Snorlax and Awakening

[Renegade 147]

Hey guys, i was wondering why exactly do you have to have a pokeflute in order to wake up a snorlax. I mean, in my thoughts, you should be able to wake it up by giving it an awakening from the market, or just catch it right there, i mean, its not like its going to put up a fight. Also, if pokeflute is the only way to wake up snorlax, wouldn't you have to use a pokeflute any time it falls asleep? This is all hypothetical, i'm just wondering.

 

[Kirbychu]

Exactly, why would you even wake Snorlax up in the first place? Everyone knows sleeping Pokemon are easier to catch.

 

[Oryx]

This isn't a regular sleep imo, it's a food-induced coma right? Or something like that? And you have to wake it up because what if it belonged to someone else? When it attacked you, you can tell it's wild and not owned so you're free to catch it, but until then you shouldn't be chucking balls at every Pokemon you see. :)

 

[Renegade 147]

Sure, but then again, who really leaves there giant snorlax out in the middle of the road to sleep, especially when the roads are the only main entrances to major cities? :P

 

[Kirbychu]

This isn't a regular sleep imo, it's a food-induced coma right? Or something like that? And you have to wake it up because what if it belonged to someone else? When it attacked you, you can tell it's wild and not owned so you're free to catch it, but until then you shouldn't be chucking balls at every Pokemon you see. :)

But that's what the convenient "Don't be a thief" message is for.

And something tells me a person who leaves their Snorlax sleeping in the middle of the road really wouldn't mind either way. On top of that, that jerk is making me take on an evil crime syndicate in order to get a pair of goggles needed to identify a ghost at the top of a haunted tower full of crazy possessed weirdos. After that I must send the ghost to the afterlife and save an old man being held hostage just to get a flute to wake the lazy thing up.

What's that you say? I should just go around the Snorlax? Nonsense!

 

[Zeffy]

Sure, but then again, who really leaves there giant snorlax out in the middle of the road to sleep, especially when the roads are the only main entrances to major cities? :P

Have you not considered the possibility of the said Snorlax to be a wild Pokemon?

Anyways, if it weren't there then there wouldn't be as much of a thrill when it comes to games and/or the anime. I think, that, it is one of the highlights of Gen I.

 

[Maruno]

Thinking about it, I suppose you can't just battle it while it's sleeping because it didn't pop out at you. Gen 4 suggested that the wild Pokémon you encounter all want to battle; you didn't just stumble across them. Being asleep, Snorlax can't exactly choose to approach you or not, so it's not reasonable to attack it. You're supposed to be a friend to all Pokémon, which is the opposite of jumping a snoozing Snorlax.

As for why Awakening doesn't work, perhaps you just can't use it properly. Maybe it should be sprayed in the face, and the player can't reach it. Also, Awakening's Japanese name is Drowsiness Cure, and there's a difference between drowsiness and being properly asleep (like Snorlax is). Compare the term "fainted" which actually means "unable to battle" (truly unconscious Pokémon wouldn't be able to use HMs and eat Rare Candies). Battle sleep isn't the same as proper sleep, and an Awakening just won't cut it. You need a proper pick-me-up, in the form of a flute.

Anyways, if it weren't there then there wouldn't be as much of a thrill when it comes to games and/or the anime. I think, that, it is one of the highlights of Gen I.

That's a good point. You know it's there, you've encountered at least one of them so far. You have no idea what it is. When you've finally gotten the flute, and you know the effort you put into getting it, the reward of Snorlax attacking you is all the better.

Isn't Snorlax also the first (and indeed, only non-legendary) encounter where you interact with it in the overworld to start a battle? It also introduces you to the concept of wild Pokémon in the overworld, by virtue of it being a necessary roadblock.

 

[DowntownDumpling]

Thinking about it, I suppose you can't just battle it while it's sleeping because it didn't pop out at you. Gen 4 suggested that the wild Pokémon you encounter all want to battle; you didn't just stumble across them. Being asleep, Snorlax can't exactly choose to approach you or not, so it's not reasonable to attack it. You're supposed to be a friend to all Pokémon, which is the opposite of jumping a snoozing Snorlax.

As for why Awakening doesn't work, perhaps you just can't use it properly. Maybe it should be sprayed in the face, and the player can't reach it. Also, Awakening's Japanese name is Drowsiness Cure, and there's a difference between drowsiness and being properly asleep (like Snorlax is). Compare the term "fainted" which actually means "unable to battle" (truly unconscious Pokémon wouldn't be able to use HMs and eat Rare Candies). Battle sleep isn't the same as proper sleep, and an Awakening just won't cut it. You need a proper pick-me-up, in the form of a flute.

That's a good point. You know it's there, you've encountered at least one of them so far. You have no idea what it is. When you've finally gotten the flute, and you know the effort you put into getting it, the reward of Snorlax attacking you is all the better.

Isn't Snorlax also the first (and indeed, only non-legendary) encounter where you interact with it in the overworld to start a battle? It also introduces you to the concept of wild Pokémon in the overworld, by virtue of it being a necessary roadblock.

Good points. One shouldn't expect too much physical logic out of Pokemon, considering that you can't, for example, Surf around rocks with a good 3 feet of space between them, or climb up ledges that are no taller.

 

[Kubone]

Snorlax aren't normal. They probably have this weird hearing organ that can only be triggered by a Pokeflute.