Surfable, Cutable, Strengthable, Backtracable - Part 32

With my team taking a heavy hit I finally make my way out of Victory Road, but not before I hit a final Boldore...

What happens, you may ask?

I defeat it. What were you expecting?

I have a much weaker team now that I lost some of my strongest and most promising. I need to train and/or find some extremely useful Pokémon. 

The best way I can think of to try and redeem myself is to do some backtracking.

Backtracking in Pokémon games generally means that I need to find Surfable, Cutable and Strengthable areas.

I hop onto Pumprnickl and we Fly back to my hometown, which from there I walk along the first route until I find some Surfable water.

While Surfing I notice that I do in fact enter a brand new area!

Welcome to Route 17.

Here I find a new TM for Toxic (which is generally a great move, but in a Nuzlocke it's not that great).

I head back to find my Pokémon I can catch so after diving into the water I run into a...

It's another female Frillish! I miss Royal already so I capture it and name her Triscuit.

I explore some more and find a few more items and even a guy willing to give me a Pokémon Egg, which would have been great if I remembered that there was one here! 

It contains a Larvesta, a Fire/Bug-type that gets nearly legendary stats.

I'm bummed that I missed this guy, but it's too late.

I explore a little more and find an HM for Waterfall and a TM for Thunderbolt, which I immediately teach to Racksy, who is actually getting a ton of experience in this area with all the Surfing.

I eventually run into another new area that is labeled P2 Laboratory, which holds a single item inside a building to evolve a Porygon, which I don't have.

But there is grass outside which I run through and find...

It's a Watchog, which I catch and name her Wags.

There is only one nickname left on my list now as well... so I go in search for a new area.

I come across Route 18, which is right next to Route 17!

I find a TM for Telekinesis and head into the grass. 

I first run into another Watchog, so I give it another shot...

It's a double battle with a Crustle and a Scrafty (Woodrow), what's with me running back into previous Pokémon I had!?

I go to catch Crustle, it gets burned against Licky and I will not stay in its ball. It gets all the way down to the final turn with the Burn and I finally catch the Rock/Bug-type however and name him the final name on the predetermined list of names. Capcom.

With some much needed training under my belt and three new Pokémon to choose from for my team I finally feel a little more at ease.

My Team:

Racksy (Stunfisk) level 45 - Route 8

Odessa (Cofagrigus) level 40 - Relic Castle

Pumprnickl (Vullaby) level 43 - Route 10

Totts (Boldore) 40 - Twist Mountain

Licky (Chandelure) 54 - Celestial Tower

Triscuit (Frillish) level 15 - Route 17

PC:

Wags (Watchog) level 30 - P2 Laboratory

Capcom (Crustle) level 34 - Route 18

Shorty (Minccino) level 40 - Route 16

Chowchow (Liepard) level 33 - Route 9

The Fallen:

Wallace (Deino) level 43 - Victory Road

Xanadu (Krookodile) level 57 - Desert Resort

Royal (Jellicent) level 53- Driftveil City

Bigguns (Joltik) level 35 - Chargestone Cave

Gregford (Swasbuck) level 34 - Dragon Spiral

Cowface (Zebstrika) 46 - Route 7

Catapult (Trubbish) level 30 - Route 5

Cracker (Foongus) 31 - Route 6

Dexxter (Vanillite) level 30 - Cold Storage

Tumbles (Ducklett) level 29 - Driftveil Bridge

Conch (Liepard) level 34 - Route 2

Zkippy (Lillipup) level 15 - Route 1

Upstairs (Oshawott) level 12 - Nuvema Town

Butterball (Pansear) level 18 - Dreamyard

Yuko (Blitzle) level 15 - Route 3

Amasya (Roggenrola) level 18 - Wellspring Cave

Flathead (Timburr) level 17 - Pinwheel Forest

Woodrow (Scraggy) level 30 - Route 4

Cannot Catch At These Areas

Lostlorn Forest

Victory Road: The Beginning of My End - Part 31

Victory Road lies in wait ahead of me.

This is a scary place. Trainers will now have balanced teams and there will be a lot of them. The trail is long with lots of Pokémon appearing. 

I take a deep breath...

... and head inside. 

In the first area of Victory Road I don't run into a single Pokémon, so I head up the stairs and into the next area.

In here I run into a Boldore. I have one, one which is currently on my team. So I'm allowed to skip it and wait for the next.

The next is a Vullaby, this has never happened before... the rules say I can skip the first Pokémon

 I encounter if I already own it, but the first two I've run into I not only have, but currently have both on my team. 

After a moments deliberation I decide that I will give myself one more chance to find a new Pokémon that I don't have. If it is still another Totts or Pumprnickl then so be it. 

I head into the next area and take a single step forward and a Pokémon appears. I'm ready to catch it no matter what.

It's a Deino! It's a Dark/Dragon-type. I'm annoyed that it is part Dark like everything on my team seems to be again, but Dragons are super strong Pokémon. I catch the little level 39 Dragon and name him Wallace. 

I teach Pumprnickl Fly and head back to a Pokémon center to heal and to snag Deino out of my PC.

After heading back to Victory Road I start running into a lot of Durant. 

These aren't horrible... ah... who am I kidding? I'm ecstatic that I didn't catch one. Licky tears through these Steel/Bug-types with no problem. 

Deino steadily gets some decent training as I head further up the Road. I have to heal a few times out of battle and one time I accidentally used a Rare Candy on Xanadu, which I was saving to use them before the Elite Four, but oh well. 

Then I see him... It's a trainer dressed as a kung-fu character. These have Fighting-types and have been the bane of my existence through both Nuzlocke challenges. 

He sends out a Scrafty. I remember my own Scrafty...

I switch from Wallace to Xanadu, which I know Xana is weak to fighting so when he takes a Hi Jump Kick to the face that knocks him down to about 1/4 of his HP I get a little nervous. 

But I'm fast and ten levels higher with a ton of attack. I attack Scrafty, but... he was faster...

He hits Xanadu with... 

...another Hi Jump Kick...

And my strongest Pokémon's eyes slowly close for the last time...

I need to find a place to fly out of here, but I run into another trainer. It's a doctor. One that after you fight him he becomes a sort of Pokémon Center for you. 

He sends out a Gothirita, which I have Wallace try to Crunch, but the doctor recalls his Pokémon and sends out a Leavanny (like the one that Burgh had so long ago). My Crunch took his leafy bug down to half health. I can take it out.

Leavanny uses an X-Scissor and...

My newest is now among my fallen comrades...

He heals my Pokémon after I have Licky finish him off. He even tries to heal the dead. 

I make my way outside and Fly on Pumprnickl to a center. I bury my dead and fill my team up with Totts and Odessa. 

I make my way back towards the top of Victory Road...

It takes some time, but with most of the trainers defeated and now with Totts knowing Strength I push a few boulders around and make it up much more quickly.

The last trainer to fight is a veteran who owns a Gigalith.

This is ultimately what Totts can become, but I have to trade him to do that, maybe eventually...

I send out Royal to take on this guy, which shouldn't be a problem. I'm nearly 10 levels higher and a Water-type which is strong against Gigalith.

After two hits Gigalith is still standing, but... Royal...

I... I... I have lost two of my three strongest on Victory Road. I even lost a Dragon. How am I supposed to beat the Elite Four now?

My Team:

Racksy (Stunfisk) level 42 - Route 8

Odessa (Cofagrigus) level 40 - Relic Castle

Pumprnickl (Vullaby) level 43 - Route 10

Totts (Boldore) 40 - Twist Mountain

Licky (Chandelure) 52 - Celestial Tower

- - - - 

PC:

Shorty (Minccino) level 40 - Route 16

Chowchow (Liepard) level 33 - Route 9

The Fallen:

Wallace (Deino) level 43 - Victory Road

Xanadu (Krookodile) level 57 - Desert Resort

Royal (Jellicent) level 53- Driftveil City

Bigguns (Joltik) level 35 - Chargestone Cave

Gregford (Swasbuck) level 34 - Dragon Spiral

Cowface (Zebstrika) 46 - Route 7

Catapult (Trubbish) level 30 - Route 5

Cracker (Foongus) 31 - Route 6

Dexxter (Vanillite) level 30 - Cold Storage

Tumbles (Ducklett) level 29 - Driftveil Bridge

Conch (Liepard) level 34 - Route 2

Zkippy (Lillipup) level 15 - Route 1

Upstairs (Oshawott) level 12 - Nuvema Town

Butterball (Pansear) level 18 - Dreamyard

Yuko (Blitzle) level 15 - Route 3

Amasya (Roggenrola) level 18 - Wellspring Cave

Flathead (Timburr) level 17 - Pinwheel Forest

Woodrow (Scraggy) level 30 - Route 4

Cannot Catch At These Areas

Lostlorn Forest

Dumb Folks 'Round These Parts- Part 30

In our previous episode our hero had just run into the Professor of Unova, Professor Juniper. She has very important information to tell us.

We will continue our adventure now.

Juniper tells me that she knows how to wake the legendary dragon!

She tells me that in order to wake the dragon... she doesn't really know what to do, but she thinks it will eventually wake up on its own. 

She then proceeds to ignore the idiocy that just poured from her mouth and asks if I regret taking my journey. That makes me remember... the bad things...

I end up never answering her and she throws me a Master Ball and runs off to do whatever professors do in these games. 

I start my way to Route 10, but before I can enter it I'm told that there is a huge storm on Route 7. I ignore the comment about it and run to Route 10.

I've already gone through a lot of this and suddenly Cheren stops me. Wait....

I forgot to heal after the gym battle with Drayden. 

Cheren challenges me to a battle.

He has four Pokémon and I start to mildly hyperventilate. 

Unfezant is out to fight against Pumprnickl, which I switch right away to Xanadu. Cheren starts to build up a Razor Wind. Xanadu Crunches on the bird, but it doesn't fully knock out Cheren's Pokémon. Razor Wind gets off and hits Xana. My red and black crocodile tries to Crunch, but Cheren has Unfezant use Detect. Another Crunch in the round is all it takes to finish this first battle. 

He begins to send out Serperior, which I counter with Licky. 

Cheren starts off with a Leaf Blade.

Licky counters with Flame Burst, but it doesn't quite take out his starter. Cheren must've tried to anticipate this and had given his snake Leftovers to heal a little bit of itself, but it's not quite enough. Another Leaf Blade and another Flame Burst and his second  Pokémon goes down.

Next is Simipour versus Royal. 

Simipour uses Leer, which was stupid and Royal takes it out in two Shadow Balls. 

For an unhealed team we are doing decently.

Last up is his Liepard... or what was his Liepard after Xanadu uses a Brick Break and OHKOs Cheren's final  Pokémon. 

After Liepard finally goes down Cheren regretfully heals me up and Bianca comes running from behind and throws me a few revives, which I can't even use. 

I don't want to sound sexist, but the women in this game are morons...

The next place to go is...

The road before Victory Road, which is still a continuation of Route 10. 

It's the badge check...

I go through gate...

After gate....

And flash all of my badges.

And there it is --

Victory Road.

*cue dramatic music*

My Team:

Racksy (Stunfisk) level 42 - Route 8

Xanadu (Krookodile) level 56 - Desert Resort

Pumprnickl (Vullaby) level 41 - Route 10

Totts (Boldore) 40 - Twist Mountain

Licky (Chandelure) 52 - Celestial Tower

Royal (Jellicent) level 50- Driftveil City

PC:

Shorty (Minccino) level 40 - Route 16

Odessa (Cofagrigus) level 40 - Relic Castle

Chowchow (Liepard) level 33 - Route 9

The Fallen:

Bigguns (Joltik) level 35 - Chargestone Cave

Gregford (Swasbuck) level 34 - Dragon Spiral

Cowface (Zebstrika) 46 - Route 7

Catapult (Trubbish) level 30 - Route 5

Cracker (Foongus) 31 - Route 6

Dexxter (Vanillite) level 30 - Cold Storage

Tumbles (Ducklett) level 29 - Driftveil Bridge

Conch (Liepard) level 34 - Route 2

Zkippy (Lillipup) level 15 - Route 1

Upstairs (Oshawott) level 12 - Nuvema Town

Butterball (Pansear) level 18 - Dreamyard

Yuko (Blitzle) level 15 - Route 3

Amasya (Roggenrola) level 18 - Wellspring Cave

Flathead (Timburr) level 17 - Pinwheel Forest

Woodrow (Scraggy) level 30 - Route 4

Cannot Catch At These Areas

Lostlorn Forest

Drayden: Dragons and History 101 - Part 29

I finally allow Iris to drag me into her house.

Inside Drayden is waiting for me and ready to sit me down for storytime.

I'm told that Zekrom and Reshiram were the same dragon that belonged to two heroes who were twins. The slightly older one believed in truth,while the slightly younger believed in ideals... whatever that means. 

The two twins begin to argue about who is right.

Eventually these two twins and their argument becomes so intensely heated that the dragon they share splits into two. Reshiram goes to the olderish bro who believes in truth and Zekrom runs off to be with the youngin who believes in ideals. 

Since the two dragons were once the same neither can win in fights. 

These fights became so intense that they deal a ton of damage.

These brothers are smart and they cease the fighting and live peacefully separate from each other and then forever after the world is at peace...

That is until the twins have their own sons who begin the argument again, but they take it one step too far.

They ultimately destroy Unova.

At some point they end their fighting and help rebuild Unova with the help of their dragons. 

Drayden ends his history lesson by telling me that Pokémon and people are meant to be united.

I need to know how to awaken Reshiram... so I ask them.

Drayden and Iris are stumped and have no idea how to do that.

Drayden then tells me that in the meantime, I should fight him at the gym, so he runs off to meet me there.

I have nothing better to do so that is exactly what I do. I head to the gym

The gym is all black and white and full of dragon statues.

I fight the trainers, which are all dragon trainers. I jump on switches which move the dragon statue's heads, arms and hands. This extends the pathways which bring me closer and closer to Drayden.

I actually feel like this gym is huge after a while and reminds me of the Snake Way in Dragonball Z. 

Eventually I finally reach Drayden and start the last and final gym fight.

Drayden has three Pokémon, which is so far a good sign.

The first one he sends out is a Fraxure.

It is a straight-up Dragon-type, which is only weak against Ice and Dragon (at least in this generation).

I don't want to risk anything this late in the game and I send out Xanadu.

Xanadu jumps into the air and smashes into the ground starts off a massive Earthquake. 

Fraxure goes down and Xanadu gets a little Moxie (boosts his attack everytime he defeats an opponent). 

The next Pokémon in Drayden's team is a Druddigon.

Another pure Dragon-type, but has some decent stats and a better moveset.

Xanadu doesn't spend anytime lollygagging and Earthquakes Drayden's Druddigon to a knock out, and boosts Xana with another Moxie.

Last, but not least, is Drayden's Haxorus.

This brute is another pure Dragon-type and almost all Speed and Attack, which means it should go down quick and easy...

I keep Xanadu out and Earthquake...

His Haxorus goes down...

Wait. I won?

I get the Legend Badge and a TM for Dragon Tail!

That's it! I have all the badges and some pretty strong Pokémon!

I head outside and find Professor Juniper waiting for me.

My Team:

Racksy (Stunfisk) level 42 - Route 8

Xanadu (Krookodile) level 56 - Desert Resort

Pumprnickl (Vullaby) level 41 - Route 10

Totts (Boldore) 40 - Twist Mountain

Licky (Chandelure) 52 - Celestial Tower

Royal (Jellicent) level 50- Driftveil City

PC:

Shorty (Minccino) level 40 - Route 16

Odessa (Cofagrigus) level 40 - Relic Castle

Chowchow (Liepard) level 33 - Route 9

The Fallen:

Bigguns (Joltik) level 35 - Chargestone Cave

Gregford (Swasbuck) level 34 - Dragon Spiral

Cowface (Zebstrika) 46 - Route 7

Catapult (Trubbish) level 30 - Route 5

Cracker (Foongus) 31 - Route 6

Dexxter (Vanillite) level 30 - Cold Storage

Tumbles (Ducklett) level 29 - Driftveil Bridge

Conch (Liepard) level 34 - Route 2

Zkippy (Lillipup) level 15 - Route 1

Upstairs (Oshawott) level 12 - Nuvema Town

Butterball (Pansear) level 18 - Dreamyard

Yuko (Blitzle) level 15 - Route 3

Amasya (Roggenrola) level 18 - Wellspring Cave

Flathead (Timburr) level 17 - Pinwheel Forest

Woodrow (Scraggy) level 30 - Route 4

Cannot Catch At These Areas

Lostlorn Forest