Time to go fight the Noble at last so I head over to the quest marker.
Volo is here apparently. I chat with Volo and the warden and then go to the arena. A short chat for some balms and it's fight time.
Avalugg opens with some icy wind from left to right with an opening between volleys. Then there's ice erupting out of markers on the ground and then it launches homing icicles into the air that need to be dodged. Finally there's an ice beam sweep from side to side that I can apparently dodge roll over/through somehow.
I miss the first window to attack with a Pokemon, but then at the second prompt send out my new shiny Alpha Sneasler. Close Combat sends it into red HP and Mountain Gale takes about 60% of Sneasler's HP. Another Close Combat sends me back to Pokemon Touhou. I already took 3 hits and will be downed next time so probably not gonna end well...
... nope. It started combining attacks and I got hit.
I get a prompt about how to dodge his ice beam and a menu asking if I wanna restart the fight or admit defeat.... round 2.
An unfortunate ice beam dodge gets me hit again.
During the 2nd phase after beating it up once it mixes in the ground ice spikes with the icy wind again. I get hit twice before dodging the ice beam again and throw Sneasler out to fight it. It's yellow bar was already low, but better to not risk it.
1 Strong Style Close Combat knocks it out again and I spam balms for the win.
Avalugg gives me an Icicle Plate. A cutscene follows with Irida and Adaman and the 2 Iceland wardens.
I open my map afterward to leave for town but see a new request on the map at the Icepeak camp so I head there first.
Ah, another Balloon race thing. Sure.
I get 25 on my first attempt... missed a few... weren't there supposed to be 50 though... it just kinda suddenly ended and I had time left... must've missed a path.
I get exactly 30 on my second attempt. There were more balloons off onto the distance... were those there last time? Didn't see them at any rate.
Request complete so I head back to town. I teach a bunch of moves to my 3 Shiny Alphas.
I then have Sneasler learn Shadow Claw and Drain Punch over Calm Mind and Close Combat. I stared at Dire Claw but it's 20 Power less than Poison Jab so I ended up keeping Poison Jab.
I then have Lopunny forget Double-Edge and Close Comnbat for Giga Impact and Drain Punch. No Recharge turn for Giga Impact here so might as well.
I keep Luxray's moves as is despite buying some new ones.
I then use Seeds of Mastery to master the new moves.
Next up I head to the quest marker. I spot a new request marker inside the galaxy hall. I talk to the guy who keeps losing his sister and he runs off... then I talk to his sister right after and we now have to go find him... lol
I accept the request and run upstairs. A chat followed by a fade to black and then it's meal time.
During the night there's a commotion and a new mission starts. "Disaster Looming".
The sky takes on an interesting color and after some chatter I have to do a slow ass walk of shame out of town as I get exiled. Rude.
Out in the Fieldlands I regain control after some more chatter.
I take a long detour to check on most of the Alphas for a potential shiny and then head for the marker.
I get directed to go to the worn bridge next. After being refused by someone again Volo shows up.
He takes me to a new location... Ancient Retreat. I meet a new person and more chatter follows.
I get told about the trials I need to do and then get a letter from an Abra outside. Then Irida and Adaman show up and I have to choose one... Irida of course, she's got a Glaceon!
Three missions, one for each of the lakes, activate. Disaster Looming seems to have completed itself.
I set out and head to the Crimson Mirelands. I take a detour over to the lake so I can check for shiny Alphas.
Upon arrival there's a chat with Volo and Irida and then my phone magically opens a cave.
Inside the cave I fight an Alpha Overqwil. Two Drain Punches from Sneasler deal with it thanks to it using Double-Edge.
Azelf then shows up and wants me to demonstrate unyielding will and strike it. I have to throw balms at it and it teleports away the moment one is thrown. After a couple attempts it asks me to quit or not. I mean it's willpower... gotta just plow on, I guess?
It repeats a couple times and then Azelf lets itself get hit. It gives me Azelf's Fang.
I leave the cave and Volo takes us back to the hermit.
After a talk I set out again, for the Icelands this time. I hit up the Alpha Chimecho on the way over and then head straight for the rock in the lake. The phone does Open Sesame again and inside an Alpha Hisuian Zoroark awaits. I fight it with Luxray hoping to double dip and knock out a defeat Zoroak with dark moves encounter for the dex.
Uxie then shows up. A riddle for an eye count. Combee... is 6 right. Zubat is none. Unown is 1. Magneton is... 3? Dusclops should be 1.
'Tell me each yet all as one'... so individually first and then all? 6 -> 0 -> 1 -> 3 -> 1.
Room for 5 digits... write it as one number then I guess. Seems to work. I get Uxie's Claw.
I leave the cave and pass on traveling back as a group so I can do the request I took on.
I first do an Alpha run and spot Avalugg now spawning near Avalugg's Legacy. I beat 3 up with fighting type moves and continue the run. I also check the caves for potential Zororarks.
None, but I find the quest guy in the small cave near Icepeak Camp. I beat up an Alpha Glalie and see him and his sister off.
I then talk to someone at one of the camps to return to the hermit place. After the chat it's off to the Fieldlands.
After a quick Alpha checkup round it's off to the lake for an instant cave. I enter and fight an Alpha Hisuian Goodra. 2 Drain Punches deal with it.
Mesprit shows up. It asks me some question and then gives me the Mesprit's Plume. Does it even matter what I answer? =O
I leave the cave for another chat. I get dragged off to some ruins immediately without a chance to change anything... rude.
During the next conversation the lake spirits show up and make the Red Chain. I get dragged off again at the end of the convo, back to town now where I meet with Akari and Laventon. I get yoinked along yet again to talk to Cyllene. She reinstates my survey corps rank and sends me after the commander.
Once I finally regain control of my character I spot a new quest marker and talk to a Lucario to start it. Apparently it wants to duel me. I head to the training grounds and a single Drain Punch faints it despite it being the same level as Sneasler.
Easy request.
Anyway... now that I have control back I'm going to go put my random shiny Alpha Psyduck on my team. Given how long Sneasel took I don't think I can force myself to get 3 more shiny alphas that way... so I'll add this one. No longer need to keep it as Psyduck as I caught a shiny Psyduck in SV at some point so it's no longer my only one. Unless the game forces me to go progress the story again I'm gonna hunt 1 more shiny Alpha.
First I hit up my storage and retrieve a bunch of Grit items and 300 Exp Candy S that I shove down Psyduck's throat to max it's stats and have it catch up levels-wise. It went from level 34 to 65. Actually a couple levels too high compared to Sneasler... oh well.
I then give Sneasler 11 Exp Candy M to also get it to level 65.
I then head for the town exit and Irida starts a chat. She runs off and some townsfolk give me a Max Revive.
Cyllene barks some orders and the game forces me to the Highlands... *sighs*
Volo shows up and give some Max Potions. The blue thing offers moral support... eh, pass.
I regain control once more... this seems to be a new camp near the Electrode arena. I check the map and see a new request marker nearby. I head over. Senki wants me to find his Spheal that rolled down the nearby hill. lol
I find it near the bend, but it just looks at me and rolls off again. I pursue in style by rolling as well.

This repeats a couple times till it's at the bottom of the passage down. I find it vibing at the waterside. Senki shows up and they go back up.
I'm asked to meet them at the new camp again, but do an Alpha checkup round first.
Nope again. I then fast travel back to finish the request. I get my reward and Spheal rolls off again... saw that one coming lol
I then fly to the Highlands camp. I buy a bunch of Sticky Globs and talk to Laventon to see if I can leave the area... I can.
I travel back to the Icelands. Still haven't seen any Hisuian Zoroark here, but I can at least grind out Avalugg.
I take a look at Serebii first to see if there even are wild Zoroark... seems so. Only in 2 spots which look like they're the same spots Zorua spawns at tbh. I mark them and double check. Yep. Probably a % chance to spawn them instead of Zorua then... ugh.
I then do an Alpha round and knock out some Avalugg. Only 2 this time. At 2-3 per run this is gonna take a while.
As I check the hot spring after checking Alpha Machamp I see a Snorlax in there that lies down... I save before approaching it too much and then head over a bit more and throw a Jet Ball at it. In it goes. Still needed to catch a sleeping one.
After the Alpha round I immediately head to Laventon to turn it in and see Snorlax's dex entry get perfected at last. I've check that damn hot spring so dang often and Snorlax was never there. Guess it might be progress related or perhaps it really is that rare.
Anyway one less nuisance to worry about. I then return to the village and talk to Ingo. I saw I could fight some people there when I fought Lucario earlier... feels like a longshot, but I'll see what mons they have I guess.
I challenge Wenton first. Mothim. Thunder Fang. Gastrodon. Crunch x 2. Jolteon. Crunch.
So a nope there. I challenge Bren next. Wormadam. Iron Tail. Gastrodon, the other one. Crunch x 2. Sylveon. Iron Tail.
Nope again.
One more option so I challenge Zisu next. Ambipom. Thunder Fang x 2. Luxray... hah, look at that pitifully small Luxray... and it's not even shiny either... wanna borrow one of mine? I'm swimming in them @_@
Anyway... Crunch x 2. Zoroark... wait really? =O
I only checked this because I saw I could fight some people, but there's actually a Zoroark here =3
Crunch deals with Zoroark and Honchkrow comes out. Thunder Fang and I win.
Well if I can just get the beat Zoroark with Dark moves task done here that would be a huge help. How many do I need... 5 defeated and 10 defeated with Dark moves. Can't do the Stun with items thing here, but that means I only need to find 1 wild Zoroark to get that done as I can grind the defeat tasks here.
Definitely doing that, gonna take a bit, but better than hoping for a %chance to spawn zoroark in 1 of 2 spots... 9 times... oof.
Anyway 2 done thanks to that Alpha during the lakes quests... 8 remain.
Let's see if I can battle Zisu again right away... I can.
Okay, doing this right away then. Bit of a pity I need to beat 3 other Pokemon as well, but should still be faster than waiting for that % chance another 8 times lol
1 Strong Style Thunder Fang is enough to faint Ambipom in 1 hit, 1 Strong Style Crunch is sadly not enough to faint Luxray so I guess I gotta just double crunch that. Zoroark and Honchkrow are 1 hits without Strong Style.
I leave again once I have 10 Zoroark beaten with dark moves.
I head back to the Icelands. I check the Alpha spawn locations again and beat up some more Avalugg and catch an Alpha one. I also beat up the Zorua in the caves. Then I sleep till morning - evening - morning and check the zorua/zoroark spawn near the icepeak camp and then hit up the avalugg and then go beat up the other zorua/Zoroark spawn.
I repeat this till I've defeated enough Avalugg with Fighting type moves. Or that was the plan... no new Avalugg spawned. Do I need to manually beat all the bergmite? ugh. I'll just return to village over and over I guess.
At some point one of my cave checkups pays off and one of the Zoruas is a Zoroark. I stun it over and over to grind out the research task.
Saves me having to check the caves from now on =3
I start limiting my Alpha checkup to end my round at Piloswine while I continue leaving and re-entering the area while grinding out Avalugg.
It progresses quite slowly as my game decides to limit me to 1 Avalugg per round for a while, but I get there eventually.
With Avalugg now completed there's no reason to keep lingering in the Icelands. Let's see.... defeat a Togekiss. Can't do that atm, I think.
Which leaves... seeing Vespiquen and Pachirisu leap out of trees. Blegh. Fine, need to do them sooner or later anyway.... but blegh.
Off to the Mirelands it is.
I look up if it only spawns in specific trees... no just a rare spawn from any tree in the area near Alpha Vespiquen for Vespiquen. Pachirisu is all over the place.
Well I'll probably finish Pachirisu first then as those also show up there and I already got a bunch.
On my first sweep I see a Vespiquen pop out of a tree. My 3rd.... of 5?
I then hit up the Turtwig outbreak and catch a shiny one. Already have this line entirely shiny in SV, but oh well.
Upon leaving the area I see the numbers for Vespiquen... yeah 3 out of 5. Interestingly enough I found one before I found another Pachirisu =O
Well they live in the same general area so I'll just hit up all the trees I see shaking in that area and then head back to town, over & over.
While doing so I catch another shiny Bidoof.
Several dud runs follow. Then I get both a Pachirisu and an Alpha Vespiquen out of trees on the same run. Only 1 Vespiquen to go.
A subsequent run nets me 1 Pachirisu and puts me at 20 out of 25.
I catch a shiny Geodude at some point while making my Alpha checkup rounds in the mirelands which also doubles as checking for rustling trees everywhere as Pachirisu can be found from trees all across the map.
I slowly but surely keep getting Pachirisu from trees at a rate of 1 or 2 per round, when they show at all that is, but there were plenty rounds of nothing too.
Interestingly, during the round where my 25th and final Pachirisu hops from a tree, I also get my 5th Vespiquen from a tree later on during the round =O
Was expecting to wrap up Pachirisu first, but that was actually pretty close lol
I was kinda hoping I'd get a shiny alpha while doing these 2 research tasks but alas. Given that I now no longer have any research tasks left that I can do right now, it's time to commit to a shiny Alpha hunt... what would I like though. Preferably something close to a camp site as you can only select those when traveling to an area, but something close to a fast travel point would be okay as well.
Additionally... I already caught shiny Alphas in the Fieldlands (Lopunny), Mirelands (the random non-fixed Shiny Psyduck), Highlands (Luxray) and Icelands (Hisui Sneasel). Meaning the Coastlands is the only area where I haven't caught a shiny Alpha yet. Hmm..
Lastly I'd like something with a type I don't have yet. I have Normal, Water, Electric, Poison/Fighting. A partial overlap would be okay, but not both types. So not gonna hunt Toxicroak for example, but the Alpha Empoleon would be an option.
Well let's gander at all the fixed Alphas first, maybe I'll see something I really want...
-Fieldlands. The only interesting ones are Rapidash and Heracross. Heracross overlaps Fighting. Both of them take a while to reach. Would not object to Golbat, but that's night time only and overlaps Poison. Probably not gonna be hunting here.
-Mirelands... Roserade/Honckrow are day only/night only but spawn in the same spot so one of them will always be there. Would overlap Poison with Roserade, but that's not that bad. They're not far from the Arena fast travel. Technically already have a shiny Honchkrow in SV, but that Dark typing would be nice given that I have a mon x 4 weak to Psychic.
There's also Onix which isn't far from the Diamond village. Would actually love a shiny Alpha Steelix. Aside from those... Torterra and 2 Ursaring. Would also love both of those, but they take considerably longer to check on. Tangrowth/Sliggoo would be nice too, but same problem.
Might hunt here for Roserade/Honchkrow and Onix.
-Coastlands. Would love an Alpha Purugly, but already kinda tried getting one whenever I swung past it's spawn. Also overlaps with Lopunny while adding no new types. Empoleon, Overqwil, Gastrodon and Mantine are all appealing, but far out. Ninetales would be acceptable, but already got it shiny in another game. Dusknoir is a night only spawn with nothing there during the day so pass. Alpha Empoleon would be dope but it's so dang far... on the plus side, I could check Ninetales, Overqwil & Gastrodon on the way over to it... might be worth it that way. Walrein & Drapion are somewhat close to a camp, but got both shiny in other games already. Machoke and Octillery are too far away unless I turn it into a lengthy route with Drapion, Walrein and Purugly added. Not interested in the rest tbh.
Might hunt here for that 4 Alpha path ending with Empoleon.
-Highlands. Carnivine and Bronzong near a camp. Would be down for a Bronzong. Mismagius would be dope too, but night only. There's other interesting ones like Gliscor and Probopass, but they're all further out. Probably not gonna hunt here.
-Icelands. Machamp is close to the arena camp. Overlaps Fighting though. The Swinub line and Gardevoir would be nice, but I already hit them up while doing that big Alpha round which got me a Sneasel. Kinda just don't wanna hunt here due to hunting here recently so yeah, pass.
Proximity to camp/fast travel wise the Mirelands sounds like the best option tbh. Either Roserade/Honchkrow and Onix. Coastlands has a nice chain of Ninetales/Gastrodon/Qwilfish/Empoleon but I reckon that would take longer to check.
Gonna be one of these two though... or perhaps I could just alternate between them.
My current shiny Alphas:
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Full Star Member
Dex Progress: 225 Seen / 222 Caught
Detailed Dex progress in the spoiler
Play time (hours:minutes): 433:30
Summary:
-Quelled Noble Avalugg
-Completed the "Balloon Race in the Icelands" request.
-Completed the "The Slumbering Lord of the Tundra" mission.
-Completed the "Disaster Looming" mission.
-Completed the "The Trial of Lake Valor" mission.
-Completed the "The Trial of Lake Acuity" mission.
-Completed the "Gone Astray.... in the icelands" request.
-Completed the "The Trial of Lake Verity" mission.
-Completed the "Steely Lucario" request.
-Completed the "Rolling with Spheal" request.
-Perfected Snorlax.
-Perfected Hisuian Zoroark & Avalugg.
-Caught a shiny Turtwig.
-Caught a shiny Bidoof.
-Caught a shiny Geodude.
-Perfected Pachirisu & Vespiquen.