Differences

This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.

--- games:playthroughs:pokemon_crystal_cooltrainer [2023-01-28 19:42] – Got to Seafoam Islands zlg
+++ games:playthroughs:pokemon_crystal_cooltrainer [2023-02-03 01:58] (current) – Some more notes zlg
@@ Line 32: / Line 32: @@
   - ☑ KRABBY
   - ☑ MAGNEMITE
-  - ☐ MARILL
+  - ☑ MARILL
   - ☑ MEOWTH
   - ☑ NIDORAN
@@ Line 38: / Line 38: @@
   - ☑ PARAS
   - ☑ PIDGEY
-  - ☐ PIKACHU
+  - ☑ PIKACHU
   - ☑ POLIWAG
   - ☑ PONYTA
@@ Line 54: / Line 54: @@
   - ☐ VULPIX*
   - ☑ WOOPER
+//Essentially, you miss out on the Kanto starters plus Vulpix if you can't trade.//
 ===== Unicode Compatibility =====
@@ Line 1479: / Line 1481: @@
 He guides me to the machine, where I place my POKé BALLS and let the computer download their statistics.
+==== Becoming the Champion ====
 **Milestone: Become the LEAGUE CHAMPION! TIME: 59:35, POKéDEX: 50**
@@ Line 1654: / Line 1658: @@
 === SEAFOAM ISLANDS ===
-It's time to face BLAINE! QUAGSIRE will make a fine partner for this battle.
+It's time to face BLAINE! QUAGSIRE will make a fine partner for this battle. It was a close call with his RAPIDASH's FIRE BLAST, but QUAGSIRE emerged the victor and I claimed the **VOLCANO BADGE**! Cool beans!
+//No play-by-plays here anymore, except for key battles, if you haven't noticed since I got to KANTO.//
+Now to loop around to FUCHSIA to collect any items, and head back to PEWTER CITY!
+=== ROUTE 20 ===
+More trainers, more easy EXP. ELECTABUZZ learned THUNDERBOLT here though, so that's awesome!
+=== ROUTE 19 ===
+Onward we SURF... and more trainers we defeat! The trip to FUCHSIA went went. Let's go to PEWTER!
+=== PEWTER CITY ===
+The man in the northeast side of town has a **SILVER WING** for me. Now I can visit LUGIA!
+Let's swing by the GYM and give BROCK a beatdown. QUAGSIRE single-handedly took out his entire team! I claim the **BOULDER BADGE** and make my way to the east.
+=== ROUTE 3 ===
+I was about to head eastward, when PICNICKER GINA called and ended up having a **LEAF STONE** for me! Nice luck for me! I'll have to go get the other elemental stone numbers some time...
+When I came back to KANTO, I was ready to pummel the gauntlet of trainers on the way to MT. MOON. Sadly it is not a Monday night, so I won't be able to capitalize fully on this trip, but it's okay.
+=== MT. MOON ===
+As soon as I enter, SILVER approaches me for a rematch! Alright, let's go! He surprised me with an ALAKAZAM and GENGAR. QUAGSIRE was weakened, and ELECTABUZZ ended up going down, but WEEPINBELL saved the day. Still the champ, bb.
+=== ROUTE 4 ===
+Let's wrap up this stretch and FLY to SAFFRON to take down SABRINA! Easy trainers, like usual, and easy pickings for the **HP UP**. Good stuff.
+=== SAFFRON CITY ===
+Returning to SABRINA's gym was a fun diversion. Ultimately, I gave GROWLITHE some extra EXP and took the **MARSH BADGE** as my victory prize. Only one badge left! I swing by MR. PSYCHIC's house to get **TM29 PSYCHIC** since I forgot to earlier.
+=== VIRIDIAN CITY ===
+I'm not wasting any time. I can practically //taste// the cold air of MT. SILVER -- a place only //true// masters get to visit!
+The fight with BLUE was intense. His ALAKAZAM had my team on the ropes for a while, due to lacking STEEL or DARK types. GROWLITHE, ELECTABUZZ, and QUAGSIRE were all essential to the win, but the whole team was necessary to take BLUE down. QUAGSIRE was the last standing team member, in typical clutch fashion!
+With the **EARTH BADGE** in tow, I have become a regional celebrity! I have all the badges from two whole regions! Has any other trainer done this? Let's go see PROF. OAK and gain entry to the mountain.
+**CHALLENGE COMPLETED: Become a KANTO Regional Champ!**
+| PLAYER | SERENA |
+| BADGES | 16 |
+| POKéDEX | 54 |
+| TIME | 72:17 |
+=== ROUTE 28 ===
+It's time to face the pinnacle of challenge in the JOHTO region! I'm mostly here for the items. Before I bother grinding for RED, I want to specially breed a team so I'm not wasting the limited evolution items that are available to me. It's pretty easy to avoid fighting him, so this is just covering the last bit of content.
+At the far west end, I found a **FULL RESTORE**. That's nice, in an area with monsters easily reaching or exceeding level 40. My own team is barely hitting 50 at this point. Anyways, after stopping by to heal, I doubled around the wooded area to the house on the base of the mountainside. She asks me to leave and hands over **TM47 STEEL WING**, a great move to give to a flyer! I head out to the far corner of the clearing and nab the **RARE CANDY** before heading back west. I'll drop off some items before I head into the cave.
+=== SILVER CAVE ===
+At last, the final challenge of the run! I make a dash around the place with HMs and my ITEMFINDER. Among the spoils are **PROTEIN**, **ESCAPE ROPE**, **ULTRA BALL** (x3), **DIRE HIT**, **MAX ELIXER**, **PP UP**, **MAX REVIVE**, **CALCIUM**, and **FULL RESTORE**! It'll be a while before I can come back and face RED at full power!
+That wraps up the main plot's content!
+---
+==== Post-Story ====
+//I'll try to keep at the run from here, but with 16 badges and only a few monsters left to catch, don't be surprised if I end up never facing Red. I still haven't faced up against Red in my SoulSilver playthrough, and it's from 2010. The level scaling of 2nd gen is unfortunately kinda crap. I'll end up beating the Elite Four a lot or something. Once I explore Mt. Silver, the run's focus will go completely meta.//
+//I won't be covering location-by-location anymore, and will instead talk about the goals in the final stretch, in addition to finishing touches I want to do before pronouncing the run finished and fleshing out the rest of the Pokédex.//
+Shortly after looting MT. SILVER, I flew to VIRIDIAN CITY and went to catch a **PIKACHU**. It took some work, surprisingly, but the level 12 PSYDUCK that was tagging along for HMs worked out in weakening PIKACHU enough to catch. Good stuff. DRATINI is already in the bag, I'll just have to reset for stats.
+In the evening, I went to MT. MORTAR to fetch a **MARILL**! It was caught on the first throw. That's the last of the monsters that I need to actively catch! DRATINI can be gotten from the DRAGON'S DEN anytime.
+I'm thinking, instead of crafting an entirely new team, I want to tweak what I have now and try to make it better. It has a better feel, and will be less work overall. I have zero interest in grinding out an ideal breed. It's a lot of work and I've done it dozens of times at this point in my life.
+==== Rating My Team ====
+The first step is to take a critical look at my team, and how I can improve it enough to be ready to face RED. Here's the data, which we'll compare to what's available in the monster pool for COOLTRAINERS to improve it. So, without further delay, let's put the team up, as they are today!
+| WEEPINBELL Lv. 49 ♀ |
+| @ MIRACLE SEED |
+| RAZOR LEAF |
+| CUT |
+| ACID |
+| SLEEP POWDER |
+This girl is actually somewhat solid! She's been essential in stopping an assault in its tracks, and for catching monsters. Even back in the BELLSPROUT days, it's been reliable. If I //were// to replace her, it would be with EXEGGUTOR, or maybe something better complementing GROWLITHE or FLAREON. It would give me the PSYCHIC type, as well. We'll see.
+I feel like it needs to drop ACID for SLUDGE BOMB, and CUT for either RETURN or another strategic move in the cases where SLEEP POWDER can't help much. RAZOR LEAF could be replaced with GIGA DRAIN, but the PP limitations introduced aren't really worth it, maxing at 8...
+| L50 ELECTABUZZ Lv. 50 |
+| @ SMOKE BALL |
+| THUNDERBOLT |
+| ICE PUNCH |
+| DIZZY PUNCH |
+| LIGHT SCREEN |
+I'm pretty satisfied with this moveset. It's been SO effective, and it's shiny! What's not to love?
+| QUAGSIRE Lv. 51 |
+| @ SOFT SAND |
+| SURF |
+| STRENGTH |
+| AMNESIA |
+| EARTHQUAKE |
+I would replace STRENGTH with ICE BEAM, and AMNESIA's up in the air. Maybe HAZE or HIDDEN POWER FLYING could be fun?
+| NIDORINO Lv. 46 |
+| @ LEFTOVERS |
+| HORN ATTACK |
+| DOUBLE KICK |
+| POISON STING |
+| HORN DRILL |
+If I end up using one of these, I'd like to go SLUDGE BOMB, EARTHQUAKE, THUNDERPUNCH, and something else in the last slot.
+| PIDGEOT Lv. 48 |
+| @ AMULET COIN |
+| WING ATTACK |
+| FLY |
+| SAND-ATTACK |
+| QUICK ATTACK |
+FLY has strategic uses, but can be replaced with STEEL WING or a funny HIDDEN POWER, like FIGHTING or GROUND, if needed. QUICK ATTACK could be replaced if needed, but I'm not sure what with. RETURN, for damage?
+| GROWLITHE Lv. 49 |
+| @ CLEANSE TAG |
+| BITE |
+| FLAME WHEEL |
+| AGILITY |
+| TAKE DOWN |
+I think GROWLITHE gets CRUNCH through breeding with HOUNDOUR or HOUNDOOM, so I would need to breed to get the best version of this monster. The plan is to evolve at 50, so FLAMETHROWER replaces FLAME WHEEL, then use a FIRE STONE and teach EXTREMESPEED over TAKE DOWN. AGILITY could be replaced, but I'm not sure what with, that would increase type coverage.
+//Current candidates for replacement are NIDORINO and/or GROWLITHE.//
+I'm considering ESPEON, with the max SpAtt and SpDef EEVEE that I got back in the early game. It would give me better coverage for POISON, FIGHTING, and GHOST types, and I may be able to pair it with BITE, ZAP CANNON, or something else crazy.
+Also under consideration is FLAREON. It can learn SHADOW BALL via TM, and has an ATTACK high enough to make it hurt for GHOSTs and PSYCHICs. (Fun fact: in HGSS, the reverse is true due to the physical/special split on all types. This means GENGAR can hit //much// harder with it than in the originals.) And it can carry on BITE from EEVEE. DARK types in 2nd gen often have secondary types (UMBREON being the only pure DARK type up to this point), and it's easier for COOLTRAINERs to target those types offensively than to get BUG or FIGHTING-type moves to target their DARK typing. GHOST type moves hit everything except NORMAL, and very few things resist it.
+While ARCANINE can get CRUNCH to hit PSYCHICs hard, PSYCHIC types often have high SP.DEF. FLAREON's higher ATTACK, plus SHADOW BALL, makes hitting PSYCHICs, in particular, a lot more effective. It uses the same evolution item and gets the job done from a better angle.
+I will need some time to think about it, but that's what's up!
+==== 2023-02-02 ====
+I've been thinking about how I want to tackle the last of the run's objectives, and I realized I could train for RED and evolve monsters at the same time, using the EXP SHARE. I can give it to the monster I want to evolve, then go train at MT SILVER. Leveling both monsters will take more battles, but by the time my main team hits level 60, I should be able to OHKO every wild monster. This should make evolving and training for RED both go by simultaneously, more or less, and be a better use of time. Tuning in nightly for BUENA's password to get RARE CANDY is another, longer-term way to do it and hardly requires any combat.
+===== Order of Actions =====
-//No play-by-plays here anymore, except for key battles, if you haven't noticed since VERMILION.//
+  * get some evolution stones so I can fill out the monster families
+  * acquire Dratini from Dragon's Den
+  * plan changes to my team to face Red with
+  * evolve remaining monsters
+  * defeat Red
+  * pronounce the run finished -- maybe beat the E4 with the final team for 'proof'
 ~~DISCUSSION~~