendary Pokémon is going to be a thing in this game.
I learned from a kid here that the local Gym Leader here is named Gideon. Apparently, he was a former actor who became a Gym Leader after he suffered an on-set injury. I wonder what kind of injury he got that would make him give up acting. Anyway, he's a specialist in Grass-type Pokémon... which makes me really glad I picked a Magby as my starter. I also learned from another man that he was a bit mopey because of the loss of his acting career. Again, what kind of injury would have to make him give up acting?
Nearby the Pokémon Center is the entrance to the Safari Zone. Yeah, we get to see this game's version of the Safari Zone early on! Well, one of them. Yeah, there are multiple Safari Zones in this game.
I admit, I am rather mixed on the Safari Zone idea. On one hand, I think it's a nice way to change up the gameplay a little bit. On the other, how it works always frustrates me. You can't weaken the Pokémon before trying to catch it, and whether you manage to catch a Pokémon or not depends on chance. It can be pretty annoying. But enough of my griping. Let's move on. There's a small mountain right nearby that has a cave.
The item there is a Pokégear. This takes me back. I first remember this from Pokémon Platinum. Right now, all I got in this thing is a map, but I'm sure that I can get upgrades that can give this thing new features. I tried to enter the cave, but I was stopped by some unknown thing that told me that I still had things to do in Onega Town. Huh.
Above this mountainous area is a big ol' Berry Patch.
Once I get my paws on a watering can, I have got to come back here. This looks a great area to grow some Berries. Above it, you may notice a couple of trees. Those hide the entrance to a Hidden Grotto. Yup, in this fangame, there are hidden Grottos around where we can get an item or try to catch a Pokémon.
Wandering around the Berry patch is a woman with a microphone. She'll want to ask you some questions about your journey so far. Mainly about the battle against Devon in Superior City. How the battle against Devon went, his toughest Pokémon, and opinion on whether he was a good Gym Leader or not. I said it wasn't overly difficult, his Riolu was the toughest Pokémon (mainly because Devon kept healing it), and I thought he was a good Gym Leader (Never heard anything to suggest he wasn't). After this survey, she tells me she plans to take my answers back to "HQ", and gives me a Great Ball.
There is one major thing to do here besides the Gym: Check out the Onega Town Museum! I heard they have some great exhibits there!
Huh. What're those two guys doing there? Well, they're not guards, they're Team Olympus goons. They're obviously not very bright ones, as they outright tell me that they're out stealing some artifacts from the museum.
Yes, they are that stupid. Inside, there are some grunts that need to be cleared out. Pawniard seems to be a popular Pokémon with them. I've also encountered users of Karrablast and Shelmet. Shelmet. Heh heh. I don't know why, but that name amuses me. Shelmet. In case you're wondering, this is a Shelmet.
Shelmet is native to the Unova region, being a Generation V Pokémon. It first appeared in Pokémon Black and White. It has a rather unique form of evolution. It has to be traded with another Pokémon called Karrablast to evolve into Accelgor. Pokémon evolving through trade is not new (It's how you can get Alakazam, Golem, Gengar, and Machamp in Gen I), but requiring a specific Pokémon to trade with is odd. I don't think there are any other Pokémon with this unique relationship.
Anyway, I made my way through the museum, beating the guards down in Pokémon battles. One proclaims they were invincible. Dude, my Pokémon just wrecked your comrades' Pokémon! Did you not see that?! I eventually found this bunch hanging around.
I think it's pretty obvious that they're some Team Olympus bigwigs. Especially eyepatch guy. They spot me and Olympus Commander Athena wants a piece of me. Bring it on! Her Pokémon went as such:
- 1st Pokémon: Hoothoot (Lv. 15) - Easily defeated by Luxray.
- 2nd Pokémon: Riolu (Lv. 16) - Defeated by Pidgey and Butterfree
- 3rd Pokémon: Beldum (Lv. 18) - Easily defeated by Magmar.
Eyepatch Guy isn't really angry about my easily beating Athena. That's because he's already got what they came to the museum for in the first place: The Time Caller. It's an artifact that supposedly allows time travel. Still, Eyepatch Guy wants us to watch them use the Caller to catch a legendary Pokémon. He sees me as worthy to watch, as I easily defeated Athena.
He commands his Pokémon Sableye to use the Caller. Remember when we were told that this town had a connection to Shaymin? Well, the Caller was used to summon said Pokémon in its Sky Forme. Eyepatch Guy is able to catch the legendary Pokémon with a Master Ball. He then warns me not to cross his path again, as Shaymin will only be the first legendary Pokémon Team Olympus will get. They likely have multiple Master Balls, making it much easier for them. Thanks, Missingno. glitch. Thanks a lot.
Well, I can't worry about that now. At least the Museum was cleaned out. Team Olympus likely won't be bothering the place again any time soon. I still have a Gym to get through, and I just may check out that first Safari Zone.
Speaking of the Gym, learning about Gideon had gotten me thinking about what Pokémon I want to use to face him. Grass is vulnerable to five other types: Poison, Fire, Bug, Ice, and Flying. And considering all the Pokémon I've gotten so far (I've gotten over 50 at this point), I've got some options here. Magmar is an obvious keep on the team, as he's a Fire-type. The only other Fire-type I have is my Ponyta, so he could be some useful backup for Magmar. My Pidgey knows Gust, so she would be helpful as well. So would Butterfree. It's Bug/Flying, and it knows Gust. Elemental advantage. Dustox is another good Pokémon I can bring back to this team to fight Gideon. It's Bug/Poison, and it knows Gust and Poison Sting.
As for Flying-types, I got some choices. I got a Ledyba, who is Bug/Flying. Thing is, it's at a low level, and I have no Flying-type TMs. Unfortunately, I don't think it can learn any Flying-type attacks on its own. I also got a Murkrow. It's Dark/Flying, and it knows Peck. I have a Starly, which can learn Wing Attack. And finally, I have a Hoothoot, which can learn Peck. There's also Hoppip, but I don't think he can learn any Flying-type attacks.
Poor Tula the Seadra would be out, as she's a Water-type, and she knows no Ice attacks. My Bulbasaur may not be much help, as it's Grass itself. It knows Poison Powder. I don't think that my Luxio would do much damage as it's Electric. Ultimately, I went with a team of Magmar, Pidgey, Starly, Butterfree, Ponyta, and Dustox.
I think that's enough to take down Gideon. I have to do a bit of grinding, but it's no big deal. After clearing out the Onega Museum, there's something really cool to do. Below the museum, there is a house. The inside is creepy, and a chill permeates it. It's like something malevolent inside.
Examining the TV reveals that a Rotom lives in the house. You have to be careful, as if you beat this Rotom, that's it. No respawning. If you want a Rotom now, this is your only shot. Fail to catch it here, you'll have to wait until later in the game to try again. No pressure, is all I'm saying. It asks you if it knows who it is, and you should answer "Rotom". Because that's what it is. It then says that it can't let us leave the house alive.
Man, this thing is malicious. I think we'd better catch or defeat it before it ends up killing someone. It took a few tries, but I was able to catch it. I hope it doesn't go wacky if I need it on my team. I named my new Pokémon O'Rourke. Get it? Theyyy're heeeere... If you return to the house with Rotom, you get a surprise.
Yup, you can change Rotom's form here! Rotom is one of a few Pokémon that has the ability to change forms. Rotom in its default form is Electric/Ghost. But its form changes make it a mix of other types, as well as changes its appearance:
- Heat Rotom looks like an oven and is Electric/Fire
- Wash Rotom looks like a washing machine and is Electric/Water
- Frost Rotom looks like a refridgerator and is Electric/Ice
- Mow Rotom looks like a lawn mower and is Electric/Grass
- Fan Rotom looks like an electric fan and is Electric/Flying
Pretty neat, huh? I don't think it has much effect on the moveset of Rotom, though. Which is a shame.
I think we'll stop here for now. I have to prepare for Gideon. Wish me luck!
One thing I am amazed by is the sheer variety of Pokémon available early on. No joke. Onega is the second major city in the game, and on the way I have encountered about sixty Pokémon already. Yeah, there are a lot of species of Pokémon, so that's not exactly surprising. But what I was impressed with was that the Pokémon that have appeared have represented multiple generations of Pokémon games. It is a great way to homage the history of the franchise.
So far, Team Olympus seems to me like a standard villain team for Pokémon. Hopefully, their interest in legendaries will lead to something interesting.
Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, spread it around! See you next time!
Pokémon Obtained
(Nagarex Forest)
- Ferroseed
- Hoppip
(Wonder Cave)
- Onix
(Route 302)
- Ponyta
- Magikarp
- Bulbasaur
- Poochyena
- Clefairy
- Gastly
- Shinx
- Qwilfish
(Route 303)
- Patrat
- Abra
- Luxio (evolved from Shinx)
- Seadra (evolved from Horsea)
- Drowzee
- Ivysaur (evolved from Bulbsaur)
- Magmar (evolved from Magby)
- Goldeen
- Spoink
(Midnight Way)
- Nosepass
- Gible
(Midnight Mansion)
- Murkrow
- Munna
- Zorua
- Stunky
(Onega Town)
- Rotom
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