- Pokédex No.
- 33
- Caught
- Jun 10, 2019
- Messages
- 1,578
- Nature
- Careful
- Pronouns
- he/him
- Pokémon Type
-
- Dark
- Ground
Good morning/afternoon/evening (depending on your time zone and time of reading this), fellow Nuzlockers! This is a story I've had in the works for a very long time, and I'm super excited to be finally bringing it to you!
A while back, the Alphabetlocke caught my attention, and I decided to try it on a playthrough of Crystal—you know, a grinding-heavy ruleset in one of the more grinding-unfriendly games. Perfect combination, right? I also got the idea to make a story out of it, but in the non-traditional manner of (mostly) journal entries written by the protagonist, inspired in no small part by one of my all-time favorite books, The Martian. My interest has waxed and waned in the past, and I'm the sort of person that frets about something being just right before putting it out, but I've finally gotten to the point where I can say that it's time to do this. And due to my love of preparation, I've written pretty far into the story (at least, rough draft-wise), so hopefully I'll be able to update pretty often—I'm currently thinking twice a week, but we'll see how that goes.
(The mature rating is mostly for strong language, but there are some themes that are worth noting as well, such as those around death and self-doubt. I'll put a heads-up before any updates that I think need it.)
That's all I need to say for now. On with the show!
A while back, the Alphabetlocke caught my attention, and I decided to try it on a playthrough of Crystal—you know, a grinding-heavy ruleset in one of the more grinding-unfriendly games. Perfect combination, right? I also got the idea to make a story out of it, but in the non-traditional manner of (mostly) journal entries written by the protagonist, inspired in no small part by one of my all-time favorite books, The Martian. My interest has waxed and waned in the past, and I'm the sort of person that frets about something being just right before putting it out, but I've finally gotten to the point where I can say that it's time to do this. And due to my love of preparation, I've written pretty far into the story (at least, rough draft-wise), so hopefully I'll be able to update pretty often—I'm currently thinking twice a week, but we'll see how that goes.
(The mature rating is mostly for strong language, but there are some themes that are worth noting as well, such as those around death and self-doubt. I'll put a heads-up before any updates that I think need it.)
That's all I need to say for now. On with the show!
1. I can only catch the first Pokémon I encounter in each area.
1a. Any duplicate encounters may be skipped.
1b. Shiny Pokémon may be caught but not used unless they were the first.
1c. Gift Pokémon may be received, but no more than one per source.
1d. I am not allowed to run from or purposely KO a valid encounter.
2. Any Pokémon that faints can no longer be used.
3. All Pokémon must be given nicknames, starting with a random letter.
4. I must at all times have a team structured alphabetically, by Pokémon name, category, or nickname. I start with Pokémon name, then rotate in that order whenever I enter a new city/town or defeat a Gym Leader.
4a. If I need an HM to progress and no one on the current team can learn it, I may swap out someone who can, or catch an HM slave, but only for the amount of time necessary to progress.
4b. I may not prevent an evolution or let a Pokémon die just to improve my team.
4c. Any changes must be made as soon as possible.
5. The run ends in success when I beat Red or in failure when I lose all available Pokémon.
1a. Any duplicate encounters may be skipped.
1b. Shiny Pokémon may be caught but not used unless they were the first.
1c. Gift Pokémon may be received, but no more than one per source.
1d. I am not allowed to run from or purposely KO a valid encounter.
2. Any Pokémon that faints can no longer be used.
3. All Pokémon must be given nicknames, starting with a random letter.
4. I must at all times have a team structured alphabetically, by Pokémon name, category, or nickname. I start with Pokémon name, then rotate in that order whenever I enter a new city/town or defeat a Gym Leader.
4a. If I need an HM to progress and no one on the current team can learn it, I may swap out someone who can, or catch an HM slave, but only for the amount of time necessary to progress.
4b. I may not prevent an evolution or let a Pokémon die just to improve my team.
4c. Any changes must be made as soon as possible.
5. The run ends in success when I beat Red or in failure when I lose all available Pokémon.
April 29: this post
April 30
May 1
May 2-May 3 (1)
May 3 (2)-May 4
May 5
May 6-May 7
May 8
May 9-May 10
May 11-May 12
May 13-May 14
May 15
May 16-May 17
May 18-May 20
May 21-May 22 (1)
May 22 (2)-May 24 (1)
May 24 (2)-May 25
May 26-May 27
May 28 (1)
May 28 (2)-May 29 (1)
May 29 (2)-May 30 (1)
May 30 (2)
May 30 (3)
May 31-June 3 (1)
June 3 (2)
June 3 (3)
June 4-June 8
June 9-June 10 (1)
June 10 (2)-June 11 (1)
June 11 (2)
June 11 (3)
June 11 (4)
June 12-June 13
April 30
May 1
May 2-May 3 (1)
May 3 (2)-May 4
May 5
May 6-May 7
May 8
May 9-May 10
May 11-May 12
May 13-May 14
May 15
May 16-May 17
May 18-May 20
May 21-May 22 (1)
May 22 (2)-May 24 (1)
May 24 (2)-May 25
May 26-May 27
May 28 (1)
May 28 (2)-May 29 (1)
May 29 (2)-May 30 (1)
May 30 (2)
May 30 (3)
May 31-June 3 (1)
June 3 (2)
June 3 (3)
June 4-June 8
June 9-June 10 (1)
June 10 (2)-June 11 (1)
June 11 (2)
June 11 (3)
June 11 (4)
June 12-June 13
Well, this is a real interesting situation I’ve gotten myself into.
I suppose I should do an introduction, for anyone who reads this that isn’t Elm. My name is Adam Blakely, and as of the time of this entry, I’m a 17-year-old resident of New Bark Town, in Johto.
I’m also a thief, which is why I’m in this whole situation in the first place.
Yeah, yeah, go ahead and make your judgments. Oh, and it gets better. Think I’m a thief with a heart of gold who steals from the rich and gives to the poor, or that sort of thing? Nope. I stole from an underfunded professor and did it mostly so I could feel some sense of power. There, now feel free to laugh without guilt at whatever misfortunes I encounter as I do this whole whatever-it-is.
…Okay, fine. I did intend to sell most of the stuff I stole to get money for myself and my family. I mean, I didn’t, but I was definitely thinking about it. Not like I could’ve acted like a contributing member of society and done more work looking for a job, I guess. What was I supposed to do, find inspiration from people like my mom, a single mother who determinedly works multiple jobs to support her two kids—including a part-time job with the very professor I stole from? Because of course we didn’t need his support! Of course I had to resent—
Fuck it. I’m not here to whine, I’m here to record. Though I still have no idea what the hell I’ll be recording. All I know is that Professor Elm pulled some strings with the police and had the charges against me dropped in exchange for a service on my part. I can’t say I’m complaining, but does he really have to keep me in the dark for this long? He told me to meet him at ten, but then ten minutes before that, he sent over his assistant with this journal and a message that he’d be another hour.
So now I’ve got a journal that I’m supposed to write regular entries in. I figured I’d write something now to kill time. It’s the best method I’ve got right now; it’s basically either this or hang out with my half-brother Zane, and he’s boring as fuck.(Though I guess fucking isn’t really that boring.)
Uh…what else can I write about…?
Ah, to hell with it. I’m not going to spend all my time writing in this. It’s not taking up enough time, and I’m feeling too restless to keep sitting down. But I will go over to Elm’s at eleven, whether he wants me to or not.
Signing off.
I suppose I should do an introduction, for anyone who reads this that isn’t Elm. My name is Adam Blakely, and as of the time of this entry, I’m a 17-year-old resident of New Bark Town, in Johto.
I’m also a thief, which is why I’m in this whole situation in the first place.
Yeah, yeah, go ahead and make your judgments. Oh, and it gets better. Think I’m a thief with a heart of gold who steals from the rich and gives to the poor, or that sort of thing? Nope. I stole from an underfunded professor and did it mostly so I could feel some sense of power. There, now feel free to laugh without guilt at whatever misfortunes I encounter as I do this whole whatever-it-is.
…Okay, fine. I did intend to sell most of the stuff I stole to get money for myself and my family. I mean, I didn’t, but I was definitely thinking about it. Not like I could’ve acted like a contributing member of society and done more work looking for a job, I guess. What was I supposed to do, find inspiration from people like my mom, a single mother who determinedly works multiple jobs to support her two kids—including a part-time job with the very professor I stole from? Because of course we didn’t need his support! Of course I had to resent—
Fuck it. I’m not here to whine, I’m here to record. Though I still have no idea what the hell I’ll be recording. All I know is that Professor Elm pulled some strings with the police and had the charges against me dropped in exchange for a service on my part. I can’t say I’m complaining, but does he really have to keep me in the dark for this long? He told me to meet him at ten, but then ten minutes before that, he sent over his assistant with this journal and a message that he’d be another hour.
So now I’ve got a journal that I’m supposed to write regular entries in. I figured I’d write something now to kill time. It’s the best method I’ve got right now; it’s basically either this or hang out with my half-brother Zane, and he’s boring as fuck.
Uh…what else can I write about…?
Ah, to hell with it. I’m not going to spend all my time writing in this. It’s not taking up enough time, and I’m feeling too restless to keep sitting down. But I will go over to Elm’s at eleven, whether he wants me to or not.
Signing off.
Okay…so a lot has happened since I wrote in this thing last. I got an assignment from Elm, and now I’m on my way to carry it out. And it requires travel—you’ll notice that I’ve marked this entry’s location as Cherrygrove City, which is several miles west of New Bark Town. It’s usually a little dangerous to go between towns with no protection against the wild Pokémon…but guess what? I’ve got protection, ‘cause I’ve got a Pokémon of my own!
…Fine, not really. He’s just on loan to me for the duration of my service. But still, I’ve never been able to command a Pokémon before.
Also, it’s a little weird that Elm loaned me a Pokémon after I stole a bunch of stuff from him. Hey, maybe I should try stealing some more of his things and see if he gives me his car, too.
(THAT WAS A JOKE, ELM; DON’T COME STORMING AFTER ME)
Anyway, the Pokémon I received is a Totodile, named Louis. First impressions are…a mix, really. He seems aggressive, but that does help him in battle—at least, from what I’ve seen against the wild Sentret and Pidgey on Route 29. He’s not really hostile towards humans, so I’m giving him some time out of his Poké Ball right now. So far, he hasn’t done anything, but he has been glaring at most of the people who walk near us. Maybe I should recall him so there’s no chance of him attacking someone and getting me into even more trouble.
Eh, I’ll just make the rest of this quick. I’ve been sent to visit a friend of Elm’s called Mr. Pokémon (first item on my agenda when I get there: ask him what his real name is), who apparently has an interesting discovery. Since Elm is short-staffed, I’m now functioning as his errand boy. Unfortunately, this Mr. Pokémon lives almost a day’s walk away from New Bark Town, meaning I’ll have to spend the night at his place.
He’d just better not be a raving lunatic.
…Fine, not really. He’s just on loan to me for the duration of my service. But still, I’ve never been able to command a Pokémon before.
Also, it’s a little weird that Elm loaned me a Pokémon after I stole a bunch of stuff from him. Hey, maybe I should try stealing some more of his things and see if he gives me his car, too.
(THAT WAS A JOKE, ELM; DON’T COME STORMING AFTER ME)
Anyway, the Pokémon I received is a Totodile, named Louis. First impressions are…a mix, really. He seems aggressive, but that does help him in battle—at least, from what I’ve seen against the wild Sentret and Pidgey on Route 29. He’s not really hostile towards humans, so I’m giving him some time out of his Poké Ball right now. So far, he hasn’t done anything, but he has been glaring at most of the people who walk near us. Maybe I should recall him so there’s no chance of him attacking someone and getting me into even more trouble.
Eh, I’ll just make the rest of this quick. I’ve been sent to visit a friend of Elm’s called Mr. Pokémon (first item on my agenda when I get there: ask him what his real name is), who apparently has an interesting discovery. Since Elm is short-staffed, I’m now functioning as his errand boy. Unfortunately, this Mr. Pokémon lives almost a day’s walk away from New Bark Town, meaning I’ll have to spend the night at his place.
He’d just better not be a raving lunatic.
Well, it’s not as bad as it could be. This “Mr. Pokémon” is a weirdo (and I still don’t know what his real name is), but he’s polite enough, and even got on Louis’s good side by offering him some special Pokémon food. Right now, my the Totodile is curled up sleeping in the corner of the guest room, where I’m writing this (admittedly, I am using writing here as an excuse to not spend a whole lot of time with my host—I got tired of him pretty quickly).
I do have some things to write about. When I got here, I was enthusiastically greeted by Mr. Po—you know what, writing out “Mr. Pokémon” over and over again just makes me feel stupid. I’m calling him “Mr. P” now.
So Mr. P welcomed me, saying that Elm had called ahead about my arrival. I barely had time to introduce myself before he ran off and came back with his discovery: an egg. He excitedly told me that that egg had been found by a couple who run a day-care service near Goldenrod City, but even they didn’t know how it got there. So he took it and, after some preliminary examinations of his own, decided that Professor Elm was the best person to take a look at it.
I was curious, though; Goldenrod City’s pretty far away, and unless you have a flying Pokémon or a car, it’s not easy to get there from this location. I did notice a car parked outside the house, but it didn’t look like it’d been used for a couple of weeks, at least. How did he get the egg to his house, then? Well, the answer came into the room just a couple of seconds later.
I didn’t recognize him, but when he first saw me, his eyes went wide and he stumbled a bit. When I (cautiously) introduced myself, though, he composed himself and said that it was a pleasure to meet me. He also apologized for his reaction, saying that I simply reminded him of someone he knew, and it took him aback. Odd.
But then he introduced himself, and I forgot about his reaction to seeing me for a minute. He was none other than Professor Oak, Kanto’s (and Johto’s, really) number one authority on Pokémon. He even has a radio show, Professor Oak’s Pokémon Talk —which, I’ll confess, I listened to a lot when I was younger. Hey, what young kid isn’t interested in Pokémon? But while I was taken aback to meet him, I wasn’t as starstruck as I would have been a few years ago.
Anyway, he explained that he was here on a brief visit, and when I asked, elaborated that it was he who had brought the egg to Mr. P, since he lives in Goldenrod most of the time he’s in Johto. I wasn’t able to talk with him very much more, since he was getting ready to head out, but before leaving, he handed me a rectangular package, wrapped in brown paper. He said that Professor Elm had wanted him to pass it on to me, but that I couldn’t open it until I got back to New Bark Town. When I muttered “great, more mysteries,” he gave me an…almost endearing smile.
I feel like there’s something I’m missing, here.
I didn’t ask, though, and he took his leave, going outside and flying away on his Pidgeot. (I’ll admit, I felt a little jealous, with him being able to travel with strong Pokémon like that.) So then it was just me and Mr. P. Again, he was polite—he invited me to dinner after showing me the guest room—but damn, could he talk your ear off. So after dinner, I excused myself to make a journal entry, and here I am.
Now I just need to drag this out a bit longer…
I guess I could write about my family. Whatever brainiacs that might be reading this besides Elm might want some more background on me, right? That is, if they haven’t already written me off for being a thief…but whatever.
My mom’s name is Miriam. She grew up in Kanto, and when she was in her early twenties, she had two flings with two men two years apart, resulting in me and Zane. She’s really put a lot of effort into making up for being a single parent, especially considering that she had a falling out with her own parents and hasn’t gotten much support from them. Fortunately, the residents of New Bark Town have given her plenty of their own.Unfortunately, her older son decided that he didn’t need anyone’s help, and
Fuck it; I’ve already been over that. And it’s fucking done. Not lingering.
Moving on to Zane. We’re not incredibly close, but then again, he’s not very close to anyone—except maybe whatever fellow nerds he communicates with online. He often hogs the family computer for, as far as I can tell, geeking out about various things having to do with Pokémon. He’d probably have creamed himself if he was the one to meet Professor Oak. I’ll have to be sure I rub it in his face just the right amount.
Crap, I need more things to write about…
Louis’s doing okay. He’s still pretty aggressive, but, like I mentioned, Mr. P pleased him with treats. Maybe I’ll see if I can get some to take with me, just in case I need to calm Louis down in the future. Of course, I may have to return him after I get back—but Elm did say that this was only the beginning of a larger assignment he had for me, so Louis will probably be on loan to me for longer.
Ugh, why don’t I know what I’m doing yet? All this keeping me in the dark is fucking annoying! You get that, Elm? This isn’t the best way to have someone help you! I mean…okay, maybe I shouldn’t be getting too broken up after what I did, but still! What’s wrong with just telling me?
Well, he’ll probably spill the beans once I get back tomorrow. So I only have to wait another whole day! Joy.
On the plus side, I think it’s late enough now that I can say I’m going to bed without it seeming weird. So good night, or whatever.
I do have some things to write about. When I got here, I was enthusiastically greeted by Mr. Po—you know what, writing out “Mr. Pokémon” over and over again just makes me feel stupid. I’m calling him “Mr. P” now.
So Mr. P welcomed me, saying that Elm had called ahead about my arrival. I barely had time to introduce myself before he ran off and came back with his discovery: an egg. He excitedly told me that that egg had been found by a couple who run a day-care service near Goldenrod City, but even they didn’t know how it got there. So he took it and, after some preliminary examinations of his own, decided that Professor Elm was the best person to take a look at it.
I was curious, though; Goldenrod City’s pretty far away, and unless you have a flying Pokémon or a car, it’s not easy to get there from this location. I did notice a car parked outside the house, but it didn’t look like it’d been used for a couple of weeks, at least. How did he get the egg to his house, then? Well, the answer came into the room just a couple of seconds later.
I didn’t recognize him, but when he first saw me, his eyes went wide and he stumbled a bit. When I (cautiously) introduced myself, though, he composed himself and said that it was a pleasure to meet me. He also apologized for his reaction, saying that I simply reminded him of someone he knew, and it took him aback. Odd.
But then he introduced himself, and I forgot about his reaction to seeing me for a minute. He was none other than Professor Oak, Kanto’s (and Johto’s, really) number one authority on Pokémon. He even has a radio show, Professor Oak’s Pokémon Talk —which, I’ll confess, I listened to a lot when I was younger. Hey, what young kid isn’t interested in Pokémon? But while I was taken aback to meet him, I wasn’t as starstruck as I would have been a few years ago.
Anyway, he explained that he was here on a brief visit, and when I asked, elaborated that it was he who had brought the egg to Mr. P, since he lives in Goldenrod most of the time he’s in Johto. I wasn’t able to talk with him very much more, since he was getting ready to head out, but before leaving, he handed me a rectangular package, wrapped in brown paper. He said that Professor Elm had wanted him to pass it on to me, but that I couldn’t open it until I got back to New Bark Town. When I muttered “great, more mysteries,” he gave me an…almost endearing smile.
I feel like there’s something I’m missing, here.
I didn’t ask, though, and he took his leave, going outside and flying away on his Pidgeot. (I’ll admit, I felt a little jealous, with him being able to travel with strong Pokémon like that.) So then it was just me and Mr. P. Again, he was polite—he invited me to dinner after showing me the guest room—but damn, could he talk your ear off. So after dinner, I excused myself to make a journal entry, and here I am.
Now I just need to drag this out a bit longer…
I guess I could write about my family. Whatever brainiacs that might be reading this besides Elm might want some more background on me, right? That is, if they haven’t already written me off for being a thief…but whatever.
My mom’s name is Miriam. She grew up in Kanto, and when she was in her early twenties, she had two flings with two men two years apart, resulting in me and Zane. She’s really put a lot of effort into making up for being a single parent, especially considering that she had a falling out with her own parents and hasn’t gotten much support from them. Fortunately, the residents of New Bark Town have given her plenty of their own.
Fuck it; I’ve already been over that. And it’s fucking done. Not lingering.
Moving on to Zane. We’re not incredibly close, but then again, he’s not very close to anyone—except maybe whatever fellow nerds he communicates with online. He often hogs the family computer for, as far as I can tell, geeking out about various things having to do with Pokémon. He’d probably have creamed himself if he was the one to meet Professor Oak. I’ll have to be sure I rub it in his face just the right amount.
Crap, I need more things to write about…
Louis’s doing okay. He’s still pretty aggressive, but, like I mentioned, Mr. P pleased him with treats. Maybe I’ll see if I can get some to take with me, just in case I need to calm Louis down in the future. Of course, I may have to return him after I get back—but Elm did say that this was only the beginning of a larger assignment he had for me, so Louis will probably be on loan to me for longer.
Ugh, why don’t I know what I’m doing yet? All this keeping me in the dark is fucking annoying! You get that, Elm? This isn’t the best way to have someone help you! I mean…okay, maybe I shouldn’t be getting too broken up after what I did, but still! What’s wrong with just telling me?
Well, he’ll probably spill the beans once I get back tomorrow. So I only have to wait another whole day! Joy.
On the plus side, I think it’s late enough now that I can say I’m going to bed without it seeming weird. So good night, or whatever.
Pokémon name | Category | Nickname |
Totodile | Big Jaw | Louis |
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