November 9, 2013
I'm at a board gaming convention this weekend, but still managed to squeeze in some Pokémon training. There's just too much yet to discover in Kalos!
I rotated some Pokémon and took Litleo, Psyduck, and Riolu with me. Maybe it's because I'm a cat person, but Litleo has to be one of my favorite new Pokémon. I love the unique normal/fire type combination!
I also finally decided on what kind of Flabébé I wanted to catch. After a little searching, I caught one that was holding an orange flower.
27. Flabébé
I battled some of the gardeners in the hedge maze, and they seem to like using Corphish, a Pokémon I just recently and briefly trained in Unova. Hopefully I'll catch one sooner this time.
"Corphish, the Ruffian Pokémon. Corphish can adapt to any environment due to their hardy vitality. They have a strong will to survive, and will thrive no matter how dirty the water. Their pincers will never release prey."
Then, among the flowers, I caught a Combee!
28. Combee
After extensive searching, I finally found another Skitty, but Litleo knocked it out accidentally with a critical hit. So I went back to the Pokémon Center and rotated my Pokémon again, this time bringing out the Pokémon I caught on Parterre Way so far: Ralts, Ralts, Flabébé, Budew, Ledyba, and Combee. Then, once I returned to the route, I finally caught my Skitty!
29. Skitty
Satisfied that I found all the Pokémon I could on this route, I continued on the path. I stopped to admire the nice fountain halfway along the route, with two Horsea on the either end, and a Clamperl atop the fountain in the center. Near the end of the route, a young kid wanted to battle me with a Pokémon he just got in a trade. Looks like the Magikarp Salesman struck again. Is he targeting kids now? Well, maybe this kid will get lucky and it will evolve quickly for him… although I'm not sure if preschoolers should be playing with Gyarados…
"Magikarp, the Fish Pokémon. Magikarp are virtually worthless in terms of both power and speed. They are the most weak and pathetic Pokémon in the world. In the distant past, they were somewhat stronger than the horribly weak descendants that exist today."
Lumiose City was now dead ahead! Before I entered the gates leading into the city, I ran into two of Professor Sycamore's assistants who introduced themselves as Dexio and Sina. They said they would escort me to the professor's laboratory in the city. They asked me if I ever heard of the new Pokémon type that was discovered, the fairy-type. Apparently, new Pokémon like Flabébé are fairy-type, but some existing Pokémon, like Azurill and Ralts, are also part fairy-type. I remember hearing a little bit about this from Professor Juniper, but I'm definitely excited to learn more! I wonder what their type advantages and disadvantages are?
As I stepped into Lumiose City, I was struck immediately with how massive the place seemed. And I thought Castelia City in Unova was big, but this place definitely might beat it! There's so much to see and do here, but first I wanted to stop in at the Pokémon Center, heal up my Pokémon, and then rotate them. I took Skitty, Psyduck, Butterfree, Pansage, Spewpa, and Combee with me. It then occurred to me that the professor's lab was in a big city like this. Most of the various regions' professors have their labs in more rural towns where they can have lots of land for Pokémon that are kept there by trainers. This should be interesting to see.
When I reached Professor Sycamore's lab, Dexio and Sina told me I could find him on the third floor of the lab. I took the elevator to the third floor, and Sycamore greeted me as I stepped out of it.
"So we finally meet!" Sycamore exclaimed. "Many thanks for coming all the way from the Unova region! I'm Professor Sycamore. Professor Juniper has told me a little about you."
"Nice to meet you professor, my name is Steve," I replied. "And I'm more than happy to come and explore a new region. Thank you very much for the Pokédex too! It's come in very handy in my short time here in Kalos."
"Have you met many different Pokémon?" asked Sycamore. "Let me have a quick look at your Pokédex to see."
Professor Sycamore analyzed my Pokédex, and seemed impressed with how many Pokémon I'd seen so far. "Since I'm still waiting for a few more kids to get here, how about you have a battle with me?"
I gladly accepted his challenge, but was shocked when I found out what three Pokémon he was using. It was the starter Pokémon from the Kanto region, Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle! My Skitty won against Bulbasaur; Pansage beat back Squirtle with its Vine Whip; and Psyduck doused Charmander with its Water Gun.
"Bulbasaur, the Seed Pokémon. Bulbasaur grow by gaining nourishment from the seeds on their backs. This seed was planted on each of their backs at birth. The plant sprouts and grows with the Pokémon."
"Squirtle, the Tiny Turtle Pokémon. Squirtle shoot water at prey while in the water. When in danger, they withdraw into their shells for shelter, then strike back with spouts of water at every opportunity."
"Charmander, the Lizard Pokémon. Charmander have a flame that burns at the tip of their tails from the time they are born. This flame indicates their life force. If one is healthy, the flame burns brightly."
Meanwhile, Shauna, Serena, Tierno, and Trevor showed up at the lab. Professor Sycamore wanted to give out these three Pokémon! Amazing! I never would have expected these Pokémon to be in the Kalos Pokédex. After Shauna and Serena chose their Pokémon, Charmander remained. He wanted to give it to Calem, but apparently he's already headed towards the coast with his Chespin. So the Professor asked if I could take Charmander with me and drop it off at the Pokémon Day Care, and that he'd contact Calem and tell him to pick it up there. I accepted, and took Charmander's Pokéball!
30. Charmander
When I asked the Professor where my Pokémon are kept, he informed me that he does not keep other trainers' Pokémon at his lab. While he does have a small habitat set up for his research, he said most Pokémon are kept at a nearby town called Camphrier Town, where there is much more land for Pokémon to run around and live on. He then revealed to us his area of study. He said he was studying Pokémon evolution. I assumed it was similar to Professor Rowan in Sinnoh, but then he clarified that specifically he was interested in something called Mega Evolution. Apparently, it is possible that Pokémon can evolve beyond their known final stage. That's almost unbelievable! He asked for our help in uncovering clues to this new phenomenon. Camphrier Town is a place with a lot of history, he explained, and may be a good place to start. He then gave us some parting words.
"Be the best trainer you can be! At the same time, remember to have fun traveling with your Pokémon!"
Each of the group assembled has their own dreams and goals as well. Tierno wants loves to dance and wants to find Pokémon with amazing moves that would work well in dancing. Trevor, like me, has a goal of completing the Pokédex. It's a very diverse group.
On the way out of the lab, we ran into an unusual character who called himself Lysandre. He was a stiff looking fellow, except for his wild orange hair.
"Ah, so these are the children starting their journeys then," Lysandre began. Then he motioned to me. "And an adult, too, I take it?"
"I've been on my Pokémon journey for over 15 years," I responded. "Though I am just beginning my travels here in Kalos."
"So you are one of the chosen ones," the odd man continued. "I've tried to learn as much about Pokémon as I can to help build a better future. Professor Sycamore here has taught me so much. Now listen! It is vital that this world become a better place. And the people and Pokémon chosen to make the world a better place must work tirelessly to achieve this goal. Well, I'll be off. My desire… it is for a more beautiful world."
Yet another person with his own individual dream to strive for. Though he does rub me the wrong way.
I then explored as much of the city as I could. I did rotate out my Skitty for my Riolu at one point. And then I tried to see everything Lumiose City had to offer. There were tons of cafes, and even a place to make a personalized "Trainer PR" video! I decided to give it a go and made one with my Spewpa.
One of the cafes I entered on Southern Boulevard was Café Soleil. Inside was Lysandre again. He was talking to someone dressed fairly flashy. The locals in the café said she was a big movie star named Diantha. I listened in to their conversation. Lysandre was asking Diantha if she would want to stay young and beautiful forever. She seemed irritated by the question.
"Youth may be beautiful, but it's not all there is to life," Diantha stated. "Everything changes. I want to live and change like that, too. So I look forward to playing different roles as I get older."
They went back and forth a bit, and then I heard Lysandre say something a little… creepy.
"I would make this world unchanging and eternal so all beauty will last forever," he said. "Or I would end the world in an instant so that beauty never fades."
They then noticed me, and Lysandre introduced me to Diantha.
"Your Pokémon look so happy," she commented. "I'm a trainer myself, in my off time. I look forward to us battling someday!"
November 10, 2013
I explored more of Lumiose City, this time checking out what was happening on Vernal Avenue. In addition to some more cafés, there was a Stone Emporium, where they sold basic evolution stones; a Herboriste, which sells healing herbs; and a place called Friseur Furfrou, dedicated to giving trims to a very popular Pokémon in Lumiose City, a Pokémon that looked like a large poodle called Furfrou.
"Furfrou, the Poodle Pokémon. Furfrou have fluffy fur. Trimming this fur not only makes them more elegant but also increases the swiftness of their movements. Historically, in the Kalos region, these Pokémon were the designated guardians of the king."
So I decided to follow Professor Sycamore's suggestion and head towards Camphrier Town. I exited Lumiose City onto Route 5, a path called Versant Road. There was a skate park just off the road for people to enjoy. But I was more interested in discovering what kind of wild Pokémon lived on this route. Suddenly though, a Lucario approached me out of nowhere. Its trainer was skating at the skate park, and caught up to Lucario. She had a second Lucario following her too. She introduced herself as Korrina, the Shalour City Gym Leader. She said that Lucario was attracted to my aura, but left quickly after a brief conversation.
The first wild Pokémon I came across was Scraggy, except, it wasn't just one Scraggy, but a horde of them! I managed to catch one.
"Scraggy, the Shedding Pokémon. Scraggy are proud of their sturdy skull, and will headbutt everything, but their weight makes them unstable, too. Their skin has a rubber elasticity, so they can reduce damage by defensively pulling their skin up to their necks."
31. Scraggy
Next I found a wild Gulpin! I had Spewpa battle it, and caught it. As a bonus, my Spewpa evolved into Vivillon!
"Gulpin, the Stomach Pokémon. Gulpin have small hearts and brains. Their stomachs comprise most of their bodies, and there is nothing they can't digest. While they are digesting, vile, overpowering gases are expelled."
32. Gulpin
33. Vivillon
I noticed my Vivillon looked significantly different than Viola's. I'll have to look into why that is. Next I ran into a wild Abra! But to no surprise, it Teleported away very quickly after it saw me. I also saw some wild Bunnelby here, and I happened upon a lone Minun, so I expect there are Plusle here too. Then I saw a Pokémon that I think I saw in the streets of Lumiose, a little grass-type Pokémon called Skiddo. Sadly, I didn't manage to catch any of them.
"Abra, the Psi Pokémon. Abra sense impending attacks and teleport away to safety before the actual attack can strike. They sleep for 18 hours a day. They use a variety of extrasensory powers even while asleep."
"Minun, the Cheering Pokémon. Minun cheer on their friends. If their friends are losing, their bodies let off more and more sparks. Exposure to electricity from both Minun and Plusle promotes blood circulation and relaxes muscles."
"Skiddo, the Mount Pokémon. Skiddo don't need to eat if they have sunshine and water, because they can generate energy from the leaves on their backs. Thought to be one of the first Pokémon to live in harmony with humans, they have placid dispositions."
I returned to the Pokémon Center in Lumiose City for the night, and rotated my Psyduck for my second Ralts (which I'll designate as Ralts(2) from here on, and do the same for my other multiple Pokémon).
