Screenshot Galar Commentary Sword Shenanigans

[Skarmizard]

Today we take on another rival and begin the third gym. But before that, there's something I wanted to include in the last update but couldn't because it wouldn't show properly, but I think it's working now, so here it is.

While I was grinding, I noticed a Noctowl in the background doing something strange. It took me a few times to capture it since I had forgotten how to save clips from the Switch (hold the capture button and it saves the last 30 seconds as a video, and then you can go into the album and edit it). Eventually I remembered how to clip and caught it, so here you go:

Appropriate music
I was freaking rolling when I saw that. Not sure if it's caught in a or just derping, but it was too funny. Hope you enjoy, and I may include a few more gifs if there's interest.

Spoiler: Replies

@redninjapuffle: Honestly same, it was a way bigger controversy than it needed to be.

@Kit_The_Feef: #justiceforAmpharos
And poor Misdreavus just gets crapped on every gen (I still don't get why Morty didn't have one).

@RubyClaw: Tbh I don't really like it thematically either, but if it weren't the "new Dragon" it wouldn't bother me so much.
IIRC didn't you have a Barbaracle in your Sword run, or one of your runs? Either way, I don't mind it too much either, but it really is ugly...
Kabu is pretty awesome, especially because he trains against Water-types. I wish they would make him being Flannery's grandfather canon.
I agree with you all around-I don't think it was needed, but I think people made it more controversial than it needed to be. And I think your compromise makes perfect sense-between Bank and Home they should be able to fit all 900+ Pokémon (possibly 1000+ once Gen 9 drops) with no issues. But does anyone really need access to every single Pokémon in one game? It might make a randomizer more fun, but otherwise I think we have more than enough. And that solution for competitive makes sense too.

Question: I think the dex cut was kind of stupid and unnecessary, but it also didn't bother me at all since I've never tried to complete a Pokédex, and I'm pretty sure most of my favorites are still in, or got readded via the DLC. It didn't make the games any less enjoyable-if anything, it gave me more of a chance to use new 'mons (my whole final team in Shield was Galar 'mons, compared to my first Sun playthrough which only had three new 'mons or my first X playthrough which only had one).

Spoiler: Part 18: Smoke on the Horizon

I think we're about as prepared as possible for Kabu.

I guess we just have to go for it...

Yeah, I'm a night owl. Both IRL and in-game.

Why not? Every other game lets you fight gym leaders/Totems/kahunas whenever.

*grumble*
Fine, as long as I don't have to share a room with Hop.

I'm flattered

I guess we can use the time to plan.

Oh, what's this?

You could say that. What brings you here?

Oh, you want to battle? Why now, this far in the game?

But sure, since you aren't Hop. (The "no" option would be my response to him )

For some reason, she looks surprised when you agree to it.

I have multiple questions-what is this background and where did the grunt come from?

I think she might have the best music of the three rivals. Thoughts?

And yes, I knew this battle was coming, so I have the perfect lead in DJ.

Sorry, but you are.

Oh shit.

Oh SHIT!

Thank goodness Baltoy has good defense

And Psybeam obliterated it.

I really hope this mechanic is gone in Gen 9. But somehow I have a feeling it won't go away

That could come in handy though!

You're too frail to risk setting up.

Not really sure why I went with Connor here, but it's fine.
*huffs*
I never said I didn't mind.

Especially when you take out half its health in one turn.

That shouldn't do too much...

Yeah, didn't think so.

Good job.
*scoffs*
That better be an "it was easy" scoff.

Glad you aren't giving up, but this is basically over.

Although this could actually be interesting. Morpeko is decently strong for this point in the game, and most of my team is weak to Electric. Luckily Joan is part-Fighting instead of part-Flying like the Kanto version.

Unfortunately, Morpeko is faster.

That actually did less than I expected.

And since Morpeko is also half-Dark, Rock Smash is good for more than the Defense drop.

But then it becomes angery because of its ability. But it doesn't have any effect in battle right now.

That's nice, although a little unnecessary. Although that reminds me-how am I gonna find a battle you can get three crits in to evolve you?

Oh well, that's Marnie dealt with.

One more level before the gym.

You aren't too bad yourself.

It's not really that late...
*screenshot was taken at 11:10 PM*
...that's not really late for me

You're cute when you aren't hangry. Although honestly, being hangry is a mood for me, plus I love that shade of purple it turns, especially since it's my favorite color.

*goes to bed*

...where's some caffeine? Not coffee though, I'm not a fan of the stuff-I'm a tea and soda guy.

He's not really my friend. But that's fine, it's too early to deal with his annoying bullshit.

"-so I'll give you one."
Oh, that's nice of you.

This better not be some weird tsundere thing like with Bede earlier...

Ooh, those could be handy for this gym.

It seems like it would be easy, but I'm not so sure.
*rolls eyes, scoffs*
You underestimate how strong he is.

Cute, but is that all you have to say?

I guess we're as ready as possible. Could go grind a little bit more, but there's no fun in just overleveling everything-that's why I tend to stick to level caps (unless I don't have any counters, or in Gen 7 since the later totems get omniboosts).

Not really reassuring me...

That's all I can do tbh.

Ugh, what do you want? Or are you gonna whine at me about not being able to beat Kabu?

Bitch, at least I'm trying to be prepared.

Excuse me, what? *record scratch*
...you have no way of hitting Fire for supereffective damage, and I know you're not any higher-leveled than me. How in the fuck did you even-this has to be nepotism, or you pulled an Ash and got him to give it to you out of pity. That or you have a whole bunch of other Pokémon put away somewhere...
(Spoiler if you haven't played SwSh: that could actually be possible-you'll see what I mean later.)

Knowing you, I wouldn't be been surprised if you did somehow catch yourself on fire in there.

Yeah, no. I call bullshit. Now if I'd picked Grookey, then maybe you'd have had a chance since you'd have Drizzile.
*offended gasp*
Fair enough-I wouldn't want to be stuck with him either. That's one of many reasons I picked you, Connor.

I definitely think my chances are better than yours given I actually have counters for Fire.

Let's see how it goes...

Are you sure about that?

I feel you, he's tough.

Maybe.

And because protagonist.

All you can do is try your best, and train more if you lose. Unless you're doing a Nuzlocke like me

...why am I taking you literally? Although that is a hilarious mental image, especially if it's his butt on fire

Are you the same guy who registered me for the challenge?

...that doesn't make sense-shouldn't it be the next gym saying this? I would think most of the challengers would get here and then get stuck, so it would be the next gym that wouldn't have as many challengers, right? Or is it more like "Kabu's reputation intimidates the challengers, so a lot of them never attempt this gym"?

Yeah, yeah *grumble*

He's actually right-you'll see in a minute.

Cool transition, but I don't really get it-Kabu's not a samurai, so what's with the helmet? Although I guess it fits his ace.

This gym is tiny compared to the last two!

Lay it on me.

...that's new.

So this is actually unique for a few reasons. One is obvious-since when have you ever been able to catch a Pokémon in a gym?

The second is that you don't actually fight any of the gym trainers-these are 2v1 battles, but you and the other trainer can attack each other. And as you'll see, they frequently do so.

But there are actually only three wild Pokémon in here, so you might be wondering: what happens if you don't get enough points?
The answer: you fail.
Just kidding-they respawn. Although it would be kind of hilarious/frustrating if you did get booted out and had to redo it. Maybe that's why they don't get many challengers?

You might also be wondering: what can you find here, and am I going to keep whatever I catch?
Well, there's only three options: Vulpix, Sizzlipede, and Litwick. Obviously Vulpix is a dupe, so it's between the others.

As for keeping it: this is kind of a gray area. Technically I did already get a catch in Motostoke (Doug), but I feel like the gym can be considered a separate area under Pinwheel Forest rules, so I decided I'd keep whichever I catch first (assuming I catch it).
I've used both before and like both (although I've had some bad history with Chandelure in my Gen 5 lockes), so I decided to flip a coin to see which one I'd try to catch...

Sizzlipede it is then.

So the best strategy is probably to try to take out the gym trainer before trying to catch the 'mon, or just throw a ball turn 1 and hope to get lucky.

See what I mean about them attacking you?

Luckily this was aimed at the Salandit.

*contemplates what to do next*

A few turns of shenanigans happened-Sizzlipede and I attacked each other, then I switched, and somehow Kristin's accuracy got lowered, although I don't remember how since neither one of them have accuracy-lowering moves...

But I got the catch in the end.

Do you think you could cuddle it for warmth?

Not bad. Centiskorch was one 'mon I used on my first Shield playthrough and was great, but since I did just use one, I think she'll stay in the box for now.
(This was the hardest 'mon to name by far. It took probably 15 minutes for me to settle on Cindy (from cinder, because Fire) and honestly, I'm still not really feeling it. I may let you guys rename her if she gets used later.)

Nice.

Duh.

I figured I may as well KO the others for the other points, although I guess it would be acceptable to catch them and then release them after the gym (or just never take them out of the box), but that feels weird under Nuzlocke rules.

Sorry, not-Kristin.
*sad whine*
*pets her*

Two more to go.

This one was also easy.

Almost there~

Since Connor was super close to leveling, I figured I'd let him fight this one to get the level.

Although I actually led with Olivia then switched so she'd get one as well.

And that's five points!

It's not really that difficult, but thanks.

And that's the fight I'm afraid of . But it'll have to wait until next time.

Spoiler: Teamshot

Next time, we fight Kabu.
Question of the update: if you could be a gym leader, what type/strategy would you use?

 

[Kit_The_Feef]

Gym leader? Nah, I'd want to be a Steel Type Elite 4. That way I rarely have to actually deal with people but I also don't have to worry too much about losing my spot since people go for the Championship.
My strat would be using very bulky, heavy hitting Pokemon, and then giving them Automotize.

 

[RubyClaw]

How in the fuck did you even-this has to be nepotism, or you pulled an Ash and got him to give it to you out of pity

lol, good point.

Cool transition, but I don't really get it-Kabu's not a samurai, so what's with the helmet? Although I guess it fits his ace.

Both that, and the fact that he is a dedicated fighter from a Japanese inspired region, standing out in this British inspired land.

if you could be a gym leader, what type/strategy would you use?

I'd be Kabu. Just kidding, though seriously there's a good reason why he is my favorite Gym leader. He uses my favorite type, his three pokemon all are in my top 25, and I love his strategy and moves, and even his relatively early position as the first tough Gym leader coming at number 3. So yeah, perfect, I'd go for that any day being a Fire type gym leader, and possibly using this exact team.

 

[ActiveTransport]

I took a break from the forums for a while, which means I missed a few of your updates, but I still want to respond to some of them because I enjoy answering your questions and hearing from you as well, Skarmizard.

From part 16: I can't blame you for thinking I'd answer Fire. It's a bit weird. There are some particular Fire-types I really love, and I like the type concept in general, but on average I'm not crazy about them.
The Grip Claw is an item I usually get mixed up with the Binding Band: the first one increases the duration of trapping moves, and the second one increases how much residual damage they inflict.
I can see how ripe fruit would sound different from unripe fruit. One's usually harder or firmer than the other, and if they have different ratios of water inside them, that might affect how the sound waves propagate.
Least favorite type, Fairy hands down. It's got some cool Pokemon, like all of them, but the vast majority of their designs are hugely off-putting to me, it screws over other types I really like, and I hate how OP both the type itself and Pokemon of that type are in competitive battling. Feels like the Fairy-type just messed everything up for no good reason. (Oh okay, I said basically everything you did. Nice, glad we're in agreement XD)
@Kit_The_Feef What about Wormadam-Trash, Durant, Escavalier, and Genesect? I love that combo too; Scizor is my second-favorite Pokemon of all time.

From part 17: Since we were already talking about trapping moves and Scizor...be nice to Sand Tomb! A lot of the trapping moves have been considerably buffed (compared to what they used to be) lately. I actually use Sand Tomb on my competitive team's Scizor because of the Technician boost and because it's really nice unexpected coverage against things like Toxapex and Heatran.
How I feel about the dex cut: Tricky question. The cut itself, I don't care very much about. They left quite a few Pokemon in the game anyway, and plenty of older games have a limited selection too. If you're not the kind of person who's super attached to collecting, probably doesn't affect your game experience at all. The part that makes me mad, and why I feel negatively about the whole situation, is how horrendously Game Freak handled the PR side of things. Initially trying to conceal it from us and downplaying it, making all sorts of excuses, and whining about not having the resources when you're literally the biggest, most profitable media franchise on the planet...despicable, disgusting. I don't mind the dex cut itself. I mind Game Freak essentially giving their fanbase the middle finger, acting like it was somehow necessary or their hand was forced and we just need to shut up and accept it when that is 100% not the case.

From part 18: Huh, why'd you have to switch Olivia right at the end to give her an extra level? Wouldn't she have gotten it from the forced shared EXP? Or do Pokemon get a greater share for directly participating in the battle?
What Gym Leader I would be...huh, I've never thought about it. I can tell you one thing for certain, which is that I wouldn't have any dupes on my team. That's lame. It might be cool to be a Normal-type Gym Leader, but someone who uses species with lots of different secondary types. Most of the regional birds would be eligible for my team; it would be funny to emphasize the fact that they're Normal just as much as Flying. For balance purposes I would probably have to be near the end of a game.

 

[REDalchemist]

QOTU: If I were to pick a type I'd obviously gun for my favorite in fire. In terms of strategy? I'm personally fan of Tate and Liza's double battle to show it off during the gen doubles were introduced. it forces the playing to play in a completely different style and can be quite the pain in nuzlockes if the A.I. goes for the 2v1.

 

[Skarmizard]

Today we take on Kabu for our third badge.

Spoiler: Replies

@Kit_The_Feef: Oh, good point-I should have said gym leader or Elite 4 member. And you make a great point for being an E4 instead, especially the "not having to deal with people part"
That's a cool strategy! Now I'm curious what your team would be...Aggron and maybe Steelix are the first two that come to mind, but who else would you have?

@RubyClaw: Right? Hop is a cheater who only gets by because nepotism and/or pity, this is BS
Oh, that makes it make more sense. I had a blond moment and forget Kabu's originally from Hoenn...now I wish he'd gone full in with the samurai aesthetic.
He is a pretty awesome character with great taste in 'mons. I just wish we could rematch him later :c
You wouldn't use one of the Char line in your gym team?

@ActiveTransport: It's great to have you back
That's fair, it just surprised me. Although I have a similar feeling toward Grass-types-I love some of them, but the type overall is kind of meh.
Massive high-five/brofist for disliking Fairy :D! It's nice to find someone else who feels the same-I'm used to getting slammed relentlessly for disliking them. Although I wouldn't mind so much if they weren't more OP than people said Dragon was before Gen 6.
...TIL Scizor can learn Sand Tomb, and that it used to be way worse (15 base power???). I just didn't think it was worth dumping a move for at the time. DJ does end up getting a good Ground STAB a little later on though.
I agree about not caring about the cut itself, but...holy crap I did not realize Game Freak acted so shitty about it. I tried to avoid discussion about it since it was all people were talking about leading up to the games' release, but wow I did not know they acted like that, especially when it's all nonsense. Minus respect points.
Yeah, Pokémon get more (2x) EXP if they take part in the battle. I don't think she would have leveled otherwise (spoiler for the update: it didn't matter).
Omg yes, gym leaders/E4s having dupes is so dumb, especially in later gens when there are so many choices *sideeyes Milo and the whole ORAS E4 except Sidney*.
That would be a pretty cool concept, and make for a way more interesting Normal(/Flying) gym. I think we'd all have to be late-game since the early gyms are so boring

@REDalchemist: I love the idea of a Fire-themed Double Battle! I was really excited when I found out Raihan was finally another double-as brutal as the twins are in Emerald, the concept was great and I wish more games had put one in. Would make a lot of pushover gyms way more interesting.

Question: if I were a gym leader/E4 member, I would want to use one of four types: any of Dark/Dragon/Steel because they're my three favorite types, or Flying mainly so I can use both my namesake 'mons. I'm no good at coming up with complicated team strats/etc., but would definitely pack coverage for whatever weaknesses my chosen type(s) have.

Spoiler: Part 19: Trial by Fire (vs. Kabu)

It's time to face Kabu.

In the ideal scenario, Connor would just be able to sweep, but after what happened against Nessa, I highly doubt that. The good news is, I have plenty of backup options.
*scoffs and rolls eyes*
I know you're confident, but I'm not...

Either it's really hot in here or my character is having a bad hair day. I relate to both

He's probably used to the heat though.

Hey, why are we coming out of the same side?

It doesn't really make sense, but in a way I like it.

Not to be rude, but we already know that.

"-Water-types too."
...why are you saying the most obvious things?

Milo was super easy though. Nessa wasn't too bad either, except for the part where I nearly lost Johanna.

Of course.

But sometimes luck factors into it as well, like crits and moves missing, and low/high damage rolls.

We take our places...

...and the music starts.

Ooh, not a bad lead 'mon.
*curious yip*
Yes, that's what you evolve into, Kristin-as soon as you get Flamethrower (32 in this game).

This should be pretty easy. I guess I could go ahead and Dynamax now, but I'd rather save that for his ace.

Let's see what this does.

Nice!

Even better, although I doubt it'll help.

But maybe it'll miss?

Although it's not a big deal since it doesn't affect my SpA. Do you think they'll ever make a status that cuts your SpA like Burn does your physical Attack?

See? 4 HP after Leftovers is perfectly manageable. And even if it has Hex (it doesn't), I outspeed, so it doesn't matter.

One down. What's next?

Oh wow! No wonder people say he's tough-Ninetales and Arcanine this early is insane.

Connor's Attack stat is probably 0 or negative at this point ._.
Unfortunately for Kabu, the line is a special attacker

That is the most theatrical animation I've ever seen. Not sure why he didn't just go for an attack since he was already faster...

It looks like Connor sneezed out the water

This is going really well so far.

Uh-oh. That might be bad.

Never mind-it only did about 20 damage, and he didn't get the flinch, which let me finish him.

Wrong 'mons.

Only one more to go, but..as much as I'd love to let Connor go for the sweep, I'm not super comfortable leaving him in while burned and at roughly half health, especially after what happened against Nessa.
*scoffs*
I know, but I just don't feel good risking it.

I decided Doug was my best option since he doubly resists Fire.

In theory, but considering it's currently 6v1, I don't really see how...

And here's the ace. The gym symbol makes more sense now, looking at its face.

Doug should be able to tank whatever it uses, and then Max Rockfall might oneshot since Centiskorch is half-Bug and therefore 4x weak to Rock. But that's what I said against Nessa...however since Doug is bulkier and resists, it should be fine either way.

Am I summoning Giga Bowser?

This time the giant turtle is on my side.

Kabu is the first leader to Gigantamax instead of regular Dynamax. It's not much different, although the 'mons do change appearance and get a signature Max Move. A lot of the designs are cool, but...I still wish these would've been Mega Evolutions instead.

His Dynamax throw is pretty cool as well-he gets literal fire in his eyes for a second.

Centiskorch doesn't look much different though-it just gets really looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong. And its signature move isn't all that either-it's basically a stronger Fire Spin.

Let's see what it does...

Wait, what? *record scratch*
Doug is faster? Sure Drednaw's a lot faster than you'd expect, since it apparently has 74 base Speed, but isn't Centiskorch faster?
*checks*
It's only base 65?
This is the second time in two gyms Drednaw's speed has surprised me. But at least this time it's in my favor, as long as he doesn't miss...

And luckily he didn't. But will this one-shot?

If not, that might finish it.

...well, that was extremely anticlimactic. Didn't even need the sand chip to take it out.

Nice, nice.

And that's three badges!
*roars proudly*

I'm just happily surprised no one went down.

I can see why-you have a very strong team for only the third gym.

Eh, it was more Drednaw being inexplicably fast than anything.

Or just heavy training in Speed EVs?

How nice

I am as well.

I feel a respectful bow on my part would be more appropriate.

Three badges

Literally how does that work?

That might be handy on our next Wild Area visit.

More so than in other regions?

I lowkey thought this was a "passing the torch" speech where he was gonna retire after. I'm glad it's not, though.
*tug at leg*
What is it, Connor?
*stares sadly*
Don't be sad-you did great out there. I just wasn't comfortable risking you against his ace.
*sad chirp*
You'll get your chance later on-there's still a Rock gym, a Dragon gym, and a certain fire dragon, as well as a lot of other fights left to go. But I have to make sure you get there for you to get that chance.
*sighs*
I really need you to get out of the angsty teen phase.

Back in the lobby...

Can you please fuck off already?

Yes, because I actually have a team good against him, unlike you. I still want to know what bullshit or sob story you pulled to get the badge.

Flamethrower pls?

Oh, okay...
Better than Whirlpool at least.

Where am I even keeping these?

What is with everyone saying the most obvious things today?

He makes it sound like Hammerlocke is the next gym you face, not the last one.

That sort of clarifies it? But not really.

I think I will be, but I doubt you will.

Go right ahead, I'll send Leon your remains.

We're inspiring them

If only we ever actually fought any others...

For some reason, after leaving the gym, we're forced to follow Hop to the edge of the city.

When will you realize I don't want to travel with you????

Do you understand now? FUCK OFF!

Oh. Well, my sentiment still stands.

*hysterical laughter*
Yeah, no. If it's gonna be anyone, it's me.

I wonder why they don't load up on Fire counters? Or do they just lose the will to continue?

That's nice of you c:

What are you two doing here?

I still think he cheated or gave Kabu some BS sob story and got the badge out of pity, but

I wonder how many? 20%, 30%, more, less?

This makes it sound like they're always the first three leaders, even though everything we've heard so far suggests they rotate...

Oh, that's really not necessary...I already feel the cringe coming.

Kabu even thinks it's cringe-look at his face
But the sentiment is nice.

Hopefully-we don't want things to be too easy.

Like I said, this is kind of cringe but also sweet at the same time.

I already told you that's not gonna happen because you won't get there.

Maybe I'm being too harsh and I should let him dream? Idk, I'm more of a realist and I think it's better to let him down now.

Why does that vaguely sound like a song reference?

You can't see where to go from this angle...

Oh, there we are.

Not in this section-I already got most of my encounters, and the one section I skipped is still a little too high leveled at this point.

Get eaten by a dragon or something?

What legend?

We're then accosted by an unfriendly face:

Oh really? This is coming from someone I've stomped twice already
Although I think you're right about Hop tbh.

Like I've been saying, he only got it because nepotism. At least I have potential

...what does that have to do with anything? I mean, I agree with you that he sucks, but...that's kinda irrelevant in regard to his (lack of) battle prowess.

Thank you for the complement

Again, who gives a shit about how you throw a ball? This isn't baseball/basketball/football where throwing a ball properly is important.

...you realize he's insulting you more than Leon, right?

Please do, get him out of my hair before I throw a Pokéball into his face.
*snort*

Blah blah blah, just shut up and lose already.

And how would you know? I certainly didn't bring it up...are you stalking me?

*hysterical laughter*
You wish.

Ooh, shade! But honestly, Bede's right-Hop is too busy comparing himself to us and Leon that he doesn't stand out as his own person.

What skills?

"-with him!"
Yeah, uh...good luck with that?
I'm just gonna go on ahead and leave you both in the dust while I bolster my team a little more. But that'll have to wait until next time

Spoiler: Teamshot

Next time, we revisit the Wild Area.
Question of the update: do you have a favorite Gigantamax form, and if so, which one? (list for convenience)

 

[Kit_The_Feef]

My favourite G-Max is Inteleon just because the sniper is stupid and I love it. I'm also a fan of G-max Alcreamie, she's just a giant birthday cake.

 

[ActiveTransport]

Pokemon Legends: Arceus did create a Special counterpart to burn! It's known as frostbite, and apparently it also doubles to replace the Frozen status condition.

At first I was really worried to see you send out Doug against Centiskorch, and then I remembered that this is an in-game battle and not a competitive set. Competitive Centiskorch like to carry Power Whip. Overall, though, great job on Kabu's Gym; with your lineup I didn't expect any trouble. Maybe those Badges stay in place with magnets?

"Hello, darkness, my old friend...I've come to talk with you again..."

 

[RubyClaw]

I'm very tempted to use one of the Charmander lines in my gym, but I'm not sure what I feel about gym leaders using starter pokemon, maybe if it is in a region where Charmander isn't a starter. But yeah I'd surely consider it!

Hey, why are we coming out of the same side?

A reference to soccer I believe.

I have a feeling you are not a huge fan of Hop ...

QOTU: Based on design I'd say Butterfree who looks really majestic. Other good candidates are Snorlax (really amusing), and Machamp (looks almost divine like a powerful hindu god), but many are them are great (and I agree about liking Mega Evolutions far more).

 

[Skarmizard]

Today we revisit the Wild Area and make our way to Hammerlocke.

Spoiler: Replies

@Kit_The_Feef: Those are both pretty great, especially the absurdity of Alcremie's massive cake

@ActiveTransport: ...I really need to sit down and play Legends...it's literally in my stack of games, I just haven't had the chance to play it yet
It's cool that they still came out with a new status this far into the series.
...Oh shit, I didn't even know it could learn Power Whip. Luckily the games don't usually throw coverage like that at you, although I would love to see a hack do it. Although then he really would be impossible to get past...
Hey, maybe you're right about them being magnetic.

@RubyClaw: Honestly I could see gym leaders using starters if they specialize in one of the three types (Gardenia has a Turtwig in every game), but that's fair. I just think having one of the Char line would be fitting
I'm very curious what that reference is-I'm not much of a sports person, and soccer especially doesn't get talked about much here in the States (probably because we tend to suck at it)...
Tbh I don't actually mind Hop that much, I just wish he showed up a little less and didn't repeat the same stupid lines so much. When I first played Shield I was cringing at him because I thought he was just gonna be another Hau (who I genuinely don't like), but then Hop got a better story arc that made me like him more. He's still annoying af early on though, but we're about to get into that arc, so I probably won't complain about him as much.
GMax Butterfree does look amazing, and Snorlax is hilarious (it's like he fused with a Torterra!). Machamp looks cool as well, and it cracks me up that he finally got pants. But yeah, Megas were better.

Question: there are a few pretty great Gigantamax forms, but I'm torn between Inteleon (the giant tail tower is hysterical), Duraludon (it's a freaking skyscraper!), and Charizard (fire wings!). As much as I don't like Alcremie itself, it turning into a giant wedding cake is also hysterically funny.

Spoiler: Part 20: The Long Road to Hammerlocke

With three badges in hand, it's time to head into the second half of the Wild Area.

I decided this was a good time to catch up some of the 'mons we haven't used in a while, especially since two are relatively close to evolving. I kept Barry for the same reason, and decided to go ahead and put some levels into Drake so that I won't have to powergrind him later.

...this is gonna be harder than I thought if that's from an SE STAB move.

Not reassuring...although he did win in the end, I think he's gonna have to stay in the back to get levels. 245 BST is ridiculously garbage.

A Mudbray would've been a cool encounter, but overall I'm happy with my squad.

Perhaps this will be easier/more helpful for grinding?

Well, that's not good...luckily I have a resistance.

It also helped that it kept spamming powders rather than attacking.

No thanks.

What a view! Just as long as the Corviknight stays away.

Don't scare me like that Edgar!

I doubt I'll need this, but hey, you never know when it might come in handy.

Oh, hello. If only I could catch you-Lucario's my other favorite 'mon besides Zard :(

Where can you even find Riolu/Lucario in SwSh? This is the first time I've seen a wild one.

AAAAAAAAAAAA stay away from me

Unfortunately, it was way too fast.

But it's okay, because I still have Poké Dolls.

...But first, let me check something just out of curiosity:
*looks up Lucario's learnset*

...huh, at this level, it has nothing to hurt Edgar with (literally at the perfect level). So could he just defeat it?

Probably, although at 14 levels lower, it'll take a while...but since it literally can't touch me, I can spam Hone Claws to get +6 Attack.

Much better.

That was enough to get Edgar two levels.

...why is Noibat so weak?

Already?
I could have had him evolved for Kabu, not that I would've needed it.

Very cool.

...who the heck ate one? o_o

That Attack and especially that Speed are very attractive. But he's gonna be fighting Doug for a team slot, and Connor has priority over either, so...

I swapped Karen back in after that.

And then I decided to cross the bridge to the new area.

New catches incoming~

Not you though, you're probably too strong. It's pretty funny seeing Snorlax finally up and moving.

Drapion and Sigilyph could also be useful.

Yesss! Now I just need Kristin to get Flamethrower, and we're good to go. I think I'll evolve her and Johanna at the same time.

The city looms in the distance...but first, encounter time.

Cool, cool.

Stop that!

Easy enough.

Interesting. Does that mean they can breed?
*checks*
Looks like it. That would make a cool offspring.

Pretty meh nature, but Battle Armor is awesome. Not sure whether I'll use him or not, but he looks pretty solid overall.
(Named after my Drapion from an X wonderlocke. He was my Sinnoh rep for most of the run (it was also something I called a generationlocke, meaning I had to have one 'mon from each available gen on my team) and was pretty awesome throughout, ultimately taking out Mega Gardevoir for the win. His name wasn't actually Hugo-it was "1777" for some reason (breeding project?), but that didn't feel right, so I took to "naming" him and then all my other wonderlocke 'mons after.)

Ew, although one of these days I'll have to try one and see if it's actually decent. @RubyClaw didn't you have one in your first SwSh run? I think I remember that...

Golisopod is a beast though. But who gets one of them in a locke?

Then I stuck my head in a Raid Den just in case I could get something useful. Johanna handled it pretty easily.

Ooh, not bad. Good STAB for Doug and Connor respectively, assuming they can learn them.

That could also be handy, since I don't have much Ground coverage other than DJ.

Speaking of Connor...

...he finally got a chance to Dynamax after all. It's not a dramatic fight, but he finally got the opportunity.
*CHIRPS LOUDLY*
And my ears broke again

Very nice, although it's a little odd getting Ground TRs from a Rock-type...Fire would've been great, but oh well.

Then I ran into the lady with the starters again. She evolves them after Kabu, so this is handy for grinding.

Ooh, nice!

Anything > Normal moves, plus it's stronger.

That could also be handy.

Supersonic can take its 55 accuracy and GTFO.

Thwackey is one of the more "meh" middle forms. It's not ugly like Marshtomp or Brionne, or awkward like Quilladin or Braixen, but not really cute or cool like Grovyle, Quilava, or Charmeleon.
*sulky chirp*
Calm down, Connor-I also think Drizzile is cool, but I don't want to go through my opinion of all 24 middle forms right now. Odds on whether the Gen 9 middle forms will suck or be amazing?

I considered it, but figured it wasn't as good as Spark since its accuracy is lower for the same power. Possible flinching is nice, but...do you think I should change it? Let me know (although I'm already past Opal in-game, so it won't affect anything for a while.)

Speaking of Stormy, it wasn't long before she got to level 26...

...and evolved

That sounds very convenient. Too bad we can't use that IRL...can we?

So strong now

Although now she looks way more like a dog. Not changing her name though since her namesake acts like a dog most of the time anyway (she's literally trying to climb on me/my laptop as I write this).

Nopenopenope.

Eventually we passed into another area while watching a Gyarados swim through the river.

...ewww, none of those are very tempting, especially not the Wobbuffets. I would go for the Rhydon, but it's probably too high-leveled.

I was gonna try this, but it ended up being either a dupe or a Fairy-type, so that's out.

Again, don't think I'll need it, but you never know. Eventually I just went into the grass when an popped up...

Well, all right.

It put up a decent fight, but I got it eventually.

That's interesting as well. I like reading dex entries just to learn more about Pokémon/to see some of the outlandish stuff they come up with. The Mega Evo ones in Gen 7 are BS though.

Not bad, but Thievul isn't really any better than Liepard, so I highly doubt I'll use him, especially since I can't really think of anywhere pure-Dark would be useful.
(Named because "thief" = "rob" = Robin. No relation to the FE character.)

That building in the distance is a second nursery. Still not very helpful in a locke since it doesn't get your 'mons levels, but debatably more useful for breeding Wild Area catches?

These two, on the other hand, are pretty useful.

Although I question if this specifically is a good spot for it.

This is another reason to stockpile watts.

Which means you get more items, but less rare ones. Obviously the other is the opposite.

Seems reasonable.

Not a bad haul.

I would've expected more than three, though...let's see how his brother does?

Better, despite what he claimed, although why should I care about a bottle cap?

I don't think I've ever seen that happen. Does that mean more stuff?

Nice! And since this only costs watts instead of money, it's pretty much infinitely usable.
(Edited/merged screenshots ftw for condensing these!)

Another new area.

Having three Raid Dens this close together is kind of hilarious.

I ended up getting surprised by my encounter, because I didn't even see it run into me...

And at first I was like "oh goddamnit, useless simping piece of-"
*sees female sign*
AAAAAAAAAAAAA! Salazzle is decently high on my want-to-use list (I never got one in Gen 7), so this is incredibly lucky.

Nice!

Eww. Why does that make me think she and Karen would get along?

Like I said, I've never gotten to use a Salazzle, so I'll probably bring her in later even if she's a little redundant to Kristin/Karen. Hopefully she won't try to seduce Connor or any of the other guys
(Named for the sirens of mythology, since they were known for luring men (mainly sailors) to their deaths.)

Getting closer~

Yet another new area.

I decided to just go for whatever's in the den as my catch, especially if it's something nice.

...no fucking way.

Oh hell yes!

Joan struck me as the best option since she's my best Fighting-type.
*SQUAWKS LOUDLY*

I hate myself for saying this, but this is actually a great squad for this battle.

With a little assistance...

...it was an easy catch.

Some decent goodies as well.

I guess that makes sense since it can't see.

Why does she have to have a -SpA nature
Not that it's a dealbreaker by any means. And since this is one of the only games you could reasonably evolve to Hydreigon before the final battle (although it'll be close, since for some reason they thought 64 was a reasonable level for it), I may just bring her in, swapping in here and there to get her levels along the way.
(Named after the gym leader, since I got a female. If I'd gotten a male, I'd have named him after the one from my Moon wonderlocke, who was one of my first catches and somehow made it all the way (it helped that he had special moves from the beginning so I didn't have to deal with Hustle). I called him Ridley.)

One more area before we reach Hammerlocke.

Those are gross choices. Two trade evos (although I guess Eviolite Machoke could be decent), one is trash, and one is a dupe...yuck.

And I'm sure you're way too high level...

It's like being in a locker room

Went for another encounter, and...

...well, okay.

This was mainly close because she'd been damaged before.

Easy enough.

So it's like Psyduck? Also you might have noticed they started using its eyes in some attack animations-Tearful Look and Baby-Doll Eyes come to mind.

at these natures. Meowstic isn't great-I have no idea why the XY rival always leads with it, or why it was Olympia's ace-but it's not terrible, but I already have DJ for Psychic and I don't think I need another Psychic-type.
(Named after the Mother 3 protag, since he's the first psychic character I thought of. Even though I've never played the game, I've watched parts of it, and...it may be one of the most heartwrenching games in existence. I won't spoil, but...let's just say watching the final battle hurt and I barely knew anything about it. Although it actually made me like Lucas a lot more in Smash.)

The team musical chairs continues~

Yet again, probably won't need it, but you never know.

Staying far away from him.

This Raid Battle was actually pretty interesting despite my advantage.

It started off pretty simple, even with the Mudbray getting nuked right off the bat.

But then it somehow survived a crit Fire attack thanks to a new mechanic.

Which is probably the most annoying Raid mechanic: shields. You can barely do any damage while they're up, and with how useless the allies tend to be, it's very hard to get rid of them before you lose the battle.

Normal hits take out one bar of the shield, and Max Moves take out two.

It was simple enough this time, but later on when they have 6+ bars and can make them twice...good luck

But when it goes down, it takes some of the damage you dealt while it was up.

It also takes -2 to each Defense stat.

After a few turns, its stats ended up here thanks to Curse spamming.

And then went down, earning us some solid goodies.

This was a huge level for Rocky.

Because he learned all three elemental punches! With them and Iron Fist, he could be a huge beast later on. (I dumped Bulldoze for Fire Punch.)

Connor also picked this up.

Again, anything > Normal, plus it's way stronger.

More importantly, Ozzy got to a huge level.

Yesss. He's metal AF now and I love it

Ewww, I hope he doesn't rupture one of them in the process

And he finally gets better moves

An obvious upgrade. You might say I should have replaced Nuzzle, but Flail is crap and the 100% paralysis could be handy.

That could be handy in a little bit.

Eventually I found a very easy way to grind: throwing Rocky at Maractuses (Maracti?) in harsh sunlight. Fire Punch was almost always an OHKO, and they couldn't do much in return.
When his health got low, I found Zigzagoons for him to Drain Punch back to full HP.

Which got DJ this.

I figured the extra power (80) was worth it.

Karen could also fight the cacti, but it wasn't quite as fast.
*screeching*

Oh yes. Toxic is one of my favorite moves, especially in Nuzlockes.

An obvious choice. Now she really is a Karen

Then I finally remembered to have Doug relearn this for Water STAB. I dumped Headbutt since he still has the flinch chance with Bite and Dark > Normal.

With most of the 'mons around level 30, I settled on this group going forward into Hammerlocke/the next section.

So much nope!

Thank goodness I held on to these.

After that, I found the digging duo again, getting a second fossil (a dino) and a Shiny Stone among the finds.

Stay away! *throws Poké Doll at it*
Although I would like to use one sometime.

Finally made it.

Does this mean you have to have earned three badges to even enter Hammerlocke at all? Or does it only apply to Gym Challengers?

*hums boredly, since I can't whistle*

Yes, yes. Can I go in now?

In theory, yes, but first Bede shows up again.

Oh really? Why's that?

Why am I completely unsurprised you beat him?

That would be nice, but I've beaten him...
*checks notes*
four times now and he hasn't yet, so don't hold your breath, unfortunately.

At least I can somewhat believe Bede won them legit. Although given what we find out later, I wonder if he didn't have to actually earn them.

So...are we battling? That's why you're bothering me, right?

Oh, okay. Bye Felicia.
(Why don't you battle him here? It would make sense...more sense than fighting Hop three times before the first gym.)

At any rate, looks like it's time to enter the dragon's mouth. We'll explore Hammerlocke next time.

Spoiler: Teamshot

Next time, we check out Hammerlocke.
Question of the update: what do you think of the Wild Area?

 

[ActiveTransport]

I agree that a move with some kind of type coverage is usually going to be better than Normal, but it's worth considering their secondary effects. I myself probably would have kept something like Swift just for the safety of a never-miss hit, but to each his own.

The Wild Area...don't have many thoughts on it. It's a cool idea. I think there's some merit to the idea that it was a testing ground for PLA more than anything. Those super-high-level Pokemon confuse me, though. Does the game give you extra chances to run away or are you just flat-out screwed if you forgot to buy Poke Dolls?

 

[RubyClaw]

AAAAAAAAAAAA stay away from me

it was also something I called a generationlocke, meaning I had to have one 'mon from each available gen on my team

I also did one of those on my Y run and it was really fun and interesting to build a team this way.

@RubyClaw didn't you have one in your first SwSh run? I think I remember that...

Yep! And I learned tp love it, especially once it evolved. A perfect counter for Leon's Charizard (in theory at least, it died before that...).

I considered it, but figured it wasn't as good as Spark since its accuracy is lower for the same power. Possible flinching is nice, but...do you think I should change it? Let me know (although I'm already past Opal in-game, so it won't affect anything for a while.)

Nah, what are you saying makes sense.

And at first I was like "oh goddamnit, useless simping piece of-"
*sees female sign*
AAAAAAAAAAAAA! Salazzle is decently high on my want-to-use list (I never got one in Gen 7), so this is incredibly lucky.

Nice!

The wild area is a cool feature and a step in the right direction Which Game Freak seems to be indeed taking even further in the next generation. It feels a bit empty and predictable (too bad it isn't more procedurally generated). Still overall, I like it.

 

[ArsSanctum]

Good job taking advantage of that Lucario moveset!

Also, yeah, Noibat > Noivern is nearly treated as a pseudo-legendary, though its probably more like Magikarp > Gyarados. Unfortunately they have learned from Magikarp, and thus you don't get Noivern at lecel 20. Drats.

 

[REDalchemist]

Congratz on making it past the vertical portion of the very linear region. Now here comes the hardest part, The X-axis

As for the last few QOTU i've missed

Best G-Max for me personally has gotta Centiskorch. The way it essentially transforms into a giant eastern dragon with the 火 fire symbol on his face turning into whiskers is amazing. Some honorable mentions for me are Machamp, Orbeetle, and the Kanto starter ones (yes, even Charizard )

As for the wild area I think it's a pretty neat idea that grew on me the more I played SWSH. Now as to whether I prefer it to how it was in PLA? I think i'd rather go for a healthy balance of both for any future games. keep traditional rounds but add more wild area-esque locations to future regions.

 

[Kit_The_Feef]

I like the Wild Area. It beeg. That's it, that's why I like it.

 

[Mr Spaz]

I prefer to use the Wild Area nursery for Egg hatching because I can just hold forward on the left stick while moving the camera to either side with the right stick to just go in a big circle until something hatches while remaining close to the Nursery for more eggs.

 

[Skarmizard]

Today we start exploring Hammerlocke.

Spoiler: Replies

@ActiveTransport: That's a good point, and since Swift is a TM I could always put it back on later, especially if there's accuracy shenanigans later.
You're probably right about the Wild Area being a test for Legends (and probably Gen 9).
I'm not 100% sure, but it seems like it's easier to run away from the high-leveled 'mons-when I first played Shield I mainly ran rather than use Poké Dolls and it usually worked. Don't quote me on that though

@RubyClaw: It was so fun! I just wish it was possible in other games, but you'd have to skip gens in 7 and 8...
I thought I remembered that! Maybe one day I'll give one a shot.
I'm wondering if Gen 9 is gonna be completely open-world kind of like Legends. It would be unique, especially if the gyms (assuming gyms stay) could scale, but that's probably too ambitious...

@ArsSanctum: Thanks! I got really lucky that it just happened to be at the perfect level.
That Gyarados-Noivern comparison makes a lot of sense...I just wish they'd have carried the early evo over to Noibat, or at least made it more reasonable (30?). Or give it a middle evo like all the pseudos...

@REDalchemist: But what about the z-axis?
Centiskorch is a pretty neat GMax form, especially the way the design ties into the gym symbol. UFOrbeetle is pretty great too, and high five for liking the Kanto starters.
That'd be a pretty good way to handle it in Gen 9-hopefully they actually do so, but after all the backlash, who knows what they'll do...

@Kit_The_Feef:

@Mr Spaz: That does sound pretty convenient-it's pretty considerate that they've added convenient areas for hatching eggs. If only there was somewhere you could move automatically...

Question: overall I like the Wild Area for being unique and having such a wide variety of Pokémon, although there are some parts I think are a little too big-I think if it were around 20% smaller it would be perfect. It just takes forever to get around, even after you get the bike. But the way it's set up makes it great for Nuzlockes, since you can get so many catches at various points of the game.

I also have another GIF for you today-I passed a Gigalith while I was heading toward Hammerlocke, and something cracked me up...

He's so slow, it's hilarious

Spoiler: Part 21: Wandering Around the Castle Walls

We've made it to Hammerlocke, so let's see what there is to do.

What on earth is that?

I mean, it looks cool, but...how? And why?

I do love the castle aesthetic though.

And the dragon tower is a nice touch as well.
Hammerlocke has weird music though. It's not bad, but it's weird.

Ignoring that for now, especially since Rose still hasn't found his pants. Gonna explore the west part of the city first.

I still wonder if this means they shuffle the order from year to year. It would be interesting to play through in a different order each time, although probably way too much work on Game Freak's part.

I don't think you can, since I never have BP since I don't bother with Battle Frontier-type nonsense. Unpopular opinion: I didn't care that it didn't appear in ORAS.

At first I was gonna say that's weird, but tbh I do the same thing wrt some of my favorite Pokémon (Charizard (6), Skarmory (227), the Treecko line (252, 253, 254), Lucario (448)). I also started doing the same with my favorite Smash fighters once they got numbered in Ultimate.
(My phone passcode is actually three of my favorite characters' numbers. I won't say who or what order though .)

Weird kink but okay. I'm more confused why you're telling a random stranger that.

Honestly, no, because I keep forgetting it's a thing since you never do anything with it in-game. Maybe I will later.

That is weird.

Sure it is

This guy has a very unique battle.

Although you can probably guess his gimmick since he keeps mentioning it. There's only two or three "focus" gimmicks, so...

Odd choice of 'mon for a Black Belt, but okay.

*record scratch*
Level 2?
Um...just go tap it, I guess?

*second record scratch*
Okay, Baltoy's attack sucks, but how did a level 2 survive a crit from a level 29???

...and that's the gimmick. Admittedly this is a pretty funny way to introduce the Focus Sash.

This may look worrisome, but he doesn't have any priority moves, so there's no danger. He forgot the second half of the FEAR strategy (or "FEAC" since he's using a Cottonee? Either way, he's missing the "A".)

1 exp for everybody

That defeat animation is too funny.

I could definitely see that catching someone off guard if they're playing blind.

And obviously he gives you one after. Which is much more enjoyable than that bitch on Poni Island with a whole flock of Teeter Dance-spamming Oricorios
Although I never actually use them since it seems too situational to be useful, especially since it's a one-use item. Watch me eat my words in this run though...

Honestly, same-a lot of art makes no sense to me. And that mural... *cringe*

Fair enough.

You've had them for how long?
I think it's past time for you to retire them-they're probably faded and ragged as hell. And I really hope you're not talking about your underwear as well

I can: Charizard, Lucario, Grovyle, Skarmory, and...the fifth rotates between Feraligatr, Sceptile, and Nidoking depending on how I'm feeling.
*sulky chirp*
Oh, hush, Connor-I haven't had as much time with the newer 'mons. If you want me to restrict it to Gen 5 and later: Zoroark, Haxorus, Greninja, Incineroar, and any of Inteleon/Corviknight/Toxtricity.
*smug chirp*
You'd better be happy now.
*puzzled tweet*
Yes, Edgar-I like both steel birds. Still considering a Skarm/Corvi duorun (if I do it, it probably won't be a locke though).

I would as well instead of seeing someone fight Milo for the 5000th time. If only gym leaders could scale teams for challengers with less badges...

This café may look quaint, but it's actually a death trap if you're doing a locke.

Out of my face, you hellspawn!

*snort*
I could definitely see that being amusing. Don't punch it though or it would actually hurt, plus it's morally wrong, even if Wobbuffet is literally a demon.
(This is not the death trap though.)

I was the same way as a kid. Which is probably why I've pretty much always been overweight...plus I never liked going outside or playing sports. Video games were/are so much more enjoyable!

...I never took it that far though

NO.

Well, catch one then? It's not like this is Hisui and you're scared of them (yes, I finally started playing Legends! So far I'm enjoying myself, although I'm not super far in (I think I'm close to the first boss fight? Having a hard time deciding what 'mons I want to use...))

I feel like "elegant Galar ladies" wouldn't care for Pokémon battles, but
The pompous vibes are off the scale with this one

...you really think someone can keep up with that many Abilities? I'm always having to look up random ones I've never heard of because they're only on this one specific 'mon, and don't even get me started on the "hidden Ability" nonsense. Yet another reason I could never be a competitive player...

Fuck you. You think it's reasonable to have level 37 'mons at a point when most people would only be in the low-30s/high-20s? You're a terrible person and I should report you.
(PSA if you haven't locked SwSh: do not fight this guy until later.)

Meh.

But Noibat has eyes, so why does it need sound to find them? At least with Zubat, it made sense since it doesn't have eyes...

...what.

Is it? *checks map*

Spoiler: Big image

Looks like it's a little north of the center, but...I guess I'll allow it.

Nice.

I still want to know why Meowth got two regional forms when there are a lot of other 'mons who would've liked one.

"-too heavy..."
I just assumed no one wore it because it's fugly as hell. Although it does look really heavy...I think Lance's is way more reasonable.

Did I mention I love the castle aesthetic here?

Same, although some 'mons can be both cool and cute (Grovyle and Quilava are great examples, as well as Flygon).
*huffs*
Oh hush, Connor-you get mad when people call you cute.

This looks fancy.

But why? I guess to protect whatever's inside from grubby children?

Off to the east side. Does Hammerlocke have a real-life British equivalent with a similar aesthetic? Would love to see it.

Salty Smash/competitive players in a nutshell. This is why I don't play online.

Maybe later, although I don't think I have any happiness evolutions.

Fuck you. It doesn't matter how much training I do, you and your type never say it's good enough

I feel like you and that boy could've been combined into one character.

Not sure why, but the Soothe Bell is one of my favorite items. Although again, I don't think I have any happiness evos, so outside of Return I don't know if it'll be that useful.
*checks*
Never mind, Return isn't even in the game.

Is that your name then?

...there aren't? That seems like something that is totally a real thing.

This would never fly in the real world, so why is it okay in a world full of powerful beasts?
(Which is why in the few cases I imagine story with my runs, the trainer is around 18, and I wouldn't write one any lower than 16. I just can't accept sending a 10-year-old out into a world like that.)

Meh.

Holy shit, instead of a crazy cat lady it's a crazy bird lady! O_O

Birds are cool, but this is excessive! *hides Edgar before she tries to steal him*

I guess? You remind me of this person in Hoenn who had a shitload of Wingull.

Actually, yes.

He just talks about the effects of one type of weather (in this case, sun), then gives you the corresponding rock (so a Heat Rock.) I think if you go back on multiple day, he gives you the others. I don't usually mess with weather in-game too much, but again, who knows what might happen this time.

Yes, and I'm so happy it's all rolled into one person now. So much more convenient!

...I know what she meant, but the way she said it sounds like she called Raihan a dragon
(Soeaking of, how the hell do you pronounce Raihan? Most of the hardcore Nuzlocke videos I watch say "Rye-hahn", but my first instinct was "Ray-han", and considering how a lot of people on Youtube pronounce Rayquaza wrong (there's not a fucking Y before the Z!), I don't know if I should trust them...I mean, either version of Raihan is fine with me, I just wonder if there's a "correct" one.)

So many birbs!

Hopefully we'll make it there.

What happens if we try to leave this way?

...you guys cannot spell.

"-to you!"
Gag.

Well, they're usually major characters.

Fancy!

...sir, there's a living trash bag in your kitchen. I'm calling the health department.

I imagine it's pretty exciting to watch.

Eww.

Speaking of Pidove...

Cute
Although you should probably feed it, it might be hungry.

Ooh, my favorite healing items! I almost always stockpile Lemonades in the mid-game since they're more effective than Super Potions for way less money.

...all I have to do is spam A for five minutes!
But at least I don't have to scroll through the others like in past games. Still wish you could just buy them in bulk though.

It's also hilariously passive-aggressive if you say you don't want anything.

That should be good for now. Even with the Gen 7 slight nerf (along with the slight buff Super Potions got), they're still more effective for less.

What's up here?

A what?

Oh, isn't that what it evolves with? Not that I'm gonna use one.

So it's like the old "hold _____ and you're more likely to catch Pokémon" rumors from back in the day? Man that's some nostalgia...although admittedly I still do something similar: I usually look away if my 'mons are confused or when I throw a ball. Not sure why.

Seems pretty obvious just looking around Hammerlocke.

I guess this is a hint if you haven't been doing Raid Battles?

Ooh, nice!
(Not sure if I've mentioned this or not, but hidden items are shown as little sparkles on the map.)

I like to think I'm trustworthy.

What does that have to do with me, though?

Oh. Well, not to be rude, but...I don't think I should get involved.

Although now I feel bad

But why can't she deliver it herself?
(I know why, but I'm trying not to spoil for anyone who hasn't played.)

Maybe she just thinks it'd be easier to have someone else deliver it. Or she's just shy?

...something feels off about this. She's younger than my character, but the letter looks old?

Luckily we're headed there after the next gym. Hopefully she doesn't mind it taking a little bit longer.
*tug at leg*
What is it, Connor?
...Why are you pale?
*nervous chirp*
It's just a random girl, calm down.

Could come in handy later.

Gonna go ahead and cut it here because this would be a >250 screenshot update. We'll check out the rest of the city next time.

Spoiler: Teamshot

Next time, we finally see what Rose wants.

Question of the update: what's your favorite music from SwSh?

 

[ActiveTransport]

I've hardly listened to any SwSh music so I'll take the easy way out and say the Gym Leader theme. Not that it's anything especially memorable imo but it's the best I can do.

WHY WHY WHY does Game Freak feel the need to stick these way overleveled Trainers with absolutely no warning in random locations? I had two deaths in an X Wonderlocke to a random nobody on Route 8 whose team was about 10 levels above mine and everything else in the area.

 

[Kit_The_Feef]

Fun fact! Dex number 241 is Miltank! And in Galar it's Hattena. Ironic.
My favourite Sword/Shield music is either the gym leader theme, Marnie's theme, Eternatus' theme or the Slumbering Weald. Klara also has a good battle theme (from the DLC). Still hate her tho.

 

[Mr Spaz]

My thing from Gens 4-7 was to just say "Wake up" directly into the mic when my Pokemon was asleep. It rarely worked