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Crawdaunt not having a physical water move currently isn't great, but knock off should have us covered.
: Remember, only authorized trainers are permitted to increase their team's power. A Guardian Trainer has been stationed here for your own safety. The Champion will reign forever.
Starting to realize I gave the LP an incorrect quote for the LP title. Ah well.
Watch out, Team Rocket is starting to unionize!
Full Restore! That might be helpful in a trainer fight.
: Pokemon are plentiful. They can be easily replaced. If I must sacrifice 3 or 4 Pokemon to defeat a single trainer, I can always catch more. This allows me to journey further, finding even higher level replacements...
This book cues us into the meta of the game of strategically sacrificing mons. I haven't had to run into that (on purpose, anyways) on this file, but I did it a good amount on my first file.
Speaking of which, lets catch some mons!
This might be the most encounters in a single area thus far.
Heracross doesn't get a mega stone in this game as far as I know, but Heracross is still an amazing hard-hitter with access to amazing abilities in Guts (increase damage dealt when status'd and ignores halved attack from having burn; a perfect use for Flame Orb) and Moxie (if it KO's a pokemon, it gets an attack boost). Donphan, Phanphy's evolution, has just as much attack as Heracross while also boasting a respectable defense stat, so it's also solid. Aipom and it's evolution Ambipom both get Skill Link, while Ambipom gets Technician; not as impressive but still potentially viable. Shuckle has the highest defense and special defense of any pokemon, and learns a few nasty tricks like Power Trick (swaps it's massive defense and it's pitiful attack so now it's a monstrous hard-hitter) and Power and Guard Split (averages the respective stats with the target, allowing shuckle to steal some attack from a stronger mon or give some bulk to an ally). Third place we've seen Chikorita, in case you missed it in the other 2 places we could find it. Masquerain is a strong early-game member with access to Quiver Dance off the bat; I had one coming through here on my first file. I don't know how good Shiftry (seedot's final evo) is; they got a new ability in Wind Rider in Gen 9, but I'm unsure it gets it here. Also unsure how good Sudowoodo is. Jumpluff is fast and could be a good support pokemon if you didn't pick murkrow. Comfey's entire niche seems to be healer, and with an ability that gives healing moves priority, it could be interesting to use.
The prevalence of Rollout on some of these mons makes catching them a bit scary.
: Their friend is gone. Her grave they keep.
Hint that we need to find 3 trees here to open the grave we saw earlier.
This shred is so low-level compared to my team that I'm not sure if I have a use for it. I might sell it.
They put the ASS in ClASSic.
: You remind it of someone... You hear a creaking sound in the distance.
1 down, 2 to go.
Some more goodies. Let's see what's in the house.
Entering the house gives us a new Fly destination, so we can come back here whenever. If we hadn't found Fly before, we'd find it here.
We haven't found any way to revive fossils yet, but good to have.
Plot twist: the whole catching montage was recorded after finding these. I didn't have the balls to catch all those mons before.
Ominous...
: Splendiferous! What cards do use? Do you defend the corners or try and bait your opponents for double-captures? Wait! Don't answer. I want to find out for myself!
Typo with "What cards do use", unless it's meant to capture excited speech.
Sure.
: Really? Fantastic! I know we're not betting for much, so I'll also give you a Musharna card if you win.
Low betting amounts presented here. Probably for the best, given her deck.
: Whew, thank goodness. Research is kind of expensive.
Poor college student vibes here.
She hands my ass to me.
: Hmm. I'm glad I won, but I was hoping to see some original strategies. Let's play again soon.
I keep getting my ass handed to me. It'd often come down to two spots aligned vertically, I have to 50/50, and she pulls out either Abra or Wobuffet and captures the card I just placed.
Finally get a win off.
: So many fascinating plays! I wasn't expecting the Eastern Gambit! Seeing that was worth the cost of admission. Oh, let me give you a card, I already learned everything I can from it. Let's play again soon! Just please, don't bet too big.
I lose two more times after that. She's a really tough opponent at this stage and my cards suck curretnly (plus I don't have anything besides a butterfree that hits psychic for super effective), so I have to get lucky.
I get two wins back to back afterwards though.
: Exquisite! What an innovative use of territory control! Unfortunately I'm all out of money now... I'll need to pick up a shift at the Poker Lounge. Please drop by, it'll be a relief. Most people I meet out here just try and murder me on sight. You know how it is.
She vanishes.
: ... A beautiful game. That marks the third player you've defeated. I'd be delighted if you stopped by the Deepwood sometime. I run a club for worthy players.
I guess Suit was watching us somehow?
: I hope to see you soon.
We'll be stopping by later this update.
: One word stands out among the incomprehensible diagrams: Satiate. Satiate. Satiate.
Someone went crazy.
: Try a bed today!
Morbid humor, hell yeah.
You can walk through the back wall of this house into a cave area. I found this by accident on my first playthrough, and it let to me paranoidly checking the back wall of every house.
Nah.
Nah.
We make bad choices here!
Picking that opens a ladder. It would not have appeared had we picked the other two options.
Ladder down takes us... back up to the surface?
: otherwise.
Weakness Policy sharply increases both attack stats when the user is hit by a supereffective move. It being consumable isn't a problem, because consumable held items are refunded on battle end. The problem is whether or not the holder will actually survive a supereffective move. It seems very niche. The real prize here is the Shred of Hope, which is more than enough to get you past the boss trainer guarding this area's exit.
We can't select our two unchosen options; we have already chosen.
Welcome back KYUBEY, we've missed you.
Bo-peep and crawdaunt putting in some work.
Money!
: We want to savor our last moments together.
Then why are you challenging me???
Because I wanted to get past you? I'm not the bad guy here.
Second tree down, one to go. Also another Ashen Shard. The trees to our right would have let us skip fighting the 2 trainers we just fought, not much else.
5 Antidotes feels like more than you'll ever need tbh.
Cope and seethe, hiker man. Cope and seethe.
Talking to this boulder reveals it's a shiny Graveler!
Me losing Pokemon to dumb shit is starting to become a regular occurence.
Starting to panic beause the thing that took out Crawdaunt was rollout, and I need to send in something that won't die if I miss a ball throw.
This seems like a job for our first friend. Graveler even misses rollout, allowing me to confidently shadow sneak it to half health.
Graveler was on my team for a bit on my first save file. They're surprisingly good!
Surprise trainer!
They even have a real name too! Sadly that won't stop them from becoming fertilizer.
Leaf Stone evolves Eevee into Leafeon here, among other mons. I have a different evolution in mind for Eevee though.
Third tree! Hell yeah. We'll be back to see what it unlocks in a bit.
Miracle seed powers up grass moves when a pokemon holds it. Pretty neat!
: This trainer is the final guardian before the Deepwood Brushlands. The strongest Wild Pokemon in the forest are found beyond this trainer. Remember, only authorized trainers are permitted to catch powerful Pokemon. Please turn around. Have a nice day!
Buddy, your corporate speeches aren't going to make me listen to you.
: My bones may break. We shall keep closed the outer gates.
See, now this guy might have scared me off if he had written the sign.
Gym leader music too, so you know he means business.
Dark Glasses Beat Up is really good.
And Meganium goes down shortly after. This guy seems scary when you first encounter him but he's not really that bad, especially with the good pokemon you find here like Heracross.
We aren't exploring the next area yet, but we do get a nice Shred of Hope just past him.
Welcome back EVE, we missed you.
Lets go see what the 3 trees unlock!
Spooky girl has returned and vanishes on talking to her.
: Please excuse the flawed creators of this world.
Oh no, this sign is blocking our path to the item! Whatever shall we doooo...
We can just walk below the sign. A 'Trick', indeed. TM Trick swaps held items with the target; could be useful to put a bad held item on the opponent's pokemon.
Likewise, it may look like you need Cut to bypass this tree, but you can just walk below it because the top of the tree isn't solid.
Rillaboom is really good. Sadly we don't have a spot for it on our team right now, but if one opens up I'll definitely use it.
Ya rly.
Spooky Ruins of Alph music.
Oooh! This is the first one of these we've found!
It doesn't matter how a pokemon can evolve; if you use this you can evolve it regardless (and if there's multiple evolutions, you can choose which one).
Foul Play uses the opponents attack stat against it, and has a high attack power of 95 too. Not bad!
We can't ever get this and I don't know what it'd even be. It's just here for worldbuilding.
: A young girl walked through the forest. Her hair was sunset red. She found a quiet clearing and made of it her bed. The monsters found the child. But never did they feast. The dreamer's sleeping smile made guards of every beast. One day a dashing Champion came across her den. He left her sleeping deeper... She'd never dream again.
Well that's morbid. Whoever this dreamer is, it seems like the Champion killed them.
Sea incense; powers up water moves. Neat!
: Welcome to the Poker Lounge.
I should have stopped the update here but I once again overestimated how much content I had covered, so Poker Lounge time.
Upbeat shop music playing to relax you.
We're free to change the music if we'd like though.
: Please, relax. Enjoy yourself. Order a drink, watch a game, or just read and enjoy the music. And... When you're ready... Test your skill at the tables. I look forward to seeing how you perform.
Cool club you run here.
We can order free drinks from the snorlax or get stuff from the top shelf. Free drinks are just cute little scenes.
Let's get a Raging Tauros.
Seems like our drink is ready.
The Ragin Tauros causes the screen to shake for a sec. Seems like it hit us pretty hard!
: Oh! It's you.
Soul fragments?
Oh, evolution stones.
I'll take a moon and water stone.
Hell yeah, Wigglytuff and Vaporeon. I'm not sure Wigglytuff is as good as Blissey or Clefable, but I get the impression they're still a decent wall. Vaporeon is an HP sponge and has an excellent water typing, so hopefully they'll be seeing some action.
Yeah sure.
UM. I'm getting a bad feeling about this.
Okay I guess we'll start with the first one.
: Humans view the mastery and care of pokemon as the Moral Principle of Destiny. This view echoes the concept of self-cultivation of 'moral sprouts' (duan). Pokemon store, channel, unleash or else signify an Elemental Power. These elemental substances or essences compose life's moral patterns. There exist opposing, yet harmonious, values within each element. Each nature-type resists some and yields to others, yin and yang. Thus the nature-types of pokemon signify an elemental moral essence.
I think I'm too dumb to get that book.
Oh boy, I can't wait to hear what 'fun facts' there are about Vaporeon. Is it just going to be the Vaporeon copypasta?
: Vaporeon's cell structure is similar to water molecules. It can melt invisibly into water.
...Go on.
: Did you know...?
: Vaporeon's long tail is ridged with a distinctive fin. Some historians believe that ancient Vaporeon inspired the 'mermaid' myth.
So far so good...
> Keep Reading
Close the Book
: Did you know...?
: Vaporeon are highly attuned to atmospheric pressure. When it's fins shake, it indicates an approaching rainstorm.
Huh, interesting!
> Keep Reading
Close the Book
: Did you know...?
: Due to it's water-like body, Vaporeon often sparkle in the sunlight. Light striking from the perfect angle causes a cascade of rainbow colors.
Ooh, that sounds pretty.
> Keep Reading
Close the Book
: Did you know...?
: Unlike most water Pokemon, Vaporeon do not store and expel water for attacks. Vaporeon have the power to control the water around them.
> Keep Reading
Close the Book
: Did you know...?
: Some believe that Vaporeon is a conduit between the mortal world and the primordial sea. Its ability to control water has given rise to many superstitions.
Okay I think I love this bit 
> Keep Reading
Close the Book
: Did you know...?
: When the stars shine bright, Vaporeon's core flickers in silvery echo. It will rise from even the deepest seas to gaze up at the sky.
> Keep Reading
Close the Book
: Did you know...?
: A group of Vaporeon are called a Flood. During the spring they splash and play in the rivers, irrigating land around them.
I love how this book plays with your expectations that it's just gonna be the copypasta and then hits you with interesting vaporeon facts.
> Keep Reading
Close the Book
: Did you know...?
: Most water Pokemon choose habitats entirely based on depth and water purity. However, Vaporeon are most often found in places of great natural beauty. It's unknown whether they seek out such places, or if their presence enhances their environment.
> Keep Reading
Close the Book
: Did you know...?
: In the Western Farmlands, a flood of Vaporeon brought water to the arid desert. They've been considered a symbol of good fortune and happiness ever since.
I didn't know this book existed until recording this part; I had decided in Vaporeon in advance because I like the cute fish and because I figured they'd be one of the better Eevee's to use against the champion. I think if I bring them against the Champion, having a symbol of good fortune and happiness on the team would be very fitting.
> Keep Reading
Close the Book
: Did you know...?
: Vaporeon is an 'irregular plural'. Vaporeon can refer to just one, or many Vaporeon.
That's our last fun fact; if we continue it loops from the beginning.
Keep Reading
> Close the Book
Just in case you want to come back to the vaporeon fun fact hour.
Let's read the last book.
: I'd offer a rematch but my real deck is... It's not exactly... Chad-riffic.
I wouldn't recommend fighting any opponents when you first gain access to the Poker Lounge; they're pretty tough if you don't have your deck sorted out yet.
: Okay. If you win I'll give you a Comfey, if you want it.
Chad's real deck is a bit of a refreshing twist on the "tough guys using fairy pokemon" trope. We lose hard.
: They're weirdly good, aren't they? It freaks me out too. Be Chaddical to yourself.
Chaddicus
This is Lara, Queen of Games. She's kind of a prick.
: It's like living in a world made from tissue paper. I can never play at my best. I just break their spirits. They quit, and leave their cards behind. Here, take this.
This is a Blank Card. We can use it to permanently turn one of our Pokemon into a playing card. It doesn't tell you that you'll lose the Pokemon, but you can read between the lines pretty easily and figure not to test it out on a mon you care about.
: Mint a powerful card. I'd kill for a challenge.
: Its paws barely able to reach the cushions. Back legs fumbling up the sides. That's how it feels watching you people play my favorite game.
Like I said, she's a prick. I want to learn more about that Blank Card she gave us, even though I just told you all what it does.
: In this game, it's gold. It represents limitless potential, an empty canvas free from disappointment. Suit gave me one the first time I won a tournament.
Do they harm the Pokemon?
: Hmm. I've never really thought about it. I suppose it's no different than trapping one in a Pokeball.
Game clearly hints that if you Blank Card a Pokemon, you can't use it in battle anymore. Where do I get more?
: As a new member, you'll win a Blank Card each time you defeat a new opponent in the Lounge. Now that you've gained your first, you may also find them scattered throughout the world. Otherwise, like all the best prizes, you'll have to win them in a Tournament. Unfortunately, Suit refuses to host any tournaments until ALL 12 Players are back in the Lounge. Well... 13 now, with you.
Seems like we want to bring everyone back to the lounge.
: If you haven't tried it, I recommend ordering a Ludicolo Iced Tea. Lubricates the mind, a most excellent drink! Just don't go near the Raging Tauros. It hits like a Hyper Beam. I've made some small improvements to my deck since last time. Would you like to play a game of Shadow Cards?
>Yes
I know to bet low this time because there's no chance of me winning.
: Sure, why not? A nice, relaxing game for a minor sum. If you win, I'll even throw in a Butterfree card.
I'm honestly shocked it was that close.
: What fun! Be honest, you went easy on me, didn't you?
I won't be showing off any other opponents here. There's 2 by the table who we didn't find outside, but I want to hold off until I get a better deck.
: It's very locked.
Dang.
I've been skirting around the top shelf. Let's show it off!
A lot of new items have that weird dust sprite as a placeholder sprite. I assume spriting new stuff was a bit of a challenge. Most of these are overpriced, but the big thing here is Berry Juice. Potions up to this point have cost 600 per potion; that's very pricey. Berry Juice acts just like a potion, but costs 200 here. Healing our mons has just gotten a whole lot cheaper!
Bottomless Pheromosa loops and I don't think you can ever finish it.
Ludicolo Iced Tea has leaf particles when you drink it.
Once again, I should have ended the update here, but I wanted to show off a small bit of sequence-breakery.
Wild Heracross come with Rock Smash.
We can use this to sequence break these cracked rocks and get some stuff early. Another Ashen Shard!
I should have ended the update here, but I was like "oh, but I'm one away from having another reward; maybe there's another Ashen Shard beyond those guys at the beach I held off on fighting?"
Zapdos thankfully does a good job deleting water types.
This asshole.
Rip Zapdos I guess!
Thankfully, Ohio Rizz and KYUBEY clean up pretty good.
Triple TM Combo!
Protect is one of the most versatile moves out there; you can use it to protect your pokemon from taking any damage for a single turn, but you need to space it out with other moves or else it has a high chance of failing. Muddy Water is in some ways a better and worse version of Surf; about the same damage, it doesn't hit your partner, and it has a chance to lower your opponent's accuracy; but the tradeoff is it has a lower accuracy itself (not as big of a problem cause it's a multitarget move so it's more likely to hit something than not, but still). Lastly, Flip Turn is a water version of Volt Switch and U-Turn; it hits an opponent, and then you switch mons. All 3 seem very good!
Blank Cards now start appearing after we've gotten our first one.
: Of all the betrayals I've suffered, his stung most. At least he managed to impart a final lesson.
That seems like a good point to call it. Jeez, I need to get better at pacing these updates.
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