[Gen 4] The Time Warp Challenge

[_confused_piplup_]

So, here it is a new challenge on Pokémon Platinum. I have actually already started the challenge and then left it because I was busy. Guess what? I am still busy lol. But I am trying to find space for going ahead with this challenge.

The Time Warp Challenge is about choosing an era and playing according given rules.
I chose "The Progressive Era". The rules are:

-Era Types: Normal, Steel, Grass, Fire, Water, Fairy

-Mandatory Pokemon:
Sinnoh: Evolution of an earlier Generation Pokemon (Tangrowth, Electivire, Magmortar, Togekiss, Porygon-Z, Magnezone, Leafeon, Glaceon, Lickilicky)

-Banned Types: Bug, Poison, Dark, Ghost, Psychic

-Era Rules:
- Women's Suffrage- All your Pokemon have to be Female.

- Efficiency Movement- You must pick up any item you come across.

- Eliminate Corruption- You must sell lower grade items for at least 1 better grade item.

As for now, it hasn't been too challenging but going ahead I am pretty sure it will.
Here's my planned team:

- Empoleon
- Togekiss (mandatory Pokémon)
- Abomasnow
- Lucario
- Steelix
- Bastiodon

 

[_confused_piplup_]

So, the first part is pretty easy. Having Piplup as a starter, I pretty much know how to deal with most gyms. The first gym wasn't a problem.

Side note: it wasn't probably a good choice, but I decided to play on my DS for this challenge.

Prinplup learns Peck, so I somehow managed to do something against Gardenia. In that time, I got the Togepi egg and resetted the event (not with cheats obviously) to get a female Togepi. It took around 6/8 tries. Kinda same with Piplup.

Finally, I even got the Exp. Share which is obviously great with only two Pokemon. It helped me a lot, considering how hard it can be to train Togepi, since it has very bad moves. Also, I will try to keep HMs to my team, because I like it.
About the items, that's just the way I play: I pick up every item, so it wasn't really a malus to the gameplay lol. About the rule to trade it for a better item, I find this rule extremely interesting and despite it's not really doing any damage for now, I am pretty sure it will. Actually, while playing I just realized that it's way more convenient to use the items as soon as possible, because that way you won't loose the battle and money (which can be important in this challenge) and you'll have an item less to trade. The hardest part is that it's not really my way of playing a Pokémon game. If I can avoid a cure and retry, I often just retry.
I will provide a list of the traded item in the end of the post. Notice that I might have a part of it.

Talking about lost things, I have lost the pic with Fantina lol. Anyway, you can trust me because I have gone further with the game and I also have a pic of the badges. I don't really remember the battle, but from my experience it could have been a bit harder considering the magical leaf move super effective on Prinplup.

I went ahead with the game and got to the fourth gym. Prinplup evolved into Empoleon. This is something that quite worries me: the level gap of the team. On the one hand, I know the game can be done with Empoleon alone but with a high level, but that's not what I will do. My team is still of just two members but this is just because the other team members aren't available yet. Anyway, the next gym wasn't too hard to beat. Lucario was quite tricky but I managed to get through it. And this is where have the last pics, even if I went a little ahead.

After this gym, I went ahead with the story and now I am in Pastoria Town, about to defeat the gym leader. Togepi finally evolved into Togetic and learned some interesting moves. The combo yawn + wish (especially on Empoleon) saved me several times tbh. Other than that, it also learned Ancient Force, which is a move that actually deals damage. Now, Togekiss can be a great support: good defense, really good moves like encore, yawn, wish. But I still not sure if this is going to be her final role in the team because I also need damages and coverage to grass. A lot of coverage to grass lol.

TEAM:

- Empoleon, level 39
- Togetic, level 34


ITEM TRADED (by rules):

3 potions -> 3 super potions
1 potion -> 1 super potion
2 repels -> 2 max repels
1 super potion -> 1 hyperpotion
3 pokeball -> 3 ultraballs
1 great ball -> 1 ultraball
2 paralyze heal -> 2 full heals
1 awakening -> 1 full heal

 

[_confused_piplup_]

Back on this after almost 2 years!

I am almost completing the challenge. So far, I managed to get the 7th medal, I managed to defeat Cyrus and Giratina and got my 8th medal as well. I am currently doing victory road.

As for my team:

- Abomasnow, lvl 42
- Lucario, lvl 43
- Steelix, lvl 45
- Empoleon, lvl 49
- Togekiss, lvl 46
- Pelipper, lvl 34

I do have low level Pelipper right now, but the plan is to catch one in the water of the Pokemon League, so it's easier to handle levels like this.
They almost have bad moves, even because I don't like having an HM slave in this gen. Despite that, most HMs are relatively good moves. Steelix has no ground or rock moves, which would indeed be helpful.

Finally, I picked up all items, which made me remember how beautiful gen 4 exploration is. Didn't find many upgradable items. Only 1 Mega ball -> 1 Ultra ball

A bit scared for the League.