07 05 2022

Leaf Green: So… what if I skipped Misty? Maybe not all the way going through to the point where I need Cut, but what if I did? Well. I got the S.S. Anne ticket from Bill and got some levels and Pikachu is still getting owned. I decided to catch more pokemon, FRLG still have RBY’s Oak’s Aides that give you special stuff for Pokemon caught. Got a shiny Caterpie while looking for an Abra, gave up on abra for now since I don’t think I could trade to evolve right now. Beat up trainers going to Vermillion and got a free Bike ticket. I got Wartortle to the level I could do something in Diglett’s cave, though. Decided to go bigger than a Diglett though. I used some repels and… forced an encounter with a lv29 or lv31 Dugtrio. And I caught it. Going to have an easier time with Poison types for now. And other pokemon, I don’t need to deliberately train up one of my pokemon right now. Currently planning to switch to a Psychic type later.

    I have a LV22 Pikachu and so I decided to give Misty a shot. Perhaps it’s pokemon selection, but those 6-4 levels I gained since my last try somehow really flipped how well that battle goes. I think it’s just move selection and the fact that the game sort of expects 2nd stage pokemon at this point. Pika does enough to force the AI to use a Super Potion on Staryu after one attack now. I still go for maxing out evasion and now have an easier time going into Starmie. Which was much easier. I now have the second badge, a bike, and went and did the in-game trade for a Farfetch’d. It’s a bit low level, but I am tempted to use it. Either way I have an in-game trade pokemon for moving it on up. 

Crystal: A few more battles, some more puzzles and oh hey an Amulet Coin the basement. Cool. I actually can run into money issues in this game because of all the pokeballs I end up chucking at legendaries, so I will use the coin to double my money when I can. I meet the director after beating up all the Rockets and save him. I think. He hands me the key card needed to go up the other part of the radio tower. Honestly, I would really love to know why this section was designed this way. It feels like such a weird errand. Battle up the radio tower again and get to the final Rocket Executives. Who I also beat up. The last Executive decides that since Giovanni disbanded Team Rocket when he lost, he should too. The Director thanks us by giving us an artifact. Some regional mythologically and historically important Clear Bell. The game also hints at where we should go, the rockets were mumbling about Tin Tower in Ecruteak. 

I actually think Tin Tower in Crystal and the layout makes more sense to me after consuming way more media with that old Japanese architecture and monk characters. GSC are so much more Japanese than RBY. Which, on second thought, actually is pretty amazing for the era. A cool tower disconnected from the town by a short tunnel and path? That’s pretty cool. Clear bell rings showing I’m some special trainer to the club bouncer monk, then I battle three old dudes to prove I’m worthy? Fine I guess, maybe something got lost in trying to get things to fit on the GBC. I can’t remember if it’s been said they could add more text boxes in GSC. Still pretty cool local lore, though. Crystal is very interesting, it’s the first real “3rd” version, and they used one of the roaming trio as the box legend. At this point, I go into the tower and the trio are there! They flee… except for Suicune. I think it’s the weirdest instance of box legend, but of the trio Suicune is my favorite. Once again my trainer is the special child who is good trainer who wins. Still took a couple of resets, but it’s sure nice to not have to catch three roaming pokemon. Going to use this one, but later. 

I really hate the roaming mechanic here. After this, I decide to buckle down and do resets to get Entei or Raikou to appear and do something to them. I’m too underleveled, but I actually got lucky and through encountering Entei twice, I got Entei to 1 pixel. Still having trouble making sleep stick, but I’ll catch it eventually. I think I will use legends and be the true overpowered pre-teen who wins everything. After contemplating it for a while, I’m not playing this for challenge. I’m playing this to have pokemon from Crystal. A rewrite. Righting a regret. I don’t need to be cool parlor trick play, I need cool pokemon and fast. Faster I get through Crystal, faster HGSS get back on my playlist.