Pokemon Moon - The Dynasty

[Abe Sargent]

Hello folks!


One of the things I like to do with the next gen Pokemon game releases is that I to keep everything from spoilers and then play the game fresh, without any major knowledge of what is going on. That way I can approach the game fresh and clean.

Today Pokemon Moon and Sun were released. Given that before, I have done my first dynasty here with you folks, I felt that made a lot of sense moving forward for Moon as well!


(For example, check out white here) Pokemon White – The Dynasty! - Front Office Football Central

I have plugged in my 3ds and it's charging. Ready to rock?

[Abe Sargent]

The only research I will ahead of time is on starters.

So who do I like?


The options are going to be…

Rowlet – Starts out grass flying, which gives you a very compelling set of types. But will finish with grass ghost. That’s bizarre to say the least. Can it learn the HM Fly before moving it over? That would be nice. Hmm, I don’t see it listed on bulbapedia. Let me check elsewhere, can’t find the info anywhere, one way or the other.

Plusses and Minuses –

- Getting two pertinent types on a starter like fly and grass is strong
- Rowlet swaps flying for Ghost later, which is not the best type, and you would lose Same Type Attack Bonuses (STAB) for having a move hit with the same type as the Pokémon. I don’t want to weaken flying attacks I may have early. This is especially true considering that attack is its strongest stat
- While they will occasionally mix these tendencies up, grass is not normally a type that competes with powerful Pokemon later in the game, especially with legendary Pokemon. I think Verizon was the only commonly available grass type legendary.
- Grass owns seas and lakes and those areas of maps, and does well in caves as well, where you tend to face a lot of water or ground/rock Pokemon, all of which grass is super good against.
- Flying tends to be good in the forests and such, against the many grass and bug foes you encounter.
- One of the roles I like my party to have is a harasser Pokemon, who puts you to sleep, paralyzes, poisons, etc. It’s good for capturing Pokemon, as well as fighting folks. Grass is often good for that role (Bulbasaur was a good harasser with Sleep Power and similar moves available which you could combine with its attacking stuff)
- The flying/grass type is weak to four types of attacks where it will take double damage - flying, fire, poison, rock, and it takes four times damage from ice attacks. It’s only strong against fighting, water, and grass attacks. Grass ghost on the other hand is weak to dark, fire, flying, ghost, and ice, totally immune to normal, fighting, and strong vs ground, water, grass, and electric. So on defense, it improves with it’s final evolution
- It’s doesn’t look bad at it’s final evolution, but the earlier ones aren’t my style of looks





Litten – Litten is an odd kitty. It starts out fire for itself and the first evolution before moving to dark/fire, like

- Fire by itself is resistant to a full 6 types, and weak to just three – water, ground, and rock
- When fully leveled into fire/dark, it’s weak to fighting too, and immune to psychic.
- It leans towards attack as well
- It looks cool, especially the final evolution
- Fire does well in forests against both bugs and grass, but is weak in mountains, caves, or on water, where your foes tend to be rocks and water
- There is often a ton of competition for fire Pokémon later on. This is particularly true for legendary pokemon, where Entei, Ho-Oh, Moltres, Victini, Heatran, and such are all running around.


Poplio – Begins with just water, but when it levels up to its final evolution it gains the fairy type later, which is pretty unusual.

- Water by itself is weak to just two types and resistant to four.
- At it’s final evolution, it’s weak to three, immune to one (Dragon), and resistant to 6 more. That’s a pretty good chunk of attacks.
- Unlike the first two, it’s strongest stat is special attacks
- It’s always vital to give a Pokemon the HM Surf. It’s good for a water starter to have that ability later on.
- Like fire above, water is a hotly contested spot with legendaries a-go-go often grabbed before the final battles, from Kyogre to Suicune.
- The addition to fairy later in interesting
- It’s not my favorite looking Pokemon I’ve ever seen

So what to do?

I know this is a Hawaii themed Pokemon region. Will it need a lot of surfing and have a ton of areas you need to surf to get to? If so, Litten is the weakest – you either want a sweeper for those areas with Rowlet or a surfer with Poplio. That’s how you play Gen 3 well, to take one of those, because of the vast swatch of areas you have to surf through and in.

I also like the randomness of those options as well. I feel like Litten is just another fire starter. We’ve had every fire starters gain another type later – Charmander, Fennekin, Tepig, Torchic, and Chimchar. Three of those gained fighting, one psychic, one flying. Only Cyndaquil didn’t gain any types later. And dark makes sense. We’ve had fire/dark Pokemon before. It’s just another pokemon.

Which leaves me the bizarre shift from flying to ghost in Rowlet or the water to fairy of Poplio. Not sure, both types have gained other types as well as fire, but these are weird shifts.


I don’t know why, but these three odd secondary types (Dark, Fairy, Ghost) make me feel like this is going to be heavy on the spirit world. So let’s go with….

Rowlet

[Abe Sargent]

I get a message from Professor Kukai from the Alola region.

He welcomes me, shows me a map of the islands, I am a dark skinned female girl with the name Ysabel

I’m on my way to the region. We fly over from Kanto. I watch a video of a small blonde girl almost captured by some toughs, before escaping due to the power of a hidden pokemon.

We arrive in the town. My mother has a meowth with her as a companion. The meowth awakens me. I awaken, head downstairs, and Prof. Kukai is there with my mom. We are cousins apparently. Kukai took some Alokan Pokemon and defeated the gym leaders in Kanto with them, and thus smom wanted to move here ever since. We have island Kahunas as the pokemon trainers here. The one in nearby Iki Town is the one who gives away starters.

I grab my purse and hat and head out with Kukai.

I move through Route 1 and The prof talks to some folks on the way and shows off the area to me. You’ve got a trainer here with a differently colored Meowth that the one we brought from Kanto.And we arrive at Iki Town.

We are on Melemele Island, and this is the heart of the worship for the Pokemon that protects this island. Tapu Koko. There are nearby ruins for Tapu Koko. I head out there to find the Kahuna while Kukai stays in town to make sure they don’t miss each other.

I do some exploring, I arrive at the ruins to see that same small blonde girl that was fleeing before with a bag that she is talking to, about to head in. I arrive to the ruins and the Mahalo Trail. I keep moving and chase the blonde owoman. A pokemon jumps out of her bag and starts being attacked by a flock of Spearow. I run up.

The woman implores me to save her pokemon. I run up, and cover her pokemon and it shields me from the flyers. Another pokemn flues over to rescue us as we fell down a cliff, and then disappears. Return the pokemon to the lady, She gives me a stone, the Sparkling Stone, as thanks. She doesn’t even introduce herself, but says her and the Pokémon she has are a secret. I walk them back to town. She is apparently Prof. Kukai’s assistant, Lillie. The Kahuna returns. Hala is his name. It was apparently the islands guardian that saved us in the fall. Tapu Koko. Kahuna Hala pulls out the three startersm abd U choose Rowlet


There is a ceremony to make sure that Rowlet also chooses me back. It chooses me too.

Meet:


Nicknamed “Feathers”:

[Abe Sargent]

I get a Pokedex from the Prof, a Trainer Passport,

I head home

Before I do, I run into someone who wants to have a battle. Hau, with Popplio. Hau is the grandson of the Kahuna Hala. After I defeat him in battle, my sparkling stone shines. Hala asks to see it. This stone was given to us by Tapu Koko. I loan it to Hala for now. There is a festival tomorrow here in town.

We head home and I show mom my new pokemon. Feathers!

The next day…

At home, Prof Kukui is here again. We head out for the festival. We head to Route 1 first though. He takes me to some grass to check it out. He captures a pokemon in front of me to show me how. He gives me 10 Pokeballs and 5 potions. He leaves me to Route 1!

Before I move three steps we hit our first pokemon here, it’s the same type he just captured, a woodpecker like Pikipek. I use a Pokeball and….capture it.


Meet our new bird friend…



Pikipek!


I name her Peckers.

[Abe Sargent]

I find a Caterpie as well. I name him Burr.

Then I hit another new Pokemon, Yungoos. I hit it a few times with Tackles and then PokeBall heads out and….







Yungoos is a normal Pokémon. I name it Chomp Chomp.



I head back home to rest up my party. We are ready to head back out.

I run into my first trainer on the way back up. I lead with level 7 Feathers. He sends out a crazy looking Rattata. i love the new look here. I take it out. Another trainer follows. I lead with my starter as well, and she sends out Caterpie.

The game has a feature where your attacks will tell you before they use them in the attack screen.

Oh and O beat the Caterpie. Level 8. I gain Peck

I find an antidote, and some other minor things.

A third trainer arrives… Yungoos heads out to fight. I take it out and win.

I arrive at town for the festival

[Abe Sargent]

I find Hau, the Prof, his assistant, Lillie, and Hala the Kahuna. The goal of this festival is to battle in the name of the four guardians of the four islands.

Time for battle!

I am facing off against Hau. My mother I cheering for me on the sidelines.

I send out Feathers, he has Pichu at level 6. I finish it off, and then leave out my leader his Popplio. My grass attacks take it out in two turns. We’re level 9 now.

A cry from outside that sounds like Kapu tapu can be heard above the applause for my performance. I am given a Z Ring by the Kahuna. He refined it from the shining Stone I gave him yesterday. I need to collect Z Crystals to make it work.


Four islands, challenge the champions for each one and defeat them. The island challenge is ready.


Everyone leaves and we head home to rest up.

[Abe Sargent]

I check my pokedex to see if Pichu is in the first route. He is not. Lillie arrives and tells me the Prof wants to see me. She also tells me that her secret pokemon is super rare, and that lots of people want to get it, so she keeps it a secret from anyone she doesn;t trust. One of the routes here to the left of my mom’s house is blocked by a Tauros that is not following orders from its owner. I head forward from the house and down and follow Lillie. I run into a trainer who leads with a Pokemon I’ve not seen before, grubbin. I use Peck and is super effective. Bug indeed. Taken down

I explore some more back here. Feathers gets to level 10 with some junks. Then I hit another trainer, with a leading Wingull. That’s the first non-gen 1 pokemon I’ve seen here. I was wondering. Flying is a bad matchup for Rowlet due to the grass type. But I leave it in and use Leafage, my grass attack. Again! I got confused with Supersonic and hit myself. I swap out Burr, which will die quickly. It faints Then I send out Feathers again, this time not confused. Finished it.

Im at the lab without finishing exploring route 1. But that’s okay. We can finish later. We head in. Apparently, there is a pokemon inside of my Pokedex, Rotom. He uses the Rotom to amp up my Pokedex.

For the island challenge, I have to clear seven trials. I get an island challenge amulet to put on my purse that let’s people know I’m on the challenge. The prof tells us about a trainer’s school nearby to check out. There are a ton of pokemon hanging out here, not sure if they’ll be in the game or not – Murkrow, Luvdisc, Snubbull, Poliwhirl and lots more. I was looking for a place here to heal up, but nope. Ah well. Back to finish route 1

Whoa!

I just ran into a Slowpoke, level 7. Hmmmm….

Grass attack Feathers. Yup, lowers it to catchable levels. Ball…..nope. We try again. Ours.

Meet….


Dame Pokesy

[Abe Sargent]

I head home for a quick heal and then back at it. The Taurus is gone. I run into Lillie right in front of a Pokemon Center. She walks me to and through it. There’s a Pokemon store and PokeCafe here as well.

I have a ton of money right now, so I pick up 20 PokeBalls and an Escape Rope

I head to Pokemon Trainers School next. The Tauros is still in the road here, just moved back right past the Trainers School. We getting a quartet of battling with four trainers. And he hooks me up with an EXP Share item as well.

Battle #1 – Metapod. Easy enough. I send a peck attack. Another finishes it before it can harden too many times. Level 11m I learn Astonish and swap out Growl

A bunch of my other Pokies are gaining levels with the EXP Share. There is some grass back here I explore while hunting for the next battler

Wow that is an odd looking Meowth. I knock it down twice and then….capture it.


Meet Whiskers, level 6 Meowth.




Whoa, that is an odd colored Grimer. It takes a few hits to knock it down and Feathers faints. I send out Chomp Chomp, my Yungoos.

Pokeball #1

Locked it in.

Meet Jelly Baby






I swap it in my party for Burr and send the Caterpie to my box. I head to the PC and get my team healed.

Now a couple of cool things. My Grimer is Poison and Dark together, not just poison. And Meowth is dark. Slowpoke is water/psychic. I leave behind Peckers, my other flyer in storage.

[Abe Sargent]

Back to Trainers School

Battler #2: Leads with Pikipek. I swap out Jelly Baby. We take it out and win.

I find a Quick Claw accessory. I give it to my very slow starter.

Battler #3: She sends out Bonsly, the baby form of Sudowoodo. I use grass attack Leafage. Another follows and its dead.

Battler #4: He sends out a Grimer, level 8. Peck. He poisons me. I finish it, but not before being hurt badly. But Feathers is level 12.

I am given TM 01 Work Up. As a prize. You can use it to give a pokemon Work Up.

Lillie arrives and we are summoned to the office. I head up the school to the office. The teacher wants to fight me, so okay!

I lead with my wounded Feathers and she has Magnemite. I use Astonish. But nope. I am taken out. Next is Whiskers, Bite! Whiskers finishes it. Good job. The teacher is about to send out a Meowth. I don’t have anything good vs dark. I’ll keep mine out. I use scrath. Again. Then I’m ko’d. Next u pis Chomp Chomp the Yungoos. Tackle. It ko’s me in two hits. Jelly Baby is next. Alright Grimer, what do you have? Poison Gas. I poison it. Pound. Dead.

She gives me 5 great balls as a reward for beating her.

I meet Captain Ilima, who will conduct my trial, which is held in Verdant Cavern.

We head out and follow Lillie around the city for a bit. Hala collects his Tauros and the street is freed up.

I head to the PC and heal, and then head back to the school to see if I can find some more pokies in that grass back there.

There is one – Magnemite

Pokeball #1 – Caught!


Meet Magnets, a level 8 Magnemite. I love Magnemites, one of my favorite lightning pokemon. I’ve had their evolutions in my winning team multiple times. Good defense, electric attacks, and the ability to confuse or paralyze. They can be a harasser, defensive stalwart, and sweeper against the right foes.

[Abe Sargent]

I take out about 5 or 6 Meowths, but nothing else jumps out. I head back, heal up, and then move. I have dinner with Hau and Lillie. I’m exploring a beachfront here. Then a shopping district next. I get a Poke Finder. Rotom will help find your pokie.

I found a guy who wants me to show him 10 different types of pokemon, but I don’t have that many yet so I head out. He’s in the tourist bureau. I take some pics with the Poke Finder. I got 797 thumbs up from social media. For my pic fo Pikachu.

I need to get 1500 thumbs up for a goal

I get a Lens Case that has stuff like lens and then a makeup bag for my purse at a clothing store. I pick up a silk scarf accessory. I hand it to Chmomp Chomp to help power his normal moves

I find a little garden with some grass here in the big city and explore. I find a Wingull here. I catch it in one ball and…


Meet Wingers. Level 8 WIngull


I find a second PC deep here and head in. I have my folks heal up. A woman in this PC wants Drifloon.

I overhear some folks complaining about Team Skull in the Marina, so I head over to check it out.

I come across an Abra in another garden. I toss a Great Ball. Nope. It teleports. I find TM 49 Echoed Voice back here. I run into another Abra after. Great Ball again. It breaks out on the final try. Ah well. My next Pokemon is a Pichu in this garden. I use a Premier Ball and…



Meet level 5 Pich, “Spark Rat”.


Feathers is level 14

[law90026]

Love this!

[Abe Sargent]

Thanks thanks!!!!

[Abe Sargent]

I head to the Marina.

I speak with Captain Ilima. Team Skull moves in to attack, ai tag team with Ilima to defend the area.

Grunt – Sends out Zubat. I use Astonish. I uses Astonish back. Leafage follows. I finish it off with Astonish again. Ilima heals muh team. I agree to take Ilima;s trial.

Let’s fight!

Ilima – Pokemon #1 Yungoos, level 9. I swap to the steel of Magnets vs this normal foe. I use Supersonic to confuse it. Then Thunder shock follows. It uses Pursuit. I use Magnet Bomb then Thunder Shock again. He uses Super Potion. Supersonic. He finishes me off with Pursuit again I send out Jelly Baby, the Grimer. Poison Gas. Bite. I finish it off. Next pokemon is Smeargle. I leave out my Grimer. Poison Gas. Bite. He gets a critical hit quick attack and finishes me off first. Next is Feathers. Leafage. Our foe has a super effective attack against me, but he;s almost dead. I use Leafage again. Dead.

Victory. The Trial of Ilima can commence in Verdant Cavern when I want. Cavern is off route 2

Mass transit here is a ferry system, but its down for maintenance right now

I find a third garden and begin to explore here in the city. Another Abra pops out. A third Great ball is thrown. Caught…



Meet “Spoons”, a level 5 Abra


I have enough pokies for the man in the Tourist Bureau, so I head over to check him out. He hooks me up with 10 Ultra Balls. I heal up, make my way to Route 2, and run into Little before I get there. She wishes me luck. Route 2 awaits!

[Abe Sargent]

Route 2 -

Trainer #1 – Gastly. I swap out Feathers for Jelly Baby. Dark owns ghost. Bite. It put me to sleep. One bite when it wakens kills it.

I run into some shaking grass and find a Makuhita. Leafage. I could get a double effective move with Peck, but I want to catch it. Astonish follows. I send a Pokeball and… it escapes. Another. Caught.


Meet a level 9 Makuhita, “Sumos”

Feathers is level 15; it learns Razor Leaf for Leafage.

I take a detour to the cemetery. I’d love to grab a Drifloon here for that person at the local PC.

Cemetery –

Trainer #1 – Pikachu. Razor Leaf. KOd. We are too high a level right now. 15 vs 9.

Trainer #2 – Makuhita. Peck. KOd.

I find TM 100, Confide

Trainer #3 – Diglett. Razor Leaf is super effective. So that’s a quick match


I explore some grass, and I find a Ghastly. Pokeball hits it.



Meet level 9 Ghastly, “Spooks”


I find a Drifloon. Knock it down and…Pokeball snags it first time.



Meet Level 10 Drifloon, “Dr. Balloon”

Anything else in the grass back here?

Feathers to level 16 as I fight some more Drifloons. I don’t come across anything. I head back to the PC to heal up and talk with our Drifloon enthusiast. While heading through some grass on my way to the PC on Route 2, I hit a Drowzee. I toss a ball and…


Meet level 10 Drowzee, “Hypnox”




I heal up and then drop off Meowth. Its superfluous with my Grimer here. She gives me 10k after I show her my Drifloon, and then another 10 Pokeballs and a Premier Ball too

Back to Route 2!

[Abe Sargent]

There are a few buildings back here, like a hotel and a house.

Trainer #2 – I am leading with my Magnemite, have been for a while. He leads with Spearow, which is a good matchup. Thunder Shock. Down bird.

A delibird flies into me on the route and is pulling me towards some berry fields.

I head in, and some Team Skull grunts are harassing the proprietor of the Berry Fields.

Grunt #1 – Drowzee. Thunder Wave to paralyze. Then Thunder Shock. Again. Once more. Done Drowzee.


I get an Oran Berry for thanks. I explore the Fields while Im here and find some more berries here and there.

Trainer #3 – Cottonnee send. Magnet Bomb. Super Effective. Again. Down.


I check out some grass here while I’m in the area.

So, because I’m using Exp Share, I have other Pokies leveling up, like Dame Pokesy and Chomp Chomp. Anyways, I come across a Spearow. I send out a ball….




Meet Level 8 Spearow, not named, have no desire to ever run it in my party

Trainer #4 – Butterfree send. Butterfree dispatched.

Trainer #5 -Cutiefly send. Hmmm. Upgrade of that Sluggin I saw before? Jelly Baby is out first, Magnets was injured. Gone.


I run into Hau near the end of the route. There’s a Pokemon Center here to heal us up. I find someone here that wants to trade my Spearow for their Machop. K!


Meet Level 9 Machop, “Macho”


I buy 3 Heal balls

A lady here wants me to capture a Cutiefly on Route 3 and bring it back to her. Okay

While running to hit some berries I run into another Spearow, and I try to catch it too. I do. I move Feathers back in front of my party

[Abe Sargent]

Captain Ilima is standing in front of the entrance to the Cavern and he gives me the run down on what is awaiting me. The Pokemon in the Cavern are strong. I need to be as well. I cannot leave until I finish my Trial.

I decline, and head back to the PC for some supplies. I buy 20 Pots, 3 Antidotes, 4 Parlyz Heal, 4 Awakenings, 3 each of Burn and Ice Heals. 4 Super Potions

Now I’m ready

The Trial:

What I need to do is defeat three pokemon that lurk here in their dens, then reach the pedestal deep in the cave, and collect the Z Crystal there. There is a Totem Pokemon that leaves here and is more fearsome than all the rest by far. I also cannot catch Pokemon in the Cavern until we clear the trial.

I head in and find a wild rattata. Level 11. Dead and Feathers gains a level – 17

EVOLUTION!!!


Feathers is evolving. It evolved into a Dartrix!



I move my front Pokemon to Magnets.

I run into another rattata. Magnemite’s steel is great against the normal attacks of this.

I find TM31 Brick Break

While I am exploring a pair of Team Skull Grunts arrive.

Grunt -Out pops Drowzee. Thunder Wave to paralyze. Thunder Shock. Magnet Bomb. Fainted.



I find a giant Raticate. Thunder Wave and such follow. Again, we are looking good with the steel shield.

Three of these creatures are new done. I move Dame Pokesy in front. She just got Confusion from leveling up, a powerful psychic attack.

I move in deeper and find…a pedestal. I take the Z Crystal from it. Gigantic Raticate appears, like three times the size of a normal one, with a flaming shield aura thing around it. Yawn. It uses Tail Whip. Whoa! It summons a level 10 rattata to the field. Now it’s 2 on 1. Confusion. On Raticate. Dark attack on me. Super powerful? Our psychic is immune. These folks are dark. Yawn on Rattata. Water Gun. I am bitten with the big one wakes up. The small one falls sleep

Hmmmm…

I send out Feathers. Razor Leaf. Quick Claw gives it the first move. It hits both foes. The Rattata dies. Razor Leaf again. A few more turns and the Totem Pokemon passes.

Captain Ilima arrives to congratulate me.

I grabbed Normalium Z, it will seriously pump up normal moves. He gives me some great balls and encourages me to catch some Pokes now. Then he heals my team. He invites me to Route 3.

[Abe Sargent]

Alright Cavern, what do you have for me?

Rattata. A Poke Ball later meet..




Level 10 Ratatta, “Pirate Rat”, dark and normal.




Zubat is next in the queue. One ball as well and….



Meet our level 10 Zubat (not named, no desire to raise a normal Zubbie)


I also run into a Diglett. It summons another Diglett. Feathers levels up and…


We capture a level 8 Diglett, “Steeltoe” it has the Steel/ground type, so it’s different than normal






I leave and run into Ilima at the opening of the Cavern. The Prof is here, and they open up route 3. I watch the Prof use a Z crystal on a wild Growlithe. It gives you the option of a superpower normal move. Once per battle is it.

I rest my Pokies at the adjacent PC

I went to grab some berries and there was a Pokemon here feeding I’ve not seen before. Crabcrawler. Yawn! It looks like a crab with boxing gloves – water and fight? Water Gun. PokeBall! Captured…




Meet our latest Alola Special acquisition, the level 9 Crabcrawler, “Crabhands”, it’s just fighting, not water.




I find a Growlithe. We capture ti after two PokeBalls,



Meet level 9 Growlithe, “Firebite”


Okay, let’s head to Route 3

[Abe Sargent]

I move Magnets to the front. I find a Sharp beak that pumps up flying attacks when wielded.

Trainer #1 – She leads with Petilil. Me Magnets. I switch in Jelly Baby. KOd.

I run into a Cutiefly in some grasses and….a Thunder Wave, and Thunder Shock later, we toss a pokeball. Caught….




Meet our level 11 Cutiefly, we are calling “Buzzers” Bug and fairy.




I put it at 6th in my party. I head back to the PC to heal and see the lady about a Cutiefly. 3k cash is my reward.

I am told that Lillie I lost, so I head out to find her on route 3

I run into a Vullaby out here in route 3. I snag it with a ball, and….



Meet level 11 Vullaby, not named



I head to Melemele Meadow, off route 3, where my Rotom Dex is pointing me to.

I can see Lillie from here. Her pokemon ran off. I head out to save it.

I run into a Petilil here in the flowers of the Meadow. I weaken it and send out a PokeBall to grab it and make it ours. It breaks out. I try again. We grab it this time.


Meet our level 10 Petilil. Again no naming it


I swap Jelly Baby to the front

I find an opening into the Seaward Cave here. I move Feathers front down here. Feathers grows to kevel 19. This cave is big, but I find some Never Melt ice for pumping up Ice movies. I find Kala’e Bay on the far side of the cave. You need surf down there.

I head back and arrive at the Meadow again

Running through flowers I run into a pokemon I’ve never seen before, a Oricorio. I swap out Magnets. Thunder Wave and it’s immune - probably ground. I swap out Dame Pokesy instead. Yawn. After she falls asleep, I toss a ball her way.




Meet our level 9, Oricorio pokemon, “Ms. ‘ , electric and flying types.




This is the first pokemon I’ve encountered that’s new that doesn’t have any evolutions listed in the Pokedex. Those are often, although not necessarily, pretty good.

Let’s take a look at my party as soon as I’m done with this mission

I get to the missing Pokemon and bring it back to Lillie. Lillie and friend take off, and we arrive on route 3 outside of the Meadow where Hau is. Hau wants to battle after winning his trial. Okay

Hau:

I lead with Chomp Chomp. Hau has Pikachu. Tackle. We get paralyzed. Sand Attack. Tackle. Crit. Dead Pikachu. Feathers is level 20. Popplie is about to head out. I send out Magnets. Thunder Shock. Again. Dead Popplio. And that’s it for Hau.

The Prof arrives as well as we finish the battle. Next I need to do the grand battle vs the Kahuna. Th rest head up, while I head back to the Meadow to make sure I found everything.

I find a Poison Barb back there, a hold item. I also find someone that tells me that Oricorio has a few forms based on the nectar it eats from flowers. I also find a Poke Finder spot and take some pictures. I pos the picture and get 1630 Thumbs up. With 2427 total. I get version two of the Finder now. I can now zoom in on stuff. I zoom in and get 3443 from my zoomed in photo on a Pokemon. Total is 5890. I need to get 10000 total

[Abe Sargent]

Here’s my current party:

Level 17 Yungoos, normal, with Tackle, Bide, Pursuit and Sand Attack
Level 18 Magnemite, steel and electric, with Thunder Wave, Thunder Shock, Supersonic and Magnet Bomb
Level 17 Slowpoke, water and psychic, with water gun, confusion, yawn and curse
Level 17 Grimer, poison and dark, with bite, harden, poison gas and acid spray
Level20 Dartrix, grass and flying, with razor leaf, tackle, astonish and peck
Level 14 Cutiefly, Bug and Fairy, with Silver Wind, Fairy Wind, Stun Spore and Struggle Bug

Now, what’s my type coverage?

There are the 18 types in the game.

STAB is an attack that’s super effective by a character with that type. Ideally, you want to match up STAB with a weakness. Let’s begin with my starter:

Right now, I have STAB attacks against: Rock, Ground, Water. Flying gives me Grass, Fighting, Bug to that list. But I’ll loose flying eventually. And gain Ghost and Psychic.

Now, I don’t like using the same Pokemon from game to game, so I’m not sure I’ll use Magnemite for the game. I also like using new Pokies as well. Now I consider Grimer new for a few reasons. I’ve never, ever in my life run a Grimer/Muk in my party for anything other than leveling up, and more. It’s an Alolan special version of that Pokemon, and this is not something I’ve used, so I feel that Grimer is a solid harasser style Pokemon for me right now.

Grimer gives me STAB against – Psychic, Ghost, Fairy, Grass.

So Grimer adds Psychic, Ghost, and Fairy to the list of those we are good against.

Now I like Slowpoke right now, but it’s not a long term solution. But it STABs Fire, Ground, Rock, Fight and Poison. That adds three more to our list. And Magnemite adds Water, Flying, Rock Ice and Fairy, so you get a few more that way.

Yungoos has done very little. I’m holding onto it hoping it will be the Stoutland of this generation. A major player once evolved, and you could get it really early in the game. It had 490 total skill, the same amount that Alakazam, Altaria, Wheezing and other major players had.

So what types do I not have STAB in my Grimer, Magnemite, Dartrix, Slowpoke combo?

Dragon, Normal, Steel, Electric, Dark.

Now what about the Cutiefly?

It gives me Fairy, which is strong vs Dragon, Dark, Fight, and Bug, good against Grass, Psychic and Dark. So I get two more types covered with it.

Alright, its time to let Yungoos go from my party. For now, I’ll put in that Oricario, because I’ll need flying later when I lose it, and I suspect I’ll eventually drop Magnemite, so having a electric I’ve been working on helps. Plus maybe some of its form changes give me better types.

From the PokeMart here I buy some:

10 Great Ball
20 Repel
1 Escape Rope

[Abe Sargent]

Back to Route 3:

Another Trainer – He tosses out Growlithe. I send out Slowpoke. KO easily

I get a Soothe Bell from a local farmer. It makes the Pokie holding it happier

While moving around in some grass, a Mankey pops out. I toss one ball. No good. Another? That works.


Meet my level 9 Mankey!


I run into someone who wants a Pokeman from Ten Carat Hill called the Ruffneck,


I arrive back at the town, ready to take on the Kahuna

I am told he uses Fighting type to the best. So I move Feathers to the front. Here we go!


Kahuna Hala

I lead with Dartrix. Him with Mankey, level 14. I use Peck. One hit down, KO’d.

The next Pokemon is Makuhita. I leave my guy out there. Peck again. He hits me first and I flinch. Peck again. Almost dead. He uses Arm Thrust. Nothing. Peck. He uses a Super Potion. Peck again. Makuhita faints.

One left. I leave out Feather for his Crabrawler. Peck. Doesn’t even knock him down half, despite super effect from a 20 level to a 15. Astonish. He follows with Pursuit a 2nd time, and a crit. Razor Leaf. Almost mine. Another Pursuit. Astonish. Down. Feathers went from 62 to 24 HP in three battles.

Tapu Koko shouts it’s agreement on my success and prowess.

I get a Z Crystal for Fight Pokies

After battle, he tells us we have cleared all of the trials of Melemele Island. I get the stamp, so that I an control up to level 35 pokemon, and he sets me up to ride his Tauros around the islands as well. Tauros should help us smash through the various rocks that need smashing here on Melemele island.

I also get TM54 False Swipe

I can get to the next island from the Marina. I agree to take Lillie and her Pokemon with me to the next island as well.

[Abe Sargent]

I am exploring Melemele and hit some rocks by Prof’s lab and and I come across Ten Carat Hill. I come across a Roggenrola in here before I can leave. It breaks out of one ball and then….we snag it on the 2nd


Meet my level 12 Roggenrola!

I also find a Carbink in here as well. We grab it on the first Great ball, and meet my level 13 Carbink, “Gemjump”!



Carbinks are a rock fairy pokemon from Gen 6 that is pretty good and doesn’t evolve. Here are the STAB of them:

Rock is good vs Flying, Bug, Fire and Ice
Fairy is known as good vs Dragon, Dark, and Fight

So what does the Bug/Fairy pokemon of Cutiepie give my party that Carbink doesn’t? Nothing really. And Cutiepie is an unknown factor, but I know Carbnk is good and solid.

Tauros has 490 stats. Anyone with 490 is a major power. I have won with Tauros in my final party. Pincer, Heracross and Scyther are 500. All in my final party. Carbink? 500 as well. It’s just as good as those. Also at 500 in Gengar, Golduck, Rapidash, and many other Pokemon with a powerful cachet. So Carbink is no joke as a potential build. I’ll sit on it for not for too long.


I am in the Ten Carat Hill Farthest Hollow after leaving it. I run into a Spinda out here in the grass. Did Spinda get a new type? I knock it down a bit and send over a Great Ball while it’s read and…yup its mine.

Level 13 SpInda Arrives!

Nope, Spinda is still just normal

I find TM 62 Acrobatics. Later on I find that Rockruff as I am exploring…. All level 12.




Here is our Level 12 Rockruff, “Fido”, a rock Pokémon





Feathers hits level 22. I finish scouting the meadow and head back to the Cavern. I head home to talk with my mother to repot my winnings. I rest up while here, and now my goal is to hit up the places we couldn’t before with the Taurus rock smash.

I‘m grabbing minor stuff like a Star Piece here or an Ultra Ball there. I find TM 46 Thief in the Verdant Caverns.

I find a trainer on Route 3 behind some stuff and attack. He has a psyduck. My Razor Leaf led Feathers is too much for him by far. I find an Expert Belt held item behind some rocks in the Cave by the Water.


Now that I finished all of the other trainers on Route 3, there is a person here who wants to fight me. He sends out Rockruff, and Feathers uses Razor Leaf. I switch to Jelly Baby for his Slowpoke. Bite. They swap out Feathers and then Yawn. Astonish. I use Awakening to waken Feathers. One more Astonish should finish this guy off. And it does.

I get an item, a Red Card a held item. I find TM 83 Infestation back here by him on RTe 3

I show off Rockruff to the guy back here. I score 3k.

I arrive at the Marina. Time to move on.

Goodbye Malemale Island

[Abe Sargent]

Hello Akala Island

Two ladies named Mallow and Olivia meet us at the Marina here on Akala Islands;s Heahea City. Mallow is a captain and Kahuna Olivia her friend and ally. There are three trials here on Akala Island. One is up on Route 4 by Paniola Town and we can do that now.

Let’s look at some hold items I have that I want to dole out:

I have the Quick Claw, equipped by Feathers.

And that’s it.

I have these that increase the power of certain moves:

2 Sharp Beak, they boost flying moves
Never Melt Ice
Silk Scarf (normal)
Poison Barb
2 Hard Stone



I also have the Soothe Bell, Expert Belt that increase the power of any supereffective moves, and the Red Card, that forces the attacker to be removed from a battle in which they hit the person holding it.

I give the Poison Barb to my Grimer, and Expert Belt to Magnemite


I begin to explore Heahea city. In the tourists bureau I find the name rater and change the name of Ms. To “Ms. Happy”, that’s my oricorio. I find Lillie in the street and talk with her. Her secret Pokemon wants to find the ruins here called the Ruins of Life, where the sacred guardian of Akala Island, Tapu Lele can be found. I agree to escort them, and we can meet up at the Tide Song Hotel to head there, and my Rotom is telling me about a cool building up ahead to explore.

I run into a former Captain in the clothing store who wants me to go on a self-appointed trail on the beach near the Hana Grand Resort. There is a Pokemon there called Pyukumuku. Go, catch it, and come back.

I am given a Rare Candy by a lady hanging out in the street. I head into a nearby Pokemon Center, heal my peops, and look to buy some stuff. There’s a TM Shop here with Light Screen, protect, Safeguard, Aurora Veil and Reflect for sale. I hold off. I do pick up 10 Repels

There’s a Stoutland up ahead blocking the street, much like the Tauros before, and I can’t pass him. I head north instead and run into some folks by a fountain. Dexio and Sina. They are tourists, and Sina wants to battle me. I agree.

Sina – I lead with Feathers, and her with Delibird. This is a horrible matchup for me. Flying is weak to ice, and grass is weak to ice. I am four times weak to Ice. Delibird is Ice/Flying. Well in other places, I assume so here until I know otherwise. I swap to Magnets. Spark! One hit KO. She is about to send out Glaceon, which is the Ice Evee. I send my Grimer, Jelly Baby to handle it. Poison Gas to poison it. Poison Fang. Bite. Bite again…down. But lost like 70% of my hp for my Grimer. Both Jelly Baby and Magnets leveled to 20.

She heals my Pokies as a thanks. Dexio gives us a Zygarde Cube. It’s used to collect cores and cells of Zygarde. They recommend hitting route 4, and tell me they’ll run into me a few more times ( I tell you about people whenever we break way for cut scenes, I know they’ll be important later)

I arrive at the Tide Song Hotel. I talk with some folks, but Lillie missed her meeting and is holding out hope that she’ll be able to find the folks she was supposed to meet with, so I move on to route 4.

[Abe Sargent]

Route 4

Trainer #1 – Feathers vs Drifloon. Astonish. Again. Down.

I run around some grass for a while and find a wild Rattata that’s higher level (14) than the ones from the caves on Malemale. But I skip it for now. Then I find a wild Grubbin, which I do not have. It’s level 11. I swap out Dame Pokesy to put it to sleep. I dispatch a Great Ball and…. Yup.



Meet our level 11 Pokemon, Grubbin, bug, “Smuggles”




It has two evolutions listed next to it, so I suspect that it’s this island’s version of Caterpie or Wumple. I decide to send it to a box for now. I find a Lillipup, which becomes the powerful Stoutland late. After conusing and paralyzing it, it’s ours.


Meet our level 11 Lillipup, “Stouty”


I find an odd creature that’s shining, and when I click on it its sucked into the Zygarde Cube, Sian connects me with some info with my Rotom Dex.

Trainer #2 – Munchlax vs Dartrix. He is about to send out Bagon, so I send out Buzzers, who is anti-dragon. Silver Wind. Draining Kiss, dead Bagon. Feathers levels to 23


Trainer #3 – Feathers vs Rattata. It’s not the special one, but the normal one. Done.

I move Jelly Baby to the front.

Trainer #4 – Grimer vs Cutiefly. Poison Fang. Super effective, one hit kill.

I find some berries back here. I also find an Adrenaline Orb, which is a hold item that boosts speed when intimidated but makes wild pokies more likely to call for help.


I arrive at Paniola Town

[Abe Sargent]

I arrive at Paniola Town

I run into Hau and he wants to fight. Okay.

I lead with Jelly Baby. Him with Pikachu. Poison Gas vs his Quick Attack. Bite v his Electro Ball. He is ko’d. He is about to send out Brionne, the eloved version of his starter Poplio I leave in Jelly Baby. Poison Gas. Uh oh, I am getting Z Moved. Breakneck Blitz. Didn’t kill me though. Poisoned. Bite. I’m almost dead. I switch to Ms. Happy. My foe uses Aqua Jet. Air Cutter! Done. We have KOd his starter. Both my pokies level up. I replace Acid Spray with Minimize.

He gives me a Dire Hit post combat. It’s an equip item that hit through auras on Totems and others

This town is layed out a bit like a old west town. I find a PC and heal up. Then post battle I buy 5 net balls, I head to the Paniola Ranch



Ranch Trainer #1 – Grimer vs Carbink. I swap with Ms. Happy. (Rock is strong vs Poison and Fairy strong vs Dark so there’s no angle of attack there). It takes a while, but we finish the Carbink. Magnets levels.

I am invited into a pasture as a Trial Goer. I am wearing the badge. Mallow is here with some Miltank and Tauros. I get Stoutland registered to my ride pager, so I can now call and ride a Stoutland, in addition to Toutus. It can sniff out special items in the dirt. Just press B while riding.

I summon the Stoutland to ride around.

Ranch Trainer #2 – Grimer vs Mudbray. That’s a donkey looking Pokemon. I like it a lot. Poison Gas. Crap it knows Bulldoze and almost killed Jelly Baby in one hit. I switch to Ms, Happy. She;s flying, which should help. I try Air Cutter and it works for normal damage. Again. Fainted Mudbray.

I move Ms. Happy to the front of the queue

I move into some grass here to see what I can see, and here’s a Mudbray! I send out Magents to paralyze it, but it’s immune so it has to be ground. It smashes me hard. I then use Supersonic to confuse it. Magnet Bomb! Great Ball! Captured!!!


Meet our Level 14 Mudbray, Ground only, “Jack” (The name fo a male Donkey is a Jack)





I find another Zygarde Cube creature.

I’ve been taking down some other creatures here, led my Ms. Happy. And I’m not seeing me get a good Pokemon from this. The Oricoro seems to be more of a team player type style with Helping Hand and Baton Pass. Nothing good is happening. I don’t see her as something that is giving anything to my team right now, and soon, I suspect I’m benching her.

There’s a building back in the back here. It has a computer and I bench my Oricorio This is a Nursery. They won’t level up, but they will hang out and spawn. She gives me an egg. A nearby person gives me TM10 Hidden Power

Ranch Trainer #3 – He tosses a Sableeye vs my Buzzers, the Cutiefly. Draining Kiss. Again! One more time. Downed Sableeye.

I move Feathers back in front

I find an Amulet Coin and give it to my starter. It increases the cash we make from battles

Brooklet Hill is north and Royal Avenue south…

Feathers levels up to 24 and wants to learn the move Pluck. It replaces Peck. It’s a stronger flying move

Ranch Trainer #4 – Lillipup is out first. I Pluck it. Tackle next. One down. Growlithe is next. That’s fire and that’s not good for my grass starter. I send out Dame Pokesy and Water Gun it. Again! Victory is ours.

There are a pair of Sudowoodo in the south path cutting it off in the road. North it is!


Hello Route 5

[Abe Sargent]

Route 5!

I burn a few pots to heal some of my team

I move Jelly Baby back front

Trainers #1&#2 – Twins, duo match. They have the pink duo of Happiny and Igglybuff. I use Razor Leaf from Feathers while I hop Smuggles in. Jelly Baby and Smuggles are leveled up.

I run into Hau who just lost to some local trainers here. Some annoying dickweed named Gladion is being all annoying. He talks about taking small jobs for Team Skull. And we fight. Out goes Jelly Baby and Gladion’s Zubat. Bite. Down. It’s about to send in “Type: Null”. What’s that? Leave out my pokemon. That is a good looking pokemon. Poison Fang. Again. It’s poisoned by the Fang. Bite. It’s down. My Jelly Baby was taken down to 6 HP. Smuggles wants to learn Bug Bite. It replaces Strong Shot.

A couple of Grunts head up and back his play after his surprise at losing to me, right after defeating Hau. Gladion isn’t a part of Team Skull, and they harass him a bit before leaving. I get some Revives from hau as thanks.

Theres a PC back here and I head to it. Before I do, I run into another twin fight


Trainers #3&4 – I have Smuggles and Jelly baby vs Rufflet and Vullaby. I use Poison fang on one and sub in my starter. They take out my Grimer. Magnets heads out. Spark and Pluck. Rufflet is down. Magnets levels to 22. They blast Feathers with some flying attacks, but he stands. We finish the Vullaby. Smuggles levels.

I heal up at the PC. I get another dire hit here. I have an offer to trade a Pokemon I’ve never heard of for my Lillipup. Okay!


Goodbye Stouty!

Hello….



“Bouncee”, and Bounsweet Pokémon, Level 11, grass type.




Can Feebas be found in Brooket Hill? That’s the question a researcher is asking me in this PC. Catch one and show it to him for some cash



Trainer #5 – Paras is dispatched. Poison Fang. Super effective one hit KO. The next in Spinarak. I send out Feathers. Pluck. Done.

I head back to the PC, heal, and drop off my Cutiefly. Buzzers has done nothing. At level 20 it’s doing nothing still, low stats, not great moves. Back in the grass, in the midst of a bunch of Pikipeks and Lillipups is this Fomantis. I try to catch it! I poison it and the great ball and….


Yes!



Meet our Fomantis, level 14, grass, I name it “Grassquatch”





Back here I find TM57 Charge Beam. Feathers hits level 25.

Trainer #6 – Morelull sent out. Based on the name, I’m guessing Psychic, and I use Bite. Noe. That was not effective. Fairy? How about Poison Fang? Correct, super effective, down. They are sending out Ledyba. I’ll meet your bug with mine and I send my Grubbin. I forgot Ledyba was flying. NM I pull it out and send in Feathers. Pluck. Down.

I find TM 41 Torment by a geyser.

I head to the PC, heal up, and then into the Hill

[Abe Sargent]

Brooklet Hill

I find Lana, Captain of Brooket Hill here. I follow her and…


Trainer #1 – Barboach. Bite. Down. Jelly baby levels to 23. Goldeen next, Feathers sent. Razor leaf kills it.

Huh. Smuggles levels while fighting some local folks with Jelly Baby and gets Spark? That’s a good electric move at level 16. Will it evolve into electric? I swap out Vice Grip for it.

I find Capt Lana here by a small pond thing. She shows me some vigorous splashing near the middle of the pond. My trial: Investigate the splashing and find out what is causing it. She also gives me a Lapras to use to swim out there with the ride pager.

Trainer #2 – Fletchling sent. I use Poison Fang. It’s poisoned and dies.

I move Smuggles to the front. Given the number of water pokies here, I can use Spark.

Trainer #3 – Smuggles the Grubbin vs Poliwag. Spark! It takes two hits, but faints.

I ride out to the splashes and find some other fish swimming in the water. They head south. A wishiwashi is here and jumps out. Spark! Knocked t to red and paralyzed it. Great Ball.

Captured!!


Level 17, Water Pokemon, Wishiwashi, nicknamed “Ms. Guppy”




No version of Wishiwashi is listed in the Pokedex as a potential evolutionary path. So it’s solo. Some solo waters are powerful, and many are weak (Luvdisc, Barboach, etc). because I only had 5 Pokies in my party, Wishiwashi joins me for a bit.

Even more splashing can be heard now. I go check for Lana. I find lana at a deeper pond. An even bigger bit of splashing it out there. Lapras arrives and I head out. Once again I see five fishes dart away from the splashing. Then I head in and….another Wishiashi. Spark! It calls for help and…..another Wishiashi arrives. I spark to finish off the first.

Smuggles levels up to 17. Spark again. Dead in one hit.

It begins to rain.

Even more furious splashing can be heard elsewhere.

Trainer #4 – Smuggles vs Magikarp. Spark. Magnets level 23. Another Magikarp. Spark.


According to Lana, Within Brooklet Hill lies a legendary pokemon that us the embedment of the sea itself. Kyogre. Another heavy splashing. Raining as well

We arrive at Brooklet Hill, Totem;s Den

The Trial Starts.

Defeat the Totem.

I swim out on Lapras. Thunder cracks the open sea. Lapras is tembleing. Fish are swimming underneat and then…..

I giant fish swoop up from the waves and then attacks. It has Wishiwashis as eyes and teeth and stuff. This is the Totem Wishiwashi.

Spark from Smuggles. It’s paralyzes as well, It uses Soak and turns Smuggles into a water pokemon. A Wishiwashi appears to help. I switch to Feathers. Razor leaf. The small Wishiwashi is using Helping Hand to pump the Totem one’s attack. Razor Leaf again. It’s ability called schooling occurs. An Alomomola arrives. One more Razor Leaf. The Totem is dead and the Almom badly wounded. Level 26 for Feathers. Smuggles level 18. RI try to catch the Alomoloa, but nope, the trial is ongoing. Pluck. Batle concluded. Smuggles level 19, wants to learn acrobatics, a flying attack. I forget bite and swap it.


Totem Defeated! I arrive back at the Captain. I get a Water Z Crystal and a Fishing Rod as well as 10 Dive balls. I head back to the Poke Center to heal.

The next challenge is Captain Kaiwe’s trial in Wela Volcano Park.

[Abe Sargent]

I head back to the Hill after dropping off the wishiwashi I head back to do some exploring and fishing.


I fish up:

Magikarp – captured, level 14 Magikarp
2 Big Pearls
Heart Scale
Magikarp
Goldeen – captured, level 15
Magikarpx2
Pearl
Magikarp


Fishing works a little differently here. You look for rocks underneath the water, and then when you find it, the screen offers you an A prompt to fish. I’m trying to get a Feebas for that scientist. I’m trying out a few different rocks to see what I can see. Jelly Baby level 24

Another rock? Pearl, Karp, Goldeen, Goldeen, Pearl, Goldeen,

Smuggles, my Grubbin levels up and evolves….

It’s now a Charjabug, and that’s not what I was expecting. Here, take a look:






That’s right, after many years of waiting they finally gave us the….Bus Pokemon! I was expecting a flying bug of some sort with the Acrobatics set up a couple of levels ago. But nope, we have an electric bug. It wants to gain charge. I say no and skip it.

I head in deeper to find more fishing stuff. Ill let you know fi I find anything good like a Feebas.

I am running about and hit a Surskit. Great Ball? Caught. Got a level 17 Surskit!

I fish up a wild Alomomola. Dive Ball after poisoning it and….It’s ours!

I give up and start heading out. I hit a Psyduck on the way out. Poisoned, great Ball, and….nope. I try again. Got it.


Anyways, I leave, hit the PC, and head out. I head back to the Ranch and then south…

[Abe Sargent]

The Suduwoodo flee before me and…

I find a Mystic Water down here.

Route 6

Trainer #1 – Dartrix vs Magby. Fire not good. I use Pluck and get burned taking him out. Yungoos? I send in Jelly Baby. Poison Fang slays it.

Trainer #2 – Dartrix vs Sudowoodo. Razor leaf not even half damaged, he uses Rock Throw and smashes me. Hmmm… Razor Leaf again? Flail by it. Feathers is red. Razor one more time. Down. Level 27. Smuggles levels.

Jelly Baby back in front. Level 25. I find a back entrance to Paniola Town back here. Tm88 Sleep Talk is here

I find a some Skull heads attacking this lady with a giant pony, that looks like an evolved form of the one I have. I go help herm, named of Hapu. Drowzee. Bite. Game. We beat them, and they flee. I exchange numbers with Hapu.


Trainer #3 – Grimer vs Cubone. Uh oh. (Ground is very good vs Poison). Bite. Again. Done.

I find a Rare Candy back here. Then a Carbos. I use it increase the base speed of my starter,

Trainer #4 – Grimer vs Oricorio. Whoa, it’s in a cool form as a hula dancer. Bite. Down.

I arrive at Heahea City. I find the Dimensional research lab here and head in. But the prof is not here. Ah well

Someone inside the store, to the west of the Lab, on the 2nd floor, wants me to return when I have completed my challenge. I find and head into Diglett’s Tunnel

Kahuna Olivia is in here exploring. There are a ton of Diglett getting out of hand here. I’m not strong enough yet for here.

I head to the Battle Royal on Route 6. I see Dragion above. I find some Pink Nectar as I explore here. I find something for the ZYgarde Cube back here in the parking lot. I find some stores in the back as well.

Another person in the Thrifty Megamart here wants me to swing by when I’m the strongest trainer in the land. I buy a Strange Souvenir while Im here. 20 Repels too. 5 Timer Balls, 22 great Balls

I head into the dome

The Battel Royale is four trainers fighting. The Masked Royal arrives and tells me about what’s going on. Hau is here too. Sowe are having a four-way withteh MAsekd Royal, me, hau and Gladion

Gladion leads with Null, me with Grimer, and then Rockruff and Pikachu for those. I use Minimize on myself. They are all attacking each other, and I get hit as well. I use Minimize again. Protect from Rockruff. Minimize one more time. Aqua Jet on Rockruff knocks it down hard, Rock Throw on Null, and Pursuit on Rockruff Is about to kill it. Poison gas on all three. Rockruff’s Prtect keeps them up. Poison Gas again. The Brionne and Null take out Rockruff. Poison Gas arrives and poisons Null and Brionne. Battle is called.

Captain Kaiwe arrives and congratulates us. Hau tries to talk some sense into Gladion who is not having it. Gladion leaves. I try another BR while Im here

I enter as Normal rank. I lead with Dartrix. My foes include – Breloom, Flygon, and Archeops. Hmm. I need to be more powerful to play here. Razor Leaf . I get knocked out by Flygon. Magnets heads out. Taken out. Grimer next. They have a Pokémon called Minior I’ve never heard of or seen. I die.

Lesson learned. Come back much, much later.

Route 7 is right behind the Royal avenue.

[Abe Sargent]

Route 7

I do a little exploring, I find a swimmer out on a small lake to the east.

Trainer #1 – Grimer vs Surskit. Poison Fang. The next is something I’ve never heard of called a Dewpider. Water spider? I send out Feathers. Pluck. Yup, super effective.

Zygarde Cube back here.

Trainer #2 – Dartrix vs Alomomola. Two turns later, done.

I run into a Finneon on the waves. Level 17 and….we capture it after dispatching a Great Ball.

Trainer #3 – Dartrix vs Mareanie. Looks really cool, with spikes and tentacles. Razor Leaf. Not super effective. Astonish. Again. Done.


Traner #4 – I send out Finneon to lose, so it won’t suck up my Exp Share XP. Shellder is on the other side. It faints after a few rounds. Next is Magnets. Spark. Again. Magnet Bomb for the win. Next is Corsola. Smuggles levels. I send out Feathers to finish with Razor leaf. Level 28for Feathers. It wants to learn Synthesis, which is a self heal. Okay, I learn it. Magnets level 25 and wants to learn Metal sound. Nah we’Re good.

I find TM73 Thunder Wave

I finish exploring that back section of Route 7, the main route is closed, so I head to the Volcano path to the west.

Wela Volcano Park

I move Grimer in front.

Trainer #1 – Grimer vs Meowth. Poison Fang. I flinch after it bites me. Try again. Down. Jelly Baby levels. Trainer is down, but not before heavily reducing my leader’s HP

I use a potion. Then another

I find a cave that leads deeper into the Volcano area. Someone heals my Pokemon. UI head west and pass some drops and get a Charcoal, a held item that boosts fire attacks. I find path here to another section of the volcano.

Trainer #2 – Grimer vs Kadabra. I use Bite. One hit kill after it failed to hit me with Psybeam. Dark is immune.


I find a Cubone in some grass. I toss a ball and……level 18 Cubone joins my team.

Then I come across a new Pokemon – Salandit. Poison Gas? It uses Dragon Rage on me. Poison doesn’t work. Hmmm… Minimize. Again. It drops my evasiveness with another sapped thing. Again. Again. My foe is using Dragon Rage, Ember and such and missing a lot. Alright, let’s toss Great Ball. Nah. It calls for help and nothing appears. Another ball? Almost! It hits with Ember. Ball #3. Ball #4? Nah. Ot hits with another Ember. 6. Poison Fang? Ball 7? It connects with Dragon Rage and my pokemon faints. I send out Dame Pokesy. Yawn. Dragon Rage on me. Pokeball, it works.



Here’s our new - Salandit, level 17,fire and poison, “Hot Scales”





I thought it might have been a dragon, but nope.

I find TM 39 Rock tomb back here on the Volcano steppes.

Trainer #3 – Dartrix vs Roggenrola – Dead in one turn. He tosses a Machop. I leave it out and use Pluck. All defeated

[Abe Sargent]

I enter….

Totem’s Den

Captain Kiawe is here and greets me. His Marowak are students of the ancient dances from Alola.

Trial Start

We will be dancing. Find the difference between the two dances. I get it wrong and I fight a Alola Marowak

Bite Super Effective. It uses Flame Wheel. Bite again. Good job Jelly Baby.

I get it right and Marowak attacks too. Bite. It uses Bone Club which is super effective on me. Bite again! Down. Smuggles levels.

Second dance – I figure out what is wrong, and a Hiker Attacks me with his Magmar. Poison Fang. Bite. I miss after he dropped my accuracy with Smokescreen. Bite again. KO’d.

Third Dance – I guessed it right and now….

Totem Saladazzle, the evolved form of Salandit

That is a cool looking Pokemon

Mimimize. He also most kills me. It summons aid. I use a Super Potion. Flame Burst on me. Venoshock with another. Mimimize again. They kill me first. Dame Pokesy next. Confusion on Saladazzle. I a poisoned. Yawn on Salandit. Nope. Confusion again. Venoshock with another. I use a Super Pot on my Pokesy. More battles arrive. A crit takes me out. I send out Finneon. I use Revive on Dame. I use Revive on Grimer. They take me out. Out heads Jelly Baby.

Round two of this guy. I use a Super Potion on myself to fully heal. Super Pot on Damey. Another super Pot on my Grimer. I heal again. I will keep heling until I can use Minimize. Minimize. Crit. Damn. Almost took me down. I use Lemonade. More potions follow. I use X Defense to max my D. I use another pot. Fresh water. Minimize. Super Pot. I was poisoned. Antidote. I use X Attack. Bite. Salandit dies. Saladazze calls and gets another ally. Poison fang. I am poisoned. Sadazzle eats a Petaya berry. Potion. Antidote. Bite. KOd Sadazzle. Level up wo 27. I was poisoned again. Magnets level 26. Antidote. Poison fang. Potion. Bite. KO.

After a long long battle, I defeated the Totem.

I used a ton of items I’ll need to replace. I gain the Fire Z Crystal. And 10 Quick Balls. And I can now ride Charizard.

On my way back down the mountain I run into a Fletchling. One Great Ball later and I’ve grabbed it. Level 16 Fletchling

I head north up the now not blocked route 7. I need to find Route 8 and the Lush Jungle for Captain Mallows trial.

[Abe Sargent]

Route 8

I need to find a Stufful on route 8 and bring it to these scientists in a cubicle.

I run into Colress, a scientist. Out on the road. He believes the bond people share with Pokemon brings out their true powers. He gives me a TM43 Flame Charge for having a good relationship with my Pokemon. (If you never played them, Black and White featured Colress as one of the bosses and leaders of Team Plasma)

I fly to town with Charizard and swap some pokemon. Alright, it’s time to make some changes to my party. Magnemite, I love you, but I’m pulling you. I move you to storage.

I know I want my starter and likely Grimer/Muk for the long trip. I like what the Slowpoke is bringing me right now, with Psychic, Water, and Yawn. I’ve not been using it too much to keep from growing it, but it’s still level 25. What about my Charjabug? The Bus Pokemon I am going to make it my major capture Pokemon right now. I know there’s another level in the Pokedex, so I’ll keep it around. The Electric Bug combo is not bad

With those three, here are my type coverages:

Bug – Psychic, Grass, Dark
Elect – Flying, Water
Dark – Psychic, Ghost
Poison – Grass, Fairy
Grass – Water, Ground, Rock
Flying (right now) – Grass, Fight, Bug
Ghost (Future) – Psychic, Ghost

So I have Psychic, Ghost, Flying, Water, Grass, Dark, Fairy, Ground, Rock, and for now Fight and Bug covered with these three Pokies. 9 of 18 in the future, and 11 of 18 right now. Not bad. Now some types you may never hose. But it’s easy to suss out the major types we need right now, because I need, permanent, answers to Fight, Bug, Fire, Normal, Ice, Dragon, Electric, Poison, Steel types.

What is the best way to get that coverage from my remaining entries? Well, let’s take a look at the chart first


Ground will hit – Steel, Fire, Electric, Poison, Rock – Five types on its own. Four of those – Steel, Fire, Electric and Poison are on that “I Need an Answer” list. So a ground Pokemon that’s strong gets me 4 of those types by itself.

Another interesting one is Fight. Fight hits Normal, Steel, Rock, Ice and Dark. Three of those – Normal, Steel, and Ice are on my “I need” list. Two of those aren’t on my Ground coverage either. If I add a Ground and Fight Pokémon to my roster, then I have just Dragon and Bug that need an answer. That shores up my type coverages nicely.

I drop off Slowpoke. Now that my water Pokemon isn’t getting Surf, I don’t need one necessarily. So let’s untether myself to water, especially since the heavily powerful Surf can be a major player in combat after you get it and now it’s not on the battlefield.

Say hello to my captured Mudbray, named “Jack”. Have I found any other “good” Pokemon that I can take with me for the ride? There are no new Fights I’ve found, other than the weak Crabrawler. I need Normal, Ice, Dragon, and Bug. Both Rock and Fire hose both Ice and Bug. So I could get a Rock or Fire Pokemon that looks good. Rockruff? Salandit? I’m not comfortable enough in either of those to run them. So for now, we’re steering clear of anything else.

Just these four

What I want to do first is to hit the trainers here on Route 8, and then grab stuff from grass, to round out my team.

I teach Smuggles Thunder Wave for Mud Slap

I run into Zygarde Cube stuff

Trainer #1 – Eevee vs Grimer. We each ue use bite. Again. Ko’d.

Trainer #2 – Grimer vs Bounsweet. Poison Fang, dead. Trumbeak is next…I send out Smuggles. Looks like an evolved Pikipek. Spark! Down. Level 24 for Smuggles. Jack is now level 15 ad learns Double Kick.

I run into a level 20 Crabrawler here which is much more powerful than the ones before. I send out Feathers to deal with it. Do I kill or try to capture? Try to capture. Astonish. Again. Great Ball. Captured.


I name my new one “Crabhands”

It joins my party. I move it to front ti get it KOd.

Trainer #3 – Crabrawler vs Miltank. I use Leer. Again. Again. Crabby faints. I dispatch Grimer. Bite. Down

Trainer #4 – Dartrix vs Archen. Razor leaf. Again. Pluck. Down. Jack levels. Shieldon is next. I leave Feathers out there. Razor Leaf. Again. Success.

I find a Pokemon entrer, heal up my Pokies, and drop off Crabrawler

I buy:

2 X Spe Def, 1 X Sp. Attack, 10 Dusk Balls, 12 Super Pots, 7 Antidotes

This guy in here wants to see a Comfey from Lush Jungle.

Trainer #5 – Rockruff vs Feathers. Easy battle.

Trainer #6 – Feathers vs Meowth. Pluck. Crit, defeated.

I find Gladion’s room in a hotel here. He is not pleased by my presence.


I think I have all of the trainer, let’s back track to make sure, and then start exploring the grass. I find a Flechinder flying about. Astonish Feathers is burned. I capture it, level 20 Flechinder, and Jack levels up. He learns Stomp



Here’s a Trumbeak, the evolved Pikipek. Razor Leaf. Again. Again. Synthesis. I capture it with one Pokeball –

Level 19, Trumbeak

[Abe Sargent]

I find some water I missed before and head out to swim. I find a Tentacool back here and….I accidentally critted it, but Feathers gains a level to 30.

Trainers 7 and 8 – Training together. Two Machops vs I have Feathers and Jack. I use Jack’s move, Rototiller to amp up grass moves, and Feathers heals himself. I use Razor Leaf and Bulldoze. Again battle won. Jack levels to 18.

I find a Water Stone back here

I run into another Tentacool. Level 18 and….it breaks out of one ball and…. We grab it with the second.

There is a creature that always skitters away into a hole each time I approach. I circle around behind the hole from the water.

I hit it!

My foe is Wimpod, a level 19 Pokemon that looks like a silverfish bug. My Tentacool uses Constrict. Then Toxic Spikes. It uses Struggle Bug, and I use Acid. Great Ball away. I capture it in one.


This is my Wimpod, level 19, water bug, “Hydrophilia”






Now I am keeping this one in my party. I had to jump through a ton of hoops for it, so I suspect that it’ll evolve into something useful. I go and heal up and drop off the Tentacool.

I head to the Fossil Center here on this route. They want this place to be a real life Jurassic park. I find a Thunder Stone hidden here, but that’s all for now.

I have one final trainer left, who is battling me since I took down the entire route of trainers. She has two Pokemon, with an active Z Bracelet. Wingull is first, and I oved Jack in front for some XP. I swap him for Smuggles. Spark! Winfgull down. Next is Fearow. I leave out Smuggles. Spark again. Z Power is used and….Supersonic Skystrike hits. It takes out Smuggles. I send out Jelly Baby. Poison Fang. Again. Fearow no longer. Jack levels.

I get TM58 Sky Drop as a prize

Only thing left here Is to capture that Pokemon for the researchers in the trailer. I go hunting.

I get back after heading out for a walk to dinner and back. I do have my Pokémon:



Meet level 19 Stufful, fight and normal, I name it “Panda Bear” in homage to my favorite and longest lasting stuffed toy.






I head ack to the researcher and get… 5k cash

Is Stufful good enough? For now? Sure.

I heal up and I head too…

[Abe Sargent]

Lush Jungle

The final of the trials here on this island.

I meet Captain Mallow just inside the Jungle entrance. She is giving me the Mallow Special. I have to find four ingrediants for her – Mago Berry, Tiny Mushroom, RevivalHerb and Miracle Seed. She hooks me up with a Forage Badge to lock it in.

Trial Begins

I pick a Tiny Mushroom from a patch of them, then the big mushroom attacks! Whoa, this is a Shiinotic, a new mushroomish looking thing. Bulldoze. Not very effective. I switch out Grimer. I take it out and we keep on going

I find some suspicious grass and pull it up and face a Fomantis. Pluck. I find a Moss Rock down here for probably leveled up an Evee. I finally find the Revival Herb back here.

A tree attacks me another Fomantis. Feathers is level 31. I find a Mago Berry. I find Poke Spot for taking pics. I upload a pic, zoomed in, of a Paras working. I get another 1288 thumbs up.

I find a Miracle seed beneath a boulder Taurus smashes. I find a Big Root here too.

I head back to Mallow. Lana and Kiawe arrive. The other captains here. Now I have to cook up a storm and lure the Totem out. I start cooking! I crush the various elements.

And…

The totem arrives a Lurantis, an evolved Fomatis is here!

Pluck! It used X Scissor on me. And then summons aid and its a Castform. Pluck. It uses Synthesis. Sunny Day by Castform. Forecast turns it to a fire Pokémon. Pluck Lurantis again. Synthesis again. Weather Ball on my leader is a fire attack that drops me in one hit to 4 hp. Pluck again – nope it kills me first. I send out Hydrophilia. Struggle Bug. It dies. Jelly Baby? Poison Fang. Synthesis. Sunlight fades. Fang again. Synthesis. I use X SP Def. Synthesis again and Sunny Day with Weather ball. X Scissor. Minimize. Super Potion. Another after they crit me. X Defense. Super Pot again. X Sc and Headbutt. They rack up another cirt so I use another Sp. Sunny Day again. Poison Fang on the big bad. XS and…Headbutt, and another crit. I flinch. Another super pot. Poison Fang, Another crit from Headbuth with another flinch. Are you kidding me? Another pot. XS ad Headbuut on me. Sunny Day ebbs. I use Poison Fang. Another P Fang. And….the Totem is down. Just need to finish this off. P Fang on Castform. Again! It uses Headbutt. And gest ANOTHRE FREAKIN CRIT and kos me. I send out Jack to finish this. Headbutt crit and takes out my Jack. Alright Panda bear. Flail. Down. Whew!

I get the Grass Z Crystal and 10 Nest Balls.

The prof arrives, and talks to me and gives me TM 67 Smart Strike. He tells me to get to the lab here.






I head to the nearby PC to heal up. And to stock up for that matter.

3 X Def, 2 X Sp D, 5 Super Pots.


My Team having finished the three trials:

Level 31 Dartrix, Grass Fly, with Synthesis, Razor Leaf, Astonish and Pluck
Level 29 Grimer, Dark Poison, with Minimize, Poison Gas, Poison Fang and Bite
Level 26 Charjabug, Electric Bug, with Spark, Thunder Wave, Bug Bite and Acrobatics
Lev 21 Mudbray, Ground, with Stomp, Double Kick, Bulldoze and Rototiller
Lev 22 Wimpod, Bug Water, with Struggle Bug and Sand Attack
Lev 20 Stufful, Fight Normal, with Leer, Flail, Baby-Doll Eyes and Brutal Swing

I fly to level six on eh back of a Charizard.

I come across Lillie and Nebby using splash. I talk shop a bit and then head into the lab. The Professor Kukui introduces me to hehis wife, Burnet, who runs the Dimensional Research Lab here. Hau runs in as we finish up talking about the secret pokemon, Cosmog, that Lillie has. Burnet tells me about the Ultra Wormhole. Sometimes a hole opens over Alola’s sky and leads to another dimension. According to the Alolan myth, the Ultra Beasts that came through that wormhole fought with the guardian deities of the four islands.

I talk to some of the researchers here for more info. They study the Interdream zone (from Black and White) for info. I talk with Lillie some more. She was found ona beach three months ago by Burnet with Cosmog. She thinks Cosmog comes from the Ultra Wormhole.

Next up is the matchup with the Kahuna here/ It’s in the Diglett Tunnel.

I see the wormhole open like a crack in the sky as I leave for a moment.

[Abe Sargent]

Diglett Tunnel

I run into Oliva just inside again. At the end of this cave is Konikoni City. I need to head there. I find a Fire Stone in here

I run into two Aether Foundation people, and they were hit by team Skull who got the Diglett in the tunnel so riled up.

Trainer #1 – Dartrix vs Roggenrola. Razor Leaf. Done. Mudbray? I leave it out. Razor Leaf. Done.

Trainer #2 – Dartrix vs Machop – Pluck.

I find a Zygarde Cube addition behind that trainer. Then two Team Skull Grunts leap out at me! Hau runs up to help Battle begins…

Grunts have Fomantis and Salandit. We have Pikachu and Dartrix. Razor Leaf. They poison my leader. Pluck. My Grimer is now level 30. They are done. Many of my Pokies level up actually. I get a Max Ether. Hau heals my stuff.


Trainer #3 – Diglett vs Dartrix. Done with a Razor leaf.

Route 9 awaits!

There’s a police station by the entrance.

Trainer #1 (Officer) – Dartrix vs Growlithe. I swap to Jelly Baby. Poison Fang. Bite. I got nailed, and lost around 80% of my hp, but I finish it.

I swap out Mudbray for my #1 spot in case of future fire issues.

This is the shadow of Tapu Lele’s sacred ruins. Memorial Hill is here.

Trainer #2 – Dartrix vs Chinchou Razor that Leaf! Yup!

[Abe Sargent]

Konikoni Village

I start exploring various shops and such. We have an incense stand selling all of the various types of incense.

A TM Shop next to is sells Bulk Up, Venoshock, Double Team, Low Sweep, Shadow Claw, and Dragon Tail, each for 10k. Hmmm.. Shadow Claw is a very powerful physical ghost attack. I have a main Pokemon about to be a ghost Pokémon, with an emphasis on physical attacks. Does that not make sense?

Alright, I buy Shadow Claw. I spend 10k for it. I use it right now to replace Astonish.

A backpacker is selling Heal Powder, Energy Powder Energy Root and Revival Herb


There’s a Pokemon Center here and I head in. A member of the Aether Foundation in there PC wants me to find a Oranguru from Lush Jungle and show it to him.

I get an offer to trade poliwhirl for a Zubat and I take it.


Level 10 Poliwhirl, “Whirly”

I find Eviolite and Pikachu Z Crystal

I head into the shop

I have to go to Memorial Hill instead of finding her here.

Do I want a Plume or Armor fossil? Limit one per customer. I do Armor. For 7k.

One vendor here sells Evolution Stones for 3k each – Leaf, Thunder, Fire, and Water Stones.

The other vendor sells clothes, which we can skip.

I head back out and to the…

[Abe Sargent]

Memorial Hill


This is a place of cemeteries and resting places.


Trainer #1 – Dartrix vs Umbreon. Razor Leaf. It confuses me. Pluck. It uses Baby Doll Eyes to drop my attack. I hit myself. Quick Attack on me, Pluck resolve. I pluck again, and anther confuse ray hits me, Pluck. He uses a full potion to restorer and I hit him. Razor leaf. I hit myself. Razor Leaf. Snap out of confusion. RL again. Synthesis. RL. Confuse on me. RL. I hit myself - RL. Done. Level 32 arrives for Feathers. Jack levels too. I gain a ton of cash 9.2k for it (Amulet Coin doubles money from battles that Pokie participates in).


Trainer #2 – Dartrix vs Jigglypuff. RL. Takes it out hard. I keep it out for Ledian. Pluck. Done.

I find a Cleanse Tag by a tombstone.

Trainer #3 – Dartrix vs Comfey. That’s an odd looking Pokemon. It’s like a vertical Lei. Definitely grass. I use Pluck. It’s not super effective. Synthesis. Pluck. It confused me and I hit myself. It Attracts me. I need a female. Jelly Baby it is. I can’t it wrapped me and I cannot swap out. Pluck. Nope. Pluck….Yup. . I get another sweet 9.2k cash

Trainer #4 – Dartrix vs Ariados. Pluck.

Here in the back are some Team Skull harassars. They stole a Slopoke. I jump over and smash in.

Grunt - Raticate vs Dartrix. Synthesis. It uses Hyperfang. Pluck. HF on me again. Synthesis. HF misses. Pluck. Downed Raticate.

Team Skull flees. And they leave behind the folks they were antagonizing from the Aether Foundation. I have an invitation to head to the Grand Resort post-grand trial

I move Grimer to the front

I come across a Spell Tag by a tombstone in the back.

We hit the back of the area and….

[Abe Sargent]

Akala Outskirts

I find TM 28 Leech Life back here.


Trainer #1 – Grimer vs Staryu. I use Bite. It becomes a grass type after using camouflage. I use bite again. It hits me for some damage first. I level up to 31. The next Pokemonis Gyrados. I swap out Smuggles. Spark. It bites and causes me to flinch. Again. Defeated. Feathers grows to 33. I skip learning Fury Attack.


Trainer #2 – Grimer vs Hariyama. Poison Fang. Crit. It uses Whirlwind. Out pops Feathers. Pluck. Dead.

I run into a Nosepass in the grass. I catch it. Level 22 Nosepass for my team

I run into a Gumshoox, a leveled up Yungoos. I poison it and then it breaks out of one ball but not the next….



Gumshoos, level 22, normal




I arrive north. Here is a Team Skull lady named Plumeria. She claims to be a big sister to them to keep them together. So she battles me:

Wounded Grimer vs Golbat. Bite. It uses Air Cutter. Again. It takes me out with a crit. I dispatch Smuggles. Spark. It uses Confuse Ray. It this itself. Spark again. I hit it and take it out. Level up. It wants to send out Salandit.

Salandit vs Mudbray. High Horsepower. It poisons me. One hit KO.

Plumera leaves after threatening me.


Ruins of Life

Burnet and Lillie are here and followed me. Lillie heals my Pokemon. This is Tapu Lele’s ruin.

Out from the ruins steps Kahuna Olivia. She is cleaning up the ruins

Battle Time!

Nosepass vs Grimer – Bite. It flinches. Bite. It uses Rock Slide. Bite. It uses Thunder Wave and paralyzes me. Bite. It uses Rock Slide. Paralyzed. Bite. It uses Rock Slide. Crit on me. Flinches me. I’m down pretty low. But this isn’t a Pokemon I care about, sure Super Pot. Rock Slide. Bite. Rock Slide flinches me. Bite. Rock Slide – paralyzed. Use another Super Pot. Rock Slide. Bite. Rock Slide and flinched. Bite Rock Slide and…I take it out. She;s about to send out Boldore.

Boldore vs Mudbray – High Horsepower. It uses Headbutt. My Stamina pumps my def after the hit. High HP again. Headbutt from my foe again. Stamina raises my D again. Bulldoze. Boldore falls. She is about to send out Lycanroc, which I’ve never heard of, so I switch to Feathers.

Dartrix vs Lycanroc. Looks like an evolved Rockruff. Razor Leaf. It uses Z Power. Continental Crush. And that Ko’s my guy. Panda Bear head in. Brutal Swing. It uses Rock Throw. Payback. It uses the same. I use a Super Pot on my Mudbray just before I’m about to fall. Mudbray. High Horse. It uses Bite. And my Stamina hits in. I take it out and level up to 26.

I took out the Kahuna!

I get the Rock Z Crystal. Lillie applauds me. Normally Pokemon avoid the guardians, which makes it odd that Lillie’s Pokémon keeps trying to get to them. Hau arrives to do battle with Olivia and I fly over to the Resort.

[Abe Sargent]

The Hano Grand Resort


On the Hano beach I find something for the Zygarde Cube, I spend some time checking out the Beach and a lifeguard here wants me to be a Pyukumuku chucker. Okay I agree. I find one.


Nope, it’s a Staryu instead. I catch a level 20 Staryu

I catch and toss a Pyukumuku back. Another follows. Level 32 for my Grimer. It swaps Crunch for Bite. Pyux3. X4. X5 x6 finally. I get 20k in cash.

I head out onto the beach and see what I can find in the water. I fight some badguys and find some loot.

Trainer #1 – Grimer vs Wishiwashi. It starts as the more powerful version I fought, not this weak one I have. Crunch. Crunch again. Poison Fang. Done.

Trainer #2 – Dartrix vs Psyduck. Razor Leaf.

I find black glasses on a small isle

Trainer #3 – Dartrix vs Wingull. Razor Leaf. Crit, ko’d. I leave it out for Barboach. RL. Also gone.



Trainer #4 - Dartrix vs Finneon, RL. Attract, can’t attack. Try again. Nope. One more? Again. Nope and nope. I send out Panda Bear. Both ladies. Payback. Again. Defeated. I send Feathers back for Shellder. Razor Leaf.

Feathers is level 34 and…..

EVOLVES


Into a Decidueye.



It wants to learn Spirit Shackle.


Trainer #5 – Decidueye vs Gyrados. I swap to Smuggles. It uses Leer. Spark. It uses Bite. Dead foe. It levels up to 30.

Trainer #6 – Grimer vs Pyu…. Crunch. It uses counter. And smashes me hard and ko’s me. Hydrophilia next. Struggle Bug. Again. Took it down.

I head back to the main Resort from the beach.

[Abe Sargent]

The person I saved, Faba, is a worker with Aether Collective, and wants to show me the Aether Paradise. It’s an artificial island that is away from alola. I agree to come with him to it. Hau jumps in and wants to come as well. We take a ferry boat to the island.


We get a tour of the area, and look at various facilities for the conversation of Pokemon. Developing new Pokeballs and new tech. You can’t use Pokeballs inside due to a jamming device. And Branch Manager Faba leaves off to meet with the President and an aide moves us. This is Wicke, She shows us around in the big lift. She talks about our journey ahead. We head up for another floor, the main conservatory, and it’s Aether Haven, very natural place for Pokemon. Pokemon targeted by Team Skull are kept here. They also keep pokemon in danger of becoming extinct, like Corsola that is overhunted by a Pokemon called Toxapex.


We head to meet with the President. We arrive and meet with her. President Lusamine. Uh oh! The ground is shaking. My guess a major Skull attack ins about to commence. Let’s see. No. There is a giant great rift with this soft, giant Pokémon that just moved out of it. It looks wrong to Hau, but the President moves to it in pity. We fight the….??? Pokemon. It’s has a major aura.

Grimer? How about some Poison Fang action. Not very effective. Crunch? It uses Venoshock. Crunch again. Too bad I can’t use Pokeballls here. Crunch More with Feeling. It’s down.

It fades in color. And then reality warps for a moment and it disappears.

According to the President, that was an Ultra Beast. It appears to be suffering, as if in pain from simply being here. The President wants to save and love it. She sends Wike to take us to Ula’ula Island

I get a TM 29 Psychic as thanks

[Abe Sargent]

Ula’Ula Island

Hau wants to battle. Okay

Grimer vs Raichu – Poison Fang. It uses Electro Ball. Fang again. It uses Quick Attack. But then it falls. Level 33 for muh Grimer.


Mudbray vs Flareon – High Horsepower – It uses Fire Fang. I knock it to red. Again. It Fire Fangs and burns me. I finish it off. Level 28. For Mudbray.

Feathers vs Brionne. Razor Leaf. It uses Z Power and…Hydro Vortex arrives. RL again. KOd.

Whoa – another Evolution…

Panda Bear is evolving…


It’s evolved into a Bewear!




It wants to learn Bind…no thanks. I need to get this thing some Fight moves soon. Do I have any TMs I can give it to learn? I give it Brick Break. This replaces its Flail.

I take the ferry back to Heahea City on Akala Island. From here I fly to the Jungle. I had two Pokémon capture request from it. Back to the Lush Jungle.

I’m going to run around for a while and try to catch some new stuff, I’ll let you know when I’ve caught one.

Smuggles levels up and gest the powerful X Scissor move.


I come across a level 19 Comfey. Poison Gas. Great Ball. Great Ball. Great Ball. Great Ball. Got it…



Meet my Level 19 Comfey, fairy, the vertical Lei,




That will satisfy the Level 8 PC guy. I have another request.


I find a level 19 Paras. I capture it and it’s mine too!


Well I ran into the other one – Oranguru. I like it’s look. I toss some balls and I grab it.


Meet “Cadeus” our level 18 Oranguru, a normal psychic addition to the game.






I get 5k total from my bounties. I buy 12 Great Balls and 10 Super Pots.

[Abe Sargent]

I fly back to Melemele Island to do some surfing around


I find a Barboach and….I capture a level 10 Barboach

I TM 05 Roar.

I’m in the Melemele Sea right now, just south of the mom’s home

Trainer #1 – Finneon vs Jelly Baby. Crunch. Taken care of.

Trainer #2 – Corsola vs JB. Crunch here as well. JB levels to 34


There is a section out here I can’t get too with rocks hiding stuff.


Trainer #3 – JB vs Goldeen. Taken care of

Trainer #4 – JB vs Luvdisc. Poison Fang. Another Luvdisc. Crunch. Done.

I find a rare candy back here

A Luvdisc heads up and…I have a new level 14 Luvdisc!



Trainer #5 – JB vs Wishiwashi – Crunch. Barboach is next Crunch. Done.


Trainer #6 – JB vs Tentacool. Crunch.

I come across some injured Corsola and heal them, their trainers comes back, tells me about mean Pokémon that bites and feed on them, and then gives me a Wide Lens for helping her Corsola.

[Abe Sargent]

Back to Ula’Ula Island, Malie City

Malie City has a very Japanese feel, with Shinto style arches and architecture here.


The Pokemon Center here by the docks has a TM Store with Roost, Smack Down, Aeriel Ace,Facade, Steel Wing, payback, Rock Polish, Bulldoze, Swords Dance, U-Turn and all for 10k each.

Any I need? There are a couple of obscure ones there like U-Turn that have a defiant use in the right party. U-Turn is a powerful bug attack at 70 power that switches the user out after it resolves. So I could smash with one of my two bug pokemon and then swap it for something better (both Smuggles and Hydrophilia are weaker than other options). Swords Dance is a great attack buffer, as it double pumps your attack stat. It’s a great way to start a battle with an attack based leader. Roost is a self-heal for flyers. All good stuff. There are real reasons to use all three of those.

We’re good for now, I want to keep them on my radar, just in case. I pick up 3 Revives.

I find Lillie in the street a few moments later. She tells me t meet up with the prof in Malie Gardens. Alright, I head over…


Malie Gardens

I find Hau just inside the Garden entrance. The gardens are laid out in a traditional Japanese garden manner. He tells me a tea ceremony is happening somewhere, so I head out to look it up. There is a giant sign here that says “Don’t Ride Pokemon”

There are a ton of weeds back here, so I walk around some to see what I can find. I uncover a Poliwag. I have the updated version, Poliwhirl, but not this one, so I try to catch it. I get a crit and accidentally take it out. Ah well.

Here’s an Ariados, level 27 – Caught

I run into some folks telling me about a secret here in the gardens. I do a little fishing here as well. I run into the professor in the middle of the center island by some shops. We tell him about the Ultra Beast and such. Our next Trail is on Mount Hokulani, you can either catch a bus there from route 10. There’s an observatory u on the Mount too I am left here in the Gardens to explore.

Trainer #1 – Jelly Baby vs Raticate. Crunch. Again/ It cruches me back. I send out Mudbray for their Raichu. Bulldoze. Dead. Jack is now level 30.


Evolution Time!!!


Mudbray evolves….




Into Mudsdale.




Still a ground Pokémon. That’s a good looking Clydesdale.

[Abe Sargent]

I find another Poliwag while running about. I capture it, level 24 Poliwag.

I move Panda Bear to the front of my party to get it some experience. We are taking out some local bugs and then get level 29 on Panda Bear. Grimer 35, and…….



Another evolution as Hydrophilia levels to 30



It evolves into Golisopod, a nasty looking water bug



It learns the move First Impression.

It’s a 90 power bug attack that works on the first turn of battle. I need to give this thing a good water attack.

This thing looks like a Gen VII version of Milotic or Gyarados. I was thinking the Wimpod to be more of a Dragon level up, but I’ll take this instead.

Now, given that I have this thing, is my, yet to evolve into its final form, Charjabug worth keeping around? Do I need two bugs?

What types do I lose from my coverage by dropping Electricity?

Electric hates on water (I still have grass with my starter), and flying. So I lose Flying.

But I can get flying hate with rock and ice.

My current uncovered types are Fight, (now) Flying, Dragon, Bug. Well Ice hates on two – flying and dragon. But I don’t have a good Ice option. What I could do is run something like, say, Psychic to Fight. Oranguru looked like a viable option. Let me take a look at my Pokemon Center when I return

Trainer #2 – Panda Bear vs Cleffa. Brick Break for me, Magical leaf for it. Again. Done. Feathers now level 36


Trainer#3 – I send out Hydro… vs Persian. First Impression. It sends out Marowak and I send out nothing. I use First Impression, fails. Sand Attack. Struggle Bug. I use it again and again. So apparently First Impression doesn’t work the first turn of battle vs that creature, just generally. That sucks.


I run into a Masquerain out here, the evolved Surskit. Struggle Bug. 3 Great Balls later I snag it.


Panda Bear levels up and leaves Take Down. I find a Grassy Seed back here. Hydrophilia levels and gest Sucker Punch.

I figured it out. The shape of the water in the gardens is the shape of a Pokemon.


And we have concluded the gardens

[Abe Sargent]

Back to the city and exploring

Lillie says hey. She wants to head to the ruins. But they are deep in large desert. She’s heading to the library first here in Mailie.

My Rotom dex leaps up and I meet a guy named Professor Oak. He tells Rotom to take care of me, and vice versa. He’ll be in the Malie Library as well.

I start talking to a bunch of folks. See if I can get any news or stuff. In the clothing store I find a backpacker who wants me to show him a Togedemaru pokemon around the power plant.

I find someone wiling to trade a Happiny for mu Pancham, which I don’t have, in a fancy restaurant.

I hit up the PC and take a look at other possible Pokies for my Smuggles.

Let me show you some good evidence of what I am talking about:
Stats:

Golisopod, 96 h, 51 Spe Att, 55 Sp Def, 96 Att, 98 Def, 40 speed – has a bad(?) special ability 0 Emergency Exit – leaves when HP is reduced to 50% or less.

Decidueye – 107 jp, 91 ad 83, 104 and 69 with a 71 speed to finish – high level starters are always better, and it’s higher level as well

Grimer – 108 HP, 45/53 SP, 80/45 normal, 41 speed. Not fast, but not evolved yet either, and it’s a bit overwhelmed by the others right now, but will come into its own soon

Bewear – 121 HP, 42/47 SP, 77/58 ATT/D, 47 speed – lower level.

Mudsdale – 104 hp, 48/60 SP, 86/75 Att/D, 44 Spd

Now…

Charjabug – 84 hp, 45/61 SP Atta and Def, 65 Att, 83 Def, 36 speed.

Despite the fact its’ the 3rd highest level on my team and something I have leveled up for a long time, it’s clearly less than the others. Now to compare that the final evaluations of Bewear, Mudsdale, and Golisopod may not be truly fair. Those are final evolutions, and Charjabug has one more to go on the Pokedex sheet. But when does that happen?

And given that I have a bug locked onto my team already, is Charjabug giving me anything anymore?

And given that of the two electric strongest – water and flying, I already hose one of those, it seems like Charjabug may be mostly superfluous, especially since Grime has been my harasser all this time and done that role quite nicely. So I don’t even have an underdeveloped Charjabug paralyzing and keeping things real while I build my forces up.

Given that, here is who I like, generally.

Oranguru, but it’s just level 19, and that’s about it, barring something like Magnemite or Pikachu

Or I could just hope to find something better up here on Ula’Ula. So let’s lean on that. In the meantime I do make that swap, in case it becomes permanent, to begin to work up that Oranguru. But I am very okay with Musdale, Golisopod, Decidueye, Bewear and Grimer *cough* Muk as my core five.

I find the library. Outside, as I talk to Lillie, is Hapu, with the Mudsdale we recused on the previous island. I introduce Hapu and Lillies. Hapu offers to show the way to the ruins for Lillie when she’s ready. The Mudsdale are very good steeds. Hapu and Mudsdale head off.

[Abe Sargent]

Into the Library.

Professor Burnet gave Lillie some thoughts about a book here on old myths and legends of the Alola islands. She is looking for that one. I look out and talk with everyone.



I find a tourist and explain how rides work here and she gives me TM76 Fly. Huh. She mentions how it’s a big deal back in Johto, but not here.

I talk to Prof Oak. He tells me about regional variants. If I can find a local Persian, he;d like to see. Lillie is disturbed by a small purple haired lady who asks her is she is looking for a particular tome. She does. It’s a book called “The Light of Alola” and it states that a single beast appears from the empty sky that broke asunder, and became the moon. The king bowed, and the island guardians fought it, but they lost. Another Beast took the day and became the sun. They brought a new life to Alola and kept island guardians from strife. There are two tones that sing from a flute for Lunala and keep them.

The purple haired one states that this was written by her father, but the book is really, really old. It supposedly belonged to her father. Her name is Acerola. She claims her family used to be royalty here. She had all of her dad’s books moved to the library so they wouldn’t be ruined by Pokemon. She can tell lots of old stories about Alola, for Lillie.

The next trial is an Electric type out on route 10 bus station. They stay here, and I finish exploring the library.

I head out.

Malie City Great Cape

There’s a bunch of grass here I run around in.

Here’s a Trubbish. Level 27. I capture it with one Great Ball.


Trainer #1 – Mudsdale vs Trubbish. Bulldoze. Down. Another Trubbish. Another Bulldoze. Another win in one hit.


I find a bunch of people working on something ahead. I talk to them. They welcome me. This is where they take the garbage from the Alola area and consume them by Muk and Grimer. The President’s Muk once ate 10 tons of trash a day. I am offered a battle with the Muk, and I agree

Mudsdale vs Muk – I am so glad I worked on Grimer/Muk because Muk is very, very pretty here. Scintillating colors. I send a Bulldoze over. It uses Acid Spray back. Bulldoze again! Muk is down.

The father talks his son into attacking as well. His son used to be a trialist as well, but quit early on. Grimer vs Mudsdale. Bulldoze. Done in one hit. He hires his son for the plant after the battle.

He gives me a Twisted Spoon as a thanks. The President is about to retire. I explore out here a bit more

I find a master of Pokeball throws and I learn a new way to throw a Ball. Hello Professor Oak. The Grimer and Muk, according to Oak, are naturalized, not regional. They evolved to eat trash other than sludge and sewer slime. They do not give off a foul stench as they contain their poisons in their body. He gives me a Friend ball.

I head back to the grass for a bit. Is there anything here besides Trubbish? I am using Mudsdale to clean them out when we find them. There’s a Level 24 Raticate. And…..go Jelly Baby! Poison. Captured


I heal up, pick up 10 Great Balls, and then…

[Abe Sargent]

Hello Route 10

An old lady at the front of the route has lost her Stufful. I agree to bring them back if I find one. There are 8 lost.

I walk past a moving tree and out leaps a Fearow. Jack uses Double Kick. Again. I accidentally crited with one fo those and kod it.

Man, stamina is my favorite ability on a Pokémon ever. Each time the Mudbray or Mudsdale is hit by a any attack, it pumps it’s defense. Well I just found out that counts for multi-hit attacks each time. So a double kick, fury attack, stuff like that that have multiple attacks amp my defense more. That’s awesome.


I capture the next level 25 Fearow I come across

I run around in the grass first, but other that Fearow, there’s nothing here I chaven’t seen before thus far. I’m taking them out and getting solid Xp. Take Fearow, for example. It’s leveled up and in the mid 20s level wise.

I find and grab five of the Stuffuls before I hit the first trainer

Trainer #1 – Jelly Baby vs Steenee, is that an evolved form of that Bouncee I had earlier? HMmm. Let’s try Poison Fang to take it out. Yup, super effective, one hit ko.

Trainer #2 – Grimer vs Poliwhirl. Crunch. It uses Body Slam on me first. Crunch again. Done.

There is a women here healing Pokemo in the middle of the route. I grab her aid

Stufful #6 & 7

Trainer #4 – Grimer vs Growlithe. Crunch. Completed.

Level 37 for Grimer fighting Fearow int eh weeds and from the trees.

I run into some Team Skull Grunts at the Bus Stop at the end of the route. Battle begins with this dopes.

Grunt #1 – Grimer vs Golbat. Crunch. Again. Grunt done.

Grunt #2 – Grimer vs Raticate. Poison Fang. Hyper Fang won’t take me down. It’s poisoned from the hit. I swap in Hydrophilia. Hyper Fang again, nothing on me. Struggle Bug. Bug is good vs dark if you’ll recall. Down.

Grunts flee. Kukui the Prof arrives and talks about TEMA Skull negatively. I head back for healing and to check in with my Stufful. I think I’m missing one.

Correct, still missing one according to her.

I find it behind a tree. She gives me a Never Melt Ice as thanks as well as 15k in cash.


Back to the bustop

We wait for the bus and the Exeggutor Express arrives and takes us.

[Abe Sargent]

Mount Hokulani


The Professor, Kukui is in front. I run to him, and since this is the 2nd tallest mountain in Alola, ou can see a lot stretched out from here. The tallest is steep, jutting majestic peak called Mount Lanakila, which you can make out towering above the clouds. That’sa sacred spot, the closest you can get to the legendary Pokémon of Alola, said to be the moon incarnate.

There’s where Kukui wants to establish a Pokemon league for this area. He wants to get everybody who finished their island challenges up there to battle to become the island challenge champion. He wants to get their own version of the Elite Four and their own Pokemon League, which Alola doesn’t have. He wants to show off Alola local trainers and Pokémon to the rest of the world

There is a Pokemon Center here I head into. There are the various vitamins here for 10k each – Carbos, HP Up, Zinc, etc. They raise your base stat, so when you level up, you may get some better results. I always like to give at least one of each to my starter when I find them. I buy 11 Ultra balls.


I am at an observatory, so I head in.

Here is a man at front called Molayne who greets us. He used to be the captain here, but no longer. The captain here is Sophocles, I have to face Molayne to prove I’m worthy.

Grimer vs Skarmory – Grimer is a bad toss vs Steel. Dark is half effective vs Steel but poison won’t touch it at all. I switch to …whoa. I have a lot of bad tosses here. Feathers is grass vs flying. Normally I’d run either Jack here, but flying is immune to ground, or Panda Bear, but fight is rough vs flying. Bug of hydrophilia is bad vs flying as well. I have no safe Pokémon. Might as well tough it out with Grimer. Crunch. It uses Air Cutter. Again. It uses Metal Claw. Again. Air Cutter. Taken down.

Feathers vs Dugtrio – Razor Leaf. It uses Sucker Punch and badly damages me. Ghost is weak to ghost. Again. Our foe uses a Max Pot to heal. But I crit and take it out.

Jack vs Metang – High Horsepower. One hit ko. I make 6k from the match

Oh, and he and Kukui appear to be related as well and voyaged together. Kukui leaves to get Hau.

I head into the observatory after healing at the PC

Observatory –

They give me a comet shard as I enter. I head deeper and deeper into the observatory

I find Sophocles back here.

I am to summon the Totem Pokemon, and then prove my strength to it. He whipped up a device to call the Totem anytime he wanted it. Can of like a dog whistle that only some animals can hear, the device works on totems. This is the first time he’s tried it out, so…

The power goes out. Trial Start –

In order to open the door, please respond to this audio quiz.

What sound to you hear? Pokemon Center. Correct!

As soon as the door opened, a Pokemon heads in. We are facing a Grubbin of the wild kind. Crunch. Down. Door closes again. 2nd Audio clue. It’s the Rotom Dex. Correct! Door opens. Charjabug here. Crunch. It uses Vice Grip. Poison Fang. Down. Door closes again. Audio #3 – I get the answer wrong. I get it right time 2. Charjabug again. Poison Fang. It uses Mud Slap which is super effective. I use PF again. I miss. It hits me. Once More. Downed.

Grimer levels up and…


He evolves!!!




Meet Muk!





It wants to learn Venom Drench. Opposing Pokemon are drenched in a liquid that lowers their attack, sp attack, and speed if they are poisoned. So I can poison, and then drop their ability to hurt me. This is not bad. I do have Minimize which I like, but only had 10 moves and just makes it hard to hit me. Which would I rather have? Minimize.

Final audio questions. I get it right


The Totem is arriving and…

It’s here. Say hello to the final evolved state of Charjabug – Vikavolt. It looks cool. Go Muk! Poison gas. These battles sometimes take a while, let’s start out right. It calls an ally after smashing me and a Charjabug arrives. They have an ability called battery that amps up an ally. Minimize. It uses Spark again. And we are paralyzed for Thunder Wave. Minimize. Spark and,,,,kods my already wounded Muk. I send out Jack, which should be an obvious win. Immune to electric attacks and can super powerful hit them. Bulldoze them both. Vikavolt apparently has levitate and can’t be hit by ground moves. Annoying. Stamina hits. They use string shot to slow me down. Stomp on Vikavolt. It uses charge. Strong Shot again. Stomp again. More stamina rise. Vice Grip too. Vikavolt falls. Jack levels to 34. Feathers levels to 38. High Horsepower. Charjabug falls. I beat them easy with Mudsdale.

Molayne is here saying hello to Sophocles. I get Electric Z Crystal, and conclude the trial. Normally the island kahuna appoints captains, but there are some unusual circumstances on this island, and so Molayne appointed Soph. Molayne gives me a Steel Crystal Z too. The Prof forgot his mask, and I can take it to him at Malie Garden. It’s the wrestling mask.

I heal up at the PC. And I move Muk back now that he’s leveled. I ptu my big water bug in that spot.

[Abe Sargent]

I walk down the mountain…

Trainer #1 – Hydrophilia vs Clefairy. First Impression. Not that effective. Struggle Bug. Agai. Once more. I need a good water attack for this thing.

I find a bunch of grass to the side. In there….

DITTO!

We catch it with 3 Great Balls, and we get a level 25 Ditto to our team.

I find TM 72 Volt Switch. I find a Skarmory here. I flee from it with Emergency Exit after three failed great Balls. That’s annoying, I move my guy from the front.

I fight 3 Dittos before I find another Skarmory. Panda Bear brick breaks it twice, but gets a crit to take it out accidentally. Dang gone it! I go heal and return.

I find a rare candy

Trainer #2 – Panda Bear vs Boldore. Brick break. Again. KOd. Geodude next. Brick break. Whoa, geodude has a cool look here. It uses Smasck down. Again! Down! PB levels ro 34. I find a heavy ball.


In some grass later on down the road I find isomething cool. A Pokemon called Minior. Like a like spikey ball thing. I use Baby-Doll Eyyes and drop its attack it uses swift on me. Hmmm. I need to do it. I think it’s either steel or rock, so I use Take Down It takes about 2rds orf its life off, but it’s not effective. It changes form to ice. I toss a ball. I start with Great. But this might be an Ultra one. Nope. Capture it in one go. Panda Bear levels.


Meet our Minior, Rock Flying, “McStars”







This one has Stealth Rock, Swift, Ancient Power and Self Destruct.

Trainer #3 – Panda Bear vs…..Passimian, never seen it before but it’s a big Monkey with a rock or ball. Brick Break? Normal. It uses Scary Face Take Down. I er…umm…take it down. He’s about to send out Oranguru. I send out Hydro… First Impression. Super Effect and dead Pokémon.


Whoa! I find a Beldum haging out here in the grass. I us Take Down. It uses recoil on me from take down, and is damage dot about 75% of its health gone. So, I toss a ball or three its way. Of the Ultra persuasion. Now Beldum, especially one leveled, has a low catch rate. I’ll let you know If I snag it. 9 Ultras? Nope. Ten? Nope. 11? Nope. And we had 3 Beldum trying to be caught, as it summoned aid twice. So I’m not doing that again.

Oh and level 35 for Panda Bear

Feathers level 39. I am very impressed with Bewear, which is a very rough and tough Pokemon. It plays well. I head back to the PC for healing. IU buy 20 Ultra Balls.

I find a guy who wants to face me since I took out the trainers on the Mount.

Hydro vs Absol. First Impression. One hit ko.

He gives me TM 95 Snarl. Bus ride down!

[Abe Sargent]

I return to the city. I heal up and the Prof wanted to meet up in the gardens again so I swing over.

The prof is being harassed by Team skull. Kukui brags he can take out both of them in 4 turns. Someone walks back behind them and tells them to make it three on one. This is Guzma, the boss of Team Skull. He talks some trash to the Prof. He says they are fellow rejects who could never become captain. He wants to crate new traditions in Alola for people like himself and Kukui. Kukui pushes Guzma to battle me. He challenges me with questions about why and what I’m doing.

Skull Boss Guzma:

Golisopod vs Golisopod. Mine’s level 35 vs his at 31. Sucker Punch. Struggle Bug. He uses Swords Dance twice. Struggle Bug. Razor Shell but it. Not very effective. SB again I damage it by 50% and it leaves and out comes Ariados. Sucker Punch. It uses Fell Stinger. Mine bounces and I send out Feathers. Pluck. It uses Sucker Punch and that’s super effective. Ariados falls. Out comes Golisopod. Razor Leaf. It uses Sucker Punch. Then it falls. Hydro levels and wants to learn Iron Defense. I swap it for Sand Attack. We win. And we get 7200 cash

Guzma rants and flees. The Grunts follow. I get some praise from local. I get a Z Crystal for my starter. I give the mask back to the prof. Lillie and Acerola arrive from the Library. Kukui is heading for Mount Lanakila. The next trial is up route 11 through Tapu Village. I go heal.


TM time –

I give Cadeus, my Oranguru Psychic, and replaces Stored Power.

I need some good water and capturing moves. Level 36 with Panda Bear, she learns Hammer Arm. I go and pickup TM 59 Brutal Swing.

Route 11

Trainers 1 and 2 – Tennis players They send Herdier and Flechinder. I have Panda Bear and Hydro…Hammer Arm on Herdier, and Sucker punch on Fletch. SP and HA both work, and the Herdier is out. We finish it next turn. Game.

I find TM 74 Gyro Ball here

Trainer#3 – Panda Bear heads out. Stufful on the other end. That’s kinda sad. Won’t stop me from Brick Breaking his face, but it’s still sad.

Trainer #4 – Hariyama vs Panda Bear. This is not good. I am weak to fight with my normal type. I try anyway He uses Belly drum I takedown. Brick Break to win it. Done. Feathers is level 40.

There is a woman here who will hear your Pkies. Panda Bear is level 37 now. As is Hydro

I run into a lady on the route, and she looks at my Zs. What I face up ahead is a ghost trial

[Abe Sargent]

Route 12

Hapu and the Mudales are behind me coming up the hill. I gree them. She gives me a Mudsdale for a ride pager. I need to fo through here to get to Tapu Village. I mount a Mudsdale

There are a bunch of rough rocks ahead I have to gallop to make it through. I charge up the range.

Trainer #1 – Panda Bear vs Tirtouga. Hammer Arm! Payback. Done.

In the grass back here I find a Torkoal. I capture a level 28 Torkoal


Trainers 2& 3 – I send out Cadeus and Feathers. They have Pancham and Krokorak. I pull my psychic Cadeus for Muk against two darks. Razor Leaf takes down the Krokorok. Muk level 40. Itwants to learn gunk shot but nope. We take out Pancham this round.

I find a few Zygarde Cube objects back here

I find an Alola Geodude in the grass and try to catch it. I grab it and it’s ours. Our level 29 Geodude is rock and electric. Check it out!

Trainer #4 – Feathers vs Cranidos. Razor Leaf.

Trainer #5 – Feathers vs Porygon. Razor Leaf. Crit. His next is Magneton. Panda Bear! Hammer Arm, ko in one shot.

Feathers gets level 41. Panda bear rises to 38.

Trainer #6 –

Mudsdale vs Ledian. Stomp. It uses Light Screen. Crit, down

Mudsdale vs Pinsir – Stomp. It uses X Scissor. High Horsepower. It uses CS again. Again. It uses Z Power and….Savage Spin-Out, It drops me to red despite my defense gains from my ability. I take it to red too. Super Pot. XS Again. I use Stomp. XS again. I take it out. Level 38 for my jack and Hydro

I get TM 77 Psych Up from him post defeat.