Let's Play Pokemon: Volt White! (Warning: lots of images)

[Kunoichi]

(Edit: Forgot to add this in - Many thanks to Drayano, the person who went to all the effort to create Pokemon Blaze Black and Pokemon Volt White.  Credit where credit is due, and so on.)

Hello and welcome, everyone! ^^ In case the title was a bit confusing, allow me to explain that this is a thread wherein I'll be playing a videogame for your amusement.  Through the magic of screenshots and commentary, and perhaps a little hand-drawn artwork, my hope is to keep you, the reader, entertained for quite some time as I run through the aforementioned videogame and do my best to claim victory!

...Incidentally, since this is going to involve a colossal amount of screenshots, does anyone know of a good image-host? ^^; I'm using ImageShack at the moment, but I don't know if it will be enough...

Anyway, moving on, if you read the title, you've probably already guessed that the game I'll be playing for you today is none other than-


Similarly, though, if you read the title, you're probably also guessing that it isn't exactly a standard version of Pokemon White.  If so, you've guessed correctly!  I'll allow my colleague, Professor Juniper, to properly explain what's different here.


As of the current generation of pokemon games, Generation V, there are 649 different kinds of pokemon in existence.  And this game has them all, with no need to trade from other versions for any of them.

Fabulous indeed. ;D


Out of the 649 pokemon in the game, more than 600 of them have had their move-sets altered in some way, and most of the weaker pokemon out there have gotten stat boosts or altered abilities to help make them more competitive.  There have also been some other changes like altering the types and evolution methods of certain pokemon, that were made for the sake of making the game more fun and interesting.

Incidentally, I don't actually know the full extent of the changes, myself, so I'm going to be having quite a lot of fun discovering them alongside you all. ^^


And with that, the explanation is finished.  Now, on to the Reader Participation Round!


Anyone who'd like to participate, please post your vote for the playable trainer's gender in the thread, along with any name suggestions you might have.  The character limit on Trainer names is 7 letters.  I'll tally up the votes and see which names I like, then make the choices accordingly.

Oh, and while we're at it...


...It's also time to pick out a starter.  Make sure to post that as well, and any name suggestions you've got for pokemon.  The character limit on Pokemon names is 10 letters.

Snivy, the Grass Snake Pokemon
It is very intelligent and calm. Being exposed to lots of sunlight makes its movements swifter. They photosynthesize by bathing their tails in sunlight. When they are not feeling well, their tails droop.
Snivy is both the quickest of the starters and the one with the best defenses.  Its highest evolved form is the Grass/Dragon-type Serperior, which is just a straight Grass-type in the non-hacked version of the game.  The elegant choice.

Tepig, the Fire Pig Pokemon
It blows fire through its nose. When it catches a cold, the fire becomes pitch-black smoke instead. It can deftly dodge its foe's attacks while shooting fireballs from its nose. It roasts berries before it eats them.
Tepig starts out with high HP and physical attack, and winds up learning moves which take advantage of these features.  Its highest evolved form is the Fire/Ground-type Emboar, who is a Fire/Fighting-type in the non-hacked version.  The headstrong choice.

Oshawott, the Sea Otter Pokemon
It fights using the scalchop on its stomach. In response to an attack, it retaliates immediately by slashing. The scalchop on its stomach is made from the same element as claws. It detaches the scalchop for use as a blade.
Oshawott has a good special attack stat, as well as decent physical attack and HP.  Its highest evolved form is the Water/Fighting-type Samurott, a straight Water-type in the non-hacked version.  The flexible choice.



The choices are yours, and yours alone!  Here's hoping we all have fun with this. ;D

[Gensokian]

This could be interesting...o.o

I say, though, you should be a girl, 'cause you're a girl, and the name should be Mariah, and go with Tepig, 'cause I always use the fire-type. :3

[Kunoichi]

Interestingly enough, I've made a habit of always picking the Fire-type Starter, too. ^^ Starting all the way back from when I got the original Pokemon Red for Christmas...  Charizard was pretty awesome.

Thanks to the Pokemon anime, I wound up choosing Snivy the last time I played either Pokemon White or Pokemon Volt White, though.  And now I'm kinda hoping more people join in and choose Oshawott... ^^;

Still, any one of the three choices should be fun. ;D

[DarkWorld0BrightHope]

Rolled a two. Tepig is the choice.

For a joke name... Manny Kins is worth considering.

Honestly I'm just curious how this'll turn out.

[ReijiTabibito]

The choices are yours, and yours alone!

Big Mac, lower your gate.  :P





Sorry, couldn't resist.

Anyways...

Alright.  Recommended starting gender: Girl.  'Cause as it's been pointed out, you are one.  Plus, gal's got some wonderful crazy anime hair.

Name:  Two choices.  Go with Haruka (which in Japanese, can be written to mean 'the strongest,' good for any choice), or Mizuki (good if Oshawatt is chosen, since the 'Mizu' portion is written with the character for water).

Recommended starting type: Honestly, I can see valid arguments for all three.  However, let me make the arguments for each one, and then tell you what I think, knowing that I know nothing about this version of the game.

Grass: High defense means more survivability, plus high speed means you'll almost always get to make the first move in a fight, and that can be critical when it comes down to the wire.  Unfortunately, on the Type Chart, Grass has the lowest number of 2x damage categories (out of it, Fire, and Water), and the highest number of 1/2 damage categories - 2 and 7, respectively - for when it deals damage.  When it takes damage, it has the highest probability categorically of taking 2x damage - it is susceptible to 2x damage from 5 categories, compared to Fire's 3 and Water's 2.

Fire: High HP means survivability, and a high physical attack means you can teach it phys-type moves (which often have higher PP) rather than rely on its special attacks.  Plus, Fire gets 2x damage versus Steel-type Mons, and most types only get 1/2 (only 5 categories of Mons do normal or double damage to Steel-type, out of 17 types).  However, experience has told me (from only Red and Blue and Yellow, so remember this) that Fire types often have difficulty starting out, that the gym leaders you face early on are geared towards making it difficult for Fire-type mons to damage them.  So you might need to spend a lot of time and money training extra Mons to help.  Plus, I don't know how good Tepig's defense is.  High HP is good, but it means nothing if your defense sucks.

Water: Good special attack means that when you use Water-type moves, you'll get a good amount of damage in, especially if it's a mon type that is weak against Water (such as Fire!).  Plus, that the game touts it as the 'flexible' choice means that it can go a pretty long way with a modicum of training.  Flexibility is good in the Pokemon verse.  However...Water doesn't get much in the 2x damage department.  It doesn't have a lot in the half damage, either, but still.  It is a very consistent damage dealer, but don't expect to get it to pull your ass out of the frying pan unless the enemy has a lot of Fire, Ground, or Rock-types lined up.

My choice, well...opinion forthcoming.

[Kunoichi]

Grass: High defense means more survivability, plus high speed means you'll almost always get to make the first move in a fight, and that can be critical when it comes down to the wire.  Unfortunately, on the Type Chart, Grass has the lowest number of 2x damage categories (out of it, Fire, and Water), and the highest number of 1/2 damage categories - 2 and 7, respectively - for when it deals damage.  When it takes damage, it has the highest probability categorically of taking 2x damage - it is susceptible to 2x damage from 5 categories, compared to Fire's 3 and Water's 2.

Don't forget that it gains the Dragon type as it levels up, though, and also learns some good Dragon-type moves.  Since the R/B/Y days, the Dragon type has had its move pool increased by a pretty decent amount, so you don't have to worry about me being stuck with just Dragon Rage in the latter stages of the game, either. :P

For that matter, Serperior even has the opportunity to learn Draco Meteor from a Move Tutor later in the game, and there's a 50/50 chance of it starting out with an ability that would make that move even more devastatingly effective...

Fire: High HP means survivability, and a high physical attack means you can teach it phys-type moves (which often have higher PP) rather than rely on its special attacks.  Plus, Fire gets 2x damage versus Steel-type Mons, and most types only get 1/2 (only 5 categories of Mons do normal or double damage to Steel-type, out of 17 types).  However, experience has told me (from only Red and Blue and Yellow, so remember this) that Fire types often have difficulty starting out, that the gym leaders you face early on are geared towards making it difficult for Fire-type mons to damage them.  So you might need to spend a lot of time and money training extra Mons to help.  Plus, I don't know how good Tepig's defense is.  High HP is good, but it means nothing if your defense sucks.

In this game, the first gym is a triple-type gym whose Leader will always choose the type that puts the player at a disadvantage.  This makes it slightly annoying in the standard game, but you get access to quite a large variety of Pokemon by the time you make it there in this version of the game, so don't worry about the gyms. ^^

As for defense, from what I can tell, it's about average for the beginning of the game, rather than mediocre.  A glass cannon, Tepig is not.

Water: Good special attack means that when you use Water-type moves, you'll get a good amount of damage in, especially if it's a mon type that is weak against Water (such as Fire!).  Plus, that the game touts it as the 'flexible' choice means that it can go a pretty long way with a modicum of training.  Flexibility is good in the Pokemon verse.  However...Water doesn't get much in the 2x damage department.  It doesn't have a lot in the half damage, either, but still.  It is a very consistent damage dealer, but don't expect to get it to pull your ass out of the frying pan unless the enemy has a lot of Fire, Ground, or Rock-types lined up.

Actually, starting from Generation IV, moves are no longer split into Physical and Special along type lines.  Instead, they're split based on whether the move makes sense as a Physical or Special move.  For example, Crabhammer is a Water-type Physical attack, while Water Gun is a Special attack.

Also, those comments about being the 'Elegant', 'Headstrong' and 'Flexible' choices aren't anything official.  They're just something I added in for flavor. ^^; Sorry for any confusion that may have caused.

[ReijiTabibito]

Grass: Yes, the Dragon may have gotten developed quite a bit since the days of R/B/Y, but from what I read on the type chart for White games, it's not nearly the beast that it was during the first era.  It got double damage against a lot of types, and took half damage from a lot of types, too.  Now, Dragons only deal double damage to other dragons, and they only take half damage from Fire, Water, Electric, and Grass types.  Although that one move does sound pretty good.

Fire: Okay.  Wasn't sure.  How's the speed on Tepig?  To me, high HP/average defense and high defense/average HP are the same, so in a pitched battle, speed might be the determining factor.  It doesn't matter how hard you hit if the opponent gets to hit you first, and each of you are down to one hit left before KO.

Water:  My point about Water being a consistent damage dealer still stands.  That said, you can use Water mons and what few double damage potentials they do have to get access to good types.  They get double damage against Fire, Ground, and Rock mons.  Each of those categories gets a very large number of double damages, and two of those types - Fire and Ground - get double damage against Steel-types, which seem a solid bet for defensive powerhouses.

[JackWhite]

Why not Pokemon Yellow? You get the three greatest starters + Pikachu

[Kunoichi]

As far as starting stats go, no two pokemon are likely to start with the exactly the same stats.  It's all determined by some complicated formula, based on the pokemon's Base Stats, IVs, and a few other factors.

I can give you the Base Stats, though.  For all the stats, they start out with values of 45 across the board.

Snivy has a base Speed stat of 63, and base Defense and Special Defense of 55 each.

Tepig has a base HP of 65, and a base Attack of 63.

Oshawott has a base Special Attack of 63, and base Attack and HP of 55 each.

You really don't have to worry too much about stats, though.  We're dealing with Starters here, so the end result will have awesome stats no matter what choice we make, by the time we're done with it, and since this version of the game has all 649, we'll have opportunities to pick up the other choices soon enough.  To say nothing of the starter pokemon from the other generations...

Why not Pokemon Yellow? You get the three greatest starters + Pikachu

I dunno, Cyndaquil was pretty awesome...  I might give Yellow a shot after completing this game, though.

[Gensokian]

I dunno, Cyndaquil was pretty awesome...  I might give Yellow a shot after completing this game, though.

Uh, Kuno...Cyndaquil was in Gold/Silver. Yellow was the redux of Red/Blue. ^^;

[Kunoichi]

I know.  I was disagreeing with him about Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle being the best three starters. :P

[Gensokian]

...Oh, my bad. See, it just looked like you were saying something about Cyndaquil being in Yellow, the way you put it and all that jazz...uh...well, this is embarrassing. >w<

[Chris Brady]

Back in Red/Blue, Bulbasaur was THE BEST of the starters for the first few gyms.  By the time you got past the first three or four, you had better Pokemon.

Then again, I did start with Crystal.  In fact it's been the only one I played to date.  Not being a fan of Nintendo and their gimmicks, in general.

[Kunoichi]

Ah, I see.  I've played through Red, Yellow and Gold, myself, but then I didn't bother getting into Ruby or Sapphire because it was getting a bit samey.  Then I picked up the series again at Diamond, only to get seriously annoyed when Platinum came out with all these extra features and an expanded storyline...

I hope you'll enjoy watching me play through Volt White, though. ^^ I'm guessing you don't have any preferences on trainer gender or which starter gets chosen?

[ReijiTabibito]

I know I'm blowing against the wind here, but my vote goes to either Snivy or Oshawott.  Though if there was a tie in votes between the two, and I had to pick one of them, I'd lean towards Oshawott, since you've said that you've played through as Snivy before.

[Maverick Hunter Cake]

I vote for you picking Oshawott. It's adorable now, but its later evolutions get more and more cool. Plus, I think the range of moves is cool too.(It's also my favorite of the Black and White starters, so I am probably a bit biased in this respect.) ^_^

[Kunoichi]

Hmm, two for Tepig, and two for Oshawott, then, it looks like...

Alright folks, my computer says it's 7:11 PM now, so I'll give it until 7:30 before closing the vote.  In the event that the vote remains tied, I'll flip a coin or something. ^^;

[Kunoichi]

...Aaaaaand time's up!  Alright, it looks like there's still a tie between the Fire Pig Pokemon, Tepig, and the Sea Otter Pokemon, Oshawott.  So, I'll give it a roll of the dice...

Odd numbers for Tepig, even for Oshawott. (1d6=6)

...And a winner is Oshawott!  Update should be up some time later tonight, folks. ^^

[Kunoichi]

Let's Play Pokemon: Volt White! - Part 2

To start off, I think I'll show off something I skipped over the last time.



Namely, that Pokemon: Volt White isn't normally compatible with the emulator I'm using.  Actually, even plain old ordinary copies of Pokemon Black and Pokemon White aren't compatible with most DS emulators out there, but it is possible to use certain Action Replay codes to get them to work, like so:



...Pay no attention to the other stuff on there. O:)

Anyway, on with the show~!



Last time I checked, yes.

Credit to Gensokian for the name.


Righty and Lefty? :P



Hey, I thought I was supposed to name them? >:(



I mean, I probably couldn't come up with better names than Cheren or Bianca, and I'd probably just name them Glasses-Boy and Poofy-Hat-Girl, but-


Gah!  What?! >:(



And then I get to beat them up and take their stuff?



...Can we get started now?





Dear Diary,
Today is the best day of my life! ^o^ When I got home from school today, Mom said Professor Juniper had come by and dropped off a gift for me.  I just know it's those Pokemon she promised she was going to give me and Cheren and Bianca.  I'm so excited.  All I have to do now is wait for my friends to get here, and


Gah!



Cheren, you jerk! >:( You nearly gave me a heart attack!



That doesn't sound like an apology.



Oh no you don't.  Changing the subject isn't gonna work.



Hey Bianca.  Now, Cheren, as I was saying-



...He's ignoring me. :-(



They're in this box over here.



Well, at least he isn't a complete jerk about this.



I just said that. ::)



I already know which one I want. ^^



'Wanted Snivy from the start'?  Oh Cheren, you and your silly internet strategies. :D



...In the middle of my room? Oo;



What he said.



Uh, Bianca, they don't look like they appreciate you calling them that...



...I don't get a choice in this, do I? :-(




Hmm... :-\

"Tepig, Tail Whip!"
Oshawott, Tackle!



"Tepig, Tackle!"



>>; ...Ouchies?



You trashed my room and beat up my Oshawott. :'(

Cheren!  Get her!



That's not getting her, Cheren!



...

...Well, at least you apologized.

*glares at Cheren*



Oh sure, now you go after her.



...Well, at least you brought medicine.



I don't know, I'm not sure I feel like having another battle...



Okay, now you're just trying to provoke me. >:(



Get 'im, Oshawott!




Okay, I learned my lesson from last time!  Oshawott, use Tail Whip to lower Snivy's defense!



...WHAT.



No.  What?!  Are you cheating?  You're cheating somehow, aren't you!




You wanted Snivy from the start so you could cheat with it! >:(



You're a cheating cheater who cheats!




...





Aloha!  And welcome to Kunoichi's Advice Corner! ;D

Mariah is taking a short break at the moment, but don't worry!  In spite of the frightening game-over screen, I'm here to assure you that her journey won't end before it even truly started! (That screen was fake, anyway.)

For those of you who are wondering about that second battle, today I would like to talk to you about Pokemon Abilities!  First, for those of you who need a refresher:

"Abilities (Japanese: 特性 special characteristic) are a game mechanic introduced in Generation III. Individual Pokémon may have just one of these special attributes at a time, which generally serve to assist them in battle. An Ability cannot be changed after a Pokémon is obtained except by evolution, where the Ability it changes into is determined by the former Ability, and form change. Not every Ability is beneficial; some will hinder the user." (Text courtesy of Bulbapedia)

In Pokemon Volt White, many of the Pokemon have altered abilities, compared to the normal versions of their selves.  Many Pokemon that only get a single ability in the un-hacked version of the game will instead have one of two possible abilities in this version.  More mysteriously, many of them will have abilities that they could only have obtained in the Dream World, before!

These abilities are especially potent, as you saw here.  Thanks to these changes, young Cheren was able to obtain a Snivy with the ability known as Contrary.  For Pokemon with Contrary, abilities that would raise their stats will instead lower them, and abilities that would lower their stats will instead raise them.  The fact that he wanted a Snivy with this ability from the start suggests that he's done quite a bit of research.

Here, let's sneak in his room while he's away and take a look at his computer.

...

...Hmm.  It seems he's been looking up moves that Snivy's final evolutionary stage, Serperior, can learn.  There seem to be two in particular that he's spent a lot of time looking over...

"Leaf Storm deals a lot of damage, and lowers the user's Special Attack by two stages afterward."

"Draco Meteor inflicts a great deal of damage, and lowers the user's Special Attack by two stages."



...I think miss Mariah is going to be in for a tough time in the late stages of the game...

[ReijiTabibito]

Okay.  So all mons everywhere have this special ability - not Contrary, the concept..  I'm assuming large amounts of overlap, and not a unique ability for every one, because that means over 600 abilities.

So, if all mons have it, then Oshawott must have one.  Which is...?

[Kunoichi]

Yep, all Pokemon have an ability of some sort, and many of them have abilities that overlap.



For example, Oshawott's ability is Torrent, which increases the power of his Water-type moves if he has 50% or less of his health remaining.  Torrent is the 'standard' ability for Oshawott, and also the standard ability for each of the previous generations' Water-type Starters.  The other Starters all get similar abilities, called Overgrow and Blaze, that power up Grass-type and Fire-type moves, respectively.

Cheren's Snivy has an alternate ability which was already explained, and though she hasn't had a chance to show it yet, Bianca's Tepig also has an alternate ability, Adaptability.

Adaptability increases the damage done when the Pokemon that has it gets a same type ability bonus to an attack, so when we face her in the future, Bianca's Tepig is going to hit pretty hard with those Fire- and Ground-type moves.

The other ability we could have gotten for Oshawott was Vital Spirit, an ability which prevents the Pokemon that has it from being inflicted with the Sleeping condition.  It's a useful little ability, but not having it isn't as big a loss as the alternate abilities would have been on the other two.

[Gensokian]

Oh, man, that is going to make for a rather difficult time...and I honestly think that you're going to have a hard time without Vital Spirit; I know that the Sleep condition always gets to me...and perhaps you were just supposed to lose the first two battles. I dunno...this hack does seem to up the challenge factor...

[Kunoichi]

Nah, the first two battles you could either win or lose, actually.  I know I won them both during my previous two times playing when I chose Snivy as a starter, and I only got Contrary as an ability on the second time.

It probably would have been nice of them to give you a potion or two before those two matches, though.  Even one potion would have come in quite handy.

[DarkWorld0BrightHope]

I love the amusing commentary.   ;D You also make a good sales pitch for this rom.

[Kunoichi]

Oh?  Well, the link at the top of the opening post leads to a page where you can download the patch files for yourself, if you want to give the game a shot. ^^ You'll have to find a completely clean copy of the rom to install the patch files onto, though, and it was pretty difficult for me to find one when I downloaded this hack.

The page that's linked to also contains a file with just the documentation for the game, if anyone wants to look over the various changes made to Pokemon, Trainers, and see which wild Pokemon show up where.  To give a slight example, the encounter rates for the upcoming Route 1 are:

Lillipup (20%), Pidgey (20%), Bidoof (10%), Sentret (10%), Rattata (10%), Zigzagoon (10%), Starly (10%), Hoothoot (10%)

So in the immediate future, Mariah will wind up facing the usual assortment of birds, rodents, and one variety of canine, rather than the single rodent and single canine that show up in the regular version of the game.

[Gensokian]

Well, that's quite an assortment, and oddly enough, it kinda makes sense that they'd all be together like that...somehow.

[Maverick Hunter Cake]

Awwww, no poochyena in the first route? He had the tendency to jump out at you in the first areas of the Hoenn region, I believe.

[Kunoichi]

Poochyena shows up in Route 2. ;)

[Maverick Hunter Cake]

Poochyena shows up in Route 2. ;)

Yaaaaaay!  :D This rom seems pretty cool to play, and it does seem to be really hard...I wonder if the people who made this rom hack will make one for Pokemon Black and White 2.(Yep, there's a direct sequel being made for black and white version.)

[Gensokian]

A direct sequel to them? Man, Nintendo must be officially out of ideas of colors or precious gems. :/

[Maverick Hunter Cake]

A direct sequel to them? Man, Nintendo must be officially out of ideas of colors or precious gems. :/

I think it's because in Black and White they did leave a few loose ties(Where did N go? The shadow triads warning and the fact they are still there.) they could work off of. I wouldn't really write it off just yet. At least it's better then a remake of Black and White.

[Kunoichi]

Let's Play Pokemon: Volt White! - Part 3: THE ADVENTURE BEGINS!

Dear Diary,
Today, I got Oshawott, my very first Pokemon!  I then proceeded to lose two matches in a row with him to my friends.  FML.



Well, I suppose I can't hide in my room forever...



My Mom's awesome. 8-)



I don't have anything to say to you, cheater. >:(



See?  Bianca doesn't want to hang out with you either, Cheren.

See you in a little bit, Bianca. :-)



You mean you lost your first Pokemon battle, too? :-( It must run in the family... D:



Insert Pokemon Center noise here.



Thanks. :-\



I can haz Bike nao?!  My Mom is awesome! 8-)

(Fun fact about Blaze Black and Volt White: You get access to the Bicycle right off the bat.  No need to go on foot to the next three cities or so!)



Oh, yeah, I probably should...



Hmm, go wait with stupid Cheren for Bianca to come back, or...



Wheeeeeeee! ;D



Oh, look, Bianca's house!  But why is someone inside shouting so loudly?  I'd better check out what's going on.

Hey, Bian-



:o



Ah.  Um... hey, Bianca.  Is everything alright?



...Okay.  See you in a bit. :-\



...You. >:(



You're a bad man, and you should feel bad. >:(



And you're being an enabler! >:(



My Mom is way more awesome than you. >:(



Wheeeeeeee!



We already know-



...Cheren, has anyone ever told you it's rude to interrupt other people?



I knew I should have worn my formal underwear today. :-X



I think you could learn a lot from studying my Oshawott.



Yeah.  I lost. :-(



...I'm not sure your definiton of 'trust' is the same as mine...



Eh, why not?  Given Oshawott's performance earlier today, I think I've got the perfect nickname for him...



:3



Poke-wha?



This is another one of those internet-things Cheren spends so much time looking up, isn't it?



Teacher's pet. :P



So...  You want us to do most of your work for you?



You don't have to shout, Professor Juniper.  We're standing right here.



...I don't know, it seems like an awful lot of work, and you're not even going to be paying us...



...What.



You're not actually giving me a choice in this, are you?

...Fine.  I'll do it. >:(



You guys are clearly a lot happier about this than I am.



...The best possible answer is you twisting my arm until I say yes?



Yeah, sure, whatever...



Hmm...  Yeah, I say go for it, Bianca. ^^ Live the dream!



See?  Cheren agrees with me.

Now, since Professor Juniper isn't here, let's see if she's got anything interesting laying around... :3



It does?



...Huh. I have my very own Trainer card...

...



;)

Alright, off to Route 1!



Oh, hi Mom.  Professor Juniper asked us to help her out with some Poke-whatsit project or something.



My Mom is awesome. 8-)



And with three, there's one for each of us. ^^



You guys only wish your parents were as cool as mine. ;D



Okay.  Thanks, Mom!



But Kenny lost two battles in a row. :-( Suddenly, I don't feel so safe...



Make sure you set Bianca's Dad straight, okay?



And waving goodbye, she walked back to my house.



Yes, Cheren, we all know how maps work.



Yeah, we'd better hurry up and leave, before my Mom tells your Dad that we're skipping town.



Wheeeeeeee! ;D



I know, Bianca.  The town only has one exit.



...That was redundant.



Three!



...What's he so eager about?



I'm not.



Oh, good, so I don't have to do any writing.



I think I've seen this part on TV...



Yep, just like in that Pokeball commercial.



No, I was too busy lusting after your sexy, labcoat-clad form. ::)



Wait...  Lusting after...  And Cheren seemed awfully eager to not keep you waiting...



...I only get five?



Yeah, I know.  I'm keeping Kenny in one of these things, remember?



Oh god, Cheren's staring at her rear. D:



No, Cheren, she just didn't see the need to mention it because they covered that in pre-school.  Remember?  All those colorful posters and teachers telling the little kids again and again that it wasn't safe to go out into the wild without a Pokemon by your side?



...I guess I'd better go as well...



I kinda want to buy Potions, myself.



?



Oh?



Down, boy.  I don't think she's interested.



...A chance to make up for my earlier humiliating defeats?

You're on.



Seriously, Cheren, she had a picture in her lab where she was standing next to another man.  I'm pretty sure she's taken.



Raid the first-aid cabinet, got it.

And on to Route 1...




Sentret, the Scout Pokemon
When Sentret sleeps, it does so while another stands guard. The sentry stands on its tail so it can see a long way. If it spots an enemy, it cries loudly to warn its kind. It has a very nervous nature. When this Pokémon becomes separated from its pack, it becomes incapable of sleep due to fear.


Tally's moves are Dizzy Punch, Scratch, and Foresight.  The first move does more damage than the second and has a chance of causing Confusion, while the last move makes it so that Ghost types can be hit by Normal- and Fighting-type attacks, and resets an opponent's evasion stat to normal.  You'll want to use it if someone's been abusing Double Team.

Tally's ability is Frisk, which lets her tell what item an opponent is holding, if it has one.



Lillipup was tougher to catch than the others.  I wasted a Pokeball. :-(



Lillipup, the Puppy Pokemon
The long hair around its face provides an amazing radar that lets it sense subtle changes in its surroundings. It faces strong opponents with great courage. But, when at a disadvantage in a fight, this intelligent Pokémon flees.


Scamp's moves are Leer, Tackle, and Odor Sleuth.  Odor Sleuth is exactly like Foresight, and Leer lowers an opponent's defense.  I'm sure I don't have to explain what Tackle does.

Scamp's ability is Pickup.  In battle, if she isn't carrying anything, she can pick up used berries and other single-use carried items that the opponent's Pokemon makes use of during the battle.  Also, if the opponent uses a move called Fling, which involves throwing a held item at the target, she can make use of it then, as well.

Outside of battle, she's got a 10% chance of randomly picking up free items. ^^



Ah, Bidoof, the much-maligned rodent of Generation IV.  Seen here using his ability, Moody, which randomly raises one stat and then lowers another each round during the combat.



Bidoof, the Plump Mouse Pokemon
With nerves of steel, nothing can perturb it. It is more agile and active than it appears. It nests alongside water. It constantly gnaws on logs and rocks to whittle down its front teeth. A comparison revealed that Bidoof's front teeth grow at the same rate as Rattata's.


The only move Doof knows at the moment is Tackle and his stats are terrible.  Also, when he evolves at level 15, he'll become the Normal/Water-type Pokemon Bibarel, meaning Kenny will render him redundant.

Guess who's going to be sitting in the computer once I get to the Pokemon Center? :3



This nice person gave me a Potion!  ...I promptly used it to heal Kenny, though. ^^;




Hoothoot, the Owl Pokemon
Hoothoot has an internal organ that senses and tracks the earth's rotation. Using this special organ, this Pokémon begins hooting at precisely the same time every day. It always stands on one foot. Even when attacked, it does not brace itself using both feet. It changes feet so fast, the movement can rarely be seen. Some countries consider it to be a wise friend, versed in the world's ways.


'Cause Athena was the goddess of wisdom, and the owl was her symbol, get it? ^^;

Athena has four moves at this level.  Tackle you already know, Growl lowers the opponent's Attack, Foresight you already know, and her fourth move is Night Shade, a Ghost-type move.  It always inflicts damage to the target equal to the user's level, regardless of type advantage or disadvantage.  Normal-type Pokemon still get to take advantage of their immunity to Ghost-type moves, though.

Now, admittedly, at level 3, this isn't a very useful move.  At level 45, it'll be pretty powerful, though, and at level 100...

Athena's ability is Insomnia, which keeps her from being put to sleep.



I'm out of Pokeballs now, so yes.



...Oh really...? >:)



Check it, five Pokemon!  You can bow down and start worshipping me, now. 8-)



Nah, I'm more excited about winning something today.



...You're imagining her in her underwear now, aren't you? D:



Agh!  ...Oh, it's just my phone.



It's a video-phone? :o



Professor Juniper looks kinda mad.  Maybe we kept her waiting too long...



Okay, nobody's around?

>>

<<




WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! ;D

[Gensokian]

Wow, you were busy...@.@

I've just now noticed how much pushing the professors do now, though, and how it's kinda mean to those who just wanna spend time playing with the Pokemon. >w>

[Kunoichi]

Yeah, when it comes to the Professors, you're generally better off just nodding your head until they're done.  They like to talk a lot, and generally don't take no for an answer, so it's pretty annoying to try and fight them on things.

They really shouldn't present the illusion of choice like that, though...

Edit: Oh, by the way, here's the real reason I like getting the bike early.

Pokémon Black and White - Bicycle Theme EXTENDED

Wheeeeee! ;D

[Gensokian]

The bike music just keeps getting better and better. It's like they have more software to work with better sounds and instruments or something. >w>

[Chris Brady]

I love the internal dialog.  Thanks Kuni-chan.  That was freakin' hilarious.

[Kunoichi]

You're welcome, and I'm glad you enjoyed it. ^^

Ah, and speaking of improvements made in music, I should probably also toss in the music that was playing during the Bianca and Cheren fights...

Pokémon Black and White Music Rival Battle Extended

It's the best rival music ever. ;D

[Kunoichi]

Let's Play Pokemon: Volt White! - Part 4: Catchin' Friends and Meetin' Foes

Wheeeee-okay, on to the Pokemon Center.



Here I am.

...Rock you like a hurricane. >>;



Yeah.  It'd be more fun if this was one of those games with Walking Pokemon, though.  Like Yellow, or HeartGold and SoulSilver.



You can't really see it at this angle, but Cheren is over in the town square to the left, sulking.  I guess he got rejected.



Well, it is air-conditioned...



Bianca's a lot more excited about this than I am.



...Okay.  That's convenient.



But I thought Cheren and Bianca were my best friends?



Well, alright, I guess my pokemon did take some dama-



...

...Okay, you two are being jerks.  I'll come back later.



Yep.  It's another choice that isn't actually a choice, folks.



Yes, since someone is twisting my arm about it.



That was quick.  And much more polite than the other two people on this side of the counter.



I know how to use a computer, Professor Juniper.  You should let Bianca be the one to give it a try.  Her Dad wouldn't let her get one.



More free stuff? Oo; Are these places the reason our taxes are so high?



...Yeah, that sounds like something that would cost a small fortune to install and maintain.



That's... not really cool at all, Professor.



Hmm.  I'm kinda curious about that, myself.



You don't actually know the answer, do you? :-X



...Oh.  Maybe you do.



False alarm.  She doesn't know who this 'Someone' is at all, Bianca.



Didn't these used to be in separate buildings?



It's true, he's smiling at us right now.

...It's kinda creepy.



Cheren probably looked this stuff up on the internet.  That cheater.



I don't believe you in the slightest.  She probably just wants to borrow us as text subjects for something. >:(



Yeah, whatever, don't let the door hit you on the way out.



Well, I certainly know what I'm getting.



You get a Premier Ball any time you buy ten Poke Balls.  It's basically a regular Poke Ball with different coloring.



I could've gotten twice as many of these things if I'd won against Cheren and Bianca. :-\



Hmm, sit with Cheren at what appears to be a boring seminar of some sort, or go catch more Pokemon?  I wonder which I want to do...



We got four Pokemon out of eight last time, so that means we only need four more to complete the set.  Let's see what we can find...



Awesome, that's one we need!  Get 'im, Kenny!



He killed Kenny. :'( That jerk...

Oh well, I've got reserves.



Zigzagoon, the TinyRaccoon Pokemon
Zigzagoon restlessly wanders everywhere at all times. This Pokémon does so because it is very curious. It becomes interested in anything that it happens to see. The hair on Zigzagoon's back is bristly. It rubs the hard back hair against trees to leave its territorial markings. This Pokémon may play dead to fool foes in battle.


Askew's moves are Growl, Tackle, and Tail Whip.  Growl and Tail Whip lower Attack and Defense, respectively, and they usually wind up getting swapped out for better moves as quickly as possible.

Askew has the same ability as Lillipup, Pickup.  Unfortunately, I didn't notice this at the time...



...So he wound up going in the box when I dropped off some superfluous members of the team.



Alright!  Another one of the Pokemon we're looking for!  Go get 'im again, Kenny!



...And then it took me an hour to find another one.  Kenny broke his losing streak, though, and in the meantime, other stuff happened.




Starly, the Starling Pokemon
Because they are weak individually, they form groups. However, they bicker if the group grows too big. They flock around mountains and fields, chasing after bug Pokémon. Their singing is noisy and annoying. Though small, they flap their wings with great power.


Named him after a G.I. Joe character. :-)

Hawk's moves were Tackle and Growl, and his ability is Keen Eye, which prevents his accuracy from being lowered.  This is a useful ability on this route, because the Pidgeys here love to use Sand-Attack.

Incidentally, Starly?  Introduced as the early-game bird Pokemon of Generation IV.  Surprisingly strong for the area you find them at, and it can evolve twice, which means it tends to stay relevant all throughout the game.

To give you a good idea of its power, Starly's second stage of evolution, Staravia, is as strong as Pidgey's third stage evolution, Pidgeot.  This bird is awesome. 8-)




Pidgey, the Tiny Bird Pokemon
Pidgey has an extremely sharp sense of direction. It is capable of unerringly returning home to its nest, however far it may be removed from its familiar surroundings. Common in grassy areas and forests, it is very docile and prefers to avoid conflict. If disturbed, it will often kick up sand to protect itself rather than fight back.


Big Pecks had three moves when I caught him, Tackle, Gust and Razor Wind.  Gust is a Flying-type move that deals some decent damage for this level, while Razor Wind is a fairly powerful Normal-type move with only 10 PP, in which the user spends one turn building up a whirlwind, then sends it to hit the target on the next turn.

Pidgey was given Razor Wind and Gust at lower-than-normal levels in this hack to keep Starly from rendering it irrelevant.

Also, Big Pecks' ability is called Big Pecks. :P It renders him immune to any attempt to lower his defense stats.



Hypnosis puts Pokemon to sleep, which is useful for catching them.  It isn't the most accurate sleep-inducing move out there, however...



Sand-Attack is a Ground-type move that lowers the target's accuracy.  It's mentioned in the last line of the Pokedex entry above, and the Pidgeys on Route 1 certainly like to use it a lot.



Pick Up is a really cool ability.  Pity Askew was left in the box for this part.



Bite is a decently-powerful Dark-type move, especially at this early level in the game.  More importantly any opponent hit by it has a chance to Flinch, effectively negating their move for the round.

And then, after an hour had passed and most of the Pokemon I was using had levelled up significantly, this happened:




Rattata, the Mouse Pokemon
Rattata is cautious in the extreme. Even while it is asleep, it constantly listens by moving its ears around. It is not picky about where it lives - it will make its nest anywhere. Its fangs are long and very sharp. They grow continuously, so it gnaws on hard things to whittle them down.


Pinky's moves are Tackle, Tail Whip, Bite, and Quick Attack.  Quick Attack is an attack that causes the user to always go first.  It can be pretty handy in a fight.

Pinky's ability is Guts, which raises her Attack if she picks up a status problem.  Not a bad boost to get when you've been Burned or Paralyzed.



And back to the Pokemon Center to drop off another Pokemon, and while I was there, Scamp picked up something else...



And this is the team I chose to take with me when I left the Pokecenter to go check out that rally, or whatever it is.



Cheren, I'm standing right in front of you. ::)



...The background music suddenly got all dark and creepy... :o








I didn't say anything during the speech because all those guys in uniform looked like they were there to beat up hecklers.



Well, I note that the man never actually presented any sort of evidence for anything he was saying...



Nothing is impossi-! Oh, the crowd's breaking up.



No he doesn't Cheren.  You just listen too slow.



I don't need your pity. >:(



...Really?  Man, your parents definitely aren't as awesome as mine.



Way to go, Cheren. >:( I suppose you'll be giving him all your credit card information, next?



Well, I suppose we could always catch and release...



...But if you can talk to Pokemon, what's stopping you from just asking them?



Okay, I suppose I walked into that one.



Alright, there's no way I'm losing this one!



And then Pinky was knocked unconscious. :-(



The attack that Nincada used to KO Pinky was a Bug-type move called Bug Bite.  As a Flying-type Pokemon, Athena is resistant to this move, so N had to rely on the weaker Quick Attack...



...With predictable results. ;)



If I hadn't put Big Pecks in the box, his Gust move would have been super-effective against the Fighting-type Mankey.  He wasn't there, though, so I decided to see if Kenny was really past his losing streak.



He was.

N's final Pokemon was the Dark-type Purrloin.  Since I gave Kenny a shot, I figured I'd give someone else a chance for the last one.



Won without a scratch. 8-) Also, I didn't catch it, but he learned his first Flying-type move, Wing Attack, at this level.



Penny for your thoughts, Cheren?



My sentiments exactly.



Yeah, plus I guess I can just beat him up if he tries something.



Really?  'Cause my team's gotten pretty strong from just beating up on wild Pokemon.



Oh, sure, just ignore me and walk away any time I have an opinion. >:( Real mature, Cheren.

Welp, back to the Pokemon Center...



And with Askew and Big Pecks back on my team, we'll be hitting Route 2 on the next update!

Incidentally, folks, it's that time again...  Time for another Reader Participation Round!

The following wild Pokemon can be found on the next Route:

Caterpie
Kricketot
Mankey
Meowth
Patrat
Poochyena
Purrloin
Spearow
Weedle
Wurmple

If you'd like to get a quick mention in the LP, feel free to come up with names for as many of these Pokemon as you feel like coming up with names for.  I won't necessarily use all name suggestions, but I'm sure you guys can come up with better names than I can. ^^;

[Gensokian]

Lots more of being busy...and that Team Plasma sounds a lot like Pokemon PETA. >w>

As for nicknames...uh...well, I guess Caterpie can be Hermy, like Hermy the Wormy. >w<

[DarkWorld0BrightHope]

Well at least they sound like they care about their pokemon... though they obviously are just fancypants showboaters.

N seems like a nice boy, albeit... a bit zealous. Sure its good he cares about Pokemon, but the whole shoving his opinions down my throat thing througb use of pokeviolence isn't doing much to convince me he's worth listening to, even should his conclusion be valid.

I care about my animals, and my pokemon, i would like to believe I take care of the as well... rather than being some faceless asshole control freak. Hmph.

[Kunoichi]

Actually, I don't think N was really trying to shove his opinions down anyone's throat.  He just made some wild claims, asked for a battle, then declared his own opinion and left.

That does make him a bit rude, though.

Lots more of being busy...and that Team Plasma sounds a lot like Pokemon PETA. >w>

As for nicknames...uh...well, I guess Caterpie can be Hermy, like Hermy the Wormy. >w<

I think Hermy the Wormy would be a better name for Wurmple, Genso. :P

Though, there is also another bug-type Pokemon called Burmy that shows up later...

[Chris Brady]

Back in Crystal, I chose to be the 'Eevee Trainer' and just used the various evolutions, like Flareon and Vaporen and Espeon.  I wonder if I could do this here, too.

[Kunoichi]

Well, looking through the documentation, it takes a little while before you start seeing wild Eevees, but once you do, there certainly isn't anything stopping you from catching as many as you want.  They've apparently had their movesets reworked quite a bit as well, from what I'm seeing.

[DarkWorld0BrightHope]

Pascal or Patsy for your potential Patrat.
If not those, I also have Prada and Pritchard for it as well.

Almost want to suggest Parcheesi

[Kunoichi]

Ooh, good ones. ^^ And I've already decided to name Kricketot after a famous composer, though I haven't decided which one yet.

I have to say, though, once I get to that point, tackling the gym is going to be a rather... interesting experience.  In particular, the battle style is something new and unique to Generation V...

[BraveEarth]

OMG THIS IS AWESOME

I totally shouldn't be reading this when I have a paper due...

I must research all the routes of this version to see what sorts of things arise

Also your nicknames for the pokemon are funny and witty :D

[Kunoichi]

Thank you, I'm glad you like it. ^^

Hmm.  Having peeked ahead for a private playthrough of the alternate version, Blaze Black, I think I can safely say that I'm about two or three updates away from the point where the number of wild Pokemon available suddenly explodes into some incredibly huge number. ^^; I'll probably put off catching all the wild Pokemon in Route 3 for after I beat the gym of the town that comes afterwards.  But then there are two areas with different Pokemon in them right after that, as well...

I'm starting to think my completionist tendencies are going to be working against me, here. >>;

[BraveEarth]

Especially when you consider the really level hungry evolutions of Gen V (It is a bit ridiculous to see second evolution requirements Average in the 30s) and the sheer volume of pokemon you need to evolve in order to complete your dex. Not to mention the Treevolution familes of Eevee and Tyrogue + the Wurmple ID Code evolution decider. >>;; What me? A pokemon nerd? Nooooo <<;;

[Maverick Hunter Cake]

Name your Poochyena Spike! He'll be like all of those big old dogs with the potential of being a powerhouse.

And may I also suggest Chopin for your Kricketune? It would seem to be fitting a musical pokemon.

[Kunoichi]

Especially when you consider the really level hungry evolutions of Gen V (It is a bit ridiculous to see second evolution requirements Average in the 30s) and the sheer volume of pokemon you need to evolve in order to complete your dex. Not to mention the Treevolution familes of Eevee and Tyrogue + the Wurmple ID Code evolution decider. >>;; What me? A pokemon nerd? Nooooo <<;;

Well, for Tyrogue, at least, you can catch both it and all three of its evolutions wild.  Wurmple definitely is a bit of a pain, though...

Thankfully, there's a certain common Pokemon that gives out some pretty huge chunks of XP, so leveling won't be that much of a problem. ^^

Name your Poochyena Spike! He'll be like all of those big old dogs with the potential of being a powerhouse.

And may I also suggest Chopin for your Kricketune? It would seem to be fitting a musical pokemon.

Ooh, good names. ;D

[Kunoichi]

Let's Play Pokemon: Volt White! - Part 5: On the Road to Striaton City

Okay, I'm all packed up and ready to move on from Accumula Town.

...I think I'll look around first.



Huh.  Wonder how I'm supposed to get to those?

Oh well.  Wheeeeeee!



Hmm?  I wonder who's calling this time?



Oh, hi Mom!  I'm doing good.



Yeah, me and Kenny are awesome. 8-)

Oh, and I guess the rest of the team's good, too.



Gah!



...Don't sneak up on me like that! :-\



Yep, my Mom is still awesome. 8-)



Cool! ^^ Though, in retrospect, it probably would have been better to get these earlier, when you gave me the bike, and then get the Bicycle now...



Huh, I guess you can occasionally find cool stuff when cleaning up old messes.



Yeah, I know. :-)



Hmm.  Put these Running Shoes on, tie up the laces, and...



Swoosh!  Into the tall grass!




Weedle, the Hairy Bug Pokemon
Weedle has an extremely acute sense of smell. It is capable of distinguishing its favorite kinds of leaves from those it dislikes just by sniffing with its big red proboscis (nose). It eats its weight in leaves every day. The barb on top of its head secretes a strong poison. It fends off attackers with this two-inch poison barb. A common sight in forests and grassy areas, its brightly-colored body is intended to warn off its enemies.


Sir Stinger's moves when caught were Poison Sting, a weak Poison-type attack that has a chance to poison the opponent, String Shot, a move that lowers the opponent's speed, Bug Bite, a decently-strong Bug-type attack that will also eat the opponent's berry, if it's holding one, and Poison Tail, a decently-strong Poison-type attack that has a chance to poison the opponent.

Sir Stinger's ability was Shield Dust.  Shield Dust blocks added effects from attacks from taking place.  For example, Bite would not cause Sir Stinger to flinch, he couldn't get paralyzed by a Thundershock (though Thunder Wave could do it, since Paralysis is the primary effect there), he couldn't get frozen by an Ice Beam, etc.



Huh, looks like somebody dropped something.

>>

<<

Yep.  Mine now. >:)




Kricketot, the Cricket Pokemon
Its legs are short. Whenever it stumbles, its stiff antennae clack with a xylophone-like sound. It chats with others using the sounds of its colliding antennae. These sounds are fall hallmarks.
Credit goes to Maverick Hunter Cake for the name.

Chopin's moves are Growl, Bide, Struggle Bug, and Bug Bite.  Bide is a move where the Pokemon 'saves up energy' for two turns, then does damage equal to double what it receives over the course of those turns.  Struggle Bug does about the same damage as Bug Bite, but it's a special move, rather than a physical one, and instead of eating the opponent's held berry, it lowers their special attack by one stage.

Chopin's ability is Run Away, which guarantees escape when you choose to run away from wild Pokemon.  I should note that having this ability means that his evolved form will get access to something potentially quite powerful...



...Really?  That's how this works? >:( That's stupid.  You're stupid.



Your owl is stupid, too.



Also, your worm doesn't look very bright.



And the less said about your rat, the better.



As you can see, Pluck is basically the Flying-type version of Bug Bite.



I chose to replace Sand Attack with Pluck because Big Pecks needs more Flying-type moves.



...Yeah, good luck with that.



Ah, helpful advice! ^^ I'm going to put that to use right away!



...

The roads in this country suck. >:(

Hey, lady, do we really have to go through all this-



...Nuts. :-(



Well, let's get this over with, then...




Puppy > Raccoon.





Sea Otter > Tiny Bird




Water > Cats




Poison Tail at work, ladies and gentlemen.



End of battle.

...But what's this?



Kakuna, the Cocoon Pokemon
Kakuna remains virtually immobile as it clings to a tree. However, on the inside, it is extremely busy as it prepares for its coming evolution. This is evident from how hot the shell becomes to the touch. While awaiting evolution, it hides from predators under leaves and in the nooks of branches. Although it is a cocoon, it can move a little. It can extend its poison barb if it is attacked.

Upon evolving, Sir Stinger's ability changed from Shield Dust to Shed Skin.  Whenever the Pokemon that has Shed Skin is afflicted with a non-volatile status ailment (burn, freeze, paralysis, poison, or sleep), there's a 30% chance that Shed Skin will activate and cure the condition.

Moving on...




Mankey, the Pig Monkey Pokemon
An agile Pokémon that lives in treetop colonies. If one becomes enraged, the whole colony rampages for no reason. When Mankey starts shaking and its nasal breathing turns rough, it's a sure sign that it is becoming angry. However, because it goes into a towering rage almost instantly, it is impossible for anyone to flee its wrath.


Jojo's Bizarre Adventure monkey. ^^

Jojo knows the moves Scratch, Leer, Low Kick, and Focus Energy.  Low Kick is a Fighting-type move whose damage varies, based on the weight of the target.  The bigger the enemy, the harder they'll hit the floor when hit with Low Kick.  Given that we're currently facing tiny little bugs and birds...

Focus Energy, on the other hand, is useful.  It quadruples the chance of a critical hit occurring.

Jojo's ability is Defiant.  Whenever one of his stats is lowered by an opponent, it raises his attack by two stages.  A rather fun ability to have.




Patrat, the Scout Pokemon
Extremely cautious, they take shifts to maintain a constant watch of their nest. They feel insecure without a lookout. Using food stored in cheek pouches, they can keep watch for days. They use their tails to communicate with others.
Credit goes to DarkWorld0BrightHope for the name.

Patsy's moves are Tackle, Leer, and Bite, standard starting moves for a standard early-game rodent.

Patsy's ability is Analytic.  If a Pokemon with Analytic goes after its opponent, the power of the move it uses is boosted by 30%.  Unfortunately, you usually want to go first in battle...



Welp, time to bite the bullet and go around.  Maybe I'll even get to go through this tall grass without running into any-



Poochyena, the Bite Pokemon
At first sight, Poochyena takes a bite at anything that moves. Poochyena is an omnivore - it will eat anything. This Pokémon chases after prey until the victim becomes exhausted. However, it may turn tail if the prey strikes back. A distinguishing feature is how large its fangs are compared to its body. This Pokémon tries to intimidate its foes by making the hair on its tail bristle out.
Credit goes to Maverick Hunter Cake for the name.

-thing.  Okay, never mind...

Spike's moves are Tackle and Howl.  Yes, in spite of being called the Bite Pokemon, he doesn't actually know the move Bite.  Howl is a move which raises the user's attack by one stage.

Spike's ability is Quick Feet.  Whenever he's afflicted with a status ailment, his speed stat will be increased by 50%.  Also, it prevents the drop in speed from being paralyzed.



Huh.  I wonder what's over here?



Oh, it's more free stuff! ;D



An Everstone is an item that can be given to a Pokemon to prevent it from evolving.  An Oval Stone, on the other hand, is an item that's needed to make a certain Pokemon evolve...

Hey, I can see that guy up on the hill in Accumula Town from here.  Hello, Mr. Whatever-your-name-is!



Huh, I wonder if anything else will happened on this Route?



...I shouldn't have asked. >>;



Now, I want to level up Sir Stinger some more, but he's injured at the moment, and I'm being stingy with potions.  So watch me adopt a time-honored strategy of training that I once saw on TV...



...Unfortunately, it didn't work so well for training Sir Stinger.




Askew got some nice action, though.  The foe's Bidoof had an ability called Simple.  Whenever its stats rose, they always rose by two stages, and whenever they lowered, they always lowered by two stages.  Askew's Tail Whip actually came in handy here.



Hairy Bug vs. Cocoon!



...And Poison Touch at work.



Didn't save that Weedle from a Wing Attack, though.  Hawk is both fast and powerful.



Yeah, I suppose...

Anyway, whoo!  Finally out of the tall grass!  Now to just hurry on to the Pokemon Center before anyone else-



...I've really got to stop tempting fate like that. >:(



I'm not really in the mood, Bianca.



Ack, puppy dog eyes!  Fine, fine!




And switcheroo...




Dog > Cat



:o Sudden reversal!




Cat > Bird :-(





Again, though, Water beats Cat. ;D



As you can see, I'm learning from Bianca's tricks. O:)



Probably.  I mean, you got Kenny from full health all the way down to the red with a lucky crit, but he is still faster.



And Kenny has made up for his earlier, shameful defeat. 8-)



Water Sport is a move that halves the power of Fire-type moves that attack the pokemon who uses it.  Not exactly necessary for Kenny, but he's got an open slot on his move list anyway, so...



Ah, Bianca.  Always willing to celebrate a friend's victory, even when she's the one the friend won against. :-) Such a sweet girl...



Darn right.



Good luck~!

Now, on to that Pokemon Center!



I just go in, heal my Pokemon, and...



...What, really?  So if I have all eight badges and am using Ultra Balls on everything, I could go all the way back to Accumula Town and still buy Ultra Balls, then go around throwing them at Pidgeys for fun?

How convenient.

Okay, back out into the wild...




Wurmple, the Worm Pokemon
Wurmple is targeted by Swellow as prey. This Pokémon will try to resist by pointing the spikes on its rear at the attacking predator. It will weaken the foe by leaking poison from the spikes. Using the spikes on its rear end, Wurmple peels the bark off trees and feeds on the sap that oozes out. This Pokémon's feet are tipped with suction pads that allow it to cling to glass without slipping.
Credit goes to Gensokian for the name

Hermy the Wormy knows Tackle, String Shot, Poison Sting, and Bug Bite.

Hermy's ability is Shield Dust.  As you can see, Wurmple is mostly just a cooler-looking Weedle, though its evolved forms are certainly quite different.




Again, Poison Tail at work, ladies and gentlemen.  I have to admit, though, this certainly made Purrloin easier to catch.



Last Pokeball of the day, so...



Purrloin, the Devious Pokemon
Its cute act is a ruse. When victims let down their guard, they find their items taken. They steal from people for fun, but their victims can't help but forgive them. It attacks with sharp claws.


I think it's a fitting name. ;)

Catwoman's moves are Scratch, Growl, and Assist.  Assist is a move that picks out another move at random from the Pokemon on your team, and has the user use that move, instead.  A bit chancy, but it can add an air of unpredictability to things.

Catwoman's ability, appropriately enough, is called Limber.  It prevents her from being paralyzed.

Now then, I just have to go out and fight something else, and then...




Beedrill, the Poison Bee Pokemon
Beedrill is extremely territorial. For safety reasons, no one should ever approach its nest. If angered, they will attack in a furious swarm. It has 3 poisonous stingers on its forelegs and its tail. They are used to jab its enemy repeatedly. Its best attack involves flying around at high speed, striking with its powerful poison stingers, then flying off.

Tada!  From cute little worm to buzzing death-bee, and all in a single day!  And having evolved, Sir Stinger's ability has changed yet again!

His new ability, Sniper, causes critical hits to do triple damage, rather than double.



Fury Attack is a Bug-type move with low power that hits 2-5 times per use.  It's not that useful, but there's an ability out there called Skill Link that would cause it to always hit the maximum number of times.



Cross Poison, as you can see, is quite the powerful move.  Definitely a trade up from Poison Sting.



Rage is a low-powered attack.  If the Pokemon using it is hit in the same turn that it uses Rage, its Attack increases by one stage.  Not very good for a Bug-type like Sir Stinger.

Anyway, back to Striaton City again...  Hmm.  Hang on, wasn't there someone here that Professor Juniper wanted me to visit?  Now what was her name again...



Ah, right, Fennel!  Says so right here on the name plate.  Along with a creepy-looking notice tacked on, asking for volunteers for something...



...I knew it.  Juniper's sending us to be test subjects in some crazy experiment! D:

Run!  Run for your liiiiiiiiives!

Okay... phew... I'm out of the building...  Oh, hey, what's this bald guy doing way over here?



...That was oddly nice of him. :o



It's just a pity I don't have a fishing rod. :-(

Hmm, I wonder what else there is around this town...



Ooh, nice!  And hey, look, another path out of town!



Eh, I think I can handle it.  I've got a killer bee and a sea otter on my team, after all. O8)



Wha-hey!  You don't have to shove me, you jerk!

Stupid old man...  Not letting anyone pass who doesn't have a gym badge...  Strangling the local economy with his antiquated notions of strength and experience... >:(

...Oh, hey, a kindly old couple.  Maybe they can brighten up my day.



Okay, I feel vindicated now. ^^ Girl power!



...Huh.  So does that mean that me and that N weirdo would make a good couple?

Well, whatever.  I guess I should make some preparations to tackle this town's gym leader.



Ahhh, perfect.  It's time to train. 8-)

Remaining Wild Pokemon of Route 2 to be captured:

Caterpie (10%), Meowth (5%), Spearow (5%)

I'll probably need at least two more Wurmples, too, since they have two possible evolutions, and it's completely random which one you'll get.

[BraveEarth]

...Huh.  So does that mean that me and that N weirdo would make a good couple?

:o What are you doing?! Don't give the shippers more of an excuse nuuuuuuu! (J/k it's a cute pairing)

[Gensokian]

Phew, managed to read it all, finally...man, you should make shorter segments so those of us with short attention spans don't feel like this is such a chore. @w@

But, yay, my name was used, and Beedrill is one of my favorite bugs (even though I'm afraid of real bees). Make sure it kicks some major ass! ^w^

[Kunoichi]

Well, it is true that the updates have been gradually getting longer, I think. ^^; I probably should try cutting them back to something a bit shorter.

Butterfree's one of my favorite, interestingly enough. :P But sure, I'll see what I can do to make Sir Stinger look awesome.

[Kunoichi]

Let's Play Pokemon: Volt White! - Part 6: More Battles

So, time for this novice trainer to do some training.



Help!  I'm being attacked by a cheerleader! ::)



Starting off this fight with the ol' switcheroo...



Hawk's kung-fu grip made short work of the opponent. O8)



Switcheroo tactic: Successful.



Big Pecks took quite a bit of damage when it was his turn to fight, however.



Switcheroo tactic: Still successful. 8-)



So, using that tactic again, it's Scamp's turn to battle...



Puppy > Kitty



And again, the Switcheroo tactic is a success. ^^



Hmm, Chopin's been leveled up pretty well by now, though.  I think I'll let him fight this battle alone.



Victory! ;D Though, it doesn't hurt that the opponent wasted all her time using Tail Whip and Splash.  Come to think of it, I'm not actually sure Azurill knows any other moves...



Yes. 8-) Yes I do.



Kricketune, the Cricket Pokemon
It crosses its knifelike arms in front of its chest when it cries. By allowing its cry to resonate in the hollow of its belly, it produces a captivating sound. It can compose melodies ad lib. It signals its emotions with its melodies. Scientists are studying these melodic patterns. There is a village that hosts a contest based on the amazingly variable cries of this Pokémon.

Having evolved to his second stage of life, Chopin's ability, Run Away, has also changed.  Now, he possesses an ability called Technician.  Technician is pretty useful, because whenever he uses a move with a base power of 60 or less, the power of the move is increased by 1.5x.  This is particularly useful in light of the first move he learns...



Fury Cutter, as you can see, is a Bug-type Physical move with a base power of 20.  Each time it is used consecutively, however, Fury Cutter's power doubles.  The first hit is 20, the second hit is 40, the third hit is 80, and then the fourth hit with the move maxes out at 160, which can be quite awesome.

Add in that Technician ability, which increases the first two hits to 30 and 60, respectively, and you have quite the powerful attack routine, if you can get the time to set it up.



...Yeah, I don't think we're ever going to see one another again, lady.



It's a pity we don't know some sort of cutting move.  Anyway, moving on...



...This is an in-joke of some sort, isn't it? :-\



Fun fact: If you go into the game's code and take a look at Joey's Rattata's stats?  It really is in the top percentage of Rattata out there.  This makes it an especially potent opponent, as Kenny is finding out first-hand.



See?  Joey wasted a turn using Tail Whip, and he's still coming out ahead.



So I figure it's time to use a little strategy and put Hawk in.  Unfortunately, the Rattata turns out to be faster.  It quickly reveals that it knows Flame Wheel and...



...One-shotted.



Quick, Big Pecks!  Use your big pecs to whip up a Razor Wind!



And thus the hero of the hour reaps his rewards.



I had Big Pecks forget Gust because it's a Special move, and his stats are geared more towards Physical moves.  Quick Attack is the same power as Gust, plus it has the bonus of getting increased priority.  It should be quite useful in the future.



Well, I know someone who probably hasn't even heard of Team Plasma. :P

Now then, I wonder what this lady over here wants?



Hmm?  Oh, that would be Kenny the Oshawott, ma'am.



...

...



Pan-what now?



Uh...  Okay, sure.

Just let me make a quick run back to the Pokemon Center so I can open up a space in my party for the little guy.



Oh, I get it.  Thus covering for Kenny's weakness.  Thanks, lady! ;D



Pansear, the High Temp Pokemon
This Pokémon lives in caves in volcanoes. When it is angered, the temperature of its head tuft can reach 600º F. It uses its tuft to roast berries.



Not the most original of nicknames, but I feel it fits. 8-)



And finally, some sound advice.

Now then, let's see what else I can score around here...



Ah, nice, something to sell off so I can buy Potions and Pokeballs.



Can't... reach!  Arms... not... long enough!

Oh, yeah, might as well see what all Pansear's got while I'm here...



Good girl, Scamp! ;D



Not bad, though I kinda wish we'd gotten the alternate Ability for this guy.  There aren't really any berries in the Unova region, so Gluttony is kind of useless.

Incinerate is a Fire-type move of decent power for this level.  It's a Special Attack (which is good, given FireMonkey's stats,) and when used against an opponent who is holding a berry, the berry is rendered useless by the attack.

Hone Claws is a Dark-type move that boosts the Attack and Accuracy of its user.  Needless to say, if FireMonkey becomes our main Fire-type Pokemon, this is going to be one of the first moves to go.

Anyway, now that we've got a pretty awesome spread of Pokemon, I do believe it's time to check out the local Gym...

Hmm?  What's this?



Yeah.  I've heard you can get a badger or something if you beat him in a fight.



Badgers are cool.



...They run schools for training Pokemon?



Uh...



Oh, fine.  I suppose it won't be that difficult if it's nearby.



...Uh-huh.  So, I'm guessing you're not the Gym Leader.



You're not the Gym Leader.



You're not the Gym Leader.



You're not the Gym Leader, either.



...Eh, why not?



I'm gonna have to go with Antidote.



Gee, could it be Awakening? ::)



Ah, so you're into sarcastic women, I see. :P



Ooh, nifty. ^^ Still not going out on a date with you, though.

And I believe there's only one other person in the building I haven't talked to.  That black-haired man up by the board must be the Gym Leader.



Cheren?!



Uh...  Yes?

...Don't even try to trick me into thinking you're the Gym Leader, Cheren.  I'm not going to fall for it.



...No.  No, I most certainly did not.

You don't suppose he climbed out a window or something, maybe?



Ah, a chance to erase the other shameful loss I've suffered.  Yes, I do believe I'll take you up on that offer. >:)



Oh, cheating won't save you this time, Cheren, let me assure you. >:)



Go, Kenny!



Good thing Water Gun is a Special Attack. ::)



Yeah yeah, blah blah blah!



And victory!



Snivy, eh?  And if that Starly of yours is any indication, then your Snivy probably knows some good Grass-type moves by now.



Time to see what you've got, FireMonkey!



Held items?  Wait, I seem to remember reading something about one of FireMonkey's moves...




>:)



...You don't have to act like it's an insult, Cheren. >:(

Losing to me just means I'm awesome. 8-)



Yeah, Bianca's already way ahead of you on that one, buddy.  She actually used Potions during our fight. :P



...A CD?

This is something you got via internet piracy, isn't it? >:(



Guess I'll have to make sure any cops I run across don't see this...



Oh, on that tree!  Thanks then.  I'll get right on it after I've taken down that Gym Leader.



Maybe he's back at the Gym already...

Hey, you!  You're different from the guy who was out front last time.



A Pokemon trainer who's just passing through. 8-)



Yes.



I chose Kenny the Oshawott.  He's cute, cuddly, and is good to have on your team when the summer-time water wars roll around. ;D



Well, yes, but I don't see what that has to do with any-



...What.



No.  What?  Seriously, what?!



Isn't picking your types like that cheating? >:(



It is, isn't it?! >:( Don't you run away from me!

Stupid Gym Leader jerk, as big a cheater as Cheren...  I'll show you who can cheat!



Cheren isn't the only one who can look up how to cheat online!  I'm gonna beat you at your own game!

Now then, let's see, Grass type, Grass type...  Ah!  Here we go.  Weak to Fire-type, I've got one of those.  Weak to Ice, don't have one of those.

Also weak to Bug, Flying, and Poison...



Heheheh...  Hehehehehehahah...  Ahahahah...  Mwahahahah...

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA!

[Gensokian]

Well, let's look on the bright side...at least it wasn't a F.E.A.R. Rattata. >w>

And another fire-type monkey? Why try to steal Chimchar's thunder? WHY?!

Also, you're just gonna hafta realize...everyone in Pokemon cheats. Everyone. No exceptions. At all.

[Kunoichi]

F.E.A.R. Rattata?  I'm guessing that's a video game AI reference of some sort...

Pansear is actually part of a special elemental monkey trio.  The other two members are the Grass-type Pansage and the Water-type Panpour.  With the respective elemental stones for their types, they evolve into Simisear, Simisage, and Simipour, respectively.

Incidentally, I actually kinda wish we'd gotten a Pansage from the nice monkey lady. ^^; It might just be me, but I think Simisage looks the coolest out of the second-stages among the monkey trio.

According to the definition Mariah's using, yes, everyone cheats. :P Thankfully, the computer doesn't actually outright cheat in this game, as far as I know...

[Gensokian]

The F.E.A.R. Rattata is actually a strategy. It's a Rattata that's usually low leveled, egg-hatched, that knows Quick Attack, Endevour, and is holding a focus sash. The idea is that it's hit really hard, but the focus sash keeps it from fainting in just the one hit, retaining one HP. Then, it uses Endevour to lower the opponent's Pokemon to one HP, as well, then the next round, Quick Attack finishes it off.

[Kunoichi]

Ah, I see.  Of course, if the enemy also uses Quick Attack, or some other increased-priority move, you'll be in trouble...

[Gensokian]

Yep, but most of the time, when you're using this strategy, most of the higher-leveled Pokemon have opted not to keep those moves, unless they learn Extremespeed. Not too many learn that move, though.

[Kunoichi]

True, but I'm not necessarily talking about regular wild Pokemon and NPC trainers...

[Kunoichi]

Let's Play Pokemon: Volt White! - Part 7: Fine Dining at Striaton City!

Okay, I'm almost ready to face the Striaton City Gym and its cheating jerk of a Gym Leader.  I just need to level up Hermy a bit, in case something goes catastrophically wrong.  Also, it will fill up more Pokedex pages.



Silcoon, the Cocoon Pokemon
Silcoon tethers itself to a tree branch using silk to keep from falling. There, this Pokémon hangs quietly while it awaits evolution. It peers out of the silk cocoon through a small hole. Silcoon was thought to endure hunger and not consume anything before its evolution. However, it is now thought that this Pokémon slakes its thirst by drinking rainwater that collects on its silk.

Having evolved, Hermy's Ability has changed from Shield Dust to Shed Skin, same as when Sir Stinger was a Kakuna.  It also would have learned Harden as level 7, but as you can see, I managed to raise it by 3 levels at once by re-battling a trainer, so we wound up skipping over that move.  It's not a big deal, though.

Anyway, speaking of filling up Pokedex pages...



Caterpie, the Worm Pokemon
Caterpie has a voracious appetite. It can devour leaves bigger than its body right before your eyes. If you touch the feeler on top of its head, it will release a horrible stench to protect itself. Its feet have suction cups designed to stick to any surface. It crawls into foliage where it camouflages itself among leaves that are the same color as its body. It is covered with a green skin. When it grows, it sheds the skin, covers itself with silk, and becomes a cocoon.


Whoo, Godzilla monster!

Mothra Leo's moves are String Shot, Bug Bite, Struggle Bug, and Snore.  Snore is a Normal-type attack move, but it only works while the Pokemon using it is asleep.  If Mothra Leo somehow knew Rest, this could be useful, but right now it isn't.

Mothra Leo's Ability is Shield Dust.



Beautifly, the Butterfly Pokemon
Beautifly's favorite food is the sweet pollen of flowers. If you want to see this Pokémon, just leave a potted flower by an open window. Beautifly is sure to come looking for pollen. Beautifly has a long mouth like a coiled needle, which is very convenient for collecting pollen from flowers. Despite its looks, it has an aggressive nature. If disturbed while collecting pollen, it stabs victims with its long, narrow mouth to drain the victim's fluids. This Pokémon rides the spring winds as it flits around gathering pollen.

Now that he's evolved to his final form, Hermy's Ability has changed again.  No longer Shed Skin, his ability is now Swarm.  It works a lot like Kenny's Torrent, except that instead of powering up Water-type moves when the user's health is low, it powers up Bug-type moves.  Also, if a Pokemon with Swarm is in the first slot in your party, the number of encounters you'll have with Wild Pokemon increases.



Ahh, Absorb.  Weakest of the 'drain the foe's health and add half to your own' line.  Still better to have than String Shot, though.



Air Cutter's a move with decent power for the level we're currently at.  It's also much more powerful than Poison Sting, especially since Hermy doesn't get a Same-Type Ability Bonus to the latter anymore.



Of the two possible evolutionary lines for Wurmple, Beautifly is the one that focuses more on Special Attack, so ditching Tackle for Struggle Bug is a smart move.



Anyway, the team is looking good.  I think we're about ready to take on the Striaton City Gym.



Allons-y!



Huh, so they give out commemorative glasses of water to anyone challenging a Gym? Oo; Man, what a weird special promotion.

Anyway, this guy said he was here to act as a guide, so let's see what he has to say.



Yeah, I know.  That's why I've developed a special secret strategy, just for this Gym. >:)



Ah, that's useful advice.  And what does the lady behind the counter have to say?



Wait, what? :o This place is a restaurant?  What kind of a crazy Gym is this?

Oh well.  One Gym Leader battle, please!



Okay, so I just step on the correct switch, and...



Aha!  Okay, now I can-



Gah!



Hey!  This isn't what I ordered at all! >:(



Thanks to Razor Wind, Big Pecks makes quick work of Slowpoke.



Growlithe is a considerably tougher opponent, however.



Thankfully, Sir Stinger is up to the task of finishing the job.



Hmm.  Water, then Fire, then Grass...  This is going to be a pattern, isn't it? :-\ Oh well, might as well see if using the ol' switcheroo will level up Hermy by another level...



It didn't.

Skipping out on the check, I dine and dash back to the Pokemon Center, and...



I learned this one last update. :P



I'd make the obvious flirty pun here, but this isn't what I ordered, either. :-(



Grass-type never knew what hit her. 8-)



And of course, using the switcheroo pays off again.



Flame Body is an Ability possessed by some Fire-type Pokemon.  Those who attack a Pokemon with Flame Body using a Physical Attack run the risk of being burned, as Hawk just found out first-hand.  Interestingly, however, if you have a Pokemon with this ability in your party and are carrying around an egg, the egg will hatch faster from the added warmth.



Level up!

The final opponent was a Marill, but I accidentally missed getting any screenshots other than one of the end of the battle.



Chopin's Fury Cutter is fierce, once he gets it going.



No. >:( Once again, this isn't what I ordered.  No tip for you, lady.



Yeah, sure.  Just let me dash back to the Pokemon Center right quick...



And with that done, we finally make our way through to our first boss battle.  Are you all ready, men?  It's time to initiate Operation: Clean Sweep!



At last, we meet again, vile villain!  Prepare to taste justi-



!

...Were you hiding behind him this whole time?



...Great, a pretty-boy. >:( You don't have anyone else hiding behind you, do you?



And what's with all the spinning?  Did you guys choreograph this, or something?



Ah!  He must be swayed by my charming good looks and long, sexy legs! ;)



Rotation what now? ???



...Uh-huh.  I think I know where this is going.



Yeah, we went through this out front a little while ago.  Red hair for Fire, blue hair for Water, and green hair for Grass, right?  So that means I'm facing...



Yep, my sexiness is leaving him tongue-tied. ;)



Yeah, I'd have fought your Ego with my FistToTheFace. 8-)



Sure.  Don't expect me to go easy on you, just because you're hopelessly in love with me, though. >:) I've got no mercy for cheaters.




...?  This battlefield seems... strange, somehow...



...What.

...Okay, calm down, Mariah.  Just think this over.  The guy said to bring at least three Pokemon, and this is a battle where three are on the field at once.  The guy called this a Rotation Battle, so that means those two new buttons at the bottom are...



Yes!  They rotate the Pokemon that's active in the battle!  Okay, I think I've got this now!

Chopin!  Initiate Operation: Clean Sweep!



Just before the hit, the Pokemon Cilan was using rotated!  Fortunately, Chopin was faster than Chikorita, so there weren't any problems.



And fighting smart, Cilan promptly rotates back in an uninjured Pokemon to take Chopin's second Fury Cutter.



...For all the good it does him. 8-) Snivy, One-Hit KO!



Bulbasaur, One-Hit KO!



Pansage, One-Hit KO!  Level up!



Chikorita, KO!  Level up!



Turtwig, One-Hit KO!  Level up!



Acrobatics is a Flying-type attack move.  55 Power, and it doubles if the user isn't holding an item.  In earlier versions of this hack, the elemental monkey trio owned by this Gym's Leaders were absolutely murderous, due to both having this move, and not carrying any items.

Chopin's speed and max-power Fury Cutter is taking care of things quite handily, tho-



Wait!  Sir Stinger!  Get back in formation this instant, soldier!



:o

Treecko, One-Hit KO!  Critical Finish!



Uh...  Yes.  Yes, I believe it is.

Badger now?



Hey! >:( This isn't a badger!



...Oh. ^^; Badges.  I see...



Okay.  Is that because they respect me, or is it because there's some kind of secret mind-control devices in these things?



A gift, huh?  I'm still not going out on a date with you, you know.



Yes, and while you're busy screaming like a Super Saiyan, the enemy is pounding your face in.  I think I'll pass.



...Really?  Didn't these used to be single-use items?

I guess all those people boycotting and protesting outside the TM Co. offices finally convinced the company to stop making the discs so they'd erase themselves after each use...



...Uh-huh.  Or you could just stop cheating and have all three of you engage challengers in a Triple Battle, or something. >:(



...Maybe.  That move won't be Work Up, though.



Huh.  I never thought of it that way.  I think people would complain about all the blatant cheating going on, though.

Anyway, time to head back to the Pokemon Center and heal up.



Oh, I will, I assure you. ^^ Mostly for the look on Cilan's face when I was beating him so outrageously, admittedly.

Hey, the writing on the statues changed!



Nice, so I'm officially famous in this town, now. ;D

Okay, off to the Pokemon Cen-



...Oh no. :o



No.  No no no no...



She's grabbing my arm and dragging me along... :'(



...Yes, though not by choice. >:(



Shouldn't you be offering me candy at this point? :-\



...Yes.  The ominous machinery and the bed with the restraints kinda clued me in.



:o NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!





Aloha!  And welcome once again to Kunoichi's Advice Corner! ;D

Oh my!  It seems as though our  brave heroine has been trapped within a Mandatory Tutorial Side-Quest.  I'm afraid she'll have to go through with assisting Doctor Fennel in some sort of mad experiment, or else the consequences could be dire!



Incidentally, did you know that the bed in the room is from the dorm room Fennel and Juniper shared, back in their college days?  The restraints are from their college days, as well! ;)



Thankfully, it looks as though Mariah isn't Doctor Fennel's type.  Now, let's examine what this new move does, shall we?



Hidden Power is a move that can be taught to any Pokemon.  Depending on what that Pokemon's Inherent Values are, Hidden Power's type and strength will change drastically.  As a test, let's use an online calculator to see what Kenny's Hidden Power would be, shall we?

Ah, Poison-type, and with a Power of 46...  A poor fit for Kenny, clearly.
Chopin has an Ice-type Hidden Power with 44 Power.
FireMonkey has a Fighting-type Hidden Power with a Power of 49.

Hmm.  That last one may come in handy soon...



A favor?!  Oh no!  Run, Mariah, run!



Whoops! ^^; Silly me, false alarm.



Now here's a fun fact for the folks at home:  Thanks to the Cut HM that Cheren gave her, Mariah could have gone out and caught a Munna before tackling the Gym, thus enabling Fennel to have her own source for this mysterious 'Dream Mist'.

She wouldn't accept it even if we had, though.  Like I said, it's a Mandatory Tutorial Side-Quest.



Save files, eh?  This Dream Mist sounds like some pretty trippy stuff.  I sure hope Doctor Fennel isn't putting Mariah up to anything illegal.

Anyway, it's off to the Dreamyard for you, Mariah-chan!  But don't worry, we're all rooting for you!  We believe in you!  Good luck~ ;D

As you must have noticed, ladies and gentlemen, Let's Play Pokemon: Volt White has undergone a slight change in format. ^^  This was mostly done in an effort to improve readability by reducing on the amount of scrolling that needs to be done to get through a page.

Feel free to leave feedback on the changes, along with the usual comments and/or questions about the LP.  Thank you, and I hope you enjoy today's update.

[Chris Brady]

Awesome, keep it up.

[Kunoichi]

Thanks. ^^ Got any questions or comments about the gym battle?  I know the presence of a number of hard counters for Grass-type Pokemon on Routes 1 and 2 made it a pretty easy fight, but I think that just means that Oshawott was a lucky choice for a starter.  Cilan was pretty easy to beat, but Chili and Cress would have been a little more difficult to handle.

[Gensokian]

I swear, that Gym had to be the fanciest thing I've ever seen in Pokemon...but, still, also didn't know that Swarm attracted more encounters. That's something I never knew. I also didn't know that Beautifly was such a vicious killer. o.o

Still, that battle was easy pickings, for sure, and once again, a kidnapping. Man, can anyone keep their hands off Mariah?

[Chris Brady]

Thanks. ^^ Got any questions or comments about the gym battle?  I know the presence of a number of hard counters for Grass-type Pokemon on Routes 1 and 2 made it a pretty easy fight, but I think that just means that Oshawott was a lucky choice for a starter.  Cilan was pretty easy to beat, but Chili and Cress would have been a little more difficult to handle.

Honestly, Kuni-chan, I'm just here for the commentary.  I'm so out of touch with Pokemon (Although I'd like to actually try this version, but no DS to begin with...) that I'm lost.  I'm just happy when I see one I recognize.

I am highly appreciative of you typing out the pokedex entry, and explaining of all the powers though, that gives me an idea.  But the actual chart of what's strong and weak against what (which I actually had to use for when I played Crystal on my GameBoyColour.  Ah the memories...) is still over my head.

[Kunoichi]

I swear, that Gym had to be the fanciest thing I've ever seen in Pokemon...but, still, also didn't know that Swarm attracted more encounters. That's something I never knew. I also didn't know that Beautifly was such a vicious killer. o.o

Still, that battle was easy pickings, for sure, and once again, a kidnapping. Man, can anyone keep their hands off Mariah?

Actually, reading over the Pokedex entries, it's less that it's a vicious killer, and more that it fights back in a really vicious way if attacked.

Kidnapping Mariah?  Oh, the jokes I'll be able to make in the future... ;)

Honestly, Kuni-chan, I'm just here for the commentary.  I'm so out of touch with Pokemon (Although I'd like to actually try this version, but no DS to begin with...) that I'm lost.  I'm just happy when I see one I recognize.

I am highly appreciative of you typing out the pokedex entry, and explaining of all the powers though, that gives me an idea.  But the actual chart of what's strong and weak against what (which I actually had to use for when I played Crystal on my GameBoyColour.  Ah the memories...) is still over my head.

Ah.  Well, this version is a Rom-Hack, so in order to play it, all you need is an emulator, really. ^^; Of course, without owning an actual physical copy of the game, it's technically illegal, from what I recall...

Thanks, I'm glad you appreciate the explanations.  As far as type advantage charts go, this one seems pretty comprehensive.  There's also Smogon University, a site that delves into the metagame and examines moves and combinations and their relative power and usefulness in pvp matches.

I'm going to have to do some reading up on the latter of those two sites, myself, because the major trainers in this game get pretty vicious, from what I recall...

[Chris Brady]

That...  It used to be a nice square board, now it's an unholy monstrocity of weaknesses and strength, all shoved willy-nilly with no sense of order.

*Brain breaks*

[Kunoichi]

Yeah, I generally find it better to just use a nice type calculator for individual matchups. ^^; Much simpler, that way.

Ah, and I should be getting another update out later today...

[BraveEarth]

That...  It used to be a nice square board, now it's an unholy monstrocity of weaknesses and strength, all shoved willy-nilly with no sense of order.

*Brain breaks*

-pat pats Chris and doesn't mention that that table is pretty much valid for Gen II (Gold/Silver/Crystal) onwards. (But this one is better IMO)-

Kunoichi You should look into the Cloyster Family due to an amazing Ability they have that lets 1-5 hit moves always hit for Max plus the Ice type is always a good offensive typing to have a STAB in ^.^

[Kunoichi]

Kunoichi You should look into the Cloyster Family due to an amazing Ability they have that lets 1-5 hit moves always hit for Max plus the Ice type is always a good offensive typing to have a STAB in ^.^

Oh, I'd definitely considered it, I assure you. ^^ However, since Oshawott was chosen as our starter, I don't really need another Water-type on the main team.

Shellder is catchable in one of the upcoming areas, though, so I'll definitely be getting one, regardless.


Anyway, I've got another update here, hot off the presses:

Let's Play Pokemon: Volt White! - Part 8: Nightmare at the Dreamyard!

Well, it looks like I've been roped into running yet another annoying little errand.  I suppose I'll go and get this Dream Mist that Fennel wants in a little bit...

But first, it looks like Fennel has an assistant of some sort in here.



Yes.



Yes.



Ah, so you're the 'Someone' Professor Juniper was babbling about a while back.  No, I don't think I've even heard of the Battle Box before.



...Okay.  What happens if I register it?



Not a very good listener, are you? >:(

Oh well, might as well switch out my team, now that I don't need to do Operation: Clean Sweep any longer.



...?  So, now that I know Amanita's name, the name on the screen changes?

I don't think that's possible without using some sort of spyware. :-\



Hmm.  Come to think of it, if I need to get into the Dreamyard, I'd better use that thing Cheren gave me, as well...



Okay, that's taken care of.  Time to hit the Dreamyard!

...Or, I could make Fennel wait, instead, and hit Route 2 to pick up all those Pokemon I didn't catch before. >:)



Huh?  What's that, rattling around in the bushes?  It looks like some bigger, more rare variety of Pokemon than normal...



Aha!  I was right!  So, rustling grass means rare and special Pokemon!

I'm so smart. 8-)



Oh my gosh! :o He knocked out Kenny!  Get'im, Hawk!



I replaced Growl with Double Team, which raises a Pokemon's evasiveness in battle.  I'm not sure I'll actually use it much before it gets replaced by something else, but it's at least bound to get more use than the move it's replacing.

Knocking out that Beedrill reminds me, though, I'm pretty much out of Pokeballs.  I'd better hit up the Pokecenter and get some more.



Hey, they sell Great Balls, now!  Awesome.  I wonder what else I can get now that I couldn't before?



Whoa, nice!  I'm definitely keeping these.  Hmm, and with this whole rustling grass discovery, there are probably some Pokemon back on Route 1 that I missed out on, too...

Sorry, Fennel, but you'll have to continue to wait.  I'm going to go check on that. ;D




Audino, the Hearing Pokemon
Its auditory sense is astounding. It has a radar-like ability to understand its surrounding through slight sounds. It touches others with the feelers on its ears, using the sound of their heartbeats to tell how they are feeling.


Audino is basically the Chansey of Generation V.  Well, except it doesn't get Softboiled, that is.

Mimi's four moves are Heal Bell, Encore, Refresh, and DoubleSlap.  Heal Bell is a rather interesting move.  When used in battle, it heals all the Pokemon in the party of any status conditions they might be under.  Encore is a move that forces the target to use the same move repeatedly for the next three turns, which can be useful if you can lock your opponent into using a useless move while you pound on them.  Refresh cures the user of any status conditions, making it a bit redundant on a Pokemon with Heal Bell, and DoubleSlap is Mimi's only offensive move, in which she slaps the opponent 2-5 times.  It's not a very strong move.

Mimi's ability is Regenerator.  Whenever she switches out of battle, she recovers 1/3 of her maximum HP.  Not a bad ability to have if you've locked the opponent into something harmless via Encore, and are switching in an attacker to finish the job.

Walking around Route 1, I fight and KO a few more Audino, and...



Helping Hand is only useful in Double Battles, which I don't think I'll be seeing all that often.



Note that all this leveling up is off a single Audino, for both Askew and Scamp.  They really give off a lot of exp...



Headbutt is a move with decent power, and it has a chance to make the opponent flinch, robbing them of their turn to act.  It's a good, solid offensive move in these early stages of the game.



Combine Focus Energy and a move with an increased chance to crit, and you've got quite a powerful set-up.  Kenny doesn't actually know any move that crits easily, though, so I'm mainly replacing Water Sport because it's a useless move on him.



Seriously, Audino gives out a lot of exp.  You can farm these things, if you've got a Pokemon you want to level quickly.



Did you know that wild Audino often carry Oran berries?  When they use them in battle, a Pokemon with Pickup like Scamp or Askew can collect them, which is fun.  Just make sure not to take too much damage, or the Pokemon in question will eat the berry to recover health.



More leveling.  If you can't tell by now, I'm actually looking for a few other Pokemon, here on Route 1...




Azurill, the Polka Dot Pokemon
Azurill's tail is large and bouncy. It is packed full of the nutrients this Pokémon needs to grow. Azurill can be seen bouncing and playing on its big, rubbery tail. The tail is a floatation device in water. Azurill spins its tail as if it were a lasso, then hurls it far. The momentum of the throw sends its body flying, too. Using this unique action, one of these Pokémon managed to hurl itself a record 33 feet. On sunny days they gather at the edge of water and splash about for fun.


Shabon's moves are Splash, Charm, Tail Whip, and Bubble.  Tail Whip you already know, of course.  Splash is a move that literally does nothing.  The user flops and splashes around, and nothing happens.  Charm lowers the opponent's Attack stat two stages, which is a big enough drop that it could be useful at this level.  Bubble, meanwhile, is pretty much the weakest Water-type attack there is, though it does have a chance of lowering the opponents' speed.

Sadly, because Shabon is a Normal-type Pokemon (even though he evolves into the Water-type Marill), he doesn't even get a STAB bonus, making his Bubble rather weak.  Still, if we didn't have Kenny, he could make for an interesting option to raise into my main Water-type...

...Due to his ability, Huge Power.  The signature ability of the Marill line, it doubles his attack stat when he's in battle.  Toss on some Physical Water-type moves like Aqua Jet and some good training, and Shabon really could grow up to be a respectable attacker.

Like I said, though, I've already got Kenny.



D'awww, it's so cute! ;D



...And tough to catch. >>; This happened once or twice more, by the way.



Happiny, the Playhouse Pokemon
It loves round white things. It carries a round, egg-shaped rock in its belly pouch in imitation of Chansey and gives the rock to its friends. It may wander around others' feet and cause them to stumble. It's bothered by how curly its hair looks.

I missed taking a screenshot when naming Happiny, so have a look at its stat page. ^^;



You know Charm and Refresh, of course.  Pound is a weak little Normal-type attack that I plan to replace at the first available opportunity that comes along, while Copycat is a move that copies the last move that was used in battle.  Note that a Pokemon can use this move to copy itself if its opponent doesn't attack for whatever reason.

Hardboiled's ability, Friend Guard, is really only useful in Double- and Triple-Battles.  Sadly, this means she isn't likely to see much use.

That said, there is something I can do to evolve her...



Now, if the wiki is correct, we just need to have her make a single level during the daytime while carrying this item.  To Route 2!




Spearow, the Tiny Bird Pokemon
Spearow has a very loud cry that can be heard over half a mile away. If its high, keening cry is heard echoing all around, it is a sign that they are warning each other of danger. It flaps its short wings to flush out insects from tall grass. It then plucks them with its stubby beak. It has to flap its wings at high speed to stay airborne. Thanks to this, it is inept at flying high. However, it can fly around very fast to protect its territory.


Spearmint's moves are Peck, Growl, Pursuit, and Leer.  Growl and Leer you already know, while Peck is a Flying-type move that deals mediocre damage.  Pursuit, on the other hand, is a move that sees use often in pvp matches.  A Dark-type attack with 40 power, its damage doubles if used on a target that is switching out of battle.

Spearmint's ability is Keen Eye, which prevents other Pokemon from lowering her accuracy.



Working together, Hardboiled and Askew defeat an Audino on Route 2.  Sand Attack isn't very useful, so I decide not to let Askew learn it.



Causing confusion can be pretty useful in battle, I've found.  Also, Hardboiled leveled! ;D Come on, let's see that evolution!



...What.

No, really, what?  Is the wiki wrong, or...?

Ah.  Looking through the Volt White documentation, it seems like you don't have to level up Happiny at all to get it to evolve in this version.  You can use the Oval Stone like a single-use item to evolve one instantly instead.

Hmm.  Is there any reason I don't want to use it right now...?

Oh, I see.  Happiny can learn a really powerful Normal-type attack at level 16.  Then I can level it up at that same level, and it will learn Softboiled at the same time as a Chansey.  Okay, let's do that, then.



Hey, didn't N have one of those?



Kenny!  No! :o We needed to catch it, not kill it!

Darn it, Kenny, I'm not using you to catch things anymore. >:(



Pickup is an awesome ability. ^^




Skitty, the Kitten Pokemon
Skitty has the habit of becoming fascinated by moving objects and chasing them around. This Pokémon is known to chase after its own tail and become dizzy. In the wild, this Pokémon lives in holes in the trees of forests. It is said to be difficult to earn its trust. However, it is extremely popular as a pet because of its adorable looks and behavior. In battle, it makes its tail puff out and threatens foes with a sharp growl.


Floofie's moves are Tail Whip, Tackle, Foresight, and Attract.  You already know the first three, but Attract is a move that can be devastating in battle.  It makes Pokemon of the opposite gender become infatuated with Floofie, which can cause them to become immobilized during battle.

Floofie's ability is Wonder Skin, which halves the chances of any move that isn't an attack to hit Floofie.  Useful for dodging Poison Powder or Hypnosis.



Knocking out a Beedrill, Hawk levels up.



Staravia, the Starling Pokemon
It flies around forests and fields in search of bug Pokémon. Recognizing their own weakness, they always live in a huge flock. Squabbles over territory occur when flocks collide. When alone, a Staravia cries noisily.

Having evolved, Hawk's ability has changed from Keen Eye to Intimidate, a move that lowers the opponent's Attack whenever Hawk takes to the field.



Hmm, don't I need to catch another one of these?



Here's hoping it's a prophetic nickname. ^^

And hey, there's another Nincada!



Nincada, the Trainee Pokemon
Nincada lives underground for many years in complete darkness. It uses its sharp claws to carve the roots of trees and absorb moisture and nutrients. This Pokémon can't withstand bright sunlight, so it avoids it. It stays motionless as it waits for evolution. Because it lives almost entirely underground, this Pokémon is nearly blind. It senses its surroundings using its antennae instead.


It's a ninja in training, so I named it after a certain 80s ninja superstar. ;)

Sho's moves are Harden, Bug Bite, Leech Life, and Sand-Attack.  Of those, the only one I haven't explained is Leech Life, a 20 power Bug-type attack in which the user attacks the target, then recovers half the damage dealt.  It's the Bug-type equivalent to Absorb.

Sho's ability is Compoundeyes, which boosts his accuracy in battle.  This will transform into a potent ability once he evolves...



More training.  Chopin will get more mileage out of Leech Life than he will out of Bide.



Also, two Pokemon leveled!  Now, the magic can begin...



Yes!  Cascoon, first try! ;D This was the other Pokemon Wurmple could evolve into, and the reason I caught a second one.

Cascoon, the Cocoon Pokemon
Cascoon makes its protective cocoon by wrapping its body entirely with a fine silk from its mouth. Once the silk goes around its body, it hardens over time. This Pokémon prepares for its evolution inside the cocoon. When cracks appear on its body, evolution is near. To avoid detection by its enemies, it hides motionlessly beneath large leaves and in the gaps of branches. It also attaches dead leaves to its body for camouflage. If it is attacked, Cascoon remains motionless however badly it may be hurt. It does so because if it were to move, its body would be weak upon evolution. This Pokémon will also never forget any attack it endured while in the cocoon. After evolution, it seeks payback.

Dust Tox's ability as a Wurmple was Shield Dust, so upon evolving into Cascoon, its ability changed to Battle Armor, which prevents foes from landing critical hits.



Mothra's coming along nicely, as well.  Having evolved, his ability changed from Shield Dust to Shed Skin, same as when Sir Stinger was evolving.  He won't wind up with Sniper when he evolves, though.



Not going to bother learning Harden.  He'll just wind up forgetting it when he evolves, anyway.



A little more leveling up, and...



Dustox, the Poison Moth Pokemon
When Dustox flaps its wings, a fine dust is scattered all over. This dust is actually a powerful poison that will even make a pro wrestler sick. This Pokémon searches for food using its antennae like radar. Dustox is instinctively drawn to light. Swarms of this Pokémon are attracted by the bright light of cities, where they wreak havoc by stripping the leaves off roadside trees for food.

Having evolved once more, Dust Tox's ability has changed to Compoundeyes.



Confusion is a respectable Psychic-type attack at the level I'm currently at.  Much more useful than String Shot.



Similarly, Clear Smog is a stronger Poison-type move than Poison Sting, though it unfortunately lacks the side-effect of poisoning my opponent.



And last but not least, Struggle Bug is more useful than Tackle.



More leveling, and both Scamp and Askew picked up some interesting items.



Hooray!  Mothra Leo can evolve now!



...Whoops. ^^; He's skipped right over all the moves he would've learned at level 10.  Oh well, not like I was planning to use him much, anyway.



Butterfree, the Butterfly Pokemon
Butterfree has a superior ability to search for delicious honey from flowers. It can even search out, extract, and carry honey from flowers that are blooming over six miles from its nest. Its wings, covered with poisonous powder, repel water. This allows it to fly in the rain. In battle, it flaps its wings at high speed, releasing highly toxic dust into the air.

Having evolved, Mothra Leo's Battle Armor ability has switched to Compoundeyes.



Finally!  Alright, Meowth, I've been looking for you for the last three hours!  You're mine!  Chopin, hit it with Leech Life!



...Darn it, Chopin! >:( I'm not using you to catch Pokemon anymore, either!  Now I have to spend several more hours looking for Meowth...

=SEVERAL HOURS LATER...=



Noooooooo! :'(

=SEVERAL MORE HOURS LATER...=



Guh...  Finally... got one... @.@;

Meowth, the Scratch Cat Pokemon
Meowth withdraws its sharp claws into its paws to slinkily sneak about without making any incriminating footsteps. For some reason, this Pokémon loves shiny coins that glitter with light. It is fascinated by round objects. It can't stop playing with them until it tires and falls asleep. It loves things that sparkle. When it sees a shiny object, the gold coin on its head shines too.


I named him MoneyMaker, 'cause that's what I'm going to use him as.  At level 30, you see, Meowth learns PayDay, which is a move which increases the amount of money you win in battle.  Combine it with equipping him with an Amulet Coin, which has the same effect, and I'll have little trouble using him to farm rich kids for cash. ;D

MoneyMaker's moves are Scratch, Growl, and Bite.  Much like Scamp and Askew, his ability is Pickup.



Have I mentioned yet that I love Pickup?



Doing a little more leveling, I get FireMonkey to learn a more powerful Fire-type move.  Since his attacks right now are all Special, I don't feel any qualms at having him forget a move that boosts his physical Attack stat.



Aaaaaand all the Pokemon currently in my party are at level 14.  I think that's a good point to stop at.  Might as well hit the Dreamyard, now.



There goes the tree...



Eh?  Bianca?



Yes, though not by choice.

Wait.  Did Fennel send you here to get some Dream Mist because I was taking so long?  Nice! ;D That means I can leave it to you and ditch town!



Thanks, Bianca! ^^ Now I don't have to see that crazy lady ever again!

Woohoo~  I'm off to the next town!  I have a badge, old man.  You have to let me pass, now!



...

But... I has a badge... :-(



Fine. >:(

Stupid jerk, forcing me to go back and help out, even though Bianca's got it covered.  Bianca's probably already got that Dream Mist by now, too.  I bet he and Fennel are working together to harass me like this...

...?  Bianca?  Why are you still standing there, instead of looking for the Pokemon?



...Okay. -_- I guess the job won't get done without me after all.



The sound of a strange creature's cry echoes throughout the Dreamyard...



Yes, Bianca.  It... was pretty hard to miss.



Hey, wait up!



Awwww, it's adorable! ;D



I think your poofy hat scared it, Bianca.

Come on, let's go and ask it for some Dream Mist.



...?  Hey, haven't I seen guys in uniforms like those before?



He's hitting poor Munna in the stomach. >:(



Also, give us one good reason we shouldn't have our Pokemon set you on fire. >:(



Then what are you doing here, abusing some poor wild pokemon? >:(



...Uh-huh.  And how will you accomplish this, exactly?



You guys sound like Disney villains. >:(



Yep, Disney-level villainy.  Clearly, you two are Evil with a capital E.



Bull.  What you're saying is the exact opposite of what you're doing. >:(

Also, you still haven't given me a good reason to not set you on fire.



Or in other words, you're a couple of jack-booted thugs who pretend to be working for a noble cause so you can get your kicks hurting Pokemon and making people sad.



Bring it. >:) I'm going to enjoy this.




Now, I could make a joke about how that's not really a Pokemon at all, and this Team Plasma jerk just glued some googly eyes onto a trash bag, but Trubbish actually winds up becoming a fairly dangerous opponent during the fight.

You see, I have Kenny lead off with a Focus Energy to up his crit ratio and then start Water Gunning the opponent, but while that's going on, Trubbish uses a move called Toxic Spikes to set the field.

Toxic Spikes is a move that scatters poisoned needles over the opponent's side of the field.  Whenever one of the opponent's Pokemon is brought into the battle, they get poisoned, and if the move is used twice, they get badly poisoned, which means the poison damage increases each turn.



Trubbish got off two Toxic Spikes and a couple of Tackles before Kenny took him out...



...Which means I couldn't switch in any other Pokemon without them getting badly poisoned.  And since this Team Plasma goon has a friend who looks like she's going to get involved in the battle once her friend here goes down, I have to think about this in terms of endurance, and not just finishing the battle as brutally as possible, then rushing back to a Pokemon Center.



Thankfully, the enemy's Pokemon is helpful enough to point out for me the move which will be most effective against it.



...For all the good it does me.



A Bug Bite later, and the enemy Drowzee is out of the fight.  Unfortunately, Chopin has been badly poisoned in the process.



I'll have to finish this battle quickly if I want to keep Chopin conscious.



Lucky for me, Fury Cutter is up to the job. 8-)



No, I'm just that good. >:)



Bring it, lady.



...This is a bad matchup, given Hardboiled's lack of offensive power. ^^;



I do what I can to even the odds, but...



Yeah, it isn't enough.



FireMonkey, fortunately, is a much more proficient battler, though even he doesn't walk away lightly from this one.



Thankfully, I'm not dealing with Toxic Spikes, this time.



Askew takes some damage during the battle, but repeated use of Headbutt causes Grimer to flinch multiple times, keeping her from doing too much.




Now, Cacnea is a Grass-type Pokemon, leaving it with strong weaknesses to Fire-, Bug-, and Flying-type Pokemon.



I have all three on my team at the moment. 8-)



And it's a one-hit finish. ;D



I can.  Are you ready to stop abusing Pokemon now?



Hey! >:( I said stop kicking it!



FireMonkey, roast this gu-



?

[[Ghetsis: "...What foolishness is this?"]]

That's what I want to know. >:( These guys work for you, right?



?!



...Are you magic? :o



Teleportation?!



Wait, so that speech back in Accumula Town really was a load of nonsense?



Wow, so these guys really are like Disney villains.



I haven't got a clue, Bianca.



I... guess not?



Uh...



Aaaaah!  Help, the dream's turned into a nightmare!



...If you were just waiting around doing nothing anyway, why did you even need us in the first place? >:(



Well, at least Munna seems to be okay.



Farewell, you two...



Yep, the fact that Bianca knows Fennel's name is all the proof I need to know that Fennel asked her to help gather Dream Mist, too.  I'll bet she asked Cheren for help, as well, and then that mysogynistic old man just let him past... >:(



Bianca, remember what I told you about taking a deep breath when you're excited and thinking about what you want to say?



I didn't. :-\ And I actually saw the whole thing.



...So, those Team Plasma guys have nightmares about what their boss will do to them if they fail?

Wow.  I'm glad I don't work for that guy.



Darn, I was hoping you hadn't noticed. :-X Looks like I won't be able to keep that particular item for myself.



And there she goes, running off so excitedly to perform her vile, unethical experiments.  I should probably stop her, but I'm a bit worried I'll wind up a test subject if I try.



Preaching to the choir, Bianca.  Preaching to the choir.



Why can't you go instead? :-\



...Fine. >:( But you owe me one for this.

Also, I'm not going to go back right away.  I think I can find some good items, if I sift through all this wreckage a little.



Aha!  I can get this one, now!



Dreamyard?  More like TM-yard. 8-)

...What?  Come on, that joke was awesome, and you know it. :P



Anyway, back to the Pokemon Center to heal up, and then I'm going to go and see what wild Pokemon the Dreamyard has to offer!

It's that time again, folks!  Reader Participation Round!

The following Pokemon can be found within the Dreamyard:

Tall Grass:
Clefairy
Drowzee
Jigglypuff
Munna
Natu
Nidoran♂
Nidoran♀
Ralts
Spinda
Venonat

Rustling Grass:
Audino (already have one)
Chingling
Cleffa
Igglybuff
Lunatone
Solrock
Togepi

Legendary Encounters: (We'll have to come back for this one later)
Level 30 Jirachi


Feel free to come up with nicknames for any or all of the Pokemon on the above list, and just like last time, I'll give credit if I use them. ^^

[Chris Brady]

Uhm, what do you want us to do?

[Kunoichi]

Oh, right, sorry about that. ^^; I'm asking for help coming up with names.

[Chris Brady]

Sonic for the Male Nidoran, and Amy for the Female.  Yes I know that that Nido's are Porcupines, not Hedgehogs, but that's the point...

Lady Gaga for the Igglybuff...  >.>

Spinda should be Po from Kung Fu Panda.

[Kunoichi]

Given my previous experiences with the buffed-up Spindas in this game, I was actually thinking DeathPanda might be a fitting name, when I wind up running into one. ^^; They're powerful opponents at this early point in the game.

[Gensokian]

Plasma...really is the PETA of Pokemon. They don't even follow what they say at all; liberate Pokemon by kicking and beating up wild Pokemon. Yeah, real smooth. =.=

Also, for naaaaames~! Bellhop for Chingling, Bouncy for Igglybuff, and...uh...Meteorite for Clefa, maybe, because it comes from the moon? ^^;

[Chris Brady]

I have a better idea for Igglybuff, name it...

Bieber!

[Kunoichi]

I'll name it Gaga if I get a female one, and Bieber if I get a male one. ^^

And then Bouncy can be the name of the Jigglypuff.

[Gensokian]

I'll name it Gaga if I get a female one, and Bieber if I get a male one. ^^

Uh...aren't you sure you got that backwards? :P

And lest you forget, Igglybuff evolves into Jigglypuff. >w>

[Kunoichi]

It does, yes, but the evolution method is both annoying and time-consuming, and Jigglypuff can be captured wild around there anyway, so... ^^;

[Gensokian]

I guess that's true; I certainly am not a fan of the happiness evolution, I can tell you that, though later in the game, it can be easier, especially if you can use the Soothe Bell and a lot of berries.

[Kunoichi]

Yeah, unfortunately berries don't grow wild in Unova.  And I'm not getting a Soothe Bell until Gym #4, from what I can tell.  Which is a pity...

[Kunoichi]

Let's Play Pokemon: Volt White! - Part 9: P.L.A.S.M.A.  Pocket Liberation And Stealing Monsters Association

Man, I wonder what sort of cool, awesome Pokemon I'll get to see when I look around in the Dreamyard?  According to the Pokedex, Munna's a Psychic-type, so...

Oh well.  Got my team all patched up at the Pokemon Center, so now it's time to go out and take a look for myself.  Ah, but before that...



2400 only gets me 4 Great Balls? :o Whoa, these things are expensive.  And I've only got 7, now...

Ah well.  I'll just catch as many different Pokemon as I can, then.



...Huh.  Bianca's still here.  Still looking for that Munna, I suppose.

Anyway...



Awwww, it's so cute! ;D



Togepi, the Spike Ball Pokemon
As its energy, Togepi uses the positive emotions of compassion and pleasure exuded by people and Pokémon. This Pokémon stores up feelings of happiness inside its shell, then shares them with others. A proverb claims that happiness will come to anyone who can make a sleeping Togepi stand up.


...It seemed a fitting nickname.

Omelette's moves are Growl, Charm, Metronome, and Sweet Kiss.  Growl, Charm, and Sweet Kiss I'm sure you remember, but Metronome is a new one.  The move which the Clefairy line is known for, it's a move in which the user waves its fingers around randomly, and then that somehow lets it use one randomly-selected move.  It can lead to some incredibly fun results in play, but you have to be prepared for the possibility that you'll get less-useful moves if you decide to use it.

Omelette's ability, Serene Grace, is extremely useful on support Pokemon, which he will definitely evolve into.  When you use a move that does damage and has a chance of an added effect, like Poison Tail's poison or Ember's burn, the chance of that additional effect happening is doubled.  Particularly useful when you're trying to Freeze an opponent.

Anyway, let's see what else is out here...




Chingling, the Bell Pokemon
It moves with flouncing hops. Each time it hops, it makes a ringing sound. It deafens foes by emitting high-frequency cries. It emits these cries by agitating an orb at the back of its throat. Once it starts, it can cry for an awfully long time.
Credit to Gensokian for the name

Bellhop's moves are Recover, Wrap, Growl, and Astonish.  Recover is a move in which the user restores its hit points by an amount equal to half its max.  A number of Psychic Pokemon are known for spamming this move.  Wrap is a weak move in which vines or the user's body or something are used to ensnare and squeeze the target.  After the initial attack, the target takes a small amount of damage over time for the next four to five turns.  Astonish is a Ghost-type move.  30 power, and it has a good chance of making the target flinch.

Bellhop's ability is Levitate.  He's immune to Ground-type moves, which is nice. ^^




Natu, the Tiny Bird Pokemon
Natu cannot fly because its wings are not yet fully grown. If your eyes meet with this Pokémon's eyes, it will stare back intently at you. But if you move even slightly, it will hop away to safety. Natu has a highly developed jumping ability. The Pokémon flaps and leaps onto tree branches that are taller than grown-up people to pick at the tree's new shoots. It also picks food from cactus plants, deftly avoiding buds and spines. It seems to skip about to move.


...What?  The name is hilarious, and you know it. :P

Natu-ral's moves are Air Cutter, Leer, Night Shade, and Teleport.  The only new one of these is Teleport, which can be used to escape from Wild Pokemon in battle and teleport back to the nearest Pokemon Center out of battle.  The latter is convenient, but the former just makes it difficult to catch as a Wild Pokemon.  Alas, unfortunately, you cannot use it to escape trainer battles.

Natu-ral's ability is Synchronize.  Any time a foe manages to burn, poison, or paralyze her, the condition is passed onto said foe as well.  Useful if you face a foe who loves one or more of those status effects, but otherwise...



Aww, hey, Munna. ^^ You doing okay?  Hang on, just stay riiiight there...



Munna, the Dream Eater Pokemon
Munna always float in the air. They eat the dreams of people and Pokémon. When one eats a pleasant dream, it expels pink-colored mist. People whose dreams are eaten by them forget what the dreams had been about.


This is what happens when people don't come up with name enough ideas.  I'm particularly disappointed because Munna is actually a Tapir. :-(

Munna's moves are Defense Curl, Lucky Chant, Yawn, and Psybeam.  Defense Curl raises the user's defense by one stage, Lucky Chant protects the user's entire team from critical hits, Yawn is a move that puts the target to sleep without fail at the end of the turn after it is used, and Psybeam is the most powerful Psychic-type attack we're likely to have available for a while.  Even if it didn't have respectable defenses, I'd be considering it for the team on that alone.

Sadly, Munna's ability is Telepathy.  Useless outside of Double Battles, Telepathy prevents Munna from taking any damage from its ally's attacks.  This would let Munna team up with, say, a Ground-type who spammed Earthquake without any trouble, but has no utility whatsoever in Single Battles.




Venonat, the Insect Pokemon
Venonat is said to have evolved with a coat of thin, stiff hair that covers its entire body for protection. It possesses large eyes that never fail to spot even minuscule prey. Its eyes also function as radar units, enabling it to be active in darkness. The eyes can even shoot powerful beams. The small bugs it eats appear only at night, so it sleeps in a hole in a tree until night falls. At night, its kind is drawn by light.


...'Cause it's got a hairy body, see? ;D

Harriet knows the moves Disable, Foresight, Leech Life, and Supersonic.  Disable is a move that, for four turns, prevents the target from using the last move it used.  Supersonic, meanwhile, is a 55 accuracy move which confuses the target if it hits.  Wild Zubat, as you may or may not recall, used to be particularly annoying about using this move over and over again.



...Ah, great, a creepy one. >:( Oh well, in the ball you go.



Drowzee, the Hypnosis Pokemon
A descendant of the legendary animal baku, which is said to eat dreams. It is skilled at hypnotism. It puts enemies to sleep, then eats their dreams. It can tell what people are dreaming by sniffing with its big nose. It loves fun dreams. Occasionally, it gets sick from eating bad dreams. If you think that you had a good dream, but you can't remember it, a Drowzee has probably eaten it. It remembers every dream it eats. It rarely eats the dreams of adults because children's are much tastier. If your nose becomes itchy while you are sleeping, it's a sure sign that one of these Pokémon is standing above your pillow and trying to eat your dream through your nostrils.


...Yeah, these nicknames are getting worse, aren't they? :-\ It certainly feels that way to me, anyway.

Creepy Lady's moves are Pound, Hypnosis, Disable, and Confusion.  Its ability, Forewarn, lets it know what one of its opponents' moves is when it first hit the battlefield.



Whoo, dizzy panda! ;D



...Powerful dizzy panda. :o



No, seriously.  During the fight, this Spinda used Metronome, and it wound up copying the signature move of Reshiram, Black version's main legendary, to attack me with.  Fusion Flare looked pretty impressive...



I'm down to my last Pokeball, too.  Looks like this is it for the day...



Spinda, the Spot Panda Pokemon
No two Spinda are said to have identical spot patterns on their hides. The chances of two Spinda having identical spot patterns is less than one in four billion. This Pokémon moves in a curious manner as if it is stumbling in dizziness. Its shaky, tottering steps give it the appearance of dancing. The lurching movements of this Pokémon can cause its opponent to become confused.
Credit goes to Chris Brady for the name.

The bit in the Pokedex entry about the spot patterns is true, by the way.  The position of Spinda's spots on its face is determined by its personality value.  There literally are over four billion possible combination for the placement of the four spots on its face, too.  I have to admit, though, this particular one doesn't look bad...

Incidentally, I was actually expecting to take more casualties catching it than I did.  These things were upgraded to have respectable base stats of 80 across the board, giving them absurd stats at this early stage of the game, and making it so that they're at least not left in the dust in the late game.  I've had Spinda wipe out two thirds of my team before, when I've attempted to catch one in the past.

Po's moves are Metronome, Tackle, Uproar, and Copycat.  Uproar is a move that lasts three turns, where the Pokemon uses the same attack each turn.  While using this move, the user cannot be put to sleep.

More importantly, Po's ability?  Contrary. ;D Yep, that means that the same broken ability that that cheater Cheren and his Snivy have is now mine. >:) Mwahahahah...

Anyway, since I've caught all the Pokemon I can, I guess it's finally time to do what I've been dreading.



I've got to... talk... to Fennel...



Uh-huh.  That's what they all say, kid.  Then, the FBI figures out where the bodies are buried. :-X



...Uh-huh.  I think I'll just assume you're getting their permission first.  I mean, I don't really know how a 'save file' works, but I'm pretty sure you're not supposed to copy them without asking.



What C-Gear?  Your hands are completely empty.



Like my laptop computer, then?



You're... storing a computer... inside another computer? :o

Ow... ><; My brain...



Well, I guess free stuff is free stuff...  I'm not turning this on, though.

It might actually be a mind-control device, or something.



...Did you not just hear me say I'm not turning this on?  I meant that as in 'ever', not just 'I'm not turning it on today'.



Game what now?

No, wait, never mind.  I don't actually care.



...Yeah, no.  I kinda want to just hurry up and get out of here now.



Oh, look, the illusion of choice.  I guess you really are a friend of Professor Juniper. >:(



Uh...  That kinda sounds horribly unethical.



...

...No.  I'm not going to complain that that doesn't actually explain anything.  I'm not falling for your trap, Fennel.  You just want a chance to talk for even longer.



'We learned that Pokemon have dreams when they sleep!'. ::)



...What.



Uh-huh.  Yeah.  I'll get right on that.

(Not really.)



Oh?  What is it?



Another GPS?  My Mom already gave me one of those.  She's awesome like that. 8-)



...So it's basically a glorified friends list.  Which you've devoted an entire separate machine to handle for no reason all.



No!  Not another one! :-(



Yeah, goodbye.  I'm leaving now.  You two can explain everything to each other if you want to babble on about your own inventions so much. >:(

I'm off to the Dreamyard for some more training.



Man, this is so much better than talking to Fennel.  Why did I even have to go and do that, anyway?

...Oh, right.  That stupid jerk wouldn't let me past.  Crazy old man...



Razor Shell is a pretty cool move.  When using it, Kenny turns that cute little Scalchop on his chest into a water-sword. ^^



!!!



Dewott, the Discipline Pokemon
Scalchop techniques differ from one Dewott to another. It never neglects maintaining its scalchops. Strict training is how it learns its flowing double-scalchop technique.

Ah, so Oshawott evolves into Dewott at level 17.  I wonder if this means his name needs changing to something more fitting, now?



One thing to note from the middle image above?  Kenny is now a Water/Fighting-type Pokemon. ;D Also, he finally has a move with increased chances to crit to go with his Focus Energy move.  Quadrupled crit chances are now officially awesome. ;)

A little training with Hardboiled didn't really produce the desired results, and to be honest, I'm kinda getting tired of having her as a useless load on my team. ^^; So...



Chansey, the Egg Pokemon
A rare and elusive Pokémon that is said to bring happiness to those who manage to get it. Chansey lays nutritionally excellent eggs on an everyday basis. The eggs are so delicious, they are easily and eagerly devoured by even those people who have lost their appetite.

Farewell, Hardboiled.  I'll probably only get you out once I get the proper incense to evolve you into your final stage more quickly.

And now, say hello to the newest member of the team, everyone!



The mighty Dragon Warrior!



Faint Attack isn't a bad move to have, but given that Po both has stats currently more well-suited to Special Attack, and the lack of the STAB bonus...  Well, it's just not as useful as Tackle, even if it never misses.

No, seriously.  In Generation V, Tackle is a 50 Power move, now.  It's actually pretty awesome.



With the addition of Take Down to her arsenal, Scamp has officially become a powerhouse. ^^



Hmm.  I guess that's enough in the way of training for now.  Still lots of Pokemon in the Dreamyard to catch, though.  But I'm out of money...

Ah!  I know, I'll just go and beat some rich trainers on Route 3 for cash!



Yes, now let me through. >:(



Ahhh, finally, Route 3... ^^

Hmm?  What's that building up ahead?



Ah, I see.  I suppose I could drop off someone on my team, if I wanted them to level up and grow while I walked around.  Have I got anyone on my team like that?

...Nah, I guess not.  Not at the moment, anyway.  Besides, training on Audino is faster anyway.



Oh?  Hmm.  I know I came to Route 3 to battle and get some cash, but I don't think I want to beat up little kids for their milk money...

Eh, I'll skip this place for now.



Awww, aren't you two just the cutest little things ever? ;D



See?  Totally adorable. ^^



They even have matching Pokemon. ;D Though, Plusle and Minun probably would have been a better team choice here.

I guess they aren't available in the surrounding area.



I love Metronome. ^^



Sorry, kids.  You did manage to get Scamp down pretty low, though...

Hmm.  Is there anywhere to heal up around here?



Good enough.

One Pokemon Center noise later...



Thank you. ^^



Aaaaaand onward, past the little girls.



Oh, hey Cheren.



Eh, why not?  I need to test out Po on some real opponents, anyway.



Go, Po!  Use Metronome!



:o

(For those of you who don't know, Explosion is basically the improved version of a move called Self-Destruct.  Really, really powerful, but it takes out the user as well.  Staravia and Po both went down here.)



Scamp's Bite doesn't do much damage to Roggenrola's tough hide...



Oh, hah hah Cheren. >:( Very funny.

...

Wait, you're actually serious?  What battle are you watching?



Do I even need to say what effect a single Razor Shell had here?




I'm sure I don't need to tell you who won this battle, either.

That said, between his earlier comment about my moves and Snivy's performance during this fight, I'm starting to think that Cheren... isn't actually that good at Pokemon battles.

You remember how his Snivy has Contrary, which turns stat boosts into penalties, and stat penalties into boosts?  Cheren had it use Growth during the battle, a move which normally raises its user's Attack and Special Attack by one stage.  He... didn't seem to realize that Contrary caused his Snivy to get weaker from that, rather than stronger.



Panpour's a Water-type, and Askew knows Cut, which was made into a Grass-type move in this hack, so...



...I don't have the heart to tell him how badly he's doing.



I keep winning because you're blindly following random internet strategies without taking the time to understand what makes them work, Cheren.  Think about your strategies, rather than looking them up, for a change.

Seriously, Growth?  On a Snivy with Contrary?  That was just pitiful.



It's kind of an off day for me, actually.  That Explosion really caught me by surprise.



...Was that a couple of Team Plasma goons just now?



Hmm?  And now someone else is running up...



This may seem like a stupid question for Cheren to ask, but it actually makes some sense in context.  Bianca's shoes are not designed for running.  Her Dad probably picked them out so she'd have trouble running away, come to think of it. >:( Combine that with how klutzy she can sometimes be, and running can be a bit of a dangerous prospect for her.



Sadly, it seems Cheren has no ability to read between the lines. >:(



You should try and get some Running Shoes, Bianca.  Not only do they let you catch crooks, but they're convenient for everyday use, as well.



Bianca kinda looks like she's about to cry herself. :-(

Those fiends. >:(



...I should be surprised and annoyed by this, but I guess you always were terrible at talking to girls, Cheren.



I figured it out a while ago, Cheren.  You really should try and work on your social skills.



Yeah, I know.



Actually, Cheren, to be honest, I'm not sure you've got what it takes to-

Ah, he ran off.



You can count on me, Bianca.



Because they're a bunch of meanie-pants, little girl.  But don't worry, heroes of justice like me are around to stop them. ^^



Wait, what?  But I thought you were going to...  Like that time back at my house?

*sigh* Hang on, I'll be right back...



Well, at least you're being understanding about this.  If our positions were switched, I'd have just headed in alone already.

Anyway, thanks to my bike, I make good time hiking it back to the daycare center.  One quick use of their healing facilities later, and...



Yes.





Huh.  It's cold, dark, and wet in here.  Kinda wishing I was wearing longer pants right now...



Gah!  You don't have to shout, Cheren! >:( I'm right here, plus these caves echo.



Uh-huh.  What else is new?

Oh, right.  You've never dealt with these guys before.



Why would a Pokemon be happy about being 'used'?  Aren't you guys supposed to be against stuff like that, anyway?



I see your buddies haven't told you about me. >:)





It's another Poison-type Pokemon.  I am beginning to sense a theme, here.



Not much of a match for Po, though that poison's going to hurt.



Numel is a Fire/Ground type, if memory serves.  Even if it doesn't, it's at least a Fire-type, so Kenny shouldn't have any problems against this guy.



Thus proving my point.



Oh look, a Fire/Dark-type.  Ho hum.



...That's new.



I've still got Water Gun, a Special move, so the Attack drop isn't much of a problem, but the enemy gets a lucky burn on me, thanks to Ember.



Really?  I was expecting to win the instant you challenged me to a fight. 8-)



Well, have you considered the possibility that you might be in the wrong?

Seriously, you stole from a little kid.  You aren't the good guys, here.



Alright, I'll handle that right awa-



Gah!  My ears! >:( There were two more of you jerks back there?



No, I understand what you're doing.  You're petty crooks who used your high ideals to justify stealing from a child, and then attempted to do the same to justify stealing from me and my friend here.

And we beat you down for your mistake.  Now, hand over the Pokemon you stole.



Oh, you guys want a double battle, huh?  Stand back, Cheren.  I got this. 8-)



...Really?  You're just now noticing?



Because it gives them an excuse, obviously.  Bianca and I saw two of them outright abusing a wild Pokemon back in Striaton City.

I will admit, though, unlike those two, these guys actually seem to believe the mess they're trying to shovel down our throats...



Agh! >:( I told you not to shout!



...

Eh, why not?  Alright.  You and me versus these two.  Let's show these guys they shouldn't be messing with us.



Voltorb and a Zubat, huh?  Cheren, you'd better not lead with Staravia, or else-



...That might happen.  Okay, Po, let's take out that Voltorb!



Wait, they explode?!  Ouch, and Po's almost out.  Good thing Cheren's Roggenrola can do some real damage to the Zubat with its Rock-type moves.



I'll try sending in FireMonkey, next.



Carvanha?!  Uh-oh, that's a Water-type!



Wait, but it isn't using any Water-type moves.  Maybe it doesn't know any...



Lick's got a decent chance to cause Paralysis, but lack of power and no STAB bonus make it not the right move for FireMonkey.



Speed Boost?!  Uh-oh.  That means Carvanha's speed is going to up one stage at the end of each turn.  Good thing this guy's almost down.

The next Pokemon out is Poochyena, huh?  FireMonkey, hit them both with Incinerate!



See, Cheren?  That's how you pick good moves. 8-)



Darn, another Water-type.



Well, that was pretty much expected.  I'm starting to think I should switch out Pokemon a little more often...



Alright, Scamp, let's see what your Take-Down can do to that Tentacool.



Roggenrola hits Pawniard with Sand Attack.  Sadly, thanks to Defiant, that Accuracy loss is countered by a two stage Attack boost.  Getting hit by this thing is going to hurt.



Uh-oh.  Switching out will now poison my Pokemon.

Okay, Scamp, let's take out that Pawniard!




Huh.  Roggenrola's Rock Blast isn't a bad move...  The thing's a tank when it comes to physical Defense, too.



Gee, I dunno, are you out of Pokemon? ::)



Herdier, the Loyal Dog Pokemon
It loyally follows its Trainer's orders. For ages, they have helped Trainers raise Pokémon. It has black, cape-like fur that is very hard and decreases the amount of damage it receives.

Having evolved, Scamp's Pickup ability has, sadly, been replaced by Scrappy.  It's not a bad ability to have, admittedly, allowing the user to hit Ghost-type Pokemon with Normal- and Fighting-type moves, but it no longer gets me free items...



Ah, but who is going to liberate your Pokemon from you?  Because trust me, you guys are pretty foolish.



Theft is a crime for a reason, though I can imagine a few possible circumstances for committing it.

If you break the law, you have to be prepared for the consequences of doing so, though, and these guys clearly aren't.



...No, Cheren, that's not how you win a debate. >:(



You say this Pokemon is suffering under that little girl's attempts to care for it?  Prove it.  Bring me documented evidence showing exactly how and when it has been made to suffer.



Yeah, that's what I thought.  You guys make me sick.  Get out of my sight.



Yes, Cheren, I was there for Pokemon Appreciation Day in pre-school, as well.



...You haven't been paying attention, have you?

Here.  Just take this and go.



Guess I better take my leave, too.  Ah, and beating Cheren and those Plasma Grunts did leave me with a nice amount of cash in my pocket.  Alright, off to buy more Great Balls!

Hmm?  Bianca and the little girl?



Aww, it was nothing. 8-)



Whoa.  Thank you very much, I'll definitely make good use of this.

For those of you who don't own Black or White, you don't actually get any sort of fishing rod in this game normally until you beat the Elite Four.  No Old Rod, no Great Rod, you just have to wait through most of the game and get this game's equivalent to the Super Rod in the epilogue.

That makes this quite the useful and touching gift.



You can't fish in Gym statues any longer, though.



Goodbye, you two.  Take care.

Okay, back to the Striaton Pokemon Center, get healed up, and...



Ahhh, that's the stuff. ;D

Remaining Pokemon in the Dreamyard

Tall Grass:
Clefairy
Jigglypuff
Nidoran (both genders)
Ralts (both genders, due to a diverging final stage of evolution)

Rustling Grass:
Cleffa
Igglybuff
Lunatone
Solrock

Legendary Encounters: (Still going to have to come back later)
Level 30 Jirachi


Looks like I'll need even more money for Great Balls...

[BraveEarth]

Awwe Kunoichi why not just spam 10 pokeball and one premier ball strategy? To save money. Also I love your punnier names ;D. But I think you should name a potentially male Ralts Wally after the Rival in R/S/E series

[Kunoichi]

I could give that a try, but Great Balls are only 3 times the cost of regular Pokeballs.  If it takes 3 tosses to snag a Pokemon on average, it's the same as just using one Great Ball.  If it takes 4, I'll actually be losing money. ^^; Plus, I did put in the code to allow me to rebattle trainers, so once I get an Amulet Coin and get Moneymaker up and running...

I could, yes, but without hacking, I couldn't manage the impossible feat of making it somehow evolve into a Gardevoir. :P

That said, I do plan on getting at least one with Trace, to help with my attempts at getting Wild Pokemon with certain abilities.  It's a pretty good evolutionary line, really. ^^

[Gensokian]

I am not all that surprised to see Muuna and Drowzie in the same place; they're almost like cousins, what with stealing and eating dreams and all. Plus, looks like that fishing rod this early could either be a major help or a serious bane, depending on if, even this early, you're hooking up level 40 Pokemon. >w>

Also, I genuinely laughed when you explained the reasons why it was a genuine question for Cheren to ask why Bianca was running. X3

And Plasmaa, once again, proves that they are just like Pokemon's PETA. I think there's a message to be picked up here...>w>

[Kunoichi]

Yeah, they're both based off the same mythological creature, the Baku, which coincidentally looks a lot like a tapir. ^^ And don't worry, even the Pokemon you can fish for have been adjusted.  Like, I should be getting a level 12 Dratini soon, for example.

Thanks.  I figured it would make for a better joke than just drawing attention to Cheren's weird obsession with running. :P

Yep, Team Plasma certainly is up to no good.  Makes one wonder what their long-term plans might be...

[BraveEarth]

I could give that a try, but Great Balls are only 3 times the cost of regular Pokeballs.  If it takes 3 tosses to snag a Pokemon on average, it's the same as just using one Great Ball.  If it takes 4, I'll actually be losing money. ^^; Plus, I did put in the code to allow me to rebattle trainers, so once I get an Amulet Coin and get Moneymaker up and running...

I could, yes, but without hacking, I couldn't manage the impossible feat of making it somehow evolve into a Gardevoir. :P

That said, I do plan on getting at least one with Trace, to help with my attempts at getting Wild Pokemon with certain abilities.  It's a pretty good evolutionary line, really. ^^

You get Gardevoir by natural leveling... so how is this impossible?  Hell it evolves pretty early by Gen V high Level Evolution standards anyway.

[Kunoichi]

*checks*

...Huh.  And here I thought only female Kirlia could evolve into Gardevoir.  I guess because I skipped Gen III, and then the species got that male-only evolution via stone into Gallade in Gen IV...

[BraveEarth]

Don't worry common misconception these days, the porn doesn't help things either.

[Kunoichi]

Yeah, that's certainly true.  I'm particularly tempted to reference said porn at some point, but I can't really think of a good way to do it...

[Gensokian]

Er, not sure if I can get away with saying anything like that in here, but you could probably tuck away that reference and channel it into an RP idea for later.

>w>

<w<

^w^

[Chris Brady]

As mentioned by Genso, I concur.  A female igglybuff/jigglypuff MUST be named Bieber.  And a male, LadyGaga.

[Kunoichi]

Alright, you guys win.  Bieber and Lady Gaga it is.  Any ideas for names for Solrock and Lunatone, or should I just name them Mr. Shine and Mr. Bright like I usually do?

[BraveEarth]

Do you remember the names of the Sun and moon in Kirby Super Star that's the only represental pair I can think of... Or you could be mean and Call them Celestial and NightmareMoon

[Kunoichi]

Yeah, Mr. Shine and Mr. Bright are the guys from Kirby. ^^ And alas, Nightmare Moon won't fit.

Luna, however...

[BraveEarth]

Yeah, Mr. Shine and Mr. Bright are the guys from Kirby. ^^

Well this of course says that you have good taste. And will Maria soon be obtaining the Basic Badger?

[Kunoichi]

Within a couple of updates, probably. ^^; Lenora's pretty tough, though.  It may take me multiple tries to defeat her...

[Kunoichi]

Let's Play Pokemon: Volt White! - Part 10: Pokeball, Go!

Got 6 more Great Balls, burnin' a hole in my pocket.  Time to hit the Dreamyard again!

But first...



Thank you, Askew. ;D




Nidoran♀, the Poison Pin Pokemon
Nidoran has barbs that secrete a powerful poison. They are thought to have developed as protection for this small-bodied Pokémon. When enraged, it releases a horrible toxin from its horn. The female has smaller horns. While it does not prefer to fight, even one drop of the poison it secretes from its barbs can be fatal.
Credit to Chris Brady for the name.

For a quick look at Amy Rose's abilities...



Double Kick is an interesting Fighting-type move.  30 power, but the move always involves two attacks, so it's effectively 60 power if both kicks hit.

Poison Point is described pretty well above.



Remember what I said last time about Spinda's spots?  Check out the spots on this Spinda.  Wacky, no?



Aha!  I was looking for one of these.  This is Ralts, and one of its abilities is Trace.  Trace is a huge boon when you're out catching Wild Pokemon, because it copies the opponent's ability.  You get to know what you're getting ahead of time, which is awesome.

Now, I just gotta catch this thing...



Askew!  Noooooo! :o



Phew, found another one...



Ralts, the Feeling Pokemon
Ralts senses the emotions of people using the horns on its head. This Pokémon rarely appears before people. But when it does, it draws closer if it senses that the person has a positive disposition. If its trainer is in a cheerful mood, this Pokémon grows cheerful and joyous in the same way. If its horns capture the warm feelings of people or Pokémon, its body warms up slightly. It takes cover if it senses any hostility.


You know, I forget what the justification behind this particular name was.  I think I got it off a name generator somewhere...



Growl, Confusion, Double Team, and the Trace ability.  Not a bad set to start with, though it'll definitely improve once Ritzy learns some better moves.

Note that Ritzy's nature improves her Special Defense at the cost of lowering her regular Defense, also.  Not a bad nature to have, all things considered.

Anyway, now that we've got a Pokemon with Trace available to sort out abilities, it's time to make a small change to the current set of Pokemon I've got in the computer.



MoneyMaker's Pickup isn't the right ability for what I want to use him for.  If I want to make lots of money with Pay Day, I'll need Technician, to give the move some decent power.



...I wind up spending a considerable amount of time searching for one.  In fact, out of 5 Meowths I wind up running into over the course of 2 hours, real-time, 2 of them have Technician.

Both wind up falling in one shot to unlucky crits. >:(

So, I give in to my growing frustration and head back to the Dreamyard to see what else I can find.




Nidoran♂, the Poison Pin Pokemon
The male Nidoran has developed muscles for moving its ears. Thanks to them, the ears can be freely moved in any direction. Even the slightest sound does not escape this Pokémon's notice. It is small, but its horn is filled with poison. If it senses danger, it strikes first, charging then stabbing with the horn to inject poison.
Credit to Chris Brady for the name.

Sonic's moves are Peck, Focus Energy, Double Kick, and Sweet Kiss.  As with his female counterpart, his ability is Poison Point.

Next, I take the time to do some training...



Jojo was on the team because I figured I could find a Meowth with Technician, then switch to a lower-level Pokemon to reduce its HP.  Unfortunately, at that point, Meowths stopped showing up altogether for some reason, so he wound up staying on the team while I headed off to the Dreamyard.

Fury Swipes...  Not really Mankey's move.  He needs a good Fighting-type move right now, really.



Jojo took out an Audino, so of course he wasn't the only one to level.



Pickup. ;D



And some more leveling...




Uh-oh.  That's not good...



Cleffa, the Star Shape Pokemon
On nights with many shooting stars, Cleffa can be seen dancing in a ring. They dance through the night and stop only at the break of day, when these Pokémon quench their thirst with the morning dew. Because of its unusual, star-like silhouette, people believe that it came here on a meteor.


Cleffa's ability is Friend Guard.  Its moves are Charm, Encore, Sing, and Sweet Kiss.  Of those four, the only one I believe I haven't explained before is Sing, which is an inaccurate move which puts the opponent to sleep if it hits.




Solrock, the Meteorite Pokemon
Solrock is a new species of Pokémon that is said to have fallen from space. It floats in the air and moves silently. In battle, this Pokémon releases intensely bright light. Solar energy is the source of this Pokémon's power. On sunny days, groups of Solrock line up facing the sun and absorb its light. It is said to possess the ability to read the emotions of others. This Pokémon gives off intense heat while rotating its body.
Credit to BraveEarth for the name.

Aaaaaand that was my last Great ball.  Anyway, let's have a look at Celestia's stats, shall we?



Levitate is a fun ability, particularly on a Pokemon with a weakness to Ground-type moves, like Bronzor.  On Celestia, it's a little less useful, but still pretty cool to have.

Morning Sun is a recovery move.  It works better during the day, and especially during the weather conditions brought about by the move Sunny Day.  Rock Throw is a weak Rock-type move, of course, and Fire Spin is a weak Fire-type move, but one which traps the target in the ring and does continuous damage for a few turns.

Hmm.  No Great Balls left, guess I should...  Oh, but wait!  I've still got those Dive Balls!  Plus, that little girl gave me a Fishing Rod, too.



Let's take this baby for a spin...




Awesome! ;D What'd I find?



:o Lucky, lucky me...



Marvel Scale is an ability that gives the user a Defense boost if it suffers a status ailment.  Not bad, though it is a bit situational.



Okay, time to test these things out...



Dratini, the Dragon Pokemon
A Dratini continually molts and sloughs off its old skin. It does so because the life energy within its body steadily builds to reach uncontrollable levels. Long considered a mythical Pokémon until recently, when a small colony was found living underwater. The existence of this mythical Pokémon was only recently confirmed by a fisherman who caught one. It is called the "Mirage Pokémon" because so few have seen it.


Tuff Stuff seems like a fitting name for this Pokemon.  It may just be because it knows Dragon Rage, but it took out two of my team before getting low enough to capture.

Tuff Stuff's moves are Leer, Thunder Wave, Twister, and Dragon Rage.  Thunder Wave is a move that paralyzes the opponent if it hits, and since it has 100% accuracy it hits often.  Twister is a Dragon-type move, a Special attack with 40 power and a chance to make the opponent flinch if it hits.  Dragon Rage is a move that always does 40 damage, regardless of circumstances.  Powerful enough to one-shot many foes at this low level, and it'll be useful for capturing Pokemon as levels grow.

Now, what else can we fish up around here?



Ladies and Gentlemen, Hoenn's version of Magikarp.  Feebas are known for being difficult to evolve, since you had to raise its Beauty to max to do so.  Of course, since you can't grow berries in Unova, it got an alternate evolution method in Gen V.



Feebas, the Fish Pokemon
Feebas's fins are ragged and tattered from the start of its life. Because of its hopelessly shabby appearance, it seems as if few Trainers raise it. It is capable of living in both the sea and in rivers. While Feebas's body is in tatters, it has a hardy and tenacious life force that enables it to live anywhere. However, this Pokémon is also slow and dimwitted, making it an easy catch.


'Cause beauty's only skin deep, see?



Splash, Hypnosis, Tackle, and it gets Adaptability.  Since it can't really learn any more moves until level 30, I won't be leveling it at all until I get the item I need to evolve it.




Goldeen, the Goldfish Pokemon
Goldeen is a very beautiful Pokémon with fins that billow like an elegant ballroom dress in water. However, don't let your guard down around this Pokémon - it could ram you powerfully with its horn. Goldeen loves swimming wild and free in rivers and ponds. If one of these Pokémon is placed in an aquarium, it will shatter even the thickest glass with one ram of its horn and make its escape. In the springtime, schools of Goldeen can be seen swimming up falls and rivers. Its dorsal and pectoral fins are strongly developed like muscles. It can swim at a speed of five knots.


In retrospect, I probably should have named this Pokemon 'Horny', but whatever. :P

Goldie's moves are Tail Whip, Water Sport, Supersonic, and Horn Attack.  Horn Attack is a self-explanatory Normal-type move with 65 power.

Goldie's ability, Swift Swim, increases her speed in the rain.  Add on the speed-increasing nature she's already got, and...




Magikarp, the Fish Pokemon
Magikarp is a pathetic excuse for a Pokémon that is only capable of flopping and splashing. In the distant past, it was somewhat stronger than the horribly weak descendants that exist today. This behavior prompted scientists to undertake research into it. Its swimming muscles are weak, so it is easily washed away by currents. In places where water pools, you can see many Magikarp deposited there by the flow. Magikarp is virtually useless in battle as it can only splash around. As a result, it is said to be the world's weakest Pokémon. No one knows why it has managed to survive.  However, it is actually a very hardy Pokémon that can survive in any body of water no matter how polluted it is. A Magikarp living for many years can leap a mountain using Splash. The move remains useless, though.


Guess what this ugly duckling is going to be when she grows up?



Bubble, Splash, and Tackle I've covered before.  Bounce is a flying type move with 85 power.  It works sort of like Fly, but with a 30% chance to paralyze the target on a successful hit.  In the normal version of the game, it's only found on Magikarp from the Dream World.

Rattled is an ability that takes effect when the user is hit with a Dark-, Bug-, or Ghost-type move.  It grants the user a speed boost when it activates.  When Dragon Lady evolves, this will turn into a different, much more fun ability.

That said, given that Gyarados can learn four separate HMs, she's more likely to wind up as what they call a 'HM slave' than anything else...

Anyway, that's all the underwater Pokemon I can catch on Route 1.  I wonder where I can fish next?

Ah, I know!  How about the waters around Striaton City?




Ahh, Cloud Nine, the anti-weather ability.  Useful for throwing a wrench into the plans of any given rain, sandstorm, hail, and/or drought team you might run up against.



Psyduck, the Duck Pokemon
Psyduck uses a mysterious power. If it uses its psychokinetic power, Psyduck can't remember having done so. It apparently can't form a memory of such an event because it goes into an altered state that is much like deep sleep. This discovery spurred controversy among scholars.


Alternate name I was considering?  Aspirin.

Migraine's moves are Tail Whip, Water Gun, Hypnosis, and Disable.  And of course you know its ability.




Three guesses what Drizzle does, folks, and the first two don't count. :P



Slowpoke, the Dopey Pokemon
Slowpoke uses its tail to catch prey by dipping it in water at the side of a river. However, this Pokémon often forgets what it's doing and often spends entire days just loafing at water's edge. Although slow, it is skilled at fishing with its tail. It takes 5 seconds for it to feel pain when under attack.


Rainy D is in da house! 8-)

Rainy D's moves are Tackle, Growl, Water Gun, and Confusion.



See that whirlpool in the water?  That's basically the same thing as rustling grass, only for fishing and surfing.  I'll just dip my hook into that thing, and see what I pull up...





Staryu, the Star Shape Pokemon
Staryu's center section has an organ called the core that shines bright red. If you go to a beach toward the end of summer, the glowing cores of these Pokémon look like the stars in the sky. Staryu apparently communicates with the stars in the night sky by flashing the red core at the center of its body. If parts of its body are torn, this Pokémon simply regenerates the missing pieces and limbs. At night, the center of its body slowly flickers with the same rhythm as a human heartbeat.


Starry night skies, and such. ^^ Though as an interesting nod to real-life biology, I note Staryu has no gender...

Canis Major is a Pokemon I'd consider for my team, if I didn't already have Kenny. Its evolved form, Starmie, has decent stats and can use TMs to learn an incredible variety of moves.  You could tack on... say, Toxic, Thunderbolt, Psychic and Ice Beam, and have excellent coverage in one powerful little package.

At the moment, its moves are Harden, Rapid Spin, Water Gun and Recover.  Rapid Spin is a 20 power Normal-type move with a useful secondary effect.  If there are entry hazards like Stealth Rock or Toxic Spikes in place, or if you're trapped in a move like Fire Spin or Whirlpool, it'll take care of those problems for you.



Fun fact: Basculin's color is different between versions.  Here in Volt White, we get blue Basculin, but in Blaze Black, they're red.  This one's a pretty high level, too...



Much like Bianca's Tepig, this Basculin possesses Adaptability, an ability which increases its the damage bonus on STAB moves from 1.5x to 2x.  Basculin also got a boost to Attack and Speed in this hack, which makes it a pretty scary opponent.

I'm not worried, though.  I haven't shown it, but I added Tuff Stuff to the team, and she's been a really awesome Pokemon to have along whenever I've needed to catch anything.  Thunder Wave in particular makes Pokemon soooo much easier to catch than normal.

I've got this one in the bag. ;D



...Or not. :o



And now I'm out of Pokeballs, too... ><;



...Anyway, there's no point in fighting this thing anymore.  FireMonkey, let's run!



...What.

Run away!  Run awaaaaaay!




Man, that fish was nuts... :-( I dropped all my money when I was running away from it, too.  That's not good.

Now what am I going to do?



...Okay, I'm officially desperate enough to beat up little kids for their lunch money, now. :-\ I won't enjoy it, though.



I felt invincible, once upon a time. :-( Then a fish nearly killed me.




Ritzy got put to sleep by the opponent, so I switched her out for Askew.



Critical hit on a Headbutt.  Took the opponent out pretty quickly.





This time, Askew took no damage because Headbutt kept making Munna flinch.



Natu did a little damage, but...



...Not enough to hit too hard.



Ralts vs Ralts match!



It's like looking into a mirror! :P

Though, this particular fight did get a little annoying.  The enemy started spamming Double Team, so I had to do the same in response to avoid getting whittled down.



And that was that.



...560?  I may have to re-battle this lady...



Really?  Well, I suppose that does make some amount of sense...




Not gonna lie.  I was expecting this to be a double battle.

...Don't cry when I win, okay, little girl? :-\




As you can see, Psybeam is a pretty cool move.  Ritzy now has a nice powerhouse attack that should serve her well until she can learn something like Psychic.  Which should make the next few battles easy...





See?  It was a very quick fight.



Ah, thank goodness.  She doesn't seem too sad at having lost...

What about your little friend here?



My, how aggressive. ::) Or is the proper word 'precocious'?




Have I explained Sturdy before?  It prevents the Pokemon that has it from being knocked out in one hit.  If you're at full health and take an attack that would one-shot you, you'll come away from it with one HP.  Similarly, moves like Guillotine that have the effect of knocking out the opponent in a single shot will also have no effect.



Ritzy's taking some damage, but she's good at dishing it out, too.



Really good.  That little boy's Oshawott was taken out in two shots.



Uh...  Well, at least he isn't crying, I suppose. :-\

Let the nice lady inside the daycare heal up my Pokemon, and...



...What.




Mold Breaker is a move that prevents the user's attacks from being affected by the enemy's abilities.  Ground-type moves will hit a foe with Levitate, for example.  It also cuts through beneficial abilities, though.  For example, in a double battle, an ally with Telepathy isn't safe from your attacks.




Fun fact: Shellos comes in two colors.  In Generation IV, where it was introduced, the divide was based on where you caught them, but in this hack of Gen V, you get different colored versions depending on whether you're playing Volt White or Blaze Black.




...It's time to switch Ritzy out for something else, though.  She got confused by a lucky Water Pulse.



Needless to say, Askew's Grass-type Cut does some nice damage to the Water-type Shellos.




To say nothing of the Water-type Psyduck...



Sorry, Askew, no Odor Sleuth for you.



Phew, that's good.  You gave me a bit of a scare, calling that out.



I know the feeling.



Anyway, I think that's enough for today.  Time to take a break...

And now, ladies and gentlemen, it's time for a very important Reader Participation Round.

Everyone, the following Pokemon are available for capture:

The Dreamyard
Grass, Normal: Clefairy (5%), Jigglypuff (5%)
Grass, Special: Igglybuff (10%), Solrock (5%)

Striaton City
Fish, Special: Basculin (60%)

Route 3
Grass, Normal: Mareep (20%), Taillow (20%), Shellos (10%), Sunkern (10%), Lotad (10%), Seedot (10%), Shinx (10%), Abra (5%), Phanpy (5%)
Grass, Doubles: Blitzle (20%), Pidove (20%), Growlithe (10%), Vulpix (10%), Hoppip (10%), Budew (10%), Marill (5%), Houndour (5%), Volbeat (4%), Illumise (4%), Lombre (1%), Nuzleaf (1%)
Grass, Special: Oshawott (10%), Squirtle (5%), Totodile (5%), Mudkip (5%), Piplup (5%)
Fish, Normal: Poliwag (60%), Chinchou (5%), Remoraid (5%)
Fish, Special: Chinchou (60%), Qwilfish (30%), Remoraid (10%)

Wellspring Cave
Cave, Normal: Woobat (20%), Zubat (20%), Geodude (10%), Roggenrola (10%), Aron (10%), Whismur (10%), Wooper (5%), Bronzor (5%), Axew (5%), Teddiursa (5%)
Cave, Special: Drilbur (40%), Diglett (40%), Gible (20%)
Fish, Normal: Barboach (60%), Tentacool (30%), Shellder (10%)
Fish, Special: Shellder (100%)

Pinwheel Forest
Grass, Normal: Tympole (20%), Timburr (20%), Meditite (10%), Spinarak (10%), Ledyba (10%), Machop (10%), Makuhita (10%), Croagunk (5%), Slakoth (5%)
Grass, Doubles: Throh (20%), Sawk (20%), Dunsparce (10%), Doduo (10%), Snubbull (10%), Aipom (10%), Cubone (9%), Burmy (9%), Heracross (2%)
Grass, Special: Tepig (10%), Tyrogue (10%), Riolu (10%), Charmander (5%), Cyndaquil (5%), Torchic (5%), Chimchar (5%)

Needless to say, this is a lot of Pokemon to catch.  A good 3 or 4 updates-worth.  And I'm going to have to repeatedly battle some people to get enough money for Pokeballs, on top of that.  Which begs a rather important question...

Do you want me to spend the next few updates catching all these Pokemon, or should I skip over it and show them to you when I'm done?  It would probably only take up one update if I did the latter, which would allow me to get to the next gym leader more quickly...

[Gensokian]

Man, that was quite a haul..guess that's what we should expect, though, if there's going to be so many wild Pokemon about. >w>

Only thing I have to say is that, I think you'd be better off with a Money Maker that doesn't have the Pay Day powered up; one being that he can pick up stuff for you to sell (though you do have others doing that for you...), and second, the more hits with Pay Day, the more money you get.

[BraveEarth]

I vote for showing all the catching so we get to see Mariah admonish her pokemon when they KO her desired catchees

[Kunoichi]

Hmm.  Looks like the vote's tied on whether or not I should show the Pokemon captures over the next few updates...  Well, if memory serves, there are enough trainer battles in and around the next city that I should be able to fill an update with just those.  I'll do that to fill time while waiting to see if anyone else wants to vote on the matter at hand.

Sorry for the wait, everyone.  Next update will be out some time this weekend. ^^;

[Kunoichi]

Happy Easter, everyone. ^^ As promised, here's my next update, and in a special double-length edition, at that.

Let's Play Pokemon: Volt White - Part 11: N is for Nacrene City

What's that?  You'd like to ask me a quick question?  Sure, go right ahead.



Yes, I certainly am.



...What?  What was the point in telling me about something I already told you I knew about?

Meh, whatever.



Let's hurry up and get away from the crazy daycare attendants...



Oh, hey, free stuff.  Nice. ;D



And it looks like there's more stuff up there.  So now I just go around, and...



D'oh!




Okay, this should be easy enough...



Pff, like Ritzy even cares about her physical Attack stat.




Alright Ritzy, Psybeam!



Ack! :o



Okay, phew.  That takes care of that, next up is...



A Fire-type for a Fire-type sounds good to me. ;D




Smokescreen is a move that's similar to Sand-Attack.  It lowers the opponent's accuracy and is thus very annoying when you face an opponent who likes to spam it at you.



Thankfully, it didn't do Magby much good.




Ah, right, Electric-types are resistant to Flying-type moves such as Acrobatics..




So I spammed Fire-type moves to win, instead. ^^



And now we have an Ice-type, who is weak to Fire-type moves...



And voila. ;D




Now then, a Normal-type for a Normal-type should be a good matchup...




Po, spin that roulette wheel!



Ooh, Octillery's signature move.  Nice. ;D




Wait, it's possible to train one's Pokemon while staying at home?



Well, I'm never one to turn down a gift...



Hmm, I suppose so.



Ah, nice.  I'll hang on to this.



Now, I wonder what's down here?



Somehow I doubt it.  All they teach is how to deal with status effects, and I don't plan on making use of any.



Ooh, nice.  Now, whenever Ritzy gets hit with an Electric-type move, all it'll do is boost her Special Attack. ;D



Which is probably why this guy isn't having his Blitzle use any Electric-type attacks, come to think of it...



Wait, ack!  Ritzy's still paralyzed!  I've made a pretty big strategic blunder by not healing her of that...



Whew.  Good thing Ritzy's a Psychic-type.  She's a real glass cannon, so without that resistance to Fighting-type attacks, she'd be in real trouble from that Double Kick.




Hmm.  Ritzy did pretty good in that last fight, and she's still got Lightning Rod.  I think she can handle another Electric-type...




...Uh-oh.




Okay, Po, go get'im!



That's not getting him, Po!



...And now you're paralyzed.  Great. >:(

Uproar!




Heh, silly Mareep used Growl. :P Silly Mareep, don't you know Po has Contrary?




Ah, Mareep's evolved form is up next.  I think Po can handle this one.



Oh no! :o



Oh yes! ;D



Hah!  Victory for Po!



Oh, right, I should be a gracious victor and not totally rub your face in my awesome amounts of win.



...Then again, I suppose that, if my opponent wants to acknowledge my inherent awesomeness...



Ooh, what's that?



Aww, it wasn't anything cool. :-(

Anyway, back to the daycare to get patched up right quick, and...



Cheren, what have I told you about getting right in my face and yelling? >:(



Wild Pokemon can do double battles, too?  Awesome! ;D



Yeah yeah, whatever... ::)



Alright, I'll be along momentarily.


"in Pokemon battles!"

Yeah, but in my experience, training tends to help.




Sand Veil is an ability that raises a Pokemon's evasion in a Sandstorm.  It can be pretty nice on a Sandstorm team, though there are similar abilities that have slightly better effects...



Of course, Phanpy has no Sandstorm to hide itself in at the moment, allowing Ritzy to take it down quick...



Lucky Chant, if you'll remember, provides protection from critical hits.  Not bad, but it's situational enough that it's not really up to par with any of the moves it would be replacing.




Panda vs Grizzly cub!  Fight!



Ooh, nice, Cotton Guard. ;D That's a move that raises Po's Defense by two stage-oh, wait, he has Contrary. :-( Darn it.

Okay, let's try Metronome again and hope for a better move...



:o Magma Storm, the signature move of Heatran.  120 power, 75% accuracy, and it otherwise functions like Fire Spin.

Nice. 8-)





Panda vs Stereo Bunny!  Fight!




Man, Metronome is really fun when it's working for you and not against you. ^^




Just so you know, that big eye with the heart-shaped pupil?  That's actually Woobat's nose.  The eyes are hidden behind those tufts of fur to either side of the nose.




He's a party animal, folks. >:)



Having three quarters of your team soloed by a panda bear?  Yeah, I had a similar experience when I first caught him.



...You're not with those Team Plasma goons from earlier, are you?



Yeah, you definitely do need practical experience to get a good handle on theoretical knowledge.

Oh, wait, is that your way of asking for a Pokemon battle?




Huh, Unaware completely ignores all the foe's stat changes, with the exception of Speed.  So using something like stat-boosting moves like Work-Up is useless against a Pokemon with this ability...  Though, as a balance, it also won't get any mileage out of using something like Growl or Tail-Whip on me.

Sadly, this means Ritzy's Double-Team is useless here...



...Ignores everything except changes to Speed. >:( It figures.




Okay, Ritzy, I'd say you've earned a rest.




Now, burn! >:)





Huh, Lotad's a Grass/Water-type, right?  Probably shouldn't send a Fire-type against it, then.  Chances are good it knows a Water-type move.



Rain Dish causes the Pokemon to recover HP while in rainy weather.  Not bad on a Drizzle team.



Ooh, so close. :-(




Well, that was easy.  Next Pokemon?




Yep, party animal.



Well, you could try going over the battles and analyzing them to figure out what your tactical mistakes were, I suppose.

Not that I think it will help much...



Alright, you... go right on doing that, then.

Hmm, what's that, Askew?



Aww, good boy! ;D



Hmm, go back and heal up, or push on ahead?  It looks like I'm almost there...



Okay, the free item decides it, then.  I'm pushing ahead. ^^



...So you decide to test it out on the next person you meet? :o What if I had been a little kid or something?!




Ouch, quite intimidating...  Well, except for the fact that FireMonkey's best stat is Special Attack, anyway.



Oh look, he's trying to raise his Special Defense.  Though, combined with that physical Attack drop at the start, I suppose it is a pretty good strategy...



It's a pity it still falls before superior power and speed, though.



That's a Grass-type, right?



Yep, it's a Grass-type.



Ooh, nice, Yawn.  As you can see, it's a guaranteed Sleep move, though it takes a turn to kick in.  This could be useful for catching Pokemon...  So goodbye, Scratch!  We hardly used ye.



Lombre is the evolved form of Lotad, and is also a Water/Grass-type.  So why didn't I switch out FireMonkey again?

Because I just remembered that, even though that Water-type protects Lombre from his Fire-type moves, that still leaves a weakness to Flying-type attacks, instead.  Flying-type attacks such as Acrobatics... ;D



Gah!  Fake-Out!  It's a move that only works on the turn a Pokemon hits the field.  It gets priority, and causes the target to Flinch without fail.  Really annoying to face, but useful when you want to scout your foe's next Pokemon without risk.



Good.  Acrobatics does its thing. ^^



Leech Seed?!  Oh no! :o




Okay, that takes care of that.  And next up is an Electric-type, so...



...Askew's Grass-type move should come in handy. ;D




...Or not.



Tuff Stuff, you're up!




Dragon Rage is still hax at these levels. ;D

Okay, that takes care of that.  Now, let's head on into town, and...



Yeah, tell me about it.



No, I didn't mean you should actually tell me about it!  I was expressing sympathy!



...Eh, fine.



Well, I suppose I usually prefer playing at home.  I have a Wii, after all. ^^



Uh... Oo; I don't think I care about that kind of thing at all, really.  Unless that's some sort of bizarre euphemism for something that I'm unaware of, anyway...



Ah, thank you. ^^



Well, that sure brightened up my day. ^^ And here I am, finally at Nacrene City!



Oh, hey, Cheren.  Were you waiting for me?



Well, okay...



Man, there sure are a lot of old warehouses in this place.



Okay.  I don't think I really needed the directions, but I suppose it does save me some tme.



Ah, I see.  Thanks, Cheren. ^^

...Wait, how did you get these?

"Ebay."

Oh, that's good.  For a second there, I was worried you stole them. ^^;



Well, no worries there.  Kenny's a Fighting-type Pokemon, now. ;D



...Jealous, Cheren? >:)



...Yes, that's nice.



So, what you're saying is, this town is filled with a bunch of 'trendy' hipsters, to the point that you actually wind up not following the crowd by following the crowd?

How deliciously ironic. 8-)

One quick stopoff at the Pokemon Center, and...



Okay, there's Kenny at the top spot.  Now then, let's see if we can find that gym...

Excuse me, sir, can you direct me to this town's Pokemon Gym?



'Something good'? :-\ ...I don't think I want to know what you're talking about.  They're selling in the warehouse on the right, right?

So then, into the left I go.



Why yes, yes it is.



Uhm...  My first Pokemon was Kenny, the Oshawott.



Well, he evolved into a Dewott, now, but yes.



Oh, wow, this'll come in handy. ^^ Thanks!



Thanks again, and I'll be sure to take your advice about held items.

Now, let's take a close look at this Mystic Water we just got...



Ah, that's more like it.

Now, about this Pokemon Gym...



...Uh-huh.  Thanks for the history lesson.



I have a Kenny. ^^



Is there something wrong with him? :o



Oh.  That's good to know. ^^; Kenny and I have been together since the start of this journey.



Sorry, no.



Certainly, if I can catch one.

Now, in this next warehouse...



So this is a furniture store?



...

You haven't been talking to Fennel, over in Striaton City, have you? :-(



Oh, hey, one of these old things.  If I remember my Dad's old stories right, all I need is a fishing rod, and...



Aha!  I knew he was making it up. :P

Ooh, what about this big white building up here?



Yes!  Found it!

And then I accidentally hit the escape key, exiting the program without saving.

FFFFFFFFFFFF-! >:(

Also, we hit the character limit, so I'll have to continue this in the next post. 8-)

[Kunoichi]

Remember, kids, always save frequently when playing games like these.

Thankfully, it didn't take me too much work to get back to the point I was at.  I think I even got my Pokemon up to the exact same level spread as before, too.

Let's Play Pokemon: Volt White - Part 11: N is for Nacrene City, Part 2

Okay, let's check my lineup one more time...



Yeah, it's a pretty good setup. ^^ I think I'll train up my Pokemon a little more by battling against the trainers in the gym before facing the Gym Leader herself, though.

Anyway, time to head on in and-



!



O... kay?



Uh...  Well, I have kinda wondered about what it's like inside a Pokeball, myself, but the rest of that stuff never really occurred to me to be curious about.  I guess my answer is no.



I think this guy doesn't really 'get' how social interaction works.  Still, a battle's a battle, so...




Double battle?! :o Okay, that was unexpected.



...Not really helpful, Po.



Okay, Drilbur. >:( You're first.




And next up...



Ooh, ouch.  Drought.  Turning the weather bright and sunny, Drought is an ability which entire teams are centered around, and the addition of it to Vulpix's arsenal has made it one of the more frequently-used Pokemon in Gen V.

I want one.




:o Where did N get a Zorua from?!  And come to think of it, what happened to his old team, with the Nincada and the Purrloin and stuff?

It's like this guy is actually practicing what he preaches, catching a new team in each area and letting them go once he no longer needs their help, or something...




Oh no, you KOed Kenny! :o You jerk!




Okay, now as I recall, Zorua's a Dark-type, so Ritzy's attacks are going to have to focus on Vulpix.  Meanwhile, Tuff Stuff can-



>:(



...And Ritzy's out like a light with one Bite from Zorua. :-(



Okay, that's some good damage done.  Now, FireMonkey, let's finish things up here!



Good, they're both at really low health.  Tuff Stuff, follow up with Twister, and-



>:( >:( >:(



Okay, and next...



Okay...  Phew...  Good, that battle's over.  Man, for a weird, socially-awkward guy who talks really fast and says some strange stuff, N sure is a tough opponent...

Admittedly, if I'd led with FireMonkey, instead of Kenny, I think I probably would have done much better, since Bronzong is weak to Fire-type moves, and I probably could have just had Po spam Tackle to do good damage to his Drilbur, rather than Metronome, but aside from those tactical blunders, I think I did pretty well.



...Yes.  Yes it is.



...Uh...



I mean, it seems like the guy's got good intentions, but that really sounded ominous...



Unova's founding fathers?  Huh.  Washington and Reshiram...



Uh... Okay.  Good luck finding that legendary, then.

And if you ever do find it, please don't try to take over the world with it, or something like that, okay?  That's kinda cliche.

Hmm.  N's Pokemon were mostly at higher levels than mine, and I can't help but get the feeling that the ones inside the Gym are going to be even higher still.  I could go in there and get my Pokemon stronger by battle, but I'm already having to run back to the Pokemon Center right now.

Maybe I should explore around town a little more...



Those three cheaters? >:(



They wouldn't serve me any tea when I was at their gym. :-( Now I kinda want to try some...

Hmm?  Hey, is that a picture of me on TV?!



...I think I have a stalker. :'(



Alas, right now, it is Sunday. :-(



...?  A secret path?  Ooh, maybe it leads to some sort of cool item!



Nope.  Nothing here.



Ah, thanks. ^^ I'm sure I'll be able to put this to good use.



...Or not.  This move is only 40 power.  Kenny's Karate Chop blows it out of the water in every way that counts.



This sign looks a little too smug for its own good...



I dunno, I've never been through there before.

I think I'll go and check it out for myself.



!?

What's Team Plasma doing here?!  It looks like they've got some sort of assembly going.  Let's listen in, and see what we can overhear...




...Must.. resist... urge to deliver... verbal beatdown... ><; Come on, Mariah, you know you can't take on that many at the same time...



...?

Did it suddenly get cold out here, or is it just me and my breezy shorts?

Hey, lady, did the weather just change all of a-



Uh...  What's challenge rock?




...Okay, I guess we'll be testing my toughness, then.  Against a nurse.

Oh, wait, hang on a second...



I guess I shouldn't be talking smack about nurses. :P




Yeah, Happiny didn't last too long against Ritzy.  She can hit pretty hard with that Psybeam.




And Kenny's Karate Chop is pretty spectacular, too.



Whoa. :o Kenny certainly got a lot out of that fight.



Hmm.  Fury Cutter.  If you recall, that's the weak Bug-type move that gets stronger each time it's used.  It could be good for coverage against Grass-type Pokemon...



...Yeah, sure.  Why not?  Kenny's got Razor Shell for Water-type moves, anyway. ^^



And that takes care of that.



*insert Pokemon Center noise here*



What, you mean you'll heal my Pokemon, free of charge, any time I ask?  Awesome! ;D



Ooh, and there's a secret path that leads to a nice item. ^^

Anyway, now that Kenny is level 20, I think I should let him take a proper break for a little while.  I should probably train up some other Fighting-type Pokemon for when I take on the Gym.

And I've got just the candidate in mind...



Alright, Jojo, time for a bizarre adventure. ;)




Okay.  If you don't mind, though, little girl, I'll be trying out this experience-building technique I've developed called 'the switcharoo'.  Go, Jojo!




Pansage paralyzes Tuff Stuff with Lick!  Tuff Stuff responds with a Thunder Wave to even things up!



And then Dragon Rage and Twister finish things off.



Ladies and Gentlemen, the system works. ^^



Second verse, same as the first.




Hah, joke's on you, Panpour!  As a Normal-type, Po is immune to Lick!




...And he's trying it again anyway.



Ooh, Psybeam. ^^ Nice. Po is turning into quite the talented battler...




Aaaaand time for round 3.



Interestingly enough, this little girl appears to have all three members of the elemental monkey trio on her team...



Hot Pansear-on-Pansear action! :P







I note that this girl seems to be mostly copying my moves...



Hmm, one hit point left.  Jojo can handle this. ;D



:o Jojo!  Nooooo!




Oh well.  I'll just get that nice nurse to get Jojo back on his feet. ^^



Oh?  Well, make sure to tell all your friends. ;D And remember, it's called 'the switcheroo'.



Huh.  Interesting decision to have to make, then.



Ooooh, what does this TM do?



Uh-huh, and who can learn it?



Hmm...  Well, it's the same power as Incinerate, so it certainly won't be a bad move to have.  Though, FireMonkey's Special Attack is his highest stat...



...Meh.  Why not?



...Hi.




Okay, and here are some of mine.




Ooh, that's a pretty rough move...  You get a number, 4 through 10, and the higher the number is, the stronger the attack.

This one was a 7.



As a Grass-type move, Cut has a type advantage over the Rock-type Roggenrola.  Of course, Roggenrola's a solid wall when it comes to physical Defense, so it takes out Askew first.





Ritzy didn't have much trouble, though.




Hmm.  Aron's a Steel-type, as I recall.  Another hefty physical wall, too.




Of course, FireMonkey has a strong Special Attack stat, and is a Fire-type on top of that, so I'm not expecting much trouble.



Heh.  He thinks he can survive another hit if he ups his defenses. :P




Hmm...



Yeah, Po knows Uproar, which is a nice Special attack move. ^^ He's got this one in the bag.





And that's that.



Nice, Jojo has a good, solid attack, now. ;D



Ohhh, I get it.  All of his Pokemon had the ability Sturdy. :P Heh.



It's true.  I think I explained it before...



Hmm.  There must be another way around to get at this item.



Well, that's refreshingly direct.



Spinarak is a Bug-type, so...




Yep.  That was quick.



Whoa.  Nice Pokemon...




Dragon types have a resistance to Fire, but alas, it seems as though this Fire-type wants to spam SmokeScreen.



It knows Dragon Rage?! :o



Haaaaaaaax!



Wait, hang on! ><; I accidentally hit the wrong button!  I wanted to switch out for Jojo!



...Oh well.



Get'im, Po!



H₂SO₄



Double Hit is an attack that hits twice.



Doduo went down on the first hit.



Feel the might of the Dragon Warrior!



For some reason, all this talk of bravery and boldness is reminding me of DC comics...



...Okay, now I'm actually kinda curious about this Challenge Rock.  Is it a test of mettle?



More free stuff. ^^



Alright, let's see'em.




It's a Grass/Bug-type.  Quadruple weakness to Fire. >:)



Time to do the switcheroo again...



Once more, the enemy Bug is weak to Fire.



I'm suddenly quite glad I taught FireMonkey that Physical attack move.




Ooh, a Fire-type, this time...



I don't have a Water-type, since Kenny is in the box, so I'll just rely on Tuff Stuff's innate Fire resistance.



Ouch, that's a dangerous ability to face.  Torchic's Speed is going to get raised one stage at the end of each turn.  Thankfully, its offense isn't much of a match for Tuff Stuff's attacks.



One Dragon Rage, one Twister, and...



Victory. ;D

Hmm.  Jojo's XP gain is starting to slacken, now.  I think he's almost powerful enough to start taking on the local wild Pokemon on his own, for that matter...



Oh?  You could have a pretty powerful team once you train them up.  That Torchic in particular could become quite strong.

I think you should broaden your team a little, though.  Get some other Pokemon types in there, that kinda thing.



That's the spirit. ^^

Now, up these stairs, and...



Ooh, hey, that's the way down to that item I couldn't get to!

And is that big rock the Challenge Rock?  Hmm, I wonder if I might be able to smash one of these smaller rocks with Rock Smash...



Oh, I get it.  So the idea is to break off a chunk of it with your bare hands.  One piece a day, for that matter.

Maybe the piece you break off becomes some sort of held item for your Pokemon?



Oh, right, we're fighting now.



Fighting-types are weak to Flying, so FireMonkey's Acrobatics should win the fight, here.



...Or not. :o




Iron Fist is an ability that gives moves that work by punching the opponent a 20% boost in power.  Focus Punch, Ice Punch, Hammer Arm, Meteor Mash...  Lots of great punching moves. ^^

Ritzy!  Psybeam!



Shock Wave.  70 power, and it always hits. ;D

Sorry, Teleport.  Your convenient 'porting back to the Pokemon Center will be missed. :-(



Croagunk is a Fighting/Poison type.  That's a double weakness to Psychic-type attacks.



Which is why...



...Ritzy's getting sent in again.



Of course, the Croagunk line is known for learning Dark-type moves, such as Faint Attack... ><;



It's up to you, Po!




Aww yeah, quadruple damage. 8-)



And the next Pokemon is...



Okay, time to send in Po again.



Po, Psybeam!



...What. :o How high is that thing's Special Defense?!




Ouch. ><;

Okay, Tuff Stuff, you're in charge!



Dragon Rage!




A guaranteed 40 damage can be quite useful. ^^



Hmm, as I recall, this thing can evolve into Hitmonchan, Hitmonlee, or Hitmontop, depending on its stats...



As a baby Pokemon, it should have low HP, though.  Get'im, Tuff Stuff!



And that's the end of that battle. ^^



...Then try harder? :P



You know, I think I will.  Hang on, though, gotta go heal up my Pokemon, and-



Huh.  So he's strong enough to take on the local Wild Pokemon on his own, now...



Seismic Toss's fixed damage means it could come in handy for catching wild Pokemon.  However, that's not what I'll be using Jojo for, so I'm afraid it has to go unlearned.

That said, I got a certain TM earlier that I've got the feeling we'll need, if we want to try out Challenge Rock.



Alright.  Now, let's check out that rock.



Oh yes, definitely. >:)



Whoa! :o I really did get an item!

What's it do?



Cha-ching!  $_$

Okay, that settles it.  We're coming back here tomorrow.  Though, come to think of it, the caption said it was 'a challenge rock'.  No capitalization, no 'the'.  Does that mean that there are more of them out there?  Maybe I'll be able to challenge more rocks in the future...



Uh...  Okay?



You know, looking at the level differences, I think Jojo can handle this one.




...What.

Since when did Machop learn Metronome?! :o



Okay, good, crit with the Karate Chop.  Now, I just need one more-



...Ah well.  C'est la vie.




I'm pretty sure I've already explained Guts.  Get'im, Ritzy!




Meditite is a Psychic/Fighting-type.  I'll have to take a different tack for him.



Po!  Metronome!



Dive is basically the Water-type version of Dig or Fly.  Or Bounce, I suppose.  Not a bad move to get, though I was kinda hoping for a Dark-type attack, like Sucker Punch or something.



Oh no, he's reading my mind! :o He can see that I like to play Nintendo games!  And make Metal Gear Solid references!



Well, that takes care of that.  Next up is...



Ah, the Steel/Fighting-type Riolu.  FireMonkey's fire should take care of this.



Roast'im, FireMonkey!



Wow. :o That was quick.



Well, there goes Flame Charge.  Lava Plume is pretty powerful.  That 'torches everything around the user' bit means it's no good for double battles, though.



Hmm.  Throh and Sawk are normally version-exclusives, as I recall.  If Throh had the Special Defense, I'm guessing Sawk will have the physical Defense, meaning the best counter...



...Is Ritzy. ;D



When they made her, they broke the mold. ;)




And that takes care of that.



...Could you tone it down a bit? :-X You're scaring all the wild Pokemon.



Ah, so that's what that item was.

Net Balls are better than Ultra Balls on Water- and Bug-type Pokemon, but are only as good as regular Pokeballs, otherwise.  They're pretty nice to have, overall. ^^

Anyway, that's as far as I can get in Pinwheel Forest.  Now then, let's go and check out that gym...




...

Well, I guess if the first one was a cafe, it makes sense that the second one could be a museum.



...Okay.  Will you pay me money if I find some fossils for you?



Ah, that's nice to know. ^^ I'll just head on back, then.



O... kay?



Sure, why not?

...I don't have to pay for the tour, right?



'And so it became a fossil'? :-\ That is not a very scientific explanation.



...Huh.  Now where have I heard about a mysterious Pokemon arriving on a meteorite before...?



Eh, I'm sure there are museums out there that have displayed items for worse reasons. :-( Plus, it does look kinda neat.



...Hey, what about the other side of the room?



So because you're the Gym Leader's husband, you get to slack off and only give people tours of half the museum? >:( Not cool, man.

Hey, you.  Is that really this guy's only job?



...So she does all the work running the place, and he really does get to slack off all day. -_- Riiiiiight.

Well, that's it.  I'm conducting my own tour.  All aboard for the amazing Mariah-chan's Nacrene City Museum Tour, everyone!

Tour start!



I feel oddly drawn to this black stone, for some reason.



A space virus?  And they're putting it on open display like that?  Man, major health code violation, right there.



Kabutops?



And Dragonite...  Look, Tuff Stuff, you're going to evolve into one of those, some day. ^^



Cubone's mother. :-(



I don't really recognize this one.  It looks tribal, though.



It's mysterious. :-\

Well, I guess that's all the exhibits the museum currently has on display.  If you'll excuse me, I've got to go write in my diary, now.  It's been a full day.

[Gensokian]

Yargh, that was a lot of information...mostly battles, though, so not too bad. Though, I do wanna point out...

Magnitude goes from 4 to 10, not 1 to 9, unless they changed it for the hack. And Shadow Ball is a ghost-type move, not a dark-type move.

Other than that...let's try not to do double-updates again. It hurty da brain. @w@

[Kunoichi]

Ah.  That's what I get for not double-checking my facts before posting. :P

And yeah, don't worry.  I'll definitely try to avoid doing these in the future. ^^; It took up way too much time...

[Chris Brady]

*Pokes?*

[Kunoichi]

...Sorry. ^^; I'm afraid that I'm no longer doing this Let's Play.  It seemed like everyone was losing interest in it.

[Chris Brady]

Oh, OK.  I'll miss it.