Sorry it’s taken so long to get Part 3 up. I kept putting off the loading of the save backup and getting the second Galactic battle recorded. But that means that I now have a lot to post!

Part 3

With the badge finally out of the way, it was time to deal with Team Galactic. So heading to the north of the city for the first time, and once again WTFH ather unceremoniously ran head-first into me. And then before I had a chance to dust myself off, I’m being dragged to the legendary Pokémon statue, where Cryus is standing spewing out some crap. It seems like evil crap, since he tells us to get out of his way (or something to that extent) as he’s leaving.

While I’m up here, I remember that Route 211 is ripe for the owning. If I’d have remembered that when I was training Empol, it probably wouldn’t have taken so long. So after thrashing the Route, and heading back to the center for a quick heal, Cynthia comes up. Says the usual garbage, and hands over HM01 – yea yea, thanks bitch, but it’s about time! So now, I’m free to go bash up Team Galactic

Now the Galactic building is different in so many ways. Not least is the building redesign with a big weird spinny thing on the top. And inside is a lot different too. The interior is so different, I can’t really explain it, especially with the two staircases heading up to each floor. The grunts however, are just as weak as ever though

Anyway, at the top is Jupiter, after stealing the Pokémon of the bike store owner, who came (and failed) to try and get them back. Which unfortunately means I have to fight, and demolish, her. Sigh…

*yawn* – too easy…

(I have to admit I wasn’t playing the game as I wanted to wait until I had this battle recorded first, but I couldn’t wait – so I made a save backup to use to record later, and then I kept playing! In the battle where I continued, her Skuntank used Smokescreen, which made my next Bubblebeam miss. Then she hit me with Poison Gas, but my next Bubblebeam hit and KO’d )

With the bike owner saved, a quick run down to get my bike and I’m out of here! Or maybe not… There are people at both the west and south ends of Eterna stopping me from leaving, saying something I don’t understand. After 5 minutes running aroung ragged with no idea what the heck to do, it then dawned on me that getting the Explorer Kit is mandatory, and not optional

Oh right, and I now have an egg that Cynthia forced upon me. I know what it is, but let’s not ruin the surprise for you

New Pokémon acquired: Egg, the… well egg.

On the road again

Current Party: Empol (Lv34), Egg

The only way to progress is south, so that means Cycling Road. A nifty new bit about the gatehouses though is that you do get to stay on your bike through them – but on the road itself you still have to endure the annoying “riding bike” music… At least I picked up the Exp. Share from Rowan’s aide, which will make it much easier to level up all the other future party members, who will be really low levelled in comparison to Empol.

The actual road itself now has lights and a fancy archway halfway. And Trainers that can be easily avoided (pointless in levelling up Empol some more until I get another one to share the experience with!). Reaching the end of Cycling Road, it’s time for a quick detour through the cuttable trees and to the grasses and caves underneath – and yes, there is a point to this!

The next destination would be Wayward Cave. But not the main Wayward Cave – oh no, I’m heading in the “secret” entrance hidden under the Cycling Road itself. Why? Well, I’m doing some hunting. Since in Platinum you don’t actually need Strength before you can go through this part, I’m going to do my business now instead of later!

Ah there’s my target… but it’s female… Think I’ll look a bit harder. I’m very adamant that the Pokémon be the gender that I want them to be. In this case, it’s an all-male team (I hope!), but if this egg turns out to be female and I could have mixed, then I just turned down a very ripe target

Yes, male target! Right, let’s leat with my weakest move, Peck – and we’ll see how we can go from there. Ow, Dragon Rage… Much more of that and Empol won’t last! SHIT! Empol’s down… Thank god I have a Revive in storage for afterwards… Oh come on, more Dragon Rage? That’s all the utility Pokémon down for the count (and all in one hit…). Ball – 3 shakes – and it’s out… Since I can’t trust the Dragon Rage, better heal Empol up to full health. Oh shit, this thing knows Take Down – it better not take itself out with it… Another ball – and it’s in!

And the identity of my target?
New Pokémon acquired: Garch, the Gible (Lv20)

Right, so give him the Exp. Share, and we can continue like normal – except now there’s two in the party! Now when I was giving Garch the Exp. Share, I was presented with a Yes/No (I think) selection, so I guess he was holding an item when I caught him. And on further research, it appears to have been a Haban berry. (Used to weaken a foe’s super-effective Dragon type attack). Free rare berry FTW! Anyway, better finish this section and go all the way to end and pick up TM26 (Earthquake).

Evolution: Empol -> Empoleon
I know I said I wasn’t going to level up Empol, but the grasses were full of Ponyta, and the cave full of Geodude as I was going through them! Especially when I couldn’t get a clean run through the bike jumps! Oooh, new bike jump animation.

PS: I really fucking hate Bronzor.
PPS: Was that a Gligar in the grasses on the way back to Oreburgh?

Current Party: Empol (Lv36), Garch (Lv21), Egg

Everyone’s favourite stalker again finds you just as you’re about to go through Mt. Coronet. It’s different to meeting you after Cycling Road, but you still get the Vs. Seeker and the Dowsing Machine just the same. Why she only gives them to you now instead of ages ago, is beyond me <_<

Mt. Coronet is a lot darker than before, more sinister and eerie. Cyrus still shows up, says his shit and forces you out of the way, yadda yadda yadda… Still got the Odd Keystone, still got the Berry Locator, still got the free berry from the Berry Master – who now has more flowers in his house, and the gatehouse is new, so I guess all the gatehouses in Sinnoh were changed.

Hearthome City

Hearthome City has changed a bit – the roads are more “pedestrainised”, in you want to put it that way. Buneary still runs into you and you need to go to the Contest Hall, but that’s for later. Right now there are more pressing matters. Especially when your former complexion of being a one-trick pony changes so suddenly, like:

Evolution: Garch -> Gabite
Egg hatching: Togek, the Togepi (Lv1)
New Pokémon acquired: Leaf, the Eevee (Lv20)

Yea, that’s a lot of changes. Togek was a bit of a surprise hatching, and thankfully was male first time round (luckily I had actually saved about 10 steps before the hatching, just in case!). Also Leaf was female first time around, I considered sticking with the female, but I told myself to give it another shot, and I’d take whatever gender it was the second time around. It was male I guess you can tell from the nickname what I’ll be evolving it into, but that’s not for a little while longer.

Contest Hall, Poffin House, that church where music doesn’t play…, am I missing anything? Oh right, the new and improved Amity Square. By improved, I mean they threw in some more scenery, and those structures in the back are now warp you places. Oh, and you can bring your starter in too, along with the same Pokémon as before. Other than that (and possibly a couple of TMs), there’s nothing to see here.

Unfortunately now I was in the predicament of having to level up one guy to a certain point before evolution, another needed to be raised from Lv1, and the other needed to get a better damaging move than either Sand Tomb or Dragon Rage (Oh wait, I forgot about Take Down…). So, I’m going to cut out the next half hour or so while I go back, hit the Trainers I skipped on the Cycling Road on the way down the first time, and take the pictures I would have on my first go through but couldn’t because of the “environment”. (Hint: bright, loud computer lab)

Party before “the break”: Empol (Lv36), Garch (Lv24), Leaf (Lv20), Togek (Lv1)
Party after “the break”: Empol (Lv37), Garch (Lv25), Leaf (Lv23), Togek (Lv16)

PS: I hate the move Endeavor… It was Empol against a trainer’s Staravia. My Intimidated-Metal Claw knocked it down to 6HP, and then the fucker used Endeavor… Empol went from a full health 117HP, down to 6. Good thing I still had Aqua Jet, otherwise with any luck that Staravia would have Quick Attacked, and Empol might have been KO’d… A level 37 Empoleon being taken out by a Level 21 Staravia, that wouldn’t have looked nice…

So, to Hearthome Gym. The puzzle to get to Fantina is completely different. You now are in a dark room, with a flashlight. Your job is to find the blue tile, shine your flashlight on it, and then go through the door with the corresponding symbol, as well as avoiding the other Trainers inside, with flashlights of their own trying to find you (or the other way round if you need the experience!) Going back or taking the wrong door brings you back to the start

Also, don’t think that you can memorise which door, the symbol on the tile, the tile’s location, and I think the door symbols all change every time. After 2 rooms (that all?), it’s time for Fantina! (And she better be a pushover, because I want to get going ASAP. Battling Ghost-types is annoying, especially with two Normal-types and a load of Normal-type moves…)

Who needs Normal-type moves?