[Gen 3] Hoenncoming

[Amore]

ew, too much water​

Last year I bought a bunch of backups of all my original Pokémon games (Gen 3-5, so very pricey!), as well as every game up to Legends: Arceus, after not having bought or played a new one since Black 2. Despite that, I realised I haven't touched my original fave - Emerald - since 2017, making possibly only 2 saves in about 15 years!
This isn't a challenge post or anything, tbh the most groundbreaking thing about it is the hardware (that's right, no emulators for me!):

Spoiler:

…and my having tracked down a near-mint copy of the official [URL="https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Pok%C3%A9mon_Emerald:_Prima%27s_Official_Strategy_Guide"]Prima Strategy Guide[/URL] to consult (but mostly to enjoy the art, as playing Hoenn is like riding a bike to me).

Having briefly contemplated doing the ultimate gimmick 'mon team - Slaking | Shedinja | Plusle | Minun | Spinda | Kecleon (excluded Castform as I used it in 2017 and Sableye as I intend to use the Mega when I finally played ORAS) before realising I'd need to use HM slaves and thus would have to choose only 5 - I chickened out and settled for a team I've never used before:

1. Treecko (yes, really. Never evolved past Grovyle in Gen III)
2. Slakoth ([URL="https://www.pokecommunity.com/showthread.php?t=491746"]this thread[/URL] had me wanting to try STAB Hyper Beam spam since February)
3. Makuhita (not used since I finally understood how Physical / Special works pre-Gen IV, recall Hariyama's Surf being quite underwhelming lol)
4. Trapinch (much like Ken Sugimori with the Mega, I always wanted to and just never did)
5. Spoink
6. Wailmer (never understood where to actually find most of the non-Tentacool Water-types, last time out I actually caught and evolved a Feebas, so this time I'm giong relatively simple)

How I like to play the game means I do set a couple of restrictions:

• I can't leave an area until I've caught everything possible in it, with an exemption for Seedot, Plusle, and Horsea as they are available in trades. I don't have to catch a 'mon on every route its in either, just the once will do. The save isn't done until I have everything available in-game, including a Surskit swarm now I have Sapphire to mix records with.
• I won't evolve a Pokémon until its won 2 gym badges with me or increased by 20 levels. This helps increase difficulty and allows me to enjoy the cute stages a bit more. This way none of my team will be fully-evolved when I get HM03.
• No consulting Bulbapedia. I enjoy the comprehensiveness of their walkthroughs, but for this save I'll be referring only to my (inaccurate, as they all are) strategy guide. As they don't label which items are hidden, I most likely won't get any of them until after the credits roll as iirc ItemFinder can't hold a candle to Gen IV's Dowsing Machine.
• No grinding. I'm exclusively getting EXP from trainer battles, Rare Candy, and accidental KOs of wild Pokémon.
• Dont' use any TMs. May modify this to "only use TMs you've traded to your old Emerald save and cloned in Battle Tower first".

 

[Amore]

Beginnings

Upon starting up and watching the whole credits, then listening to the entire title theme (still slaps) I decided to break from tradition and choose the girl character, just like I have done in all Switch games after Galar. Almost immediately my mind was blown, as changing gender changes your house!. I believe this is the only game in which this happens - if you choose boy you live on in the west/left house, if you choose girl you live on the right!
Anyway the sprite was killing my nostalgia vibes so I restarted as a boy, naming him after the game version as always (so Emerald).

Resetting for a Timid Treecko was surprisingly easy, despite my custom GBA's soft Start and Select buttons making a soft-reset trickier than necessary, as I got it in under 20 attempts. Not only that, but female! Named her Goldie as she bears such a strong resemblance to the [URL="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gold_dust_day_gecko"]Gold Dust Day Gecko[/URL], which I have encountered in real life!
The timing of the capture tutorial is still so weird in these games, as I had already captured 6 species by the time I meet Wally. Even in my first ever play at 10 years old, either through the instruction manual or just dumb luck, I probably had 4. After their kindness with Treecko, the reset gods cursed me and it took over half an hour to find 2 Ralts (one for the trade in Rustboro), which were actually 3 as the first one Goldie decided to OHKO with a crit. Anyway, I continued on diligently harvesting any berries I found and catching any avaiable 'mon. Youngster Billy on Route 103 dragged as I was expecting his Seedot to use Bide but instead we went 10 turns of me using Leer and him using Harden. Once he caved and used his only "attack" I got 2 defense drops in and smacked it into the sea.

I saved in Petalburg Woods, having captured every available 'mon except Seedot (because of the aforementioned trade this isn't an issue) and Slakoth. I'm going to grab every 'mon in a different ball, having spent my money wisely I have 2 Premier Balls for Slakoth but there are 17 natures and I'm after Adamant / Jolly so this could take some resetting. My save time is 1:56 but I'd estimate I've already spent an hour and so far only got neutral and +SpA natured sloths. Fun!

 

[Amore]

Stone Badge

Welp, the RNGods giveth a perfect natured female Treecko, then the RNGods taketh away 4 hours of my life resetting for an Adamant or Jolly Slakoth (only had 2 Premier Balls, hence the reset). Encountered so many Timid I started to wonder if it had glitched and somehow given Goldie the Synchronize ability but eventually got my Jolly sloth, a guy named Kong.

Truant is certainly a challenge, but given the low damage output in the early game I was able to work around it - other than allowing a Bug Catcher in Petalburg Woods to stack an annoying amount of Harden boosts on his Nincada (I switched to Goldie and hit it specially instead) - and get Kong up to strength.

Upon reaching Rustboro I decided to break a rule and teach Bullet Seed to Goldie. Thankfully one of the Sapphire cartridges I purchased pre-owned has a completed Hoenn Pokédex (about 75% living I'd say) and almost all the TMs. So I traded over a TM09 held by a Meditite for 'dex completion, meaning I still have my original ready for cloning once I beat the game and get to Battle Tower. So yeah, TMs will be allowed but I'm trying to preserve them.

Kong's damage output went up once he got taught HM01 Cut as STAB makes that 75 base power. Still, in the Rustboro Gym he was only good for Yawn + switch due to the insane defences of Geodude. Roxanne was a pushover. Both Geodude were OHKO'd by Bullet Seed, and Nosepass was a breeze as I used Yawn, then noticed I'd kept the traded Seedot "DOTS" in my party, so sacrificed it to Rock Tomb on the switch to get Goldie un-harmed. Giving us a Rock-type with 90 SpD is definitely necessary given the wider availability of Grass and Water-types versus Kanto but it still shocked me how little Bullet Seed actually did to it.

Upon chasing after those pesky Devon Goods again in Route 116 I settled in for a long grind for 2 Skitty (2% encounter chance, need a spare for a Meowth in Battle Frontier) only to find that I kept encountering Abra, which my guide does not say is available there! Another error is it tells you to hold on to the Premier Ball to capture a strong Pokémon haha

Anyway, Kong swatted aside the Team Aqua Grunt, I've successfully farmed quite a few berries thanks to the shorter growth times vs Gen IV, and saved outside Mr. Briney's hut.

Pokédex
Seen: 24 Own: 19
​

 

[Amore]

Knuckle Badge

After a quick boat ride with Mr. Briney (love the music and that they decided to animate the trip down the route rather than cutting to black) we arrive in Dewford Town, home to the best music in Pokémon!

I used to go straight to Granite Cave where I would stumble around in the darkness and grind, but the guide says I should learn to fish (done, Magikarp & Tentacool caught) then head to the gym. Brawly is apparently a Flying-type leader, with it recommended that I bring Fighting and Psychic-type moves. Imagine my surprise when the cheerleader dude tells me he uses the Fighting-type and I should keep any Normal-types away! (Kong is going to be useless here yet again).

This was legitimately the toughest gym battle I can remember. Goldie was too frail, Kong can be OHKO'd by any Fighting-type move, and we had no way of hitting super-effectively. After a first initial defeat when Machop stacked Bulk Up boosts whilst Bullet Seed only hit twice, before smashing Goldie with Karate Chop, I reset and went to beat the two trainers just outside of Dewford…less than 600XP from the battles, not much help. In 7 attempts (reset upon a loss, I don't want to lose my cash) I only got past Machop twice due to Bullet Seed's unreliable damage output and Brawly's liberal use of Super Potions.

Round 2 saw me get past Machop on low health, before Meditite's Focus Punch strategy plus use of Super Potions allowed me to recover to 100% with Absorb. When Makuhita came in I switched Slakoth in on the initial Bulk Up, before using Yawn and being KO'd. Bullet Seed hit for maximum damage, we survived Arm Thrust, then hit again but this activated the Sitrus Berry (set HP recovery - 30 - in Gen III so its OP at low levels), Makuhita woke up and Vital Throw wiped out Goldie. Didn't get past Machop again until Round 7, where I used the exact same strategy, Goldie using Absorb against Makuhita which did nothing whilst +1 Vital Throw took off 44/48 HP, but a 5-hit Bullet Seed triggering the Sitrus Berry, then a 4-hit Bullet Seed got us the win!

I then traded over a Timer Ball to catch my next team member, Makuhita (and get 'dex data for Medicham). So reset every time I caught something in Granite Cave whilst I reset for an Adamant one. After almost the entire run-time of The Old Guard, I then decided to just run to Steven first, somehow getting through the entire cave without a baby sumo encounter. Saved upon leaving that room, and met a Careful one with Thick Fat. That'll do nicely, although its female so I have no idea for a nickname (recommendations welcomed!). So far all I've got is "Flesh Hands" or "Nanisca" (The Woman King).

Pokédex
Seen: 30 Own: 27
​

 

[Amore]

Hating how my title image of Hoenn keeps disappearing, as do random sprites. Sort it out PC!

Dynamo Badge?

[URL="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=re0DpGjoL_Q"]Route 110 is the scariest May[/URL]​

As a child, I couldn't get past Slateport City for months. For whatever reason, I either spoke to the wrong person in the Shipyard, or forgot to return to the museum after speaking to the correct one, but I could never get the Team Aqua grunts to move. As an adult, this is a chill little section. I really like the music in the museum (and the fact that you can interact with the exhibits, something you probably wouldn't get in the 3D era). Anyhow, that was chill, as was repeated berry farming and my first attack of the Trick House (loved when I finally spotted the shine and figured out what to do as a kid).

Route 110 is not all fun and games however, because it contains a horrific misdirect - May (or Brendan if you're a girl) is genuinely tough to beat, so its insane that they just duck out of the story after Lilycove City and never evolve their starter. Particularly if you're like me and prefer to only use Hoenn Pokémon in your team, its really hard to find anything to hit the opposing starter super-effectively. As I chose Treecko, the only Pokémon I could have used that could hit Combusken for SE damage would be Wingull (weak but does actually get both STAB moves early), Taillow (takes neutral hits from Double Kick), or Ralts (frail). I have none of them. It took 4 attempts:

• #1 & 2 I led with Kong, who slowly 2HKOs here Wingull but we have no answer for Combusken.
• #3 I led with Goldie, who levelled up and learned Screech after KOing Wingull. I sacrificed a wild Oddish on the switch to cure confusion, then 2x Screech meant Nanisca's Fake Out did over 1/3 damage, but a crit on Double Kick KO'd the little sumo and the other two didn't stand a chance.
• #4 same strategy, but poor luck meant I only landed 1 out of 3 attempted Screeches. Fake Out + Vital Throw from Nanisca had Combusken in the red, but expecting a heal I stayed in and went down for Peck. Bizarrely, AIMay went easy on me by using Ember on Kong, who survived to KO with Cut at the expense of a Burn. Lombre as the 3rd is incredibly weak, so I sacrificed the Oddish again to heal Kong, then used Yawn followed by Cut as Nature Power was maybe a 6HKO on Kong, whose un-burned Cut was an easy 3HKO. Lombre never actually woke up, meaning for possibly the first time ever I beat May at this point without any grinding!

Upon arriving at Mauville City, the guide tells me to grab the coin case, Acro or Mach Bike, then fight Wally before taking on Wattson. Ever accurate it states that Voltorb is Electric / Steel, but other than that its a lot better here. I took on the Cycling Road battles first, then one-shotted Wally with Goldie's Pursuit. The gym trainers actually got a KO on Nanisca, which has got to be the first time that's happened to me in about 10 years. With Goldie and Nanisca at lv. 23, Kong at lv. 20, the man himself, Wattson, was another struggle:

• 2 attempts leading with Goldie, but Voltorb's Selfdestruct destroyed the game plan, as I can't break Magneton without Screech.
• #3 led with Nanisca, sacrificed Kong to switch and heal after Electrike, got 2 Screeches on Magneton with Goldie…Shock Wave crit ended the match.
• #4 Selfdestruct
• #5 actually got to Manectric! But Vital Throw barely does 1/3 damage so even a crit wont KO, and Shock Wave does 3/4 back.
• #6 Lead with Nanisca, Electrike's Shock Wave crits so often I use up all my healing then Magneton uses ParaFusion on Goldie.
• #7, 8, and 9 I equip Cheri berries to everyone. Selfdestruct (one time at 3/4 health) ruins it.
• #10 Voltorb used Selfdestruct with Nanisca at full health, leaving it with 1 remaining! Then Electrike's Static activated in consecutive turns rendering the Cheri worthless. Magneton spammed Thunder Wave on Goldie to the same effect, then got false hope when it used Sonicboom on the switch from Goldie to Nanisca, but Shock Wave when I was at 8 hp meant I never got chance to move, just heal. Even at -4 Def, Goldie's Quick Attack barely made a dent either.

I'm thinking I may have to go explore the surrounding routes for XP. This early-game team sucks coverage-wise due to Goldie's weak STAB and Kong's ability. My planned other 3 are Flygon (Trapinch would wreck Wattson), Spoink (would have steamrollered Brawly) and Wailmer (likewise on Combusken) but I can't get them until I get Rock Smash (and Surf to get the Good Rod for Wailmer).

Pokédex
Seen: 47 Own: 31
​

 

[Amore]

Dynamo Badge

I took my sweet time travelling East, West, then North of Mauville City defeating all the trainers around. As Volbeat is a mere 1% encounter on Route 117 and I needed two (one for a trade in Fortree City to get the rare Plusle I didn't bother to capture on Route 110) I decided to breed my Illumise which took forever. Although at least RSE still have that nice long straight that got disrupted in ORAS with the regeneration of Mauville City. I also harvested a lot of berries - I now have over 30 of every one available at this stage bar Oran (>20 of those). Finally a day later we went to re-challenge Wattson (technically just challenge, as I SR my gym battles to keep my money). Goldie at lv. 27 (Mega Drain meaning we now have a usable STAB), Nanisca at lv. 26, and Kong at lv. 21:

• #1 Forgot to re-equip Cheri Berry on Goldie and Kong. Mega Drain is a 3HKO on Voltorb, of course with healing that makes 6, I used Quick Attack for the killer blow out of a fear that I've never seen it go that long without using Selfdestruct. Electrike was any easy 2HKO. Screech on Magneton was of course met with a Thunder Wave, then Supersonic (which hit) but we got a 2nd one off. Nanisca got lucky with just a Sonicboom on the switch, Fake Out still doing maybe 1/6 damage at -4. We then got hit by another Supersonic, but Nanisca pulled through and KO'd with Vital Throw! Kong came out to face Manectric, immediately getting Paralyzed, using Yawn as Manectric powered up, then healing Nanisca whilst taking a hit (should have done Goldie's Paralysis instead). Manectric woke up after 1 turn, but Goldie got in 2 Screeches again before I sent Nanisca back out. Manectric now at +2 so Quick Attack does almost 1/2 but so does Fake Out at -4. Shock Wave KO'd so I sent out Goldie again, who got a further Screech in before healing, however Paralysis meant that Manectric's Quick Attack was faster so it was down to Kong alone…Manectric had too much power.
• #2 remember the Cheri. Lead with Kong out of curiosity, Voltorb is so scared it uses Selfdestruct straight away, which doesn't KO, but apparently somehow means my turn doesn't happen? (Gen III forces switches from fainting before the end of the turn, so Slakoth should have got to hit Electrike with Cut as it switched in, as Voltorb outspeeds it). I heal, but Cut doesn't do 1/2 hp so this takes a while of heal - Cut - heal - Cut, especially after Electrike also heals and Static means I lose one of my non-Truant turns to Paralysis. Sacrificed Kong against Magneton for a free switch to Goldie, who took 2 hits from Thunder Wave and then snapped out of confusion after 1 turn to get Magneton to -6 for Nanisca to KO with a Fake Out + Vital Throw combo whilst only taking a Thunder Wave in return. Goldie managed to get Manectric to -6 at the cost of it getting in 2 Howls to hit harder with Quick Attack before being sacrificed to get Nanisca in. Fake Out did 1/2 damage, activating the Sitrus Berry which put Manectric back at about 95%, then Vital Throw KO'd!
  
  Dynamo Badge in hand I headed to Verdanturf to grab Nest Balls for future Trapinch, broke through Rusturf Tunnel, grabbed some Repeat Balls ready for my future Spoink in Rustboro, then headed south to get a boat to Dewford…forgetting of course that I left the boat back in Slateport, so I then had to go all the way back there via land! Still, gave me chance to take on Trick House again, which left me remembering just how revolutionary it seemed in Gen IV when you could run inside (2nd puzzle is just a labyrinth that you have to cover pretty much every square in…twice). Once in Dewford I headed to Granite Cave with my Mach Bike to get the remaining items there, then smash a bunch of rocks to get a Nosepass, which I thankfully got in only my 3rd rock.
  
  I then headed North, disappointed that I can't duck into the desert until after badge 4, as I wanted Trapinch to face Flannery. I've resolved to evolve Goldie and Kong at lv. 29 - Goldie as that's the last level I can leave it to if I want Leaf Blade without trading a Heart Scale for it, and Kong as their both being 3-stage evolution lines means it makes sense to do them at the same level. Nanisca will stay unevolved for now as she still pulls her weight.
  
  Fiery Path held a surprise, upon consulting my guide it turns out you can capture Grimer in there! Its a 2% encounter according to Bulbapedia and after looking at my old Emerald save I have a Muk, meaning I had learned this in 2017 but forgotten it again. Still, in god knows how many hundreds of hours playing this game in the period 2006-10 (HGSS and Platinum were then easily enough game for me so Emerald got neglected) I never knew the Grimer family was even in Hoenn!
  
  I saved at the house on Route 112 where the lady just constantly prompts you to rest, with Goldie approx. 20 EXP away from evolution!
  
  

  

  

  
  Pokédex
  Seen: 58 Own: 40​

 

[Amore]

Maxie's Peak

It was a struggle, but eventually that old grandma let me go - beyond well-rested, more like suffering the effects of the beach from 'Old'. I headed along Route 113 towards Fallarbor Town, taking the most direct route possible to the Glass Workshop to pick up the Soot Sack, continuing to Fallarbor to stock up on Repels (I almost never use them, but made an exception here), then after battling every trainer and capturing every available Pokémon (Slugma, Skarmory, and Spinda) did repeated laps of the biggest grass patch near the workshop until my repels ran out. This got me only 3 flutes - Blue, Red, and Yellow which are the most useful as they cure Sleep, Infatuation, and Confusion respectively (although Hoenn is the Paralysis region). I'll return for the rest when I'm rich late-game. Goldie evolved into Grovyle here, learning Leaf Blade which has an awesome animation. I changed my mind about Kong though - he either evolves at lv. 31 (Slash as Vigoroth) or just in Norman's gym so he can put up a fight, whichever is sooner.

Chilled in Fallarbor just listening to the music and wandering around as its one of those well-soundtracked nothing locations that we don't seem to get in the Switch games. Then headed onwards through Route 114 (1% encounter Nuzleaf was annoying) to one of my favourite locations, Meteor Falls! Later in the game I'll be able to find Steven and Bagon in their own specific rooms, but for now I just got to witness a brief "debate" between Team Aqua and Team Magma (the former suddenly presenting as the good guys for this stretch), a distraught Prof. Cozmo (whom I always felt a soft spot for as he's on one of my TCG cards), and some Solrock.

Rather than double back I continued down Route 115 to Rustboro, then back across to Mauville and back to Mt. Chimney, taking the cable car (love that little animation) to find a full-scale Poochyena war between Aqua and Magma! 2 grunts, Admin Tabitha, and then the leader Maxie were easily disposed off - the latter by Goldie the Grovyle as his Camerupt refused to use Ember and takes neutral damage from Leaf Blade, whilst Mightyena had no SE attacks and Zubat was weak. Maxie gave up quite easily after that - must've seen Archie's lecture coming, which I could not avoid. I pocketed the Meteorite, and saved near the Lava Cookie lady whom I will be emptying of stock when I resume!

*Decided not to end this section with a gym badge as there was some plot and a lot of travel, then badges 4 and 5 can be taken without actually facing a trainer between them so needed a more natural break-off point. Looking forward, the unevolved Nanisca should be valuable in the next two gyms - Thick Fat protecting her from Flannery's sauna, then hitting Norman's team with super-effective STAB attacks. I'll probably evolve her during / after the battle with Norman too, as she will be my Surf user and it seems more appropriate to ride on the back of a 7'7" 'mon than a 3'3" one!

Pokédex
Seen: 74 Own: 49​