6th Gen Kalos Travel Journal

Out of curiousity, since when has it been allowed to roleplay through your game experiences in this thread or has it always been like that? :D Not that it would bother me at anyway, just hasn't noticed it before.

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My apologies, I've been chronicling my journey in this fashion since the days of Diamond & Pearl. Historically I've received positive feedback on it; however, lately I have not heard anything positive nor negative, so if others feel the same way and would like me to stop posting these, let me know. I enjoy doing it, and enjoy sharing my more unique play-style with others. :)

November 23, 2013

I caught another Pancham and nicknamed it Cutter, since I needed a Pokémon that knew the move Cut to do some extra exploring while a train my newly hatched team. As I backtracked across previous routes, I was challenged by a trainer who had a Pokémon I haven't seen in Kalos yet. It's a Pokémon I haven't seen since my time in Hoenn a decade ago. It was a Carvanha!

"Carvanha, the Savage Pokémon. Carvanha live in massive rivers that course through jungles. They swarm prey that enters their territories. They may also attack boats and rip out their hulls to sink them."

I then eventually made my way back to Rivière Walk, and reached a large castle on the river. Trevor was standing outside of it, and he told me it was called the Battle Chateau. He explained it's a place where trainers go to battle each other to increase their skill. Of course, I couldn't resist going inside.

Once inside, I saw Viola from the Santalune Gym there! She welcomed me, and was a little shocked that I had never heard of this place before. She asked the owner to induct me into the organization. Apparently, people are given titles based on how they perform here at the Battle Chateau. I was given the title of Baron and I was allowed to challenge the various trainers inside.

So I did. The first trainer had an odd little crab-like Pokémon I never saw before. Who's that Pokémon?

"Clauncher, the Water Gun Pokémon. No further data is available."

No data? That's odd. I wonder why it's not in the Kalos Pokédex. Maybe it's from another region? It looks like a little blue lobster, so it's probably some region's version of Krabby or Corphish. And the fact that it spammed Vice Grip made it seem all the more similar.

I battled a few more trainers, then left. I'll definitely be coming back here to train!

November 24, 2013

Serena asked if I would have a tag battle with her against Trevor and Tierno. I accepted. Tierno used his trusty Corphish, and Trevor had a Pikachu and a Flabébé. My partner Serena used a Fletchling and… who's that Pokémon?

"Braixen, the Fox Pokémon, and the evolved form of Fennekin. Braixen have a twig stuck in their tails. When these twigs are plucked from their tails, friction sets the twigs alight. The flames are used in battle and to send signals to their allies."

So that's an evolved Fennekin. It was pretty cool watching Braixen in action; it used that stick like a magic wand when it battled.

After winning the battle and taking a picture outside the Battle Chateau, I explored a little more of the area, and found some wild Roselia!

"Roselia, the Thorn Pokémon, and the evolved form of Budew. Roselia that drink nutritionally rich springwater are said to reveal rare coloration when they bloom. They use different poisons in each hand separately when they attack. The stronger their aroma, the healthier they are."

Shortly after that, I found a wild Croagunk that I was able to catch!

63. Croagunk

Finally, I gave my current team a rest, and brought out another six Pokémon to train. This time it's Skitty, Flabébé, Combee, Doduo, Burmy(2), and my recently caught Smeargle.

I returned to the Battle Chateau to face off against more trainers. One trainer had a Spoink! They must have brought it to Kalos from Hoenn or eastern Unova, because my Pokédex didn't have much to say.

"Spoink, the Bounce Pokémon. No further data."

After several battles, I was awarded the title of Viscount, which seems to mean I can challenge more powerful trainers. This place seems quite handy for earning a fair chunk of prize money, too!

When I stopped back at the Day Care to rest a bit, the couple gave me another Pokémon egg. This one hatched into a Pokémon I never saw before! It looked like a little puffball.

"Swirlix, the Cotton Candy Pokémon. Swirlix eat nothing but sweets. Because of this, their fur is as sticky sweet as cotton candy. They extrude white threads from this fur to entangle their opponents in battle."

64. Swirlix

Cool, it appears to be another new fairy-type Pokémon, too. I transferred Swirlix to storage, and then continued my journey along Rivière Walk. After our battle earlier, Serena mentioned something about heading to Ambrette Town to see if she can learn anything more about mega evolution. I looked at my map, and it seems that there are also some cities along the coast that might have a gym, so I may as well head that way too. Looks like there's a huge mountain blocking the way, but there's a tunnel called the Connecting Cave that I can cut through.

I entered the cave, and found that several paths were blocked. But I found several familiar wild Pokémon that I managed to catch! First I found a Meditite, then a Zubat which I caught with a critical capture. I caught a Whismur next, and soon after my Flabébé started to evolve! And finally, I caught a familiar dragon-type Pokémon, an Axew.

"Meditite, the Meditate Pokémon. Meditite eat just one berry a day. By enduring hunger, their spirits are tempered and made sharper. They train deep in the mountains, and can levitate when their spiritual power is heightened through meditation."

"Zubat, the Bat Pokémon. Zubat have no eyes. They rely on ultrasonic waves for echolocation to flit about in darkness. They can sense obstacles using these waves."

"Whismur, the Whisper Pokémon. Whismur usually murmur, but can scare foes by crying out with the volume of a jet-plane engine. They stop if their ear covers are shut."

"Floette, the Single Bloom Pokémon, and the evolved form of Flabébé. Floette flutter around fields of flowers and care for flowers that are starting to wilt. When these flowers bloom, they appear to celebrate with an elegant dance. They draw out the power of flowers to battle."

"Axew, the Tusk Pokémon. Axew mark their territory by leaving gashes in trees with their tusks. If a tusk breaks, a new one grows in quickly. Repeated regrowth makes their tusks strong and sharp. They use these tusks to crush the berries they eat."

65. Meditite

66. Zubat

67. Whismur

68. Floette

69. Axew

I returned to Pokémon Center to give all my Pokémon a well-deserved rest. I also reviewed my Pokédex. If I'm accounting for evolutions, I caught nearly all the Pokémon in the Pokédex! I'm missing a few water-type Pokémon, and Snorlax. I pretty much have as many Pokémon as I did at the END of my first Unova journey, or pretty much any journey I've been on before. Just one badge and over 60 Pokémon to rotate through and train! (As a point of reference, by the Unova League I was rotating 70 Pokémon.)

January 4, 2013 ---

I am about ready to leave Ambrette Town. My team seems to be ready for the second gym in Cyllage City.

Here is the status of my team:

• Braixen (Lv. 30)
• Fletchinder (Lv. 27)
• Wartortle(Lv. 26)
• Linoone (Lv. 24)
• Pancham (Lv. 23)

I will train my team more today.

I've been working on my PokeDex today. I'd already caught everything available in my copy (X), so today I spent some time on the GTS and got Bulbasaur and Braixen, and I was able to find a Spritzee in a Friend Safari! Other than that, I've just been training and breeding to get everything in my Kalos Dex!
Right now I'm at:
Central - 109
Coastal - 79
Mountain - 72

January 5, 2014 ---

I made it to Cyllage City. I met some really hot swimmers along the way (I wish I could take them to a Café on a date). I got a green bicycle and immediately Y-selected. Met Grant on a hill, telling me the bicycle race was already over despite not being given that information. I also learned HM04, and taught Pancham the move. Explored around town, gathering more information.

The gym looked interesting. Didn't realize I had to mountain climb all the way there! Lots of rock walls! But I managed to reach the summit and challenge Grant. His Pokémon were not too challenging, even though Tyrunt's Thunder Wave sort of foiled my strategy and my Pancham fainted in the process. Nonetheless, I finished it off with Wartortle, and I victoriously earned the Cliff Badge.

In terms of ranking at the end of the gym battle, all my Pokémon are now at these levels:

• Braixen (Lv. 32)
• Fletchinder (Lv. 29)
• Wartortle (Lv. 28)
• Linoone (Lv. 26)
• Pancham (Lv. 26)

Now that I got my bike and my second gym badge, I think I am going to celebrate by sleeping early tonight at the local hotel. See you in the morning for more adventures!

OffRoadSP said:

My apologies, I've been chronicling my journey in this fashion since the days of Diamond & Pearl. Historically I've received positive feedback on it; however, lately I have not heard anything positive nor negative, so if others feel the same way and would like me to stop posting these, let me know. I enjoy doing it, and enjoy sharing my more unique play-style with others. :)

Click to expand...

Oh no, my apologies actually. I didn't mean it anyway as a negative thing when I pointed out your style of writing and asked about it. It's just that I've been here for like... three to four years sometimes more active than earlier and sometimes only when I have something to ask about. So I haven't noticed your way of writing about your gaming experience and it just popped out more clearly than other's. :D And in fact I really like how you write, it brightened my day and was something new on these threads for once.

Keep doing that, cheers darling!

Back to my gaming experiences - I've been trying to hunt Shiny Pokémon more during these past few days and my chains always end somehow when I get to close the end. It's really frustrating so I've also tried Horde chaining which hasn't worked out at all yet. Just have to cross my fingers and hope for the best.

On my Y-version I've got Zweilous, Gourgeist, Charizard and Lapras on my team. Don't know what others to take on my team, have to figure something out for those two spots.

The most important thing to ever happen to me on X just happened.

On January 6, 2014, my Hidden Ability Bulbasaur with Pokerus actually netted me a Xerneas on GTS. I'm screaming because this is funny and I'm so gonna breed more and see how lucky I can get with this. Dreams really do come true, guys. sob sob

January 6, 2014 ---

I set out for Route 10. I managed to catch an Eevee, which I'm kinda surprised you can now catch Eevee in this game. I caught some other Pokemon en route. And I started raising my Pokemon some more. Here is the current status of my team:

• Braixen (Lv. 33)
• Fletchinder (Lv. 31)
• Wartortle (Lv. 29)
• Linoone (Lv. 27)
• Pancham (Lv. 27)

Not much was accomplished, but I managed to catch more Pokemon, which I currently now have 32 kinds. This is Oboe, signing off.

Adventure started: October 16th, 2013

I entered a Friend Safari to beat up some Audino, but instead, I found a female Eevee. She tanked two Razor Leafs from my Venusaur, which should OHKO Eevee. Maybe I should catch her... I decided to use Sleep Powder and so I caught her in a Premier Ball. She has three perfect stats, in Spatk / Spdef / Speed. :) I'm fairly lucky when it comes to finding 3IV and 4IV Pokemon in the Friend Safari. I found my 4IV Safari Phantump in the weirdest of boxes. I need to reorganize my things once Bank ever releases. My 4IV Safari Ditto is dumped in the Daycare, that poor thing. Ditto grew 11 levels so far.



I was slowly filling up my dex today when I realized that non-Kalosian Pokemon do not count. I fished for another Staryu on the GTS and then evolved it. Then I got a Chimecho from Luke. I got my final Pokemon I needed for the Kalos Dex, Gliscor, this night from the GTS.

Now I'm working towards completing the National Dex. I grabbed some things I knew I needed the final evolutions of and flew to the Daycare area. Through the Battle Chateau, I got the Pokedex data for Luxray and Kingler. I'm going to go pick up my Oval Charm and work on breeding things that aren't available in the wild as well. Or, get back to IV breeding! :)

It's been a while since I last wrote here, since, I have become the Pokémon League Champion and have witnessed Gardevoir evolve into its Mega Evolution.
A huge parade was held in my honour for helping defeat Team Flare and defend the Kalos Region.
I then met up with Serena in Kiloude Cityand found out she has also mastered Mega Evolution with her Absol.
In Anistar City, Professor Sycamore helped me upgrade my mega ring using the Anistar Sundial which helped me locate the hidden Mega Stones hidden around Kalos.
I came across a Mewtwo inside a cave and managed to catch it, could it be really be the world's strongest Pokémon??
Today I was in need of a Dusk Stone as it was needed to evolve my Doublade into an Aegislash and was told I could find one inside Terminus Cave.
I eventually found the stone but found more than I would have imagined.. a wild Zygarde!
This Pokémon was huge and reminded me of my Serperior in its snake like form. She was sent into the GTS allowing me to obtain a Xerneas for the Pokédex. I won't easily forget her...
After numerous Dusk Balls being chucked at this Zygarde, it was caught and I found it to be a Hardy nature with max IV's in Defense, Special Defense and Speed!
I'm now out on Route 7 riding my Bicycle hatching Charmander eggs spreading the move Dragon Pulse, I'm thinking of raising a new team in the near future to accept challengers on the PSS.
It is my duty as the Pokémon League Champion after all...

November 30, 2013

It's been a long week of work, despite the day off for Thanksgiving. Although the holiday was nice, it was a relaxing day spent with family. Now back to some Pokémon training this weekend. I took Kecleon, Ralts(1), Budew, Fletchling, Bibarel, and Croagunk with me. I'm trying to train a recent capture along with five other Pokémon, but "recent" is a very relative term with as many Pokémon as I'm catching!

I came out on the other end of Connecting Cave onto Route 8. I came to a cliff overlooking a beach, which according to the map is Muraille Coast. I'm apparently on the western coast of Kalos. I heard someone call my name from nearby; it was Sina and Dexio! They said they were nearby doing some research for Professor Sycamore. I showed them my Pokédex, and mentioned I was nearly halfway done completing it.

"You mean you're halfway done completing that section of it," Sina said.

"There are so many Pokémon in Kalos, that the Pokédex has to be broken up into sections," added Dexio. "You've been working on the Central Kalos Pokédex."

"The… what? Are you kidding me?" I exclaimed. "There's more?"

"Here, let us update your Pokédex." Sina said as I handed it over to Dexio. "Out here along the coast, there are Pokémon you won't find in Central Kalos."

"How many?" I asked.

"Another 150," Dexio replied. "Here you go. Now you can access the Coastal Kalos Pokédex as well. Oh, it looks like you already have some data."

I took my Pokédex back, and checked it out. It was the Pokémon I saw in the Battle Chateau last week. Still, I just went from being 46% done completing the Pokédex, to 23%. I have a long way to go, but I'm off to a good start!

"Clauncher, the Water Gun Pokémon. Clauncher knock down flying prey by firing compressed water from their massive claws through controlled expulsions of internal gas. At close distances, this can shatter rock."

"Spoink, the Bounce Pokémon. Spoink bounce constantly, using their tails like springs. The shock of bouncing keeps their heart beating. They each carry a pearl from a Clamperl on their heads."

So I started to explore the upper part of the route. I battled a few trainers, and after one battle, my Fletchling started to evolve! Not only does its evolution look kind of cool, it looks like it becomes part fire-type as well! I'm excited to use it in battle!

"Fletchinder, the Ember Pokémon, and the evolved form of Fletchling. Fletchinder expel embers from their beaks that set tall grass on fire, and then they pounce on the bewildered prey that pop out of the grass. The hotter the flame sac on their bellies, the faster they can fly."

70. Fletchinder

Then I looked around to see what kind of wild Pokémon were in the area. First off I saw some Mienfoo like the ones that live in Unova.

"Mienfoo, the Martial Arts Pokémon. Mienfoo take pride in the speed at which they can use moves. They dominate fights with onslaughts of flowing, continuous attacks. What they lose in power, they make up for in quantity. Their sharp claws can cut enemies."

Shortly after that, I found a Pokémon I never saw before! It looked like a tiny jellyfish. Maybe it's the Kalos region's version of Tentacool?

"Inkay, the Revolving Pokémon. Inkay can flash the light-emitting spots on their bodies. Opponents who stare at these spots become dazed and lose their will to fight. They take this opportunity to scuttle away and hide."

That's interesting. It's not a water-type like I thought; it's actually a dark and psychic-type. I can't think of any other Pokémon that has that type combination. Then I finally found another Pokemon, and I actually caught it, a Drifloon!

"Drifloon, the Balloon Pokémon. Drifloon are formed by the spirits of people and Pokémon. They are called the 'Signpost for Wandering Spirits' because children holding them sometimes vanish. They love damp, humid seasons."

71. Drifloon

Next up I saw a Bagon and a Seviper, but couldn't catch either of them. After a bit more walking around, I found another Bagon that I was able to catch.

"Bagon, the Rock Head Pokémon. Bagon dream of one day flying, and they practice by leaping off cliffs every day. Their well-developed neck muscles and ironlike heads can smash boulders into pieces."

"Seviper, the Fang Snake Pokémon. Seviper use their bladed tails to counter their archrival Zangoose in battle. Constant polishing makes the blades on their tails extremely sharp. The tail secretes a deadly venom."

72. Bagon

I then decided to head back towards Camphrier Town, but on the way I stopped at the Battle Chateau to do some battling. I battled quite a few trainers there. One of them had a little Horsea!

"Horsea, the Dragon Pokémon. Horsea make their nests in the shade of corals. If they sense danger, they spit murky ink and flee. They are known to shoot down flying bugs with precision blasts of ink from the surface of the water."

There was another trainer with an interesting Pokémon. It almost looked like a Horsea, but a little bit darker and wrinkled. Who's that Pokémon?

"Skrelp, the Mock Kelp Pokémon. Skrelp look just like rotten kelp. While camouflaged, they spray liquid poison on prey that approaches unaware. They hide from foes while storing power for evolution."

I made the mistake of thinking it was just a water-type, but it's also a poison-type.

A-030-2 Adventure Evolution Tech A Medal for skilled Trainers who evolved Pokémon 10 times and are recognized by even Pokémon Breeders. 11/30/2013
E-002-1 Fun First Friend A Medal to honor the new friendship formed by registering a friend for the first time. 11/24/2013
B-012-1 Battle Viscount A Medal for Trainers who have been granted the title of Viscount at the Battle Chateau. 11/24/2013

December 1, 2013

Today I want to do more exploring of the cliffs around Muraille Coast. I know that there's a bunch of Pokémon here I want to catch. First, I came across a horde of Wingull, and managed to catch one.

"Wingull, the Seagull Pokémon. Wingull ride updrafts, catching sea winds with their long wings to soar as if they were gliders. They fold their wings to rest and make their nests on steep sea cliffs."

73. Wingull

Next I caught a few Pokémon I saw previously: Mienfoo, Spoink, and Seviper.

74. Mienfoo

75. Spoink

76. Seviper

I also found a Zangoose! I wanted to catch it, but it was being attacked by a horde of Seviper and I was unable to get it in time.

"Zangoose, the Cat Ferret Pokémon. Zangoose have feuded with Seviper for many generations, and their fur would all stand on end if they smelled one nearby. Their sharp claws are their biggest weapon, and can tear up foes."

I found an Inkay and tossed a Poké Ball. I thought I caught it with a critical capture, but it still popped out of the ball! Man, that's the second critical capture fail I've had. I battled it a bit more to weaken it, and then eventually did catch it.

77. Inkay

I found another Zangoose being attacked by a horde of Seviper. I sent my Ralts out to battle them, but it was not quick enough. But the battle gave my Ralts a good amount of experience, and it evolved into Kirlia!

"Kirlia, the Emotion Pokémon, and the evolved form of Ralts. Kirlia have psychic powers that enable them to distort the space around them and see into the future. Cheerful spirits from people give them energy. They spin and dance when happy."

78. Kirlia

Then I returned to the Pokémon Center, and rotated my Pokémon. I took Plusle, Beedrill, Pansear, Venipede, Sentret, and Ducklett with me.

Back on Muraille Coast I found another Pokémon, an Absol! Hopefully it doesn't mean I'm going to have bad luck! I had my Sentret battle it and Plusle paralyze it, and then I was able to catch it. For a bonus, my Sentret evolved into Furret!

"Absol, the Disaster Pokémon. Absol appear when they sense an impending natural disaster in an attempt to warn people of the danger. As a result, they were mistaken as doom bringers."

"Furret, the Long Body Pokémon, and the evolved form of Sentret. Furret corner foes with speed. They make nests suitable for their long and skinny bodies. This makes it impossible for other Pokémon to enter. They put their offspring to sleep by curling up around them."

79. Absol

80. Furret

I finished up the evening by visiting the Battle Chateau. I fought a large amount of trainers, including one who had an Eevee!

"Eevee, the Evolution Pokémon. Eevee have an unstable genetic makeup. They adapt to harsh environments by taking on different evolutionary forms."

As I was leaving, I was awarded the title of Earl, and as such can challenge more powerful trainers that come to the chateau!

Today I managed to complete my new team after spending an hour or so finding rain in Kalos which was needed to evolve my Sliggoo!
I also needed them to gain experience to either evolve or learn certain moves but in the process I raised my first Pokémon (a newly hatched Starly) to level 100!
I also ran into Articuno twice around Couriway Town but wasn't able to try my luck at catching the legendary Pokémon since it fled..

January 10-11, 2014 ---

Did two nights of raising my Pokémon on Route 10. I finally managed to catch a Sigilyph. Oh my god, that thing hates Pokéballs. I blew all my Great Balls and most of my Pokéballs on it; what finally did the trick was a Timer Ball. That was embarrassing, but I managed to catch the monstrosity. Aside from catch fails, my team earned decent percentage. Here are their levels as of tonight:

• Braixen (Lv. 35)
• Fletchinder (Lv. 34)
• Wartortle (Lv. 33)
• Linoone (Lv. 32)
• Pancham (Lv. 32)

Braixen's close to evolving, same with Fletchinder and Wartortle. I only have two badges and my Pokémon are already close to growing to their third evolutionary stages! I guess I will see whether or not I decide to hold off on evolution, but they'll learn new moves sometime. More stuff will be coming your way hopefully either Thursday or Friday. Good night.

Since this thread isn't active much, rather then posting again I slapped spoiler tags onto the previous parts.



I left for Versant Road meeting Korrina and her two Lucario and added more Pokédex entries on these Pokémon;

After meeting up with Tierno and Trevor I was given some honey after defeating Tierno in a Pokémon battle. I continued on the route hoping to reach Camphrier Town and ran into two more wild Pokémon I managed to add to the Pokédex;
the latter, I added to my team depositing Vivillon as she had fully evolved!
I used Wonder Trade for the first time sending my newly caught Gulpin into the system and received a German
I saved in the Pokémon Center in the town with a party of 6, the highest level being 15..
Exp. Share does make the game that much easier!

Central Kalos Pokédex -- Seen: 48 Obtained: 25

Ok I restarted from my previous game and got a female Chespin this time.

Nutella the Quilladin L20
Smaug the Charmander L12

Everything was piss easy up until now due to overleveled Quilladin. I had one hiccup, a guy with a Riolu who used Counter and murdered my Chespin, so I reset.

After all my preparations, I went into the gym and fought Viola. This was the most ridiculously easy gym battle ever... I already had a Quilladin before fighting her and went in pretty much blind. She sends out Surskit. Seriously, Surskit? Vine Whip, next. Vivillon could've been hard, but she decided to use Harden and I got her with Rollout.

Badge earned, I cleared the route above Santalune and went to Lumiose. I then got my Charmander from the professor. Adamant nature, which is nice since I'm playing X version.

Things that are bothering me a lot in this game:

1) The soundtrack. Compared to BW, which was amazing, XY feels simply subpar. The gym leader tune is the worst in the series. The rest of the tunes are like, "I've already heard this before", Pokémon-ish but they fail to make an impression. Maybe they get catchy if I spend enough time in the routes, but I don't know.

2) The framerate. It's simply horrible. I sincerely don't know how it passed beta stage in such a state. Spinosaurus was right. Minor effects cause heavy slowdowns, and I'm sure it's because of optimization because the graphics don't look that heavy to me. Heck, BW had amazing framerate, and they were on the DS. I can't believe the 3D rendered arena and the 3D models would slow the game down so much.

3) The difficulty. Even for a Pokémon game, it's ridiculously easy. When I'm curbstomping the Bug gym with the Grass starter, I know there's something wrong.

I haven't yet gotten into the story but these things I mentioned, especially the framerate, aren't motivating me to play the game as much as I'd hoped. Lysandre is a promising character and I wonder what he's gonna do in the game.

Since this thread isn't active much, rather then posting again I slapped spoiler tags onto the previous parts.



I left for Route 7 with Shauna now that I had the Poké Flute to wake up the sleeping and managed to catch him!
Further into the route I managed to catch four more Pokémon, one of them being in a horde;
.
Having fought many Smeargle belonging to the trainers on Route 7 my Pokémon were weak and I decided to head back to Camphrier Town to heal them up, I encountered another horde adding one more entry to the Pokédex;.

Central Kalos Pokédex -- Seen: 68 Obtained: 42
Current Pokémon Team --

December 14, 2013

What a busy month, between work and the holidays! I got to spend a day in NYC today. It was freezing cold and blowing snow everywhere, but it was still fun! (The bus ride gave me a good opportunity to do some Pokémon training, too!)

I took the following Pokémon with me to train: Zigzagoon, Pichu, Espurr(F), Bunnelby, Burmy(1), and Spritzee. I was on the hunt for a Zangoose. I kept finding Zangoose surrounded by a horde of Seviper, so it was hard to defeat the Seviper before they defeated the Zangoose. Finally, my Espurr came through and knocked out all the Seviper in one horde, leaving just me and the Zangoose. Several Poké Balls later, and I caught it! That was quite the challenge!

81. Zangoose

December 23, 2013

Today my Pichu evolved into a Pikachu!

82. Pikachu

B-012-2 Battle Earl A Medal for Trainers who have been granted the title of Earl at the Battle Chateau. 12/23/2013

December 24, 2013

I know I have to get out to do my Christmas shopping this morning, but first I found a horde of Taillow on Route 8! I picked one out that looked tough, and started throwing Poké Balls at it. It was stubborn, but I finally caught it!

"Taillow, the Tiny Swallow Pokémon. Taillow dislike cold seasons. They migrate to other lands in search of warmth, flying over 180 miles a day. They have gutsy spirits that make them bravely take on tough foes."

83. Taillow

I then rotated my Pokémon and took Kadabra, Honedge, Espurr(M), Dunsparce, Azurill, and Swirlix with me. Time to go out and spread some Christmas cheer!

December 25, 2013

Merry Christmas, fellow Pokémon Trainers!

Having captured all the wild Pokémon I could on the higher portion of the Muraille Coast, I continued on the way to Ambrette Town. On the way there, I was challenged by a trainer who used a Machop. It made a good opponent for my Espurr!

"Machop, the Superpower Pokémon. Machop heft Graveler repeatedly to strengthen their bodies which are entirely composed of muscles. Even though they are the size of human children, they can hurl 100 grown-ups. They can use every type of martial art."

I finally reached Ambrette Town, and the small coastal village was decorated for the holidays. I decided to stop in at the Pokémon Center for some coffee. I overheard that they were giving away fishing rods at the nearby aquarium, so I went to check it out. A fisherman there gave me an Old Rod. Haven't had one of these in a while (not that I missed it). I gathered by Pokémon and decided to backtrack a bit to central Kalos, since I know there are Pokémon there I could likely fish up. Back on Route 3, I cast the Old Rod, and hooked a Magikarp! I had Swirlix weaken it a bit, then tossed a Poké Ball and caught it!

84. Magikarp

Then I decided to stop and rest in Lumiose City for Christmas morning. I stopped to see Professor Sycamore, who was surrounded by new trainers just starting their Pokémon journey. I saw dozens of Chespin, Fennekin, and Froakie throughout the lab, enough for an endless amount of people to choose their first Pokémon. That night, Professor Sycamore said he had a gift for me as well. It was a Torchic! I haven't seen one of these in a very long time. I scanned it with my Pokédex but it did not give any information. The professor told me that Torchic are not native to Kalos, but he hoping to learn more about mega-evolution from it. He gave me a strange stone very similar to the others he gave me with Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirlte. It will be interesting to learn what ties these stones have to mega-evolution.

December 26, 2013

I returned to Ambrette Town. Serena was there as well, and we decided that tomorrow we would go to the fossil laboratory to ask about mega-evolution.

December 27, 2013

First thing in the morning, Serena and I went to the fossil lab. Unfortunately, the scientists there did not have any new information on mega-evolution. All they knew is what we already learned; that it has something to do strange stones, much like the ones Professor Sycamore gave me. They directed us to another researcher who was currently in the nearby Glittering Cave searching for fossils. I decided to head in that direction.

The terrain on Route 9, also known as Spikes Passage, was very rough terrain and almost impassable on foot. Thankfully, the scientists at the lab let me borrow one of their Rhyhorn that they use to travel to Glittering Cave. There weren't any trainers on the route, but I did find some wild Pokémon. First a found a new Pokémon, one that looks like a little yellow lizard that stands on two legs. I wonder what it is?

"Helioptile, the Generator Pokémon. Helioptile make their home in deserts. The frills on either side of their heads have cells that generate electricity when exposed to sunlight. If they bask in the sun, eating food is not a requirement."

Interesting, and even more interesting is that it's an electric/normal-type. I never saw that combination before! I was able to catch it fairly easily. I can't wait to see what kind of moves it uses!

85. Helioptile

By the time I reached the entrance to Glittering Cave, I found and caught two other familiar Pokémon, one's that are very suited to living in this harsh environment.

"Sandile, the Desert Croc Pokémon. Sandile live buried in the sands of the desert. They move along below the sand's surface, except for their noses and eyes. The sun-warmed sands prevent their body temperature from dropping. A dark membrane shields their eyes from the sun."

"Hippopotas, the Hippo Pokémon. Hippopotas live in arid places. They enshroud their bodies with sand to protect from germs. Instead of perspiration, they expel grainy sand from their bodies. They do not enjoy getting wet."

86. Sandile

87. Hippopotas


Before I turned in for the evening, I decided to take a quick peek inside Glittering Cave. I found a Pokémon I haven't seen in an extremely long time. A Kangaskhan! And I managed to catch it so easily!

"Kangaskhan, the Parent Pokémon. Kangaskhan raise their offspring in their belly pouches. They let the babies out to play only if they feel safe. The adults keep a close eye on the youngsters."

88. Kangaskhan


December 28, 2013

I returned to Ambrette Town to do a little more exploring. There were a bunch of rocks along the shoreline, so I had Cutter use Rock Smash on some of them. I uncovered something very interesting. One of the rocks started to move. Two tentacle-like heads extended from the top of it. Is this a new Pokémon?

"Binacle, the Two-Handed Pokémon. Binacle stretch and then contract, yanking their rocks along with them in bold hops. They eat seaweed that washes up on the shoreline. Two live together on one rock, and when they fight, one of them will move to a different rock."

That's a pretty interesting Pokémon. Excited, I continued searching the shoreline, and uncovered a Dwebble which I quickly caught!

"Dwebble, the Rock Inn Pokémon. Dwebble search for stones of suitable sizes. Once they find one, they secrete a liquid from their mouths to open up a hole to crawl into. If that rock breaks, they remain agitated until they locate a replacement."

89. Dwebble

Not long after that, I found another Binacle that I was able to capture.

90. Binacle

Then while I was training the rest of my team, my Azurill evolved into a Marill!

91. Marill

I then decided to swap some of my Pokémon. I sent Kadabra, Espurr, Marill, and Honedge to the professor, and kept Cutter, Swirlix, and Dunsparce. I asked for Oddish(2), Ralts(2), and Minun to be sent over. Now it's time to explore the Glittering Cave more thoroughly. Oddish should especially be a huge help in catching the many rock and ground-type Pokémon that I am likely to encounter. Plus it learned Sleep Powder, so that's going to help with catch these Pokémon!

Glittering Cave has an enormous variety of Pokémon! First, I found three Pokémon that I caught rather quickly.

"Rhyhorn, the Spikes Pokémon. Rhyhorn are inept at turning because of their four short legs. They can only charge and run in one direction. Strong, but not too bright, these Pokémon can shatter even a skyscraper with their charging Tackles."

"Mawile, the Deceiver Pokémon. Mawile use their docile-looking faces to lull foes into complacency, and then bite with their huge, relentless jaws. These jaws are formed by horns attached to their heads. They can chew through iron beams."

92. Machop

93. Rhyhorn

94. Mawile

Interesting. It looks like Mawile is now part fairy-type. I'll study more about it later, because there are plenty more Pokémon to catch. My next encounter was with an Onix!

"Onix, the Rock Snake Pokémon. Onix usually live underground. They search for food while boring their way through the ground at 50 miles per hour. The tunnels they leave are used as homes by Diglett."

Then I encountered another Pokémon I haven't seen since Kanto, a little Cubone. I caught one to add to the growing group of Pokémon!

"Cubone, the Lonely Pokémon. Cubone always wear the skull of their dead mothers, so no one has any idea what their hidden faces look like. When they become lonesome, they are said to cry loudly."

95. Cubone

And finally, I found and caught a Lunatone

"Lunatone, the Meteorite Pokémon. Lunatone were discovered at the site of a meteor strike 40 years ago. Because they turn active on nights of the full moon, they are said to have some link to the lunar phases. Their stares can lull their foes to sleep."

96. Lunatone

That wasn't a bad Pokémon-catching session for one afternoon.

That evening, I returned to the cave to explore a little more. This time I was able to catch an Onix.

97. Onix

Shortly after that, I found a Solrock. I presumed I'd find one here, since there are wild Lunatone. I was able to catch it easily.

"Solrock, the Meteorite Pokémon. Solrock absorb solar energy as the source of their power, so they are strong during the daytime. When they spin, their bodies shine. Always expressionless, they can sense what their foes are thinking."

98. Solrock

Update on my current playthrough...

Nutella the Quilladin L26
Smaug the Charmeleon L26

Wow they're being really generous with the amount of strong Pokémon. They basically hand you a Snorlax very soon into the game. At L15, and without Rest, it was very easy to catch. One Great Ball did the trick.

I must say that the world of Kalos is better built than Unova. BW was too streamlined and made you feel like you're on a straight road at all times. Not so much the case with Kalos, which has its share of blockades, but interesting ones nonetheless, like the energy shortage in Lumiose City. The game seems more HM intensive than BW, which some people might hate, but I find it ok as long as it's nothing too absurd like some past games' Victory Roads.

What I'm really bothered by, is the lack of Team Flare early into the game. When will the grunts appear? When will I finally enter the storyline and stop doing errands for people?

Nonetheless, if I leave aside my biggest complaint about the game (the framerate in most battles), it's a lot of fun. Seems like I just needed to give it a chance to develop.

The battles have been easy so far, and I think it's because I'm not only overleveled, but I have quite good Pokémon with me. For in-game purposes, Chespin and Charmander have just the right tools to wreck stuff. Early Dragon Rage is a godsend for the fire lizard.

About future additions... My final team will probably be Chesnaught, Charizard, Malamar, Tyrantrum, Clawitzer, and Aegislash. I already have an Inkay (good thing I decided to avoid using Repels or I would've never found it) and I'm in the fossil city.

December 28, 11:30pm

Having caught Solrock, I think I've obtained one of each of the wild Pokémon native to the Glittering Cave. I decided to finish my sweep of the tunnels as I made my way out, in order to give my team a bit more training. The wild Machop were making good opponents for my Ralts. The last encounter I had, though, was highly unexpected.
Standing in front of me, was a little, green Cubone.

A green Cubone. A shiny Cubone!

My first shiny encounter in Kalos! I threw a Poké Ball immediately, but it didn't work. So I sent out my Dunsparce to use Yawn on it. Cubone became drowsy as I tried a second Poké Ball, but it failed again. After Cubone fell asleep, I threw one more Poké Ball… and succeeded with a critical capture!

I caught… a shiny Cubone!



I returned to Ambrette Town, sent all my Pokémon to Professor Sycamore, and played with my new Cubone a bit.

A-032-1 Adventure Trash Master A Medal for curiosity seekers who checked trash cans even though they knew they were empty. 12/28/2013
A-005-1 Adventure Old Rod Fisherman A Medal given to beginning fishers who caught a Pokémon for the first time. 12/28/2013
A-001-4 Adventure Honored Footprints A Medal to praise ultimate walkers who took 100,000 steps on the land of Kalos. 12/28/2013

December 29, 2013

I had Nurse Joy check out my Cubone. She said that she was a healthy little Cubone, and appeared to be quite gentle. As I was playing with her, I did get the sense that although she had a gentle nature, she could be quite strong willed when she needed to be. Her attacks included Bone Club and Headbutt, both strong attacks that each carries the ability to cause an opponent to flinch. Tail Whip and Leer seemed to be her other moves. There's no need for a Pokémon to know both of those since they do the same thing and lower an enemy's defense. I decided to work on teaching it Rock Smash, since that seems to be coming in handy lately. As a reward, I fed Cubone a bunch of Poké Puffs I had picked up in my travels. I had plenty, so I fed her as much as she wanted. I'm very happy to have a new partner Pokémon for my Kalos journey!

Then I had five other Pokémon sent to me for some training. I chose some recently caught Pokémon in central Kalos: Magikarp, Hoppip, and Whismur. Then I had Nincada and Pidgey to round out my team. Not a strong group, but hey, that's the purpose of training.

I then discovered a place called Super Training Field. Apparently, these are training facilities all throughout the Kalos region. There were a bunch of different challenges to compete in, all designed increase a Pokémon's base power. I spent a good part of my day there with Cubone, and by the end of the long session, Cubone was declared a fully trained Pokémon. Awesome! And I thought Alex's Colosseum on Join Avenue in Unova greatly simplified training. Cubone won medals in 7 categories for completing challenges quickly: Level 1 Attack, Defense, Special Defense, and Speed, and Level 2 Attack, Defense, and Special Defense.

After all that, I couldn't wait to go into battle with my Cubone! After rewarding it with some fun and some Poké Puffs, I returned to Glittering Cave. We battled a bunch of wild Pokémon there, and Cubone learned Focus Energy! In addition to that, my Pidgey evolved into Pidgeotto!

"Pidgeotto, the Bird Pokémon, and the evolved form of Pidgey. Pidgeotto are very protective of their sprawling territorial areas and will fiercely peck at any intruder. The claws on their feet are well developed. They can carry prey such as Exeggcute to their nests over 60 miles away."

99. Pidgeotto

E-013-1 Fun Super-Training Instructor A Medal for Trainers who played with their Pokémon in Super Training 10 times. 12/29/2013

There was one last mission I decided to go on before I explore deeper in Glittering Cave. I did some research and discovered that there is an item called a Thick Club which can boost a Cubone's attack power. Of course, I would love my Cubone to have this item. Apparently, this item can only be found on wild Cubone. So I temporarily taught Cubone how to use the move Thief, and returned to the cave. In addition to a great deal of experience my team received, I also had my Cubone use Thief on every wild Cubone we discovered. It only took about a half dozen encounters before we snatched one. As a bonus, Cubone started to throw its Bone Club, and I realized that it had learned its exclusive move called Bonemerang! I think my little Cubone is going to be an excellent battler!

Just finished the league and have completely disbanded my team all in the Lv 70 region.
Talonflame, Ampharos, Meganium, Delphox, Dragonite, Aurorus.

Starting on my actual team,
With the first 2 of my real team.
The shiny rufflet i hatched after 60 or so eggs with adamant nature and perfect IVS in Attack/Def/Sp.Def/Spd and the Milotic with Perfect IV's in Hp/Def/Sp.Def