6th Gen Kalos Travel Journal

January 30, 2015

I was training at the Battle Chateau, and I used my Wingull in a bunch of battles. It used Air Cutter a few times in a row, and I noticed it was getting stronger. Then I realized it was a new move. My Wingull learned Air Slash! With its speed, the chance of causing an opponent to flinch will be a useful stalling technique, since Wingull's defenses are rather low.


January 31, 2015

I rotated in the next group of Pokémon: Carbink, Shedinja, Gloom, and Bibarel. I started off taking them to Restaurant Le Yeah, where we had a series of tough rotation battles. It's been a while since I participated in that type of battle. I explored more of the Lost Hotel, and even found a separate entrance into the ruins on Mélancolie Path.

I battled some more punk trainers, and then decided to use a Leaf Stone on my Gloom. Of course it evolved into a Vileplume!

316. Vileplume

I found a few useful items in the deserted structure, most notable among them was likely a Protector, which will be useful the next time I train my Rhydon. I then had a double battle against a pair that used a Pangoro and a Garbodor. I used Carbink and Vileplume against them, and it was a tough battle, but we eventually won against them. I asked where the Garbodor came from, and they told me they met it here in the Lost Hotel among the garbage that's still lying about.

"Garbodor, the Trash Heap Pokémon. Garbodor clench opponents with their left arm and finish them off with foul-smelling poison gas belched from their mouth. Consuming garbage makes new kinds of poison gases and liquids inside their bodies."

Soon after that, I saw a garbage can shaking in the corner of one of the rooms. When I checked it out, a Trubbish jumped out of it! I sent out Vileplume, who used Sleep Powder to put it to sleep, and then I tossed a Poké Ball and caught it!

"Trubbish, the Trash Bag Pokémon. Trubbish were created by a chemical reaction from the combination of garbage bags and industrial waste. Inhaling the gas they belch can make you sleep for a week. They prefer unsanitary places."

317. Trubbish

February 1, 2015

I finished training the current team, and then rotated in Bellsprout, Axew, Golett, and Pangoro. I also decided to give Wingull a break, and have my Pancham sent to me so it can train alongside Pangoro.

February 2, 2015

I took the team into the Lost Hotel for some training. While I was there, I discovered a Pokémon egg that looked abandoned in a corner. I took it with me, and it eventually hatched into a Voltorb!

"Voltorb, the Ball Pokémon. Voltorb are usually found in power plants. They were discovered when Poké Balls were introduced. It is said that there is some connection. They are easily mistaken for Poké Balls, and they have zapped many people who have come too close."

318. Voltorb

I kept battling the wild Pokémon in the area, and after a battle with a wild Magneton, my Bellsprout evolved into Weepinbell!

319. Weepinbell

I then decided to gather some ribbons for Pancham, since it only had an Effort Ribbon. I stopped in at Prism Tower in Lumiose City, where Bonnie awarded it the Best Friends Ribbon!

Then, I traveled out to Hotel Ambrette in Ambrette Town. I found a traveler who said he was from a far off region. He never said the name of it, but apparently it's not Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, or even Unova! He gave me a Strange Souvenir that seemed to depict a Pokémon I had never seen before. There's probably so many Pokémon yet to discover… even though I'm already just around 700 in the ones I've seen. Before leaving the hotel, my Pancham was also awarded the Alert Ribbon.

Then I returned to Dendemille Town. I've actually never taken the time to explore this town, so I finally decided to. Despite the colder climate, they do apparently grow some crops here. There's also a giant windmill that supplies a lot of the town's power. The melting snow from the nearby mountains is what forms the river that flows through the town, which provides their water supply. I took some time to just enjoy the peacefulness of the town.

February 3, 2015

I headed over to the Battle Chateau for more training, but first stopped in Camphrier Town. I brought Pancham to the hotel there where it was awarded the Shock Ribbon!

Then during some early morning trainer battles in the chateau, my Golett evolved into Golurk, and my Axew evolved into Fraxure!

"Golurk, the Automaton Pokémon, and the evolved form of Golett. Golurk are said to have been ordered to protect people and Pokémon by the ancient people who made them. They fly across the sky at Mach speeds. Removing the seal on their chest makes their internal energy go out of control."

320. Golurk

321. Fraxure

I then rotated in the next set of Pokémon: Gardevoir, Linoone, my Poliwag in a Net Ball, and Kadabra. After they were transferred, my Kadabra evolved into Alakazam!

322. Alakazam

Back in Dendemille Town, I ran into Trevor who said he was getting ready to explore the Frost Cavern nearby the town. He had previously explored outside the caves, and discovered a Pokémon egg, which he gave to me. It soon hatched into a Swinub!

"Swinub, the Pig Pokémon. Swinub rub their snouts on the ground to find and dig up food. If they smell something enticing, they dash off headlong to find the source of the aroma. They are also able to detect and uncover hot springs."

323. Swinub

I started to think about my next destination. Nurse Joy informed me that there was a Pokémon League Gym in Anistar City to the east, but the path through the mountains to get there is very dangerous, so people ride on the back of Mamoswine to help them cross. Trevor said that he saw a lot of Mamoswine near Frost Cavern. For some reason, they won't leave. So it looks like if I want to get to Anistar City, I better head over to Frost Cavern to check out what's up with the Mamoswine. And I'm sure I'll find some ice-type Pokémon along the way too!

February 4, 2015

I stopped in Geosenge Town, and my Pancham was awarded the Downcast Ribbon.

February 5, 2015

I stopped in Coumarine City, and Pancham was awarded the Careless Ribbon. That makes six ribbons total! Also, my Linoone seemed to Pickup a Sun Stone along the way, which is great because I didn't have any.

I did some battling at the chateau, then rotated in Golduck, Onix, Furfrou, and Doublade. I had a Metal Coat that I found at the Poké Ball Factory, so I used it on my Onix, and it evolved into Steelix!

"Steelix, the Iron Snake Pokémon, and the evolved form of Onix. Steelix chew their way through boulders with sturdy jaws. Their eyes can see in the darkness underground. Tempered underground under high pressure and heat, their bodies are harder than any metal."

324. Steelix

As I made my way back towards Frost Cavern, I ran into Trevor. As we were talking he mentioned something about my Doublade. He said it can actually evolve further if a Dusk Stone is used on it. Unfortunately, I don't have a Dusk Stone, and haven't come across one in Kalos yet. But I know one place I can get one… Super Training! So I took Pancham to the nearest Super Training facility. It's only earned 6 medals from Super Training, three each for Attack and HP. So we warmed up by challenging the rest of the Level 1 challenges, earning four more medals along the way. Then we skipped to the Level 6 challenge where a possible prize was a Dusk Stone. It took a half dozen tries or so, but eventually we won a Dusk Stone! (As well as an 11th medal for Pancham.)

So I let out Doublade, gave it a Dusk Stone, and it evolved into a large, broad sword, but this time also comes with a shield. Trevor said that it can change its form based on the attack it uses. Time to check out what this is!

"Aegislash, the Royal Sword Pokémon, and the evolved form of Doublade. Aegislash can detect innate qualities of leadership. According to legend, whoever they recognize is destined to become king. Generations of kings were attended by these Pokémon, which used their spectral power to manipulate and control people and Pokémon."

325. Aegislash

Then Trevor and I left for Frost Cavern. Once inside, we found a horde of Vanillite! I had Aegislash battle a few of them, then both Trevor and I managed to catch one!

"Vanillite, the Fresh Snow Pokémon. Vanillite formed from icicles bathes in energy from the morning sun. The temperature of their breath is -58 degrees Fahrenheit. They create snow crystals and make snow fall in the area around them. They sleep buried in the snow."

326. Vanillite

February 6, 2015

I did some early morning training at the Battle Chateau, and for one of my battles I challenged Duchess Elise. She used an Azumarill, a Nidoqueen, and a Pokémon I haven't seen in Kalos yet, Exploud!

"Exploud, the Loud Noise Pokémon, and the evolved form of Loudred. Exploud roar in battle and shake the ground like a tremor, or like an earthquake has struck. Their howls can be heard over six miles away. They emit all sorts of noises from the ports on their bodies."

Then after work, I finished training that team, and then took Pansage, Skorupi, Stunfisk, and Floette with me. I met back up with Trevor near Frost Cavern. This time he commented on my Floette. Trevor told me that Floette could evolve further by use of a Shiny Stone. Thankfully, this time I did have one Shiny Stone left. I gave it to Floette, and it evolved into its final form! It looks like when it evolves, it merges with the flower that it has carried its whole life. Cool! Who's that Pokémon?

"Florges, the Garden Pokémon, and the evolved form of Floette. Florges claim exquisite flower gardens as their territory, and they obtain power from basking in the energy emitted by flowering plants. In times of long past, governors of castles would invite them to create flower gardens to embellish the castle domains."

327. Florges

I then followed Trevor back inside Frost Cavern. We found another horde of Vanillite, but then found a horde of Cubchoo! I battled with my Pansage, and when it used Bite on one of the Cubchoo, the Cubchoo's speed increased. Trevor pointed out that it meant that this particular Cubchoo had its Hidden Ability; instead of Snow Cloak, its ability was Rattled! So I chose that one to catch and add to the team!

"Cubchoo, the Chill Pokémon. Cubchoo has a nose that is always running. They sniff the snot back up because the mucus provides the raw material for their moves. Their snot is also a barometer of health. When healthy, their snot is sticky and the power of their ice moves increases."

328. Cubchoo

So I took my new team to the chateau for training. During one of our battles against an Accelgor, my Skorupi evolved into Drapion!

"Drapion, the Ogre Scorp Pokémon, and the evolved form of Skorupi. Drapion have the power in their clawed arms to make scrap of a car. The tips of their claws release poison. They take great pride in their strength."

329. Drapion

February 7, 2015

After training the team for a bit, I gave my Pansage one of my two remaining Leaf Stones, and it evolved into Simisage!

330. Simisage

I then rotated in Ampharos, Illumise, Dunsparce, and Greninja. Huh, actually a group where no one is going to evolve. I went back to Frost Cavern, and my Illumise's Sweet Scent helped attract lots of Pokémon hordes. After battling many hordes of Vanillite and Cubchoo, which my Mega Ampharos made quick work of with Discharge, I eventually ran into a horde of Smoochum! I picked on out and tossed a Poké Ball, and after a few tries I caught it.

"Smoochum, the Kiss Pokémon. Smoochum test everything by touching with their lips, which remember what they like and dislike. Their lips are the most sensitive part of their bodies and they will always use them first to examine things."

331. Smoochum

I trained that team for the evening, and then switched in Scolipede, Talonflame, Smeargle, and Eevee in a Dive Ball. I remember being told that Frost Cavern is where Icy Rock is located in Kalos, so it's the perfect place to take one of my Eevee! But I did stop in Cyllage City on the way, so Pancham could earn its 7th ribbon, the Snooze Ribbon.

February 8, 2015

I started exploring deeper inside Frost Cavern. I battled some really tough Ace Trainers, and encountered some wild Pokémon along the way such as Haunter and Beartic. As I was wandering around, I leaned against a small stalagmite icicle, and it started to move! Is it a Pokémon? I pulled out my Pokédex to scan it.

"Bergmite, the Ice Chunk Pokémon. Bergmite freeze opponents solid using air of -150 degrees Fahrenheit. They block opponents' attacks with the ice that shield their bodies. They use cold air to repair any cracks with new ice. They live in herds above the snow line on mountains."

I just had to catch it! Unfortunately, my Pokémon's attacks were too strong and it ran off. I kept looking around for another one, but instead ran into some more familiar wild Pokémon.

"Piloswine, the Swine Pokémon, and the evolved form of Swinub. Piloswine have long hair all over their body that obscures their sight, so they just keep charging repeatedly. Although their legs are short, their rugged hooves prevent them from slipping, even on icy ground."

"Jynx, the Humanshape Pokémon, and the evolved form of Smoochum. Jynx wiggle their hips as they walk. This can cause people to dance in unison with them. They speak using a language that sounds human, and research is under way to determine what is being said."

After a little while of searching, I finally found another Bergmite! This time, I had Smeargle use Sleep Powder to put it to sleep, and then two Poké Balls later, I caught it! I discovered another new Kalos Pokémon!

332. Bergmite

Before turning in for the evening, I stopped in the hotel in Coumarine City, and my Pancham earned the Smile Ribbon. That makes eight ribbons so far for it.

February 9, 2015

As I explored deeper in Frost Cavern, I finally found the chamber where the Icy Rock was located. I let my Eevee out to battle the wild Pokémon in the area. After a short while, it evolved into Glaceon!

333. Glaceon

I battled a lot more tough trainers in the cave. One of them used a very powerful Mienshao!

"Mienshao, the Martial Arts Pokémon, and the evolved form of Mienfoo. Mienshao wield the fur on their arms like whips. Their arm attacks come with such rapidity that they cannot ever be seen. They launch into combo attacks that, once started, no one can stop."

After a bit more training, I rotated Pokémon again. This group consisted of Pikachu, Butterfree, Scraggy, and Heliolisk. I went back to Frost Cavern and trained against the wild Pokémon there. While we were battling, my Scraggy evolved into Scrafty!

334. Scrafty

I spent quite a long time in the evening training the team and battling wild Pokémon, and I came across a wild Pokémon I hadn't seen yet… a Cryogonal! They must be extremely rare in Kalos. I had Heliolisk use Thunder Wave to paralyze it, and then Quick Attack a few times to weaken it. I tossed a few Poké Balls, but that Cryogonal was tough, and just wouldn't stay caught! After a few more throws, I heard the swoosh of a critical capture, and I caught it!

"Cryogonal, the Crystallizing Pokémon. Cryogonal are composed of ice crystals and are born in snow clouds. They capture prey with chains of ice, freezing the prey at -148 degrees Fahrenheit."


335. Cryogonal

With a new Pokémon on my team, I continued to explore the cave, and had more battles against some very tough opponents. Most of the trainers around here use fighting or rock-type Pokémon, which I guess makes sense since they would have a type advantage against the wild ice-type Pokémon in the cave. One of the hikers I battled used a Probopass, so I was glad that my Heliolisk could use Bulldoze. I asked the hiker where he was able to evolve his Nosepass. He said he used to work at the Kalos Power Plant, and his Nosepass evolved into Probopass near there. That makes sense, the energy from the plant would make it the obvious spot. I'll have to take my Magnemite and Nosepass there eventually.

"Probopass, the Compass Pokémon, and the evolved form of Nosepass. Probopass exude strong magnetism from all over. They freely control three small units called Mini-Noses using this magnetic force."

February 11, 2015

As I was exploring Frost Cavern with Trevor, we saw some Team Flare members harassing an Abomasnow! We overheard the leader of the trio saying how they were pleased with the fact that its Snow Warning ability became stronger the more agitated they made it. Though typically timid, it was Trevor who leapt to action first. We both faced off against the two grunts. My Pokémon were easily able to defeat theirs. My Heliolisk used Thunder Wave and Parabolic Charge before the grunt's Golbat got a move in; then my Cryogonal put up a Reflect wall to deflect Manectric's physical attacks, and then my Scrafty finished it off. Then the leader, who said her name was Mable, attacked us with a Houndoom, but Scrafty was able to defeat it with a single High Jump Kick. That was enough to chase them off. Instead of pursuing them, I checked on the Abomasnow. It looked to be fine. It then handed me something, seemingly in a way to say thank you. When I looked at what is was, it appeared to be a Mega Stone! I'll have to ask Professor Sycamore about it. I placed it in my bag, and made my way out of the cave.

Back at the Pokémon Center, I decided it was time to evolve my Pikachu now that it learned how to use Discharge. So I pulled my only Thunder Stone out of my bag, and touched it to Pikachu, and it evolved into Raichu!

336. Raichu

Then it was time to rotate my Pokémon. I had Charizard, Gallade, Loudred, and Carnivine sent to me. Nurse Joy told me that the Mamoswine have returned to helping people cross to Anistar City. Apparently the Abomasnow helped one of the Mamoswine once when it was injured, so when it sensed its friend was in danger, it went to Frost Cavern out of concern. Since the Mamoswine were back, I decided to check out Route 17.

Route 17 is also known as Mamoswine Road, for obvious reasons. Apparently some wild Pokémon make their home here, because I found a wild Sneasel! I had Mega Charizard use Dragon Rage to weaken it, and it took about three Poké Balls, but I caught it!

"Sneasel, the Sharp Claw Pokémon. Sneasel have paws that conceal sharp claws. If attacked, they suddenly extend the claws and startle their enemies. They feed on eggs stolen from nests."

337. Sneasel

I went back to Lumiose City and stopped to see the Professor at his lab. I told him about Team Flare and showed him the Mega Stone I received in Frost Cavern. He said it is likely Abomasite, so it looks like Abomasnow can Mega Evolve! Except, I don't have an Abomasnow, so I just put the Mega Stone back for now. The professor did say he had another Mega Stone to give me though, one I might be able to use right away. He said it was Charizardite, but it looked different than the one my Charizard currently has. So I tested it out. I gave it to Charizard, and then had it Mega Evolve. What an awesome surprise! Charizard Mega Evolved into a different form! This time it was black, and had blue flame coming from its mouth. Professor Sycamore said according to his research, this Mega Charizard is a fire and dragon-type with the ability Tough Claws. Wow. I can't wait to see this Mega Charizard in action!

So then I stopped over at the Battle Chateau, and had quite a few battles there. During one battle, my Loudred evolved into Exploud!

338. Exploud

I then returned to the Pokémon Center, had my team treated, and then had Meowstic(M), Munchlax, Lapras, and Kecleon sent to me. I then spent the rest of the evening training with Pancham at the Super Training Facility, and it completed all the Level 2 and 3 challenges. This brings its Super Training medal count to 19. I earned another Kalos medal, brining my total to 81!

E-005-1 Fun Trick Master A Medal for those who have successfully performed a variety of tricks on roller skates. 02/11/2015


February 12, 2015

When I awoke in the morning, I decided to look around Mamoswine Road some more to see what kind of wild Pokémon live there. I saw more Sneasel, but then I also found some Snover and even a few Delibird!

"Snover, the Frosted Tree Pokémon. Snover migrate to a mountain's lower reaches during cold seasons. In the spring, they grow berries with the texture of frozen treats around their belly, and return to the snow-covered mountain summit."

"Delibird, the Delivery Pokémon. Delibird carry food rolled up in their tails. When someone is lost in the mountains, they share that food."

Either would be a good addition to the team, so I searched around and eventually found a Snover to challenge. I had Pancham use False Swipe (which I temporarily taught it for this purpose), but then Snover used Wood Hammer. Great, a recoil move. Guess I better not waste any time. I tossed a Poké Ball, and caught it on the first try!

339. Snover

Then I decided to make the long journey across Mamoswine Way. I hopped up on the Mamoswine, and started to cross the cold, snowy mountains.

February 13, 2015

I finally arrived in Anistar City. I immediately started exploring the town, and ran into Sina. She said there is an elderly man that lives in the city who knows some of the myths about the legendary Pokémon of Kalos. She then handed me some Repeat Balls, and then left. I continued my exploration of the city, talking to as many people as I could find. I also stopped in at the clothing boutique and bought some new, warmer clothes for these chilly mountain towns. Most notable in Anistar City was the large sundial, which I was seeing at the perfect time, as the setting sun activated the odd, artistic mechanism at the base of the structure. I also happened to find a Sun Stone nearby, so I placed it in my bag with the one I already have.

Then I found the older gentleman who said he knew the stories about the legendary Pokémon Xerneas and Yveltal. Apparently, some well-dressed men in red suits recently asked to hear these stories as well, so it seems that team Flare is after the legendary Pokémon.

"About 800 years ago, the Pokémon known as Yveltal spread its ominous wings, engulfing the land of Kalos in darkness. At that moment, people and Pokémon throughout the land began to fall one by one. Yveltal let out a piercing cry, and took to the sky, vanishing to an unknown location. Afterwards, the Pokémon known as Xerneas used its shining horns to illuminate that darkened lands. As this happened, people and Pokémon felt great energy and vitality returning to their bodies. At the same time, a great forest sprang up, with Xerneas as a center. Legend has it that, as these Pokémon near the end of their thousand-year life spans, Xerneas releases all of its remaining energy, sharing it with all living things nearby, while Yveltal absorbs the life force of living things around it in order to charge its own energy.

"Another tale suggests that 3000 years ago, the Kalos region was engulfed in a terrible war. One story goes that a Pokémon came to rescue all the wounded Pokémon that were caught up in the conflict. Another story tells of a Pokémon that appeared and stole the life force of countless living beings. The first Pokémon is thought to be Xerneas, and the latter Pokémon Yveltal, but there's no way to know for sure if this is true. Supposedly, after Yveltal finished storing the energy it had absorbed, it transformed into a kind of cocoon, remaining in hiding deep in the mountains. Also, after Xerneas released its remaining energy, it transformed into a dried up tree, and remains hiding deep within a forest of its own creation."

Awesome stories. Hopefully I'll get to meet these Pokémon someday. But, if I guess right, if I follow up on tracking down Team Flare, I probably will end up finding out that they discovered these legendary Pokémon.

After resting up a bit at the Pokémon Center, I returned to the Battle Chateau for some more training. After a few battles, my Munchlax finally evolved into Snorlax!

340. Snorlax

February 14, 2015

At the chateau, we challenged Marchioness Amandine. She started off with a Leafeon, which I haven't seen yet in Kalos, and then her second Pokémon was one I never saw before! It was a huge chunk of ice with legs, but a completely flattened top of its body. Who's that Pokémon?

"Leafeon, the Verdant Pokémon, and an evolved form of Eevee. Leafeon use photosynthesis just like a plant. As a result, they are always enveloped in clear air. They like to sleep in patches of sunshine, producing this clean air around them as they sleep."

"Avalugg, the Iceberg Pokémon, and the evolved form of Bergmite. Avalugg have ice-covered bodies that are as hard as steel. Their cumbersome frames crush anything that stands in their way. The way that several Bergmite huddle on their backs make them look like aircraft carriers made of ice."

Awesome, so that's what Bergmite evolve into! It's always awesome when I get to discover a new Pokémon. I wonder how many more there are to find in Kalos? I also asked Amandine where she evolved her Eevee. She said far to the west there is a forest called the Winding Woods where she found a large, moss-covered rock that her Eevee evolved near. I'll have to look for that place to finally obtain my last evolution of Eevee.

After battling some more, I finally rotated in the last group of Pokémon before finishing up this rotation. The last four Pokémon are Poliwag, Skitty, Jumpluff, and Goldeen. I then returned to Mamoswine way to catch one last Pokémon. It only took a few minutes before I found what I was looking for: a Delibird! I had Jumpluff use Sleep Powder, but I forgot Delibird's ability of Vital Spirit made that a pointless attempt. So I tossed a few Poké Balls, and eventually caught it!

341. Delibird

So then it was back to the Battle Chateau for more training. As you might have guessed, my Goldeen evolved into Seaking, my Poliwag evolved into Poliwhirl, and after learning Double-Edge, I used a Moon Stone I had on my Skitty so it could evolve into Delcatty!

"Seaking, the Goldfish Pokémon, and the evolved form of Goldeen. Seaking make their nests by hollowing out boulders in streams with their horns. In the autumn spawning season, they can be seen swimming powerfully up rivers and creeks. They defend their eggs with their lives."

342. Seaking

343. Poliwhirl

344. Delcatty

Once I was done training that team, I returned to Anistar City. I had Cubone, Wingull, and Pancham with me. I spent some time playing and training with them. Pancham was working on completing the rest of the Super Training challenges. Wingull picked up a new move, thanks to the help of a kind stranger in the city. It learned Hidden Power, and the person that helped teach it to Wingull said it would be ghost-type. That will come in handy! Pancham eventually won the remaining Super Training challenges, thus making all three of my shiny Pokémon qualify as supremely trained Pokémon. Pancham also earned a Footprint Ribbon and a Training Ribbon, so now my trio of Pokémon all have the same ten ribbons.

Then Serena challenged me to a Pokémon battle. She wanted to use 4 Pokémon each, so I returned to the Pokémon Center to have one more Pokémon sent to me. Then we had our battle near the gym.

"Meowstic, I choose you!" Serena called. I expected as much.

"Wingull, let's go!" My shiny Pokémon took its place.

"Meowstic, Fake Out!" Serena's Pokémon struck first with the priority move, making my Wingull flinch.

"Not bad," I commented. "Now check this out. Wingull, Hidden Power!"

The attack was super-effective, doing significant damage!

"Meowstic, no!" Serena cried. "Quickly, use Psychic!"

The powerful attack targeted Wingull, but it dodged it!

"Well done, Wingull! Finish this with Hidden Power!" One more hit was all it took to knock out her Meowstic.

"Meowstic, return," she said as she recalled her Pokémon. "I see you've been training a lot with your Wingull, Steve. But I have just the thing to ground it. Jolteon, go!"

"A Jolteon! So that's your new Pokémon. I wasn't expecting that." I recalled Wingull. "Wingull, you did great, take a rest. Cubone, you're up next!"

"That Cubone has been with you a while," Serena said. "But my Jolteon can take it. Use Double Kick!"

Her Jolteon struck my Cubone, but it shrug it off with its high defense.

"Well done, Cubone!" I praised it. "Use Boneberang!"

One hit was all it took to knock out her Jolteon! Next up was her Delphox. I switched back to my Wingull.

"Wingull, Water Pulse, let's go!"

"Delphox, counter that with Flamethrower!"

The two attacks collided! Then both attacks struck each Pokémon. Though the Water Pulse was super-effective on Delphox, the Flamethrower was powerful enough to take out Wingull.

"Wingull, return, great job out there," I said. "Wow, Serena, your Delphox is strong! But now try this. Go, Pancham!"

"That won't be a problem," Serena replied. "Delphox, Flamethrower, again!"

"Pancham, dodge it!" My Pancham managed to leap out of the way of the blast! "Great! Now, strike back with Shadow Claw!"

"Shadow Claw, oh no!" Serena cried. The super-effective attack landed a critical hit, knocking out her strongest Pokémon. She was down to her last Pokémon, so she sent out her Absol.

"Pancham, stay out there, and get ready!" I commanded.

"Absol, Slash it!" Absol moved very quickly connecting with the attack, but…

"Now, while it's in close, use Low Sweep!" Pancham swept Absol off all fours, and slammed it onto the ground with a powerful hit!

"Absol, return," Serena said in a defeated tone. "Your three partners are very strong. You should do fine at the gym here. The gym leader's name is Olympia, and she uses psychic-type Pokémon."

I thanked Serena for the great battle, then brought my Pokémon to the Pokémon Center for a well-deserved rest. I then sent my Phantump back to the professor, since I didn't need it after all in my battle. I thought about who I should take with me into the gym. I think I'll keep Wingull with me, now that it knows Hidden Power, it should come in handy. Klefki might be an interesting choice to bring with me as well. And finally, I think I'll take a Pokémon that can Mega Evolve. I know! I'll take my Haunter with me, and hopefully it will evolve while I battle at the gym. So I gathered those three Pokémon, and went to the Anistar Gym to begin training for my seventh gym battle!

As I was battling the trainers in the gym, one of them used a Pokémon I haven't seen in Kalos yet, a Reuniclus!

"Reuniclus, the Multiplying Pokémon, and the evolved form of Duosion. Reuniclus use psychic power to control their arms, which are made of a special liquid. They can crush boulders psychically. When they shake hands, a network forms between their brains, increasing their psychic power."

February 15, 2015

I was doing some final training with my Pokémon before my gym battle, and my Haunter evolved into Gengar!

"Gengar, the Shadow Pokémon, and the evolved form of Haunter. Gengar hide in people's shadows at night, absorbing their heat. It is said that this can cool the area by nearly 10 degrees Fahrenheit. The chill this causes makes the victims shake."

345. Gengar

And then that evening, I went to the Anistar Gym for my gym battle!

Anistar Gym Challenge
Vs. Olympia

The gym itself is pretty mind-bending and cool. Once you enter the foyer, the walls disappear and it's as though you're walking on thin platforms in outer space. I followed the path to Olympia.

"Oh, hello there," Olympia said softly as I approached. "Are you the challenger I was told would be coming tonight?"

"Yes," I replied. "My name is Steve, and I'd like to challenge you to a gym match!"

"Very well," the gym leader said as she stood up. "A ritual to decide your fate and future. Shall we begin? We'll use three Pokémon each."

"That sounds pretty standard for the other Kalos gyms I've challenged." We both took our places on the battlefield.

Olympia spread open one side of her cape, and started to hover in the air! She must have psychic powers herself.

"Sigilyph, to my side," she uttered with a small grin, as her first Pokémon took the field.

"A Sigilyph, huh? Ok, let's start this battle off in the air. Wingull, maximize!" My Pokémon appeared with its usual shine. "Let's start this off right away. Use Hidden Power!"

"Ah, I see. Sigilyph, Light Screen." Olympia did not seem to be one for a lot of words. Thankfully, my speedy Wingull hit before the Light Screen went up.

"Ok, that could be a problem," I noted. "Wingull, Hidden Power again!"

The attack hit, but was definitely buffered by the Light Screen.

"Psychic." One word was all Olympia needed to say, and one hit was all it took to knock my Wingull from the air.

"Wingull is unable to battle, the gym leader's Sigilyph wins!" The judge called.

"Wingull, return," I said. "Thank you, you did your best. That loss was my fault. But your work won't go to waste. Go, Klefki!"

"Interesting," the gym leader spoke quietly. "Psychic, please."

The attack hit Klefki, but it was not very effective. "Ok Klefki, it may be protected from special attacks, so let's get physical! Use Foul Play!"

My Pokémon crashed into the Sigilyph, and it started to fall!

"Great job! We did it… wait!" The Sigilyph recovered, but barely!

"Each side may use an item!" The judge yelled over. Olympia used a Hyper Potion on her Sigilyph. I used a Revive on Wingull.

"Battle, resume!" The judge yelled when we were both ready.

"Ok, Klefki, keep up the Foul Play attacks!" I commanded.

"Reflect, my Sigilyph." Her Pokémon was faster this time, so the Reflect wall got up first. After that, our Pokémon exchanged Psychic and Foul Play attacks, chipping away at each Pokémon's stamina, until finally, Sigilyph fell!

"Sigilyph is unable to battle!" came the call.

"Great job, Klefki! You ok to keep battling?" I noticed my Pokémon was looking worn out, but it nodded its key-head in understanding.

Olympia sent out her next Pokémon. "Meowstic, I call on you now."

"A Meowstic," I repeated. "Ok, let's keep up the momentum. Use Foul Play!"

"Meowstic, Shadow Ball." That attack did a lot of damage. Klefki was barely holding on, but after its attack, the Reflect wall broke down.

I'm definitely not sure what to do. Shadow Ball would wreck Gengar. I have to keep going.

"Foul Play, again!"

"Shadow Ball."

Shadow Ball hit first, and knocked out my Klefki. "Klefki, return, great job out there. Ok, I'm counting on you, go Wingull!"

Wingull took the field, though still beat from its last defeat. "Use Hidden Power!"

The attack hit, but, one Psychic attack later knocked out Wingull.

"Thank you, Wingull. You still softened them up. Ok, it's up to my last Pokémon. Go, Gengar!"

"Hm. Psychic." Olympia said it almost disappointed, as though she had already won.

"Now, Gengar, Mega Evolve!" My Key Stone reacted with the Gengarite that it was holding, and it became Mega Gengar for the first time! It looks like its speed and especially its special attack skyrocket in power!

"Mega Gengar, Shadow Ball!" My Pokémon's attack cut through its opponent's attack, and struck the finishing blow!

The judge paused, almost in awe of my Pokémon. She must not have seen Mega Evolution before. "M-Meowstic is unable to battle!"

"Well, that was a surprise," Olympia seemed more verbal now. "I have not battled someone who could Mega Evolve their Pokémon in quite some time. Let's see what my final Pokémon can do. Slowking, come out!"

"Mega Gengar, Shadow Ball!" It did a lot of damage, but not enough to knock it out!

"Slowking, Psychic!" Crap. Even Mega Gengar doesn't have the best defenses. It barely held on.

I really hope Slowking doesn't know a priority move, because I'm going for broke here. "Shadow Ball, one more time!"

My hope came true, as Shadow Ball hit, knocking out Slowking!

"We did it! Way to go, Mega Gengar!"

After leaving the battlefield and checking on all three of my Pokémon, Olympia approached me. "Create your own path. Let nothing get in your way. Your fate, your future. Please take this Psychic Badge as a testament to your skill, and proof of your power."

Finally, I've earned my… wait. I'm all of a sudden standing in the entrance to the gym? Anyway, I now have the Psychic Badge! One more to go!

February 22, 2015

After a week break from Pokémon training after my last gym battle, I decided to get back into it. First off, I had earned another medal, making my total 82.
E-001-3 Fun Frequent Trader A Medal to commemorate the valuable experience of trading Pokémon 50 times by Link Trade. 02/22/2015

I had been considering over the last few days how I want to handle the next rotation of Pokémon. I can't believe I've obtained so many in just over a year! But it's too many to rotate through all of them each time. Since I've previously focused on the Coastal Pokédex and Central Pokédex, I figure that this time I will work on the Mountain Pokédex, with of course a few others scattered in there too. So, the first group will be Gabite, my female Meowstic, Granbull, and Talonflame. I also gave Wingull a break, and had Cubone sent to me as well. And for my sixth spot, Professor Sycamore gave me a Pokémon egg.

While I was visiting the professor at his lab in Lumiose City, something strange happened. Everyone's Holo Caster tuned on as well as every TV monitor. Lysandre appeared and gave everyone an ominous message.

"Pokémon Trainers. I come to you by the Holo Caster to make an important announcement. Listen well. Team Flare will revive the ultimate weapon, eliminate everyone who isn't in our group, and return the world to a beautiful, natural state. Unproductive fools are consuming our future... If nothing changes, the world will become ugly and conflicts will raze the land from end to end. I repeat. We will use the ultimate weapon and wipe the slate clean. I'm sorry, those of you who are not members of Team Flare, but this is adieu to you all."

The ultimate weapon? I remember Professor Sycamore telling me about that a while ago. Looks like Lysandre is repeating the mistakes of his ancestors. I better look into it. I figure Lysandre Café is a logical place to start investigating.

February 24, 2015 10:15pm

I was crossing Mamoswine Road, travelling from Anistar City to return to Lumiose City. I was catching a few extra Pokémon along the route at Professor Sycamore's request. I found a few Snover and a Delibird or two, and then I came across it. A purple Delibird! My jaw dropped, but I realized I had to move quickly, as it started throwing Presents at me and my Pokémon. I tossed a Poké Ball, but it didn't work. I tried a second time, go, Poké Ball! And this time… I CAUGHT A SHINY DELIBIRD!!

February 27, 2015

I went to Professor Sycamore's lab, where I left my Delibird a few days prior. He said that he finished examining him. He said my Delibird acted rather naïve, but that it was capable of taking hits, which for a Delibird isn't really saying much. But, its speed was nearly maximum for a Delibird as well, and with his nature, that makes a great combination, especially since speed is one of Delibird's best traits. My Delibird's ability is Hustle, and its attack power is decent, so that also might make a good combination. It's only move of course is Present, so we'll have to work on that.

Before leaving, my egg hatched, and it was a Hoothoot! So there are Hoothoot in Kalos!

"Hoothoot, the Owl Pokémon. Hoothoot always stand on one foot. They change feet so fast, the movement can rarely be seen. They have a perfect sense of time. Whatever happens, they keep rhythm by precisely tilting their head in time."

346. Hoothoot

I left Delibird at the lab with Cubone, Wingull, and Pancham. Meanwhile, I took the rest of my five Pokémon and went into Lysandre's Café. It looks like my suspicions were right, because I was immediately attacked by one of the waiters and one of the waitresses. After my Pokémon easily defeated theirs, I found the hidden entrance to the Team Flare base at the back of the café. I descended the steps, and ran right into Lysandre himself! Hi Pokémon were very strong, and it took my entire team to just barely defeat them. After losing, he said I was too late to stop him, and that he had good justification to destroy everybody. Something about people causing the world to be ruined, so to save the world he would conquer it with this "ultimate weapon" he keeps mentioning. He fled to an elevator, which I apparently need a key to access.

Since my Pokémon were wounded, I took them to the Pokémon Center for a well-deserved treatment. Then I returned to my four Pokémon waiting for me at Professor Sycamore's lab. I decided to start training a bit with Delibird. We worked on its speed for a while at the local Super Training facility, and it earned two medals for beating the first two speed challenges.

February 28, 2015

I continued Super Training with my Delibird. We finished training its speed, and it earned its third medal. Then we worked on attack, and it earned medals for a three levels of challenges there. We finished with a defense challenge, and it earned a medal for that too, so it finished up with 7 medals, and was fully trained. We also worked on a new move. Aerial Ace is a solid move that never misses, which makes it a perfect choice with Delibird's ability of Hustle. I then played a bit with Delibird, Cubone, Wingull, and Pancham, add fed them some Poképuffs thanks to all their hard work.

Then I returned to the Pokémon Center with Delibird, and picked up my other five Pokémon. I figure Delibird could accompany me for a while as I rotate and train the next group of Pokémon. I returned to Lysandre Café, and once again enter the hidden laboratory. I eventually ran into one of the head scientists, Aliana. She remembered me from the Power Plant. Her Mightyena had become stronger, and it looks like she added a Druddigon to her team!

"Druddigon, the Cave Pokémon. Druddigon warm their bodies by absorbing sunlight with their wings. When their body temperature falls, they can no longer move. They race through narrow caves, using sharp claws to catch prey. The skin on their face is harder than a rock."

I managed to defeat her, and also a handful of other Team Flare grunts. I have to admit, the Team Flare lab reminds me a lot of the Team Rocket hideout from back in Kanto. As I explored further, I eventually ran into Dexio and Sina… or, rather, their super-hero alter-egos, which they were not too good at hiding. They said they were looking for an extremely tall man, taller than normal. I wonder if they mean that big guy I ran into near the Power Plant a while back?

I eventually retreated to the Pokémon Center to give my worn out Pokémon a rest from the tough battles. I then took my Delibird around to start earning some ribbons. It was given a Snooze Ribbon and an Effort Ribbon for all its hard work.

March 1, 2015

I eventually made my way to a room where I found the same pair of scientists who attacked the Poké Ball Factory. The duo did not remember me, but I remembered them. Celosia attacked with Manectric and a new Drapion, while Bryony used her Liepard and a then surprised me with a Bisharp!

"Bisharp, the Sword Blade Pokémon, and the evolved form of Pawniard. Bisharp pursue prey in the company of a large group of Pawniard. They are pitiless and will hound prey into immobility, then move in to finish off the prey."

After defeating them, I eventually ran into Mable who added a Weavile to her team since encountering her in Frost Cavern. Thankfully, that and her Houndoom were not much of a challenge for my Pokémon.

"Weavile, the Sharp Claw Pokémon, and the evolved form of Sneasel. Weavile live in cold, snowy regions, forming groups of four or five that hunt prey with impressive coordination. They carve patterns in trees with their claws as a signal to others."

As I explored further, I discovered files that explained more of Team Flare's master plan. If I put the information together correctly, this "ultimate weapon" is in Geosenge Town, and the stone formations around the town are really the grave markers of Pokémon. The Kalos Power Plant was attacked to steal energy to power the weapon. The Poké Ball factory was robbed to steal Poké Balls so they can catch tons of Pokémon, and the experiments in Frost Cavern were to see how much they can boost a Pokémon's power. This boosted power is what will fuel the weapon, as the stones around it will resonate to drain the life force of all the Pokémon. But apparently there's still a piece missing to this puzzle.

I eventually found the elevator key and descended to room where Lysandre and another Team Flare scientist was conducting tests on one of the stones from Menhir Trail outside Geosenge Town. Lysandre took off and left me to face the scientist, who went by the name Xerosic. His Crobat and Malamar were a little tricky, but soon defeated. Then I followed Lysandre's trail, and found him outside a cell where he was talking to a captive. It was the giant guy I saw near Lumiose City! Lysandre said his name was AZ, which was the same name as the king who used the ultimate weapon 3000 years ago. He had used it to bring his beloved Pokémon back from death, but sacrificed the life of many other Pokémon to do it. He also used the weapon to decisively end the war that Kalos was involved in at that time. Because of these terrible deeds, the Pokémon left AZ, never to be seen again.

Lysandre then flashed me the item he needed. Apparently, this AZ held the key needed to make the ultimate weapon operational! Lysandre escaped with it, but before I could pursue, AZ called me over.

"Get the key back," he said in a low, defeated voice. "It should not be used. Everything will vanish again. Do you want to know unending pain like I have?"
Guess I better head to Geosenge Town!

On the way there, I stopped in Coumarine City so my Delibird could earn a Smile Ribbon.

March 2, 2015

I stopped in Ambrette Town, and my Delibird received its fourth ribbon, the Alert Ribbon.

In Geosenge Town, I arrived just in time to witness Xerosic activate the ultimate weapon! The stones in the center of town imploded into the ground, then a huge, crystal, flower-like structure burst out of the ground! Impressive, but it must not be activated. I found the entrance to Team Flare's headquarters nearby. Serena had apparently been tracking Team Flare as well, as she arrived just at that moment. We decided to enter the HQ together!

Inside, Lysandre was waiting for us! He said there is not enough resources for everyone on the planet. He said only those strong enough to take these resources for themselves should be here. And all the Pokémon need to be destroyed. Well, that's not happening! So he battled me with his Pokémon.

Sadly, I lost that battle.

March 14, 2015

After my loss at the hands of Lysandre, I gave my Pokémon a little bit of a rest. Team Flare had continued their master plan. Many grunts were capturing Pokémon and tying them to the stones along Menhir Trail. Large amounts of energy were being absorbed into the Ultimate Weapon in Geosenge Town. Many of the townspeople had taken refuge in the hotel, which had not been damaged when the weapon was activated.

Serena, Shauna, Trevor, Tierno and I had all met to devise a plan to stop them. The attack on the Team Flare HQ would be dangerous, so that would be left to Serena and me. The others would try to help in other ways. Trevor suggested they try to free the captive Pokémon tied to the stones. So I returned to Team Flare's HQ, and once again challenged Lysandre!

This time I was better prepared. I had Manectric, Arbok, Pyroar, Whiscash, and Magcargo sent to me for this battle. My Arbok was able to defeat Lysandre's recently evolved Mienshao; Manectric handled Gyarados, after an assist from Pyroar thanks to his Gyarados knowing Earthquake; Whiscash was a great match-up for his Pyroar; then his final Pokémon was a bit of a surprise, since his Murkrow evolved into Honchkrow! Still, my Magcargo was able to take it down.

"Honchkrow, the Big Boss Pokémon, and the evolved form of Murkrow. Honchkrow become very active at night. If one utters a deep cry, many Murkrow gather quickly. For this, they are called `Summoner of Night` and they are known to swarm with numerous Murkrow in tow."

March 15, 2015

After defeating Lysandre, Serena and I pressed on deeper into the headquarters. We encountered pairs of an admin and a grunt whom we battled in tag battles. After several battles, we realized Shauna followed us in. My Pokémon were more than worn out from all the battling though, so I ran back to the Pokémon Center and gave my Poké Balls to Nurse Joy. Not wanting to wait for them to recover, I had Florges, Cryogonal, Slurpuff, Vanillite, and Delphox transferred to me.

When I returned to Team Flare's headquarters, I met up with Serena and Shauna in the lowest levels of the compound. They were standing in front of a large, locked door. Shauna had some kind of device that was trying to unlock it. She said Clemont gave it to her. And in typical fashion, the device exploded, but it did also succeed in unlocking the door. The three of us went inside.

Upon entering, we saw wires coming off of two cylindrical cages. One had what looked like an old tree, and the other looked like a giant cocoon. These must be the legendary Pokémon of the Kalos region in their dormant states! And the machine is syphoning off their energy to power the Ultimate Weapon. Suddenly, a large group of Team Flare admins burst in. Shauna fled in fear, and Serena chased after her to keep her safe. Some of the admins took off after them, leaving four guarding the legendary Pokémon. I battled all four with my Pokémon, and during the first battle, my Vanillite evolved into Vanillish!

347. Vanillish

Thankfully having two fairy-type Pokémon with me was useful, as their attacks were super-effective against the many dark-type Pokémon they use. Once I beat all four of them, they ran off to find Lysandre. So I was left alone in the room. Suddenly, it seemed as if both the old tree and cocoon were becoming active! I took a few steps back and watched as the old tree transformed into Xerneas, and the cocoon grew into Yveltal! Both of Kalos's legendary Pokémon were standing before me. But they did not seem angry, they seemed to want to… help!

"Xerneas, the Life Pokémon. Xerneas slept for a thousand years in the form of a tree before its revival. Legends say that when the horns on its head shine in seven colors, it is sharing everlasting life."

"Yveltal, the Destruction Pokémon. Yveltal absorbs the life force of living creatures when its wings and tail feathers spread wide and glow red. When its life comes to an end, it turns into a cocoon once more."

The life and death Pokémon. Yin and Yang. Looks like to get their help, I'll have to catch them!

Xerneas was actually really easy. Two Body Slams paralyzed it, then a single Ultra Ball snagged it with a critical capture! Yveltal was a bit more difficult. It used a powerful flying-type move that did massive damage as well as restore its own health. I had Cryogonal use Light Screen because it was also attacking with Dark Pulse. Then I had Slurpuff use Draining Kiss, but eventually Yveltal used Disable on that. I tossed two Ultra Balls, but no luck. So I switched to Florges and had it use Moonblast, which weakened it a lot. Then I tossed another Ultra Ball, and this time I caught it!

348. Xerneas

349. Yveltal

Serena and Shauna returned just in time to witness that. Not only that, but Lysandre followed them in, wearing some kind of ridiculous contraption with tentacles coming off it strapped to his back. He said he would still win, and revealed that he, too, had a Mega Stone that he wore on his finger! I wonder which of his Pokémon can mega evolve?

Xerneas and Yveltal came out of their Ultra Balls, ready to battle for me. Lysandre sent Mienshao out first, but a single Oblivion Wing was all that was needed to KO it. Honchkrow was next. Xerneas powered up with a move called Geomancy, which boosts its special attack, special defense, and speed! Then it fired off a Moonblast, easily KO'ing Honchkrow. Next up was Lysandre's Pyroar, and Yveltal had its turn again. It used Snarl to weaken Pyroar's special attack, making its Fire Blast less damaging, then it finished it off with Dark Pulse.

Lysandre's final Pokémon, Gyarados, was the one that mega evolved. Mega Gyarados was extremely fast and powerful. It had a wide variety of moves at its disposal. But Xerneas was able to blast it away with a Moonblast that was… super-effective? Ah, Mega Gyarados is part dark-type! Interesting!

So Lysandre was defeated. Shauna and Serena tried to reason with him, saying that a better way to make a future where everyone is happy, is to work together with people and Pokémon. But Lysandre was not hearing it. He said the Ultimate Weapon had drawn enough power for one use, so he activated it! We all ran out of the building, and watched the weapon fire a beam high into space… and then back down on itself. And so, the Ultimate Weapon was destroyed. Trevor, Tierno, and a "disguised" Sina and Dexio joined the rest of use, and said that they took care of the grunts on Menhir Trail and freed the Pokémon tied to the stones.

So, that's the end of Team Flare's plot. AZ showed up, going on about losing his precious Pokémon he brought back to life. Is this the same AZ from ancient times? He is apparently wandering the world searching for his beloved Pokémon, hoping to see it again.

March 17, 2015

So now it's back to training my Pokémon, and working on completing my Pokédex. I left Geosenge Town and stopped in at the Battle Chateau, where there were plenty of trainers to challenge. I even battled Duchess Odele for the first time, and she used some powerful Pokémon: a Golem, an Aggron, and a Poliwrath!

"Golem, the Megaton Pokémon, and the evolved form of Graveler. Golem tumble down mountains, leaving grooves from peak to base. Even dynamite can't harm their hard, boulder-like bodies. They shed their hides just once a year."

"Aggron, the Iron Armor Pokémon, and the evolved form of Lairon. Aggron dig tunnels by breaking through bedrock with their steel horns to seek iron for food. They will claim entire mountains as their own. The more wounds one has, the more it has battled, and should not be taken lightly."

"Poliwrath, the Tadpole Pokémon, and an evolved form of Poliwhirl. Poliwrath have extremely tough muscles, and can swim oceans without resting. They are adept at both the front crawl and breaststroke, and can easily overtake the best human swimmers."

After that, I stopped in Camphrier Town, and rotated my Pokémon. I took Poliwhirl, Litwick, Buizel, and Mawile with me. I then stopped in at the hotel in town, where my Delibird was able to earn a Shock Ribbon, making its ribbon total up to five.

March 18, 2015

I stopped by Geosenge Town for a Pokémon Performance with my Delibird, allowing it to earn a Downcast Ribbon. Then I visited Professor Sycamore at his lab, where he thanked me for helping defeat Team Flare. He also congratulated me on my capture of the legendary Pokémon Xerneas and Yveltal. He said my Pokédex is coming along nicely, and I have just above 100 more Kalos Pokémon to obtain. To help with this task, he said he had some Pokémon eggs for me. He gave me one which quickly hatched into a Deino! That's a powerful Pokémon, and I'm surprised it lives in Kalos as well as Unova. I caught it in a Dusk Ball. Apparently, Deino are extremely rare to find in the wild in Kalos, but their evolved form can be found near Victory Road.

"Deino, the Irate Pokémon. Deino cannot see, so they tackle and bite to learn about their surroundings. They bump into things and eat anything that moves. Their bodies are covered in wounds."

350. Deino

March 19, 2015

I got to have an actual Pokémon battle with a friend of mine. First it was a single battle, which I used Cubone in and it took out my friend's Electrode with no problem. He used all Kanto Pokémon, and I won the battle 6-4. Then in a very close double battle, I won with just my Jolteon standing at the end. (Holding a King's Rock helped!)

Afterwards, I went to Coumarine City where my Delibird earned a Careless Ribbon. That makes 7 ribbons for it. I also received some evolutions stones and some berries from playing in some attractions on the Pokémon Global Link. Despite a perfect score of 100 that won me some berries, the only evolution items I came away with were a Dusk Stone and Moon Stone. And it looks like I earned another Kalos Medal for it!

E-019-2 Fun 10 PokéMileage Club Plays A Medal commemorating playing Attractions 10 times at the PokéMileage Club. 03/15/2015

March 20, 2015

It's a nice relaxing Friday, though still a bit chilly. I decided to warm up with some Pokémon battles at the Battle Chateau. First, when I went in, I used one of my Water Stones on my Poliwhirl, and it evolved into Poliwrath!

351. Poliwrath

After a few battles, my Litwick evolved into Lampent, and my Buizel evolved into Floatzel!

"Lampent, the Lamp Pokémon, and the evolved form of Litwick. Lampent arrive near the moment of death and steal spirits from bodies. These spirits they absorb fuel their baleful fire. They hang around hospitals waiting for people to pass on."

352. Lampent

353. Floatzel

After having many more battles there, I rotated my Pokémon in Camphrier Town and took Hawlucha, Venusaur, and Aurorus with me. Counting Delibird, I had room for two more, so I was given two more eggs from Professor Sycamore. While relaxing in town, one egg hatched into a Spearow, and the other hatched into a Teddiursa! As common as they are in other regions, they are apparently rather rare in Kalos. Because of their rarity, I caught them in Ultra Balls.

"Spearow, the Tiny Bird Pokémon. Spearow have to flap their wings at high speed to stay airborne. They are very protective of their territories and eat bugs in grassy areas."

"Teddiursa, the Little Bear Pokémon. Teddiursa always lick their paws because they're soaked with honey. If one finds honey, its crescent mark glows. Before food becomes scarce in wintertime, their habit is to hoard food in many hidden locations."

354. Spearow

355. Teddiursa

I did a little more battling at the Battle Chateau before calling it a night.

March 24, 2015

I spent the last several days training my team, especially my Spearow and Teddiursa. I wanted to give them more time battling, so I rotated through some additional Pokémon while I kept battling with them: Linoone, Pidgeot, Butterfree, Beedrill, Simisage, Simisear, and Simipour.

March 25, 2015

I rotated in the next group of Pokémon, taking Charizard, Pangoro, Phantump, and Pumpkaboo with me. I also received another Pokémon egg from the professor, and it hatched into a Timburr!

"Timburr, the Muscular Pokémon. Timburr appear at building sites and help out with construction. They always carry squared logs. As they grow, they carry bigger logs."

356. Timburr

After a few battles at the Battle Chateau, I returned to the Pokémon Center for a break. After being treated, my Phantump and Pumpkaboo started to evolve! They look awesome, and definitely got much stronger! I scanned them with my Pokédex to check out their info.

"Trevenant, the Elder Tree Pokémon, and the evolved form of Phantump. Trevenant can control the trees in the forest using their roots as a nervous system. They are kind to the Pokémon that reside in their bodies. They will trap people who harm the forest, so they can never leave."

"Gourgeist, the Pumpkin Pokémon, and the evolved form of Pumpkaboo. Gourgeist sing in eerie voices as they wander town streets on the night of the new moon. Anyone who hears their song is cursed. They enwrap their prey in their hairlike arms. They sing joyfully as they observe the suffering of their prey."

357. Trevenant

358. Gourgeist

March 26, 2015

I did more battling at the Battle Chateau, and one of our challenges was against Duke Lormont. He used a powerful team of Roserade, Alakazam, and a Magnezone!

"Magnezone, the Magnet Area Pokémon, and the evolved form of Magneton. Magnezone evolved from exposure to a special magnetic field. Three units generate magnetism. Sometimes this magnetism they emit is too strong, making them attract each other so they cannot move."

I kept battling, giving my Timburr a great deal of experience. I even rotated in Raichu, Bibarel, and Dunsparce during this time. Eventually Timburr evolved into Gurdurr!

359. Gurdurr

Then I rotated my Pokémon and had Weepinbell, Heliolisk, and Poochyena come with me. In addition, the professor gave me two more Pokémon eggs.


March 27, 2015

Both eggs hatched today. The first was an Aron, and then soon after, Sandshrew hatched from the other!

"Aron, the Iron Armor Pokémon. Aron usually live deep in the mountains. However, hunger may drive them to eat railroad tracks and cars. When they evolve, they shed the steel carapace that covered their whole body and they develop a new one."

"Sandshrew, the Mouse Pokémon. Sandshrew live in deep burrows in arid areas. If threatened, they can roll instantly into a ball for protection. They dislike water."

360. Aron

361. Sandshrew

March 30, 2015

While battling at the Battle Chateau, my Poochyena evolved into Mightyena!

362. Mightyena

April 1, 2015

Finally, I've been offered a new position at work, which should allow me to have more time for Pokémon training! It won't begin until the end of the month though, but at least there's a light at the end of this tunnel.

I decided to start my day off from work by giving one of my two Leaf Stones to my Weepinbell, and it evolved into Victreebel!

"Victreebel, the Flycatcher Pokémon, and the evolved form of Weepinbell. Victreebel are said to live in huge colonies deep in jungles, although no one has ever returned from there. Once ingested into this Pokémon's body, even the hardest object will melt into nothing."

363. Victreebel

I kept training at the Battle Chateau, and even rotated more Pokémon through in order to give Aron and Sandshrew more time training, including Azumarill, all three Wormadam, Mothim, Masquerain, Gyarados, Crawdaunt, and Seaking. Eventually, Aron evolved into Lairon, making its Heavy Slam attack much stronger!

364. Lairon

After a bit more battling, I decided to rotate my Pokémon again. Keeping Delibird with me, I also brought along Dugtrio, my male Meowstic, Skrelp, and Quagsire. Professor Sycamore contacted me on the Holo Caster and said that he was going to be in distant Couriway Town doing some research, and that I should meet him there to get more Pokémon eggs. So, I made the long journey back to Anistar City, and set off on a new trail.

Finally, I've reached Route 18, otherwise known as Vallée Étroite Way. A chill breeze was still in the air. A lot of construction repair workers were around. Apparently, some Pokémon have become quite active in the area and dug a bunch of holes throughout the route. While I was looking around a bit, I saw a bush shaking. When I approached, a Pokémon jumped out at me. It was a Durant! I sent out Quagsire to use Yawn to put it to sleep, and also Water Gun to weaken it a bit. I tossed a Poké Ball, and caught it!

"Durant, the Iron Ant Pokémon. Durant attack in groups, covering themselves in steel armor to protect themselves from Heatmor, their natural predator. Individuals each play different roles in driving these predators away from their colony."

365. Durant

I decided to train with Delibird a bit more too. We challenged a few more Super Training challenges, bringing Delibird's medal count up to 10. I treated it to a bunch of Poké Puffs as we travelled back to Lumiose City. Once there, Delibird was able to earn the Best Friends Ribbon, bringing its ribbon count up to 8. Then it was back to the Battle Chateau for more training. While I was there, I entered a room where I found Viola and Korrina were sitting at a table. Since I haven't battled Korrina since I earned my third gym badge, we decided to have a match, which Viola offered to referee. She used two Pokémon; first up was her Hawlucha, then for her second Pokémon, it appeared her Machoke had evolved into Machamp! But neither was too difficult for my Meowstic to defeat.

"Machamp, the Superpower Pokémon, and the evolved form of Machoke. Machamp use their four powerful arms to pin the limbs of their foes, then throw the victims over the horizon. These ruggedly developed arms can also launch a flurry of 1,000 punches in just two seconds."

April 2, 2015

I rotated my Pokémon again, and returned to Anistar City. This time I took Ampharos, Delibird, Clawitzer, and Marowak. I think my two Delibird were excited to train together for a bit.

April 3, 2015

I went back to Vallée Étroite Way, and found a bunch of rocks outside the gate to Anistar City. As I got closer, the rocks began to move. It was a horde of Geodude! I sent out Marowak to battle them. One Geodude itself almost knocked out the rest using Magnitude, which helped. When there was only one left, it was already weakened by the Magnitude, so I tossed a Poké Ball at it, and caught it!

"Geodude, the Rock Pokémon. Geodude slam against each other in contests of hardness. They are found in fields and mountains. Mistaking them for boulders, people often step or trip on them."

366. Geodude

April 4, 2015

While battling at the Battle Chateau just before midnight, my Geodude evolved into Graveler!

367. Graveler

April 5, 2015

I had a little time on this Easter Sunday, so I took Pawniard, Rotom, Gengar, and Dedenne and returned to Vallée Étroite Way. I walked around the route a bit, and saw plenty of different Pokémon living there. There were wild Torkoal, Geodude and Graveler, Gurdurr, and Pupitar. Those are some tough Pokémon, so the area must be a little rough and rugged. I decided I wanted to catch one of the Torkoal. I sent out Delibird and had it use Aerial Ace to weaken it, but the wild Torkoal used Lava Plume and knocked out Delibird. So I sent out Dedenne and had it use Nuzzle to paralyze it. I tossed a Poké Ball, and I caught a Torkoal!

368. Torkoal

While I was traveling and training my Pokémon, I decided to work on a new move with Delibird. Since it's an ice-type, I want it to know an ice-type move. Although it's not a physical move, Delibird was trying to learn Frost Breath. So now in addition to knowing its signature move of Present, it knows one move to match each of its types.

I crossed a bridge and then followed a river for a while. I saw what looked like mines a little off the main path. I may have to explore those later. Eventually, I reached a small town. It looks like I finally reached Couriway Town! The town was nestled at the foot of a large waterfall. It was quite a stunning sight. I took a brief rest at the Pokémon Center, then continued training on Vallée Étroite Way. Since there were quite a few rock, ground, and fire-types here, I had Rotom enter a washing machine to change its form to Wash Rotom so it could use Hydro Pump.

I eventually ran into a wild Pokémon I hadn't seen yet in Kalos, a Heatmor! I had Torkoal use Body Slam to weaken and paralyze it, and then was able to catch it with a single Poké Ball!

"Heatmor, the Anteater Pokémon. Heatmor draw in air through their tail, transform it into fire, and use it like a tongue. Using their very hot, flame-covered tongues, they burn through Durant's steel bodies and consume their insides."

369. Heatmor

I found Professor Sycamore, and we talked a little about what happened with Team Flare and Lysandre. Then he said he wanted to challenge me to battle, his fully evolved starter Pokémon against mine. So after healing my Pokémon at the Pokémon Center, I had Chesnaught, Delphox, and Greninja sent to me.

April 6, 2015

I had my battle against Professor Sycamore. My Delphox easily resisted his Venusaur's Petal Dance and struck back with Mystic Fire and Flamethrower; Chesnaught used Spiky Shield to defend against Blastoise's Aqua Tail and then finished it with Seed Bomb; and finally Greninja used Water Shuriken to out speed and defeat Charizard. After the battle, the professor told me that he would be doing some research in nearby Terminus Cave. He also suggested that I think about going to Snowbelle City to challenge the gym there for my final Kalos region gym badge.

So I returned to the Pokémon Center and had Vibrava, Aerodactyl, Klefki, Lucario, and the Heatmor I caught yesterday sent to me. We trained for a while outside Couriway Town, and during our battles against the wild Pokémon in the area, my Vibrava evolved into Flygon!

"Flygon, the Mystic Pokémon, and the evolved form of Vibrava. Flygon hide themselves by kicking up desert sand with their wings. Red covers shield their eyes from sand. They are known as "The Desert Spirits" from hiding in these sandstorms."

370. Flygon

Then I had another group of Pokémon sent to me: Blastoise, Heracross, Aromatisse, and Swoobat.

April 7, 2015

In the morning before work, I was checking out the area around Terminus Cave, and I found a Shuckle under a rock! It took three Poké Balls, but I managed to catch it.

371. Shuckle

After work, I continued to train that team of Pokémon, and then rotated in Malamar, Drapion, Greninja, and Lotad.

April 10, 2015

While training on Vallée Étroite Way, I ran into Professor Sycamore on his way back from Terminus Cave. He gave me a Pokémon egg that he found in the cavern. He said he was leaving to explore a forest south of Couriway Town, and that I could find him near Snowbelle City. So I continued to train my team, and soon the egg hatched into a Spinarak!

"Spinarak, the String Spit Pokémon. Spinarak spin webs using fine but durable thread. They then lie still in the same pose for days in their webs, waiting for unsuspecting prey to wander close."

372. Spinarak

I then went to the Pokémon Center to have Nurse Joy examine Spinarak. Meanwhile, I had Cubone sent over to me, so it could train with my Delibird a bit. My Cubone was awarded the Relax Ribbon, which marks its 11th Kalos ribbon!

After sending Cubone back to storage, I took my team back to Vallée Étroite Way for more experience. After a tough battle against a wild Sandslash, my Lotad finally evolved into Lombre!

373. Lombre

Just started a new file on Y. :) Picked Fennekin and named him "Nitro", battled Shauna and won, and captured a Pidgey and named her "Grace", after the in-game mother. Currently in Aquacorde Town.

My Eevee just evolved into Sylveon, yes! :D

April 11, 2015

I rotated in a new team of Pokémon: Purrloin, Carnivine, Gogoat, and Escavalier. I decided to leave Couriway Town, and explore the next route. Route 19, or Grande Vallée Way, was swampy area that surrounded some hills. A large wooden bridge spanned a wide valley between two of the hills, making a convenient shortcut to Snowbelle City. I saw some wild Sliggoo in some of the deeper waters. They must love this damp area.

I battled a trainer who had a pair of Pumpkaboo, and my Purrloin easily defeated them, and evolved into Liepard!

374. Liepard

April 13, 2015

I did a lot of exploring of Grande Vallée Way in the evening. Most of the wild Pokémon I saw in the area were ones I've already encountered in the eastern mountain region of Kalos. I had battles with plenty of trainers, many of whom were Pokémon Rangers helping to take care of the Pokémon who made the murky water here their home. While I was on one of the hills, I came across a horde of Gligar! So I found another familiar Pokémon in Kalos. One of them was able to withstand a Leaf Tornado attack from my Carnivine. The rest were knocked out in a single hit. Since the one that was weakened likely had a higher defense, I decided to try to catch it. It took two Poké Balls, but I managed to catch it!

"Gligar, the Flyscoripion Pokémon. Gligar usually cling to cliffs. When they spot prey, they spread their wings and glide down to attack. They fly straight at their targets' faces, then clamp down on the startled victims to inject poison."

375. Gligar

A little later, I found Shauna exploring the route near the large bridge. She said she would like to challenge me to a Pokémon battle, since it's been over a year since we battled and our Kalos journey has taken us far and wide. Since it was getting late, I asked if we could have our battle tomorrow, so that we each have time to train. She agreed.

I finished training the current team, and then brought them to the Pokémon Center for treatment. I then had Cubone, Wingull, and Pancham join Delibird, and decided that those four Pokémon would be the team I challenge Shauna with. I had them each practice their moves, and I received a little surprise. As Wingull fired some Air Slashes, it started to form a powerful gust which was able to lift objects into the air. It looks like Wingull learned a new move. Now it can use Hurricane in addition to Air Slash! I still think both moves are essential, because although Hurricane is quite powerful, it is not very accurate. But hopefully, adding a move like that to our arsenal will help with any grass or fighting-type Pokémon we might face!

April 14, 2015

Shauna and I postponed our battle for now, but I did take the opportunity to train my Pokémon. First I took Delibird to a Super Training facility, and we kept training until it defeated all 30 challenges. I always forget how difficult some of those challenges are. In addition to Delibird getting all 30 Super Training medals, we earned a Dusk Stone, Dawn Stone, and a Fire Stone, the latter of which I don't currently have any of. It also allowed Delibird to earn the Training Ribbon!

April 15, 2015

I finally had my battle with Shauna. We met on Grande Vallée Way like we planned. I was excited for the battle because one of my Pokémon had learned a new move, which I couldn't wait to try out.

"This reminds me of our battle back when we met in Aquacorde Town!" Shauna exclaimed. "You'll get to see my Pokémon friends that I caught on my journey! Starting with… my Delcatty!"

"A Delcatty, eh? Ok." I sent out my first Pokémon. "Pancham, maximize!"

"Your Pancham looks great!" She commented. "Ok, I'll attack first. Delcatty, use Charm!"

"Pancham, dodge that!" My Pokémon easily dodged the attack. "Great job! Now do the opposite of what they wanted. Use Swords Dance!"

"Powering up your Pokémon, I see. Delcatty, time to Play Rough!"

The super-effective attack hit, but Pancham was able to withstand the damage.

"You're doing great, Pancham!" I encouraged my Pokémon. "Now let's show off your new move. Use Sky Uppercut!"

Pancham quickly ran up to Delcatty, winding up its arm, and then launching Delcatty into the air with a very strong super-effective attack!

"That was really powerful. You've really become strong on your journey," Shauna recalled her Pokémon. "Let me show you how strong I've become. Go, Greninja!"

"Hey, that's the Froakie you started your journey with!" I was prepared for it though. "Pancham, return, you did great out there. Time to relive our first battle, Shauna! Chesnaught, maximize!"

"You think I'm not ready for that?" Shauna seemed to have a plan. "Greninja, use Extrasensory!"

The unexpected attack was super-effective, doing significant damage.

"Chesnaught, no! Quick, strike back with Leech Seed!"

Leech Seed hit, slowly draining Greninja's energy.

"That won't be enough!" Shauna yelled. "Use Extrasensory again!"

"Chesnaught, use Spiky Shield to defend!" I called out a counter move.

"That shield won't do much against a special attack," Shauna observed. "Greninja keep up the Extrasensory attack!"

She was right. Chesnaught's shield broke, and it was blasted with the psychic attack. Chesnaught fell.

"I win!" Shauna cheered.

But I saw that Chesnaught was holding on! "Not quite yet, Shauna! Now, Chesnaught, use Seed Bomb!"

Since Greninja was weakened from the Leech Seed, the attack was just enough to knock it out!

"Chesnaught, return, you deserve a good long rest." Both of us recalled our Pokémon.

"Ok, Steve, here comes my last Pokémon," said Shauna. "Goodra, I choose you!"

"Goodra?" I asked. "What's a Goodra?"

"Goodra, the Dragon Pokémon, and the evolved form of Sliggoo. Goodra attack with retractable horns. They throw punches that are the equivalent of the force of a hundred pro boxers. These very friendly dragon-type Pokémon will hug their beloved trainers, leaving those trainers covered in sticky slime."

"Wow, so it looks like that little Goomy I caught has a powerful final evolution," I commented as I put away my Pokédex. "Guess I'll go with the obvious choice. Delibird, maximize!"

"Wow, I can't believe you found another differently-colored Pokémon," Shauna looked at it with wide eyes.

"I've been lucky in Kalos, I guess," I called my first move. "Delibird, use Frost Breath!"

Frost Breath hit, but didn't do as much damage as I had hoped.

"Goodra, use Dragon Pulse!"

The blast hit Delibird, knocking it out immediately!

"Wow, that was some power," I recalled my Pokémon. "Delibird, thank you, you tried your best."

"Want to try another Pokémon against my Goodra?" Shauna asked.

"I do." I tossed out my next Poké Ball. "Cubone, you're up!"

"We got this, Goodra," Shauna said, sounding confident. "Use Dragon Pulse!"

"Get ready, Cubone!" My Pokémon responded in understanding, bracing itself. The attack hit, but Cubone was able to take it fairly well! "Nice job! Now strike back with Power-Up Punch!"

Cubone got in close and struck Goodra, but what I was really going for was the attack boost.

Shauna responded. "Knock it away with another Dragon Pulse!"

Since Cubone was closed in on Goodra, the blast knocked it back quite a bit.

"Cubone, before it can recover, use Boneberang!"

The double hit from Cubone's weapon was all we needed. Cubone defeated Shauna's Goodra!

Before we could recover from the battle, Tierno and Trevor showed up, and Tierno challenged me to a battle. I knew my Pokémon were not up for the challenge, but Tierno immediately sent out his Talonflame. After powering up with Swords Dance, it easily wiped the floor with all of my Pokémon. I told him I would give my Pokémon some recovery time, train some more, and be back to challenge him, and win this time!

April 17, 2015

I took the opportunity today to have my Wingull earn its 11th ribbon, the Relax Ribbon. I can't wait to get back to the Hoenn region and enter my Pokémon in some Pokémon Contests!

After a bit more training with my Pokémon, I re-challenged Tierno. I decided to bring along Lanturn, since I figured it would make a good match-up for Tierno's Talonflame. With a little assist from Delibird, we were able to defeat it. Then Wingull easily beat his Roserade with a single Hurricane. Finally, my Pancham was a perfect type match-up for his Crawdaunt.

After my battle with Tierno, Trevor decided to battle me for the first time! He started off with a Raichu. My choice of Pokémon was obvious. I went with Cubone, and easily won the match. Next up was Aerodactyl, who proved a little more difficult. It took both Gligar and Wingull to bring it down. And last up was Trevor's Florges, and I had to use Cubone and Delibird to win that one. After our battle, they left in the direction of Couriway Town. Meanwhile, I finished crossing the bridge, and entered Snowbelle City!

Despite being the season of spring, here in Snowbelle City you would think it was the dead of winter. When I asked some folks at the Pokémon Canter, they said that it was because of all the ice-types in the Pokémon Gym. So my last gym challenge will be an ice challenge. Good to know. I left my Pokémon who just battled hard with Nurse Joy, then had another group of Pokémon sent to me. This time it will be Yanmega, Sneasel, Eevee, and Voltorb.

April 22, 2015

I explored a little bit of Snowbelle City. I think I would have been more in awe of its beauty if I wasn't so sick of cold, snowy weather by now. I found the Pokémon Gym, but the gym leader was not there. I was told he went into the nearby Winding Woods. I believe that's where Professor Sycamore said he was going to be, so I decided that's a good place as any to explore next.

Near the entrance to the forest, I ran into the professor. He gave me a Pokémon egg and told me that somewhere on the other side of these woods is a place called the Pokémon Village, where Pokémon who are injured or abandoned go to rest and recover. He also said that he has a few more Pokémon eggs for me, once I'm ready. Then he left for the Pokémon Center.

As I walked around the Winding Woods, the egg I was given hatched. It was an Igglybuff! I'm still shocked to discover familiar species of Pokémon in the Kalos region.

"Igglybuff, the Balloon Pokémon. Igglybuff have very soft bodies. Instead of walking with their short legs, they move around by bouncing. If they start to roll, they will bounce all over and be impossible to stop."

376. Igglybuff

I found a large, moss-covered rock near the entrance to the forest. Figuring out what it was, I brought out my Eevee to train. We battled against some wild Jigglypuff that were in the area, and it wasn't long before my Eevee evolved into Leafeon!

"Jigglypuff, the Balloon Pokémon, and the evolved form of Igglybuff. Jigglypuff captivate foes with their huge, round eyes, then lull them to sleep by singing a soothing melody. If they inflate to sing a lullaby, they can perform longer and cause sure drowsiness in their audiences."

377. Leafeon

April 23, 2015

I continued to train my current team around Snowbelle City. My Voltorb evolved into Electrode, and my Igglybuff evolved into Jigglypuff!

378. Electrode

379. Jigglypuff

May 1, 2015

After training the current team at the Battle Chateau over the last few days, I rotated in the next group of Pokémon consisting of Seadra, Diggersby, Poliwag, and Trubbish. I then stopped in Couriway Town and took my Pancham to the hotel there, where it earned a Relax Ribbon, making 11 ribbons for it.

May 8, 2015

I started the morning off in Couriway Town, where I obtained a Relax Ribbon for my Delibird. Now, all four of my shiny Pokémon have the same 11 ribbons, except for Delibird which has yet to earn the Footprint Ribbon.

Then I decided to train my team in the nearby Terminus Cave. There were a few entrances to explore of the old mine. The first chamber I found was rather small, but I did manage to find a Normal Gem, and even more importantly, a Dragon Scale! I gave it to my Seadra, and it evolved into Kingdra! Kingdra is one of those Pokémon I don't think I've had the opportunity to train much before, so I am excited to have it on my team.

"Kingdra, the Dragon Pokémon, and the evolved form of Seadra. Kingdra store energy by sleeping at underwater depths at which no other life-forms can survive. It is said that they usually hide in underwater caves. They can create whirlpools by yawning."

380. Kingdra

I found a small second chamber, but didn't really find much of interest there. After a brief stop at the Pokémon Center, I returned to the mines, battling wild Pokémon along the way. And my Poliwag evolved into Poliwhirl! So I gave it a King's Rock, and it evolved further into a Politoed! Like Slowking and Kingdra, this is a Pokémon I'm very excited to train, because I never really got to train a Politoed before.

"Politoed, the Frog Pokémon, and an evolved form of Poliwhirl. Politoed sing in a loud voice that sounds like bellowing whenever they get together. If Poliwag and Poliwhirl hear their echoing cries, they respond by gathering from far and wide."

381. Politoed

The third entrance to the mines proved to lead into a much larger cave to explore. I trained my Pokémon against the wild Pokémon there for a little experience. Then I ran into a horde of Larvitar! I picked one out, and had Politoed use Hypnosis on it. Two Poké Balls later, and I caught it!

"Larvitar, the Rock Skin Pokémon. Larvitar feed on soil. Born deep underground, they come aboveground once they have finished eating the surrounding soil. After they eat a large mountain, they fall asleep so they can grow."

382. Larvitar

I then decided to leave the cave for a while and train my team in the area around Couriway Town. During this time, my Trubbish evolved into Garbodor!

383. Garbodor

After a bit more battling with that group, I rotated my Pokémon out, having Barbaracle, Cubchoo, Houndoom, and Kangaskhan sent to me. Also, I noticed I had received another Kalos medal a few weeks ago, bringing my total to 84!

A-040-1 Adventure O-Power Pro A Medal to recognize those who have received all of the O-Powers from Mr. Bonding. 04/23/2015

May 11, 2015

While training with my current team, my Cubchoo evolved into Beartic!

384. Beartic

Then I continued my exploration of Terminus Cave. Among the other familiar wild Pokémon I passed by in the cave, I found a few Ariados that ambushed me and my Pokémon from the ceiling of the cavern!

"Ariados, the Long Leg Pokémon, and the evolved form of Spinarak. Ariados spin string not only from their rear but also from their mouth. It's hard to tell which end is which. They attach silk to their prey and set it free, only to track the prey later."

I also saw some fluttering up in the ceiling. I assumed it was some Zubat, but the Pokédex says that Zubat don't live in the mountains of Kalos. One finally flew down closer, and it definitely wasn't a Zubat! Who's that Pokémon?

"Noibat, the Sound Wave Pokémon. Noibat live in pitch-black caves. Their enormous ears can emit ultrasonic waves of 200,000 hertz. Even a robust wrestler will become dizzy and unable to stand when exposed to these ultrasonic waves."

A new Pokémon! I tried to catch one, but the Poké Ball failed, and then it used Whirlwind to escape. I tried to find another, but any time I did the result was the same. Since I was becoming frustrated with the search, I decided to take a break from it for the rest of the afternoon.

Later in the evening, I gave it another try. I spent a good few hours searching. When I did find a Noibat, it would usually use Whirlwind to escape, and once was my own fault when I had Beartic use Slash to weaken it and ended up landing a critical hit. I finally decided to get smarter about it. I went back to the Pokémon Center and had my Octillery sent over to me. With its ability of Suction Cups, Whirlwind would have no effect! That was a perfect strategy, because the next one I encounter, I finally was able to capture!

385. Noibat

May 12, 2015

There was something I didn't realize yesterday. Noibat has a very interesting type combination. Zubat are flying and poison-types, Woobat are flying and psychic-types, and now Noibat are flying and dragon-type! I thought that was pretty cool and interesting. Although that combination does make it terribly weak to ice-type attacks. And I wonder if it has an evolution?

I continued to explore Terminus Cave. I eventually covered the entire first floor, battling a few trainers with rock and ground-type Pokémon, and even found a Moon Stone, which will be useful when my Jigglypuff is ready to evolve. Then I decided to head to the Battle Chateau for some more efficient training of my Pokémon team. Once I felt they all had a good workout, I returned to the Pokémon Center in Snowbelle City, and rotated out my Pokémon for Furfrou, Murkrow, Magnemite, and Stunfisk.

I stopped in the Winding Woods as well, where Professor Sycamore gave me another Pokémon egg. It hatched into a Shuppet!

"Shuppet, the Puppet Pokémon. Shuppet love vengeful emotions and hang in rows under the eaves of houses where vengeful people live. It is said they use their horn to feed on envy and malice. They are very active at night."

386. Shuppet

I think it's interesting to note, that I now have as many Pokémon in Kalos as there were in the first three Pokémon regions combined. And back then, despite traveling Hoenn and Kanto for four years, I never caught them all. And I caught 386 in Kalos in a year and a half. Still so many more to go, though!

May 13, 2015

I took my team back to Terminus Cave for more training and exploration. I went deeper into the cave and found a trainer named Andrea who challenged me to a battle. She used a Throh and a Conkeldurr!

"Conkeldurr, the Muscular Pokémon, and the evolved form of Gurdurr. Conkeldurr master moves that utilize the centrifugal force of spinning concrete rather than relying on pure force. It is thought that they taught humans how to make concrete more than 2,000 years ago."

Unfortunately, my entire team was ultimately defeated by her two Pokémon. So after bringing them to the Pokémon Center for recovery, we did a little more training. My Magnemite evolved into Magneton!

387. Magneton

Then we explored a little bit more of Terminus Cave near Andrea, and I found a Dusk Stone in one of the cave's corners. That's actually quite convenient. I gave it to my Murkrow, and it evolved into Honchkrow!

388. Honchkrow

With my newly evolved Pokémon, I re-challenged Andrea, and won, though barely. It came down to my little Shuppet landing repeated Phantom Force attacks on a paralyzed Conkeldurr. I then explored more of the cave, battling many more trainers who mostly had fighting-type Pokémon. They made great opponents for my Honchkrow. Although there was a Sawk with the ability Sturdy that proved a challenge, Shuppet came through again with its priority Shadow Sneak attack.

The battles were tough, but my Pokémon became stronger from them. And my Delibird learned a new defensive move; now it can use Double Team! After the long hours of exploring the tunnels, I returned to the Pokémon Center and gave my Pokémon a well-deserved rest with Nurse Joy. I then had Accelgor, Swinub, Chesnaught, and Sylveon sent over to me.

May 14, 2015

I stopped to see Professor Sycamore in the Winding Woods, and he gave me a Pokémon egg that hatched into Zorua! For as rare as Zorua are in Unova, I never expected to find any in Kalos.

"Zorua, the Tricky Fox Pokémon. Zorua hide their true identities by transforming into people and Pokémon to protect themselves from danger. They change so they look like their foes, trick them, and then use that opportunity to flee."

389. Zorua

I then decided to take that team to the Battle Chateau for some training. While I was there, my Swinub evolved into Piloswine!

390. Piloswine


May 18, 2015

I did more training at the chateau, and then rotated my team for Foongus, Basculin, Carbink, and Sliggoo.

May 19, 2015

I received yet another Pokémon egg from the professor in the Winding Woods, and it hatched into a Gothita!

"Gothita, the Fixation Pokémon. Gothita have ribbonlike feelers that increase their psychic power. They are always intently staring at something. Apparently, they are looking at something that only they can see."

391. Gothita

Then it was back to the Battle Chateau, for yet more training. This time, my Foongus evolved into Amoonguss!

"Amoonguss, the Mushroom Pokémon, and the evolved form of Foongus. Amoonguss lure prey close by dancing and waving their arm caps, which look like Poké Balls, in a swaying motion. Very few Pokémon are fooled by this."

392. Amoonguss

After finishing with that team, I had Aegislash, Smoochum, Snover, and Patrat.

May 21, 2015

I took my team of five Pokémon to the Winding Woods, and received another egg from Professor Sycamore. This egg hatched into a Bonsly!

"Bonsly, the Bonsai Pokémon, and pre-evolved form of Sudowoodo. Bonsly prefer arid environments. They leak water that looks like tears when adjusting their moisture levels."

393. Bonsly

"That's the last Pokémon egg I have for you," stated the professor. "You're well on your way to completing the Kalos Pokédex. Though I do have one more surprise for you. Come see me at my lab once you've completed your Central Kalos Pokédex, and I'll share it with you!"

So the professor left, and I decided I would finally explore the Winding Woods. I trained my team against many of the wild Pokémon in the area. I saw some Pokémon I haven't seen yet in Kalos, so I scanned them with my Pokédex!

"Noctowl, the Owl Pokémon, and the evolved form of Hoothoot. Noctowl have eyes that are specially adapted. They concentrate even faint light and enable them to see in the dark. When they need to think, they rotate their head 180 degrees to sharpen their intellectual power."

"Gothorita, the Manipulate Pokémon, and the evolved form of Gothita. Gothorita mark star positions by using psychic power to float stones. Starlight is the source of their power. According to many old tales, they create friends for themselves by controlling sleeping children on starry nights."

After my Smoochum battled the wild Gothorita we encountered, it evolved into Jynx!

394. Jynx

May 24, 2015

I did some more training in the Winding Woods. My Snover had a hard battle against a wild Noctowl, and afterwards it evolved into Abomasnow!

"Abomasnow, the Frosted Tree Pokémon, and the evolved form of Snover. Abomasnow live quiet lives on mountains that are perpetually covered in snow. They blanket wide areas in snow by whipping up blizzards. Travelers sometimes refer to one they've spotted as 'The Ice Monster.' "

395. Abomasnow

After that, it was my Patrat's turn at some battling. After a battle with a wild Jigglypuff, which was a battle of Sing versus Hypnosis, my Patrat evolved into Watchog!

396. Watchog

May 25, 2015

Now that I have an Abomasnow, I can use the Abomasite I was given back in Frost Cavern. I tried it out, and my Abomasnow mega evolved into Mega Abomasnow! It gets a huge boost to its attack and special attack, in exchange for losing a bit in its defenses.

I continued exploring the Winding Woods while training my team. I can see why they call it the Winding Woods! It was very easy to get turned around and lost despite following the path. After extensively exploring, I was on my way out of the forest and ran into one final surprise Pokémon. It was a Zoroark! I can't believe such a rare Pokémon can be found in the wild in Kalos!

"Zoroark, the Illusion Fox Pokémon, and the evolved form of Zorua. Zoroark have the ability to fool a large group of people simultaneously. The bond between these Pokémon are strong. They protect their lairs by tricking their opponents with illusionary scenery."

May 26, 2015

Finally, I am on my last rotation of Pokémon for this round of training! I had Tyrantrum, Vivillon, Pinsir, and Bergmite sent to me. I finished making my way through the Winding Woods, and exited out onto an open field. There was a man there surrounded by some Pokémon. The Pokémon scattered when they saw me emerge from the forest. The man turned around to address me.

"Do you know what this place is?" The man began. "This is the Pokémon Village. Most of the Pokémon here are runaways from trainers who did awful things to them. It's a shame how many heartless trainers there are out there."

The man looked down at my Delibird who was happily standing beside me. "Your Pokémon seems to think highly of you. You've had some good times together, haven't you?"

He then turned around and called all the Pokémon to come back. They gathered around him once more. He introduced himself as Wulfric, the Snowbelle City Gym Leader. I introduced myself and mentioned that I would like to challenge him for my eighth and final gym badge. He accepted, and told me to stop by the gym whenever I was ready. Meanwhile, he gave me permission to explore Pokémon Village, and even battle or capture the wild Pokémon that live here.

So explore I did. I didn't immediately find any new Pokémon, but these wild Pokémon were of a very high level, and made good opponents to give my team experience. Soon, my Bergmite evolved into Avalugg!

397. Avalugg

I continued to walk around the wide open area, battling more Pokémon, and even saw a Snorlax fast asleep under a small canopy. Then I found an interesting item. Though I have documented it, I have been finding the type plates all through Kalos. I found one here as well. It seems a plate for fairy-type exists, as I picked up a Pixie Plate. These plates change the Alpha Pokémon Arceus into different types, so it appears it can change form to fairy-type as well! I placed it in my bag with the other plates and continued to explore.

Then I found a Pokémon I haven't seen yet in Kalos. Or, maybe I did and just didn't realize it. It was a shape-changing Ditto! I tossed a few Poké Balls, and managed to catch it on the second try.

"Ditto, the Transform Pokémon. Ditto can freely recombine their own cellular structures to transform into any other life-form they see. Some have been said to have the ability to even transform into inanimate objects."

398. Ditto

May 27, 2015

I finished training that team of Pokémon, and then begin to consider what Pokémon to take with me into the Snowbelle City Gym. I think Pancham is a good choice; it would be its first gym battle, but fighting-type moves will be very helpful. Not many of the new Kalos Pokémon seem to be good matchups, though I think Talonflame and Aegislash would do well. I decided on Aegislash. And as for a Pokémon that could mega evolve… that's even tougher. The only ones who haven't battled in a gym yet are all weak against ice-type attacks, except for Lucario and Blastoise. Since I already have steel and fighting covered with my other two choices, I decided to go with Blastoise.

So I entered the freezing cold Pokémon gym, and battled the many Ace Trainers inside to give my trio of Pokémon some practice battling ice-types. Some of them used some evolved ice-types I haven't seen in a while, but pretty much predicted I would run into in the gym. Although, I really thought it would be the gym leader that might use at least one of them.

"Mamoswine, the Twin Tusk Pokémon, and the evolved form of Piloswine. Mamoswine have impressive tusks made of ice. One was dug from ice dating back 10,000 years. These Pokémon have been around a long, long time, but the population thinned when it turned warm after the ice age."

"Vanilluxe, the Snowstorm Pokémon, and the evolved form of Vanillish. Vanilluxe swallow large amounts of water and make snow clouds inside their bodies. If both heads get angry simultaneously, they expel a blizzard, burying everything in snow."

I returned to the Pokémon Center, and gave my Pokémon a brief rest before taking on Wulfric!

Yikes, more than a month since my last post! I really have lost steam...

Snowbelle City Gym Challenge
Vs. Wulfric

Wulfric and I took our places on his battlefield of ice at the top of large sets of ice stairs.

"Y'know what?" Wulfric began to say. "Ice is both extremely hard and terribly fragile at the same time. You know what that means? Depending on which Pokémon you choose and what moves they use, I could be your most challenging opponent yet or I could be a total pushover."

Here's to hoping my selectiongs put him in the "total pushover" category.

"But that's all right," he continued. "That's how it should be!"

Both of use selected out first Poké Ball.

"Anyway, enough of my ramblings! Wulfric banged on his large belly and threw his Poké Ball. "Abomasnow, let's get this show on the road!"

Abomasnow took the field, and hail started to fall over the battlefield, courtesy of its Snow Warning ability.

"Uh oh, I hope that thing doesn't mega evolve on me," I commented, sending my first choice out. "Pancham, maximize!"

The five foot size difference between the two Pokémon was almost humorous, but my jolly little Pancham seemed to enjoy the challenge.

"Let's not waste any time," I said. "Pancham, use Sky Uppercut!"

Pancham ran in and landed the powerful attack. It did significant damage!

"Very impressive," Wulfric complimented. "Abomasnow, use Ice Beam!"

The blast of ice pummeled Pancham, knocking it back. But it got right up and was ready to go some more, despite being pelted by the falling hail!

"Way to take that attack, Pancham! Now, finish it with one more Sky Uppercut!"

(I'll glaze over the fact that Wulfric used 2 Hyper Potions, which I followed with 2 more Sky Uppercuts, bringing us right back here anyway…)

"Paaaaaaaaan-cham!" My Pokémon wound up, and slammed Abomasnow with its fist, knocking it out!"

"Abomasnow is knocked out cold," came the call from the judge. "Pancham wins this round!"

My Pancham jumped around, excited by its win against a much larger and higher level opponent.

"Well done, Pancham! Now return, and take a break."

"Return, Abomasnow, you did well too." Wulfric slapped his belly again. What is it with him doing that? "I can see you have a great bond with that unique Pancham. It is clearly happy to have you for a trainer! Now, let's see what Pokémon you use against my Cryogonal!"

Wulfric's second Pokémon appeared on the field.

"A Cryogonal, it's just a pure ice-type," I thought outloud. "I guess I'll go straightforward. I know Cryogonal have low defenses, so… Aegislash, maximize!"

"That's a predictable, but ice-solid choice," commented Wulfric.

"Aegislash, get ready to defend with King's Shield!" I called one of Aegislash's signature attacks.

"That will only work if we're attacking physically, but I have other plans." Wulfric called his next attack. "Cryogonal, use Confuse Ray!"

"Aegislash, no!" I cried out as I watched my Pokémon become confused. "Fight through it, and strike back with Iron Head!"

Thankfully, luck was on my side, and Aegislash changed to its Blade Forme, and smashed its head (hilt?) into Cryogonal, taking it out immediately!

"Cryogonal can no longer battle, and the winner of this round is Aegislash!" The judge motioned me as the winner.

"So far so good! Nice job, Aegislash. Return and take a rest." I called back my Pokémon. "I know my last choice, regardless of who your Pokémon is. Blastoise, maximize!"

"A water-type?" Wulfric questioned, as he recalled his fallen Cryogonal. "This last battle will prove to be an interesting one then! Go, my Avalugg!"

Blastoise versus Avalugg? This is going to prove to be a very defensive battle. Also, the hail had stopped.

"Blastoise, time to mega evolve, and use Iron Defense!" I touched my key stone, and Mega Blastoise appeared on the field!

"Ah, so you can use mega evolution. No surprise, with the bond you share with your Pokémon." Wulfric seemed like he wasn't too worried though. "Avalugg, use Curse!"

An unusual choice, I felt, but it will make Avalugg even more defensive than it already is, though it will make it a little slower, which also isn't saying much.

"Mega Blastoise, use Aqua Tail!" Despite having mega cannons on its body, my Blastoise's most powerful attack doesn't utilize them. And the physical attack did not seem to do much damage, as expected.

"Ha! Is that the best you can do?" Wulfric taunted. "Avalugg, Crunch it!"

"Mega Blastoise, defend by using Skull Bash!" My Pokémon withdrew its head and arms like any turtle could, protecting itself from the full force of the Crunch. Then, it sprang out of it's shell, striking back at Avalugg with its head.

"Avalugg, keep using Crunch!"

"Mega Blastoise, knock it away with Aqua Tail!"

The two Pokémon kept chipping away at each other. Avalugg powered up further with another Curse. Ultimately, Mega Blastoise was the one to finally fall first, and it reverted back to its original form.

"Mega Blastoise has been defeated," the judge called. "Avalugg wins the round!"

"Blastoise, you did great out there, return and take a rest," I recalled my Pokémon. "That's one tough Pokémon. Aegislash, I need you again!"

"There's no stopping my buffed up Avalugg!" said Wulfric. "Use Curse!"

"Aegislash, quick, use Iron Head!" The super effective damage was still not enough to defeat our opponent.

"Your turn, Avalugg! Use Crunch!" Since Curse also boosts attack as well as defense, one Crunch attack was all it took to knock out Aegislash!

"Aegislash cannot battle, and so the match is tied!" The judge raised his arm.

"Aegislash, return. Your battling won't be in vain, you still weakened Avalugg a little more." I looked down at my last remaining Poké Ball. "It's not over yet! Ice will crack eventually if you hit it enough! And I have faith that my last Pokémon can do just that! Pancham, you're up!"

As my Pokémon reappeared with a shine, it was clear it was still worn out from its battle against Abomasnow. That Ice Beam and hail did significant damage.

"You've been a great opponent, Steve," Wulfric began, "but I think the battle is over."

"We'll see about that!" I yelled. "Pancham, Sky Uppercut!"

Pancham closed in and launched into the air, punching Avalugg as it did.

"Right where we want him," Wulfric commented as he stared at my airborn Pokémon. "Avalugg, use Avalanche!"

"Pancham, no!" I was sure one hit by that attack would be all it took to knock it out. But, to my surprise, Pancham dodged it!

"Great job, Pancham! Quick, Sky Uppercut, again!" Pancham was thrashing about having a great time, almost as though it was a ninja, and landed another punch!

"How can this be?" Wulfric look amazed. "Avalugg, try Avalanche again!"

Pancham dodged once again! The bond we formed training all these months is definitely paying off! I always thought about nicknaming him "Lucky" and even though I didn't, luck is still on our side!

"Do it, Pancham!" I yelled excitedly. "Sky Uppercut, let's go!"

The punch landed, and… Avalugg finally collapsed!

"Avalugg is unable to battle," came the judge's final call. "The winner of this gym battle is Steve and his Pancham!"

"Pancham, you are absolutely amazing!" I ran out and picked up my Pokémon, as it had a huge smile on its face. "Well done! You're getting tons of Poké Puffs tonight!"

Wulfric walked up to his Pokémon as it was starting to stand. "Well done, my friend. You fought well. It's been a long time since we battled someone with that kind of bond, hasn't it?"

"Luuuugg," his Pokémon responded.

Wulfric approached me. "Outstanding! I was as tough as an iceberg, but you smashed me through and through. Impressive! Your Pokémon fought with great courage. I can tell you've trained them well. Without a doubt, you have earned this Iceberg Badge!"

With my eighth and final Kalos badge, I am now ready to work on the completion of my Kalos journey. That means 52 more Pokémon to obtain, and one final rotation of every Pokémon I've caught in Kalos. Then, it's off to challenge the Elite Four! Since I have four shiny Pokémon, I plan on using them heavily in my Kalos League battles, so all four of them are staying with me from this point forward! First, my three Pokémon deserve a good treatment from Nurse Joy at the Pokémon Center. So, while they recover, I asked to have Cubone, Wingull, and Delibird sent over to me. They, along with Pancham, are a permanent part of my team for the rest of my Kalos adventure!

May 28, 2015

I decided to give my Pokémon a little more rest since I have work the next few days anyway. I did go back to the Snowbelle City Gym to see Wulfric. I had asked him if he could help teach my Delibird a new move. Frost Breath was a decent move, but I figured Ice Beam would be so much better. So I left Delibird with Wulfric for a few days to learn Ice Beam!


May 31, 2015

I did some late night/early morning exploring after getting out of work before getting some sleep. I decided to check out Route 21 outside of Snowbelle City. Route 21 was called Dernière Way, and it lead to Victory Road. Nurse Joy told me that there are a lot of Pokémon found in hordes along the route, so I had my Illumise sent to me back at the Pokémon Center. I crossed a bridge and had Illumise use Sweet Scent, and I found my first horde, a group of Spinda! I had Pancham defeat most of them, and then captured one of them. I haven't seen Spinda since my travels in the Hoenn region!

"Spinda, the Spot Panda Pokémon. Spinda all have unique patterns of spots. The chances of two of them having identical patterns is less than one in four billion. Their tottering steps fouls the aim of foes."

399. Spinda

Once I woke up in the morning, I returned to Dernière Way and once again had Illumise use Sweet Scent. This time, it attracted a horde of Swablu! I decided that this was a good opportunity for my Delibird to practice its Ice Beam attack. I had it defeat most of the Swablu, then tossed a Poké Ball and caught the last one!

"Swablu, the Cotton Bird Pokémon. Swablu constantly groom their cotton-like wings. They take a shower to clean themselves if they become dirty. For some reason, they like to land on people's heads softly and act like they're hats."

400. Swablu

That makes 400 Pokémon! Just 50 more to go! But I wasn't done yet for today. I continued to have Illumise use Sweet Scent. It attracted another Spinda horde, but following that, we were attacked by a horde of Scyther! I'm not sure why, but a horde of Scyther actually seemed to be quite intimidating. I had Pancham battle them, and when we were down to the last one, I started tossing Poké Balls. It took several tries, but I managed to catch it! As an added bonus, the one I caught had the coveted Technician ability.

"Scyther, the Mantis Pokémon. Scyther slash through grass with their sharp scythes, moving too fast for the human eye to track. They tear and shred prey with these scythes. They very rarely spread their wings to fly."

401. Scyther

June 1, 2015

Now to begin the final rotation of Pokémon. Keeping Cubone, Wingull, Pancham, and Delibird with me, I had Chesnaught and Delphox sent to me to begin the cycle. Then I returned to Dernière Way and did some fishing with my Good Rod. After finding some wild Poliwhirl and Basculin to battle, I hooked a Dratini! I wondered where I would find one, since I battled a trainer with a Dragonair back at the Battle Chateau. I had Pancham battle it to weaken it, then about a half dozen Poké Balls later, I caught the Dratini!

"Dratini, the Dragon Pokémon. Dratini are full of life energy. They continually shed their skin and grow steadily larger. They are called 'Mirage Pokémon' because so few have seen one; however, their shed skin has been found."

402. Dratini

June 2, 2015

I was training all my Pokémon on Dernière Way. Cubone was watching my Delphox battle. Is it trying to imitate one of its moves? I think it is! So Delphox and I worked with my Cubone a bit, and it learned how to use Flamethrower! That gives Cubone a nice mix of four different types of attacks.

As we continued to explore the route, my Pokémon gained a lot of experience from the wild Pokémon in the area. There were some powerful evolved Pokémon that lived here.

"Ursaring, the Hibernator Pokémon, and the evolved form of Teddiursa. Ursaring unfailingly find all food buried deep underground with their ability to distinguish any aroma. Although they have large bodies, they are quite skilled at climbing trees. They eat and sleep in the treetops."

"Altaria, the Humming Pokémon, and the evolved form of Swablu. Altaria fly gracefully through the sky. On sunny days they easily blend into the clouds. They sing in a beautiful soprano, and their melodic humming makes you feel like you're in a dream."

Then I rotated my Pokémon out. I retired Chesnaught and Delphox, thanking them for my hard work throughout Kalos. Then I had Greninja and Diggersby sent to me. I continued to explore the route, and found a trainer named Evan who was also training for the Pokémon League. He challenged me to a battle with his Chandelure! Thankfully, my Greninja was able to defeat it, despite the large difference in levels between the two Pokémon.

"Chandelure, the Luring Pokémon, and the evolved form of Lampent. Chandelure consume spirits in their flames, leaving bodies behind. The spirits burned up in their ominous flame lose their way and wander this world forever."

After that, I meticulously explored the rest of Dernière Way. Then I returned to the Pokémon Center, and retired Greninja, and rotated in Linoone.

June 3, 2015

I reached the entrance to Victory Road. I decided I wouldn't enter quite yet. Instead, I continued onto familiar Détourner Way, which leads into Santalune City.

I sat in front of the fountain, deciding what to do next. I knew there were still a few things I missed on my journey, so I think I need to tie up those loose ends. I haven't had many sky battles, so I'll travel around and challenge any sky trainers I find. I took Talonflame, Vivillon, Noibat, and Wingull along for that. I would also check out areas around any waterfalls that I may have missed, so I took Lapras along for Surfing and Seaking for climbing any Waterfalls.

Wingull used Water Pulse in many of its battles, but I felt it needed something a little stronger than that. So we worked on a new move: the much more powerful Scald, which can also inflict a Burn! It was also happy to be soaring over Azure Bay again, so I definitely used it in the sky battles there. I caught Wingull on nearby Fourrage Road last year.

I continued to trace my path across Kalos, battling in many sky battles. (Apparently I skipped all but one or two of them.) It was getting late, but I had a few more battles near Frost Cavern before calling it a night. After one of the battles, my Noibat evolved! That's an awesome looking Pokémon; I wonder what it is?

"Noivern, the Sound Wave Pokémon, and the evolved form of Noibat. Noivern fly around on moonless nights and attack careless prey. Nothing can defeat them as they swoop out of the dark to attack. The ultrasonic waves they emit from their ears can reduce a large boulder to pebbles."

403. Noivern

In addition to learning a powerful dragon-type move like Dragon Pulse, it also knows a powerful move I've never heard of before: Boomburst. This devastating move attacks everything around it with an explosive sound, helping Noivern live up to its description from the Pokédex!

June 4, 2015

I finished my tour of Kalos, having a few more sky battles as I proceeded. Over the course of my exploration, I completed my collection of all 17 elemental plates, as well as finding a few mysterious caves. In Pokémon Village, there is a cave that one of the locals called the Unknown Dungeon. I asked him to spell that, as I was afraid it might be the "Unown" Dungeon, leading me to have to catch 28 of those little alphabetic Pokémon. Rather, he said the Unknown Dungeon is a place where an extremely powerful Pokémon lives, and that no one is allowed to enter unless they have defeated the Kalos Elite Four. The other location that I actually was able to enter was called the Chamber of Emptiness. It was aptly named, for other than the Spooky Plate I found lying in the center of it, there was absolutely nothing else there.

So I returned to the Pokémon Center, changed my Pokémon line up back to Cubone, Wingull, Pancham, Delibird, Diggersby, and Linoone, and decided to head towards the Battle Chateau to finish training all my Pokémon from Central Kalos. I also received a medal for winning every sky battle in Kalos!

B-018-1 Battle Sky High Trainer A Medal for those who manage to defeat every Sky Trainer. 06/04/2015

June 5, 2015

I went to the Battle Chateau, and started to train my Pokémon for the Pokémon League!

June 18, 2015

It's been a busy few weeks, but I'm finally back into the groove of returning to my Pokémon training! I rotated through and retired Diggersby, Linoone, Talonflame, and ended with Pidgeot and Vivillon.

June 23, 2015

I retired Pidgeot and Vivillon over the last week. Today, I rotated through Butterfree, Beedrill, Simisage, and Simisear.

July 4, 2015

Life has continued to be a bit busy for me. Over the last few weeks, I rotated through and retired Simipour, Raichu, Bibarel, and Dunsparce.

July 8, 2015

I've been continuing to train and retire my Pokémon by battling at the chateau. By today, I've rotated through Azumarill, all 3 Wormadam, Mothim, Masquerain, Gyarados, Crawdaunt, Seaking, Sharpedo, and Pyroar.

July 16, 2015

After working the last 7 days straight, I finally have a day off. So I rotated through Golduck, Farfetch'd, Mega Lucario, and ended on Gardevoir and Gallade. The battles at the Battle Chateau are starting to get old.

July 25, 2015

Life has been keeping me busy, but I've rotated through and retired more Pokémon, including Roserade, Florges, Ledian, Vespiquen, Delcatty, Mega Venusaur, Mega Charizard, and Mega Blastoise.

Also, at one point this month, I was able to complete the Restaurant Le Yeah challenge for Rotation Battles, so I've earned recognition in both their battle formats now.

August 7, 2015

Continuing my training of my Central Kalos Pokémon, I've rotated through quite a few over the last few weeks: Gogoat, Pangoro, Furfrou, Dodrio, Plusle, Minun, Swalot, Scrafty, Alakazam, Vileplume, Bellossom, Furret, Ninjask, Shedinja, both Meowstic, Kecleon, and Aegislash. Today, on a beautiful day off from work, I completed working with Scolipede, Audino, Smeargle, Toxicroak, Swanna, Aromatisse, Slurpuff, Volbeat, and Illumise.

August 13
Started a new journey in Pokémon Y.

August 11, 2015

Over the last few days up to today, I've rotated and retired the last few Pokémon in this portion the Pokédex. Jumpluff, Snorlax, Exploud, Medicham, Crobat, and finally Fraxure all went through more training.

That evening, while I was finishing up at the Battle Chateau, my Fraxure evolved into a Haxorus! The final Pokémon in the Central Kalos Pokédex has been obtained at last!

"Haxorus, the Axe Jaw Pokémon, and the evolved form of Fraxure. Haxorus are kind but can be relentless when defending territory. Their sturdy tusks will stay sharp even if used to cut steel beams. They are covered in hard armor."

404. Haxorus

Afterwards, I went to Lumiose City, and decided to visit Professor Sycamore. He scanned my Pokédex and congratulated me on completing the Central portion.

"Almost complete," the professor said, shockingly.

"What do you mean? I thought that there was 150 Pokémon in each section," I replied.

"Let me show you some Pokémon we discovered last October," he said as he led me into one of the research rooms. "And there's three Pokémon I'd like to bestow upon you as a gift for coming so far in your journey, and also for helping to defeat Team Flare."

There were two Cherish Balls and a Dusk Ball on a table. Sycamore picked up the first Cherish Ball and released the Pokémon inside.

"First up, there's this huge Pumpkaboo we found," he began to explain. "Not only are Pumpkaboo this large rare, but it also has a different ability than usual: Insomnia. Although, you also found a super-sized Pumpkaboo, so I'm sure this isn't all that impressive."

Then he picked up the Dusk Ball. The Pokémon came out and sparkled. A shiny Pokémon! "This is a Gengar. Not too much of a different color than normal, but it was found with Gengarite already, so it would be interesting to see what it might look like when it mega evolves."

He then picked up the last Cherish Ball, and paused a moment. "Now this one is the most interesting. We discovered the first mythical Pokémon in Kalos. It was found in the mountains near a colony of Carbink. I've updated your Pokédex, so you'll be able to scan it. Meet Diancie!"

"Wow!" I exclaimed, as I readied my Pokédex. "If I didn't know any better, I would say it looks like an evolved form of Carbink. Let's see…"

"Diancie, the Jewel Pokémon. Diancie is a mythical Pokémon believed to be a sudden transformation of Carbink. Its pink, glimmering body is said to be the loveliest sight in the whole world. It can instantly create many diamonds by compressing the carbon in the air between its hands."

405. Diancie

I thanked the professor, and decided that it was time to work on my next two goals: completing the Coastal Kalos Pokédex, of which I only needed 9 more Pokémon to complete, and also to finally, FINALLY, enter Victory Road, and begin my climb to the Kalos Pokémon League!

A-024-1 Adventure Central Kalos Pokédex Completionist A Medal to honor those recognized by the professor as having completed the Central Kalos Pokédex. 08/11/2015


August 12, 2015

I stood before the entrance to Victory Road. The trainer standing guard there asked to see my eight badges. I showed him my badge case, but he said that there is one small challenge to overcome before I could enter Victory Road. He challenged me to a battle! He led off with a Carbink. I sent out Wingull, who blasted it with Scald, burning the opponent. However, Power Gem took out Wingull in one hit. I sent out Cubone, who started using Power-Up Punch a few times, but also took damage from a Moonblast. Thankfully, the burn helped to knock out Carbink. Next up was Kingdra. I know my Cubone has great defenses, but it probably wouldn't survive a water-type attack, so I switched in Pancham. Kingdra blasted Pancham with a strong Dragon Pulse, doing significant damage! Sky Uppercut landed, but it did not do as much damage as I had hoped. One more Dragon Pulse should have knocked out Pancham, but it held on, and landed one final Sky Uppercut, which ended up being a critical hit, and knocked out Kingdra! The last battle was Raichu versus my Cubone. Needless to say, at least that one was an easy victory for my little ground-type. Overall, though, I really think we need to train more, because if a simple Ace Trainer gave us that much of a challenge, we won't stand a chance against the Elite Four!

I returned to the Pokémon Center in Santalune City to give my Pokémon a rest, and had Drifblim and Mienfoo sent to me. Time to train on Victory Road!

I followed the hallway behind the entrance, and it led to a staircase that opened up to the base of a tall mountain. I saw the cave entrance up ahead, and entered. I walked down the initial pathway, when I saw something crash into the wall next to me. It was a wild Pokémon attacking. A two-headed Pokémon… a Zweilous! That's a powerful Pokémon to encounter in the wild. Thankfully, it was no match for my Delibird's Ice Beam.

"Zweilous, the Hostile Pokémon, and the evolved form of Deino. Zweilous have two heads that don't get along. Whichever head eats more than the other gets to be the leader. After they have eaten up all the food in their territory, they move to another area."

As I continued to look around, I saw wild Gurdurr, Haunter, and then I found a wild Druddigon! I had Driblim weaken it with a bunch of Shadow Ball attacks, then I tossed a Poké Ball and caught it on the first try!

406. Druddigon

After a little bit more training, my Mienfoo evolved into a Mienshao! I was able to retire Drifblim, Mienshao, and Zangoose by the end of the night.

407. Mienshao


August 18, 2015

I rotated through and retired Seviper, Grumpig, and Absol, but while I was training on Victory Road, I encountered a few wild Lickitung!

"Lickitung, the Licking Pokémon. Lickitung have a tongue that is twice the length of their bodies. This long tongue can be moved like an arm for grabbing food and attacking. It is also slathered with a gooey saliva which sticks to anything, making it very useful."

August 19, 2015

I rotated through more Pokémon, and while training on Victory Road, my Shelgon evolved into Salamence!

"Salamence, the Dragon Pokémon, and the evolved form of Shelgon. Salamence become uncontrollable if they are enraged. They fly around spouting flames and scorching fields and mountains. They destroy everything with shredding claws and fire."

408. Salamence

I then decided I would mix it up a bit, and had some battles at Restaurant Le Yeah. While I was there, my Skrelp finally evolved into Dragalge!

409. Dragalge

In the end, I was able to complete training with Malamar, Lunatone, Solrock, Salamence, Pelipper, Swellow, Barbaracle, Crustle, Tentacruel, Wailord, and Luvdisc, keeping Dragalge and Clawitzer on the team.

Day 1: Hi my name is Tamarin, and I Just started my Journey with Fenni.... I met some incredible friends and we set out together to explore the world more. I caught 3 elemental monkey pokemon and I just started to train them. I am off to my first Gym challenge later on today, but my team needs more training before we go.

Finally beat the E4 with my somewhat weird team in my own challenge run. My main problem was beating Siebold, as his Gyarados had already swept me a couple times before, thanks to its access to Dragon Dance combined with good coverage. In order to beat him, I taught my Jumpluff Swords Dance over Leech Seed, put his Clawitzer to sleep with Sleep Powder and got to +6 Attack. Combined with Jumpluff's amazing Speed, I managed to outspeed Gyarados and OHKO it with a +5 Acrobatics (without item) and it would have been a sweep, but sadly OHKOing his Barbaracle with Giga Drain came down to a roll, which allowed it to survive and OHKO my Jumpluff with a Stone Edge. Fortunately, I still had Delphox with Grass Knot as a backup, which easily managed to beat it.

The champion battle itself was pretty straightforward, even though, it didn't go as I intended. For some odd reason I thought, Diantha would lead with her Goodra, so my plan was to use Clawitzer until she sends out Hawlucha. At this point I would send in Mawile and start setting up with it. Instead I just straight out beat four of her Pokemon with Clawitzer. When Goodra came out, I saced it and Beat Goodra with my Golurk. Having her down to her last mon, I made a couple questionable switches, but ultimately managed to get Mawile in savely and beat Garde with Iron Head.

Then the ending happened, I beat AZ with my Clawitzer and did a couple battles in the Battle Maison.

After that I got to the last rival battle in the game. Unfortunately, my plan to set up with Aegislash didn't really work out and I almost got beaten by Greninja. However, a crucial Hydro Pump miss allowed my Mawile to beat it with Play Rough and beating Mega Absol was no problem at all.

That being done, as the final action in my challenge, I picked up the Mawilite, so now I can Mega evolve it, finally. Even though, I consider my challenge done, which makes it pretty useless.

Day 1: (continued) Tamarin here, I have been raising my team and we Defeated the 1st gym leader who was using Bug Types. Panpour who I named Torrence started the battle and defeated her Surskit, and then fell to her Vivilion but Pansear who I named Torch was a big help at the end. Well we are traveling to the next gym. Pansage who I named Timber is getting stronger as well with some Super Training.


Current Team (Pansage, Pansear, Panpour)

Timber lv 11
Torch Lv 13
Torrence Lv 12