Pokemon Shining Pearl Playthrough Part 4

We last left off with Lucas annoying our intrepid heroine Lisa... about... something. Time to find out what he wants from us.

Lucas apparently had his Pokedex stolen by Team Galactic, which has me questioning (a) how he let the thing slip out of his grasp, and (b) what Team Galactic would need it for in the first place. So yeah, we have to beat down the two grunts who stole the thing, and maybe FINALLY I can continue on with this quest.

Routes 214 and 213 are mostly trainers to defeat and maybe two or three new Pokemon to catch? Kinda boring. Also on the way is this weird hotel-resort... thingy? Each room is a separate building which is kinda sus, and a Quality Inn this place is not.



Anyway, onto Pastoria City and its gym which I can enter without doing any additional sidequests, thankfully.

Wake Forest University is a small college in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and their sports teams are the Demon Deacons. I'm reminded of this for some reason, but I can't put my finger on why...


Vs. (Crasher) Wake
Gyarados, Lv 27
Quagsire, Lv 27
Floatzel, Lv 30

Lisa's Team:
Kanon (Empoleon) Lv 41
Century (Luxray) Lv 41
Chisato (Roselia) Lv 41
Olds Cutlass (Graveler) Lv 41
Riko (Misdreavus) Lv 41
Kotori (Staraptor) Lv 35

Century wipes out Gyarados, and Chisato makes quick work of Quaggy and Floatzel. Wake Forest is doing surprisingly well in football this year, too bad that success doesn't spill over to Crasher Wake...

Hmmm, there's this sussy baka member of Team Galactic lurking about the Great Marsh, who takes off as soon as he notices me eavesdropping.

Wait, did I scare him off, or did Brent with his yelling? Either way, time to throw down.

Vs. Brent (Rival)
Starly, Lv 26
Buizel, Lv 26
Ponyta, Lv 27
Grotle, Lv 31

Lisa's Team:
Kanon (Empoleon) Lv 41
Century (Luxray) Lv 41
Chisato (Roselia) Lv 41
Olds Cutlass (Graveler) Lv 41
Riko (Misdreavus) Lv 41
Kotori (Staraptor) Lv 35

Um... it's a battle, I guess? Not much of a threat.

Now I have to play "chase the Galactic grunt" back to Valor Lakefront, which is... quite the detour. After finally beating him down, Cynthia approaches and gives me some medicine and cryptic words of wisdom, as well as another sidequest. To Celestic Town, I guess? But not yet.

Route 212 is a horrific mess of mud, sludge, and constant rain and I hope I never have to come back to this route. I spend some major time in the underground for the first time, but it's mostly level grinding and a few captures.

Now it's time to take the detour to Celestic. Once arriving there, I have to fight off a lone Galactic operative who seems to want to blow up the entire town for... some unspecified reason. Afterward, I get the Surf attack from the town elder and an encounter with the enigmatic fellow who introduces himself as Cyrus. Okay, think Fantina's ready? Let's find out.

Fantina's gym "puzzle" is a ridiculously easy math quiz. C'mon, Fantina, if you're gonna throw math into things, at least go with something challenging like calculus, trigonometry, or statistics. Or hell, even algebra. But simple arithmetic? Do better, please.

Anyway, time to fight her.



Vs. Fantina
Drifblim, Lv 32
Gengar, Lv 34
Mismagius, Lv 36

Lisa's Team:
Kanon (Empoleon) Lv 50
Century (Luxray) Lv 50
Chisato (Roselia) Lv 50
Olds Cutlass (Graveler) Lv 50
Riko (Misdreavus) Lv 50
Honoka (Crobat) Lv 41

Now that I can Surf, time to add the final member to the party. Meet Maki the Glameow.



I level her up for a bit, evolving her into Purugly in the process. Now to take on the next gym, but first...

Vs. Brent (Rival)
Staravia, Lv 32
Heracross, Lv 32
Buizel, Lv 33
Ponyta, Lv 34
Grotle, Lv 37

Lisa's Team:
Kanon (Empoleon) Lv 51
Century (Luxray) Lv 51
Chisato (Roselia) Lv 51
Olds Cutlass (Graveler) Lv 51
Riko (Misdreavus) Lv 51
Maki (Purugly) Lv 41

My level 51 Pokemon just laugh as they eliminate these fools.

Finally, onward to the Canalave Gym!



Vs. Byron
Bronzor, Lv 36
Steelix, Lv 36
Bastiodon, Lv 39

Lisa's Team:
Kanon (Empoleon) Lv 51
Century (Luxray) Lv 51
Chisato (Roselia) Lv 51
Olds Cutlass (Graveler) Lv 51
Riko (Misdreavus) Lv 51
Maki (Purugly) Lv 41

What will happen next time? Stay tuned and find out!