POKEMON GOLD PROGRESS- DAY 18
More exploration of the eastern half of the map, an important acquistion, some fun events, and new Pokemon, of course.
NEW POKEMON
No new ones in battles, but a few new ones caught, thanks to the "Sugoi tsurizao" (Terrific Fishing Rod), which is found where the old one was, in the shack with the same good old fisherman as before. (The previous rod I've had for most of the game, the "Pro no tsurizao" [Pro Fishing Rod] belied its name, as it seldom caught good water Pokemon.)
Caught:
Chonchy (#170), an interesting Pokemon which is both water- AND electric-type! Ovoid body, two antennae with big bulbs on the ends, little flippers, big eyes.
Lantern (#171), a cute angler-fish Pokemon with a light on its head.
Saniigo (#222), a combo water/rock type Pokemon, which looks like a walking coral reef with a smiley face (its name is a pun on "Sango", coral).
PROGRESS:
I've begun familiarizing myself with the revised Pokemon world, as while the towns and cities are in the same place, the landscape's changed in the past three years and some of the buildings have changed purposes as well!
For example, the Power Plant is fully operational now and clean and pristine; however, there's a problem there I've not yet solved which is tied into getting the train between Yamabuki City and Kogane City to run. The Cyan Town (Lavender Town) tower is now a radio station, though Mr. Fuji is there. I don't seem to have his favorite Pokemon yet, so he hasn't given me anything.
The Game Corner is still present in Yamabuki City (just as there's one in Kogane City) and, if I didn't mention this before, you do have a choice of games now. One is the three-reel slots, and the other is a card matching roulette-style game. One very funny in-joke- if you go to the picture on the wall in the Yamabuki Game Corner and push it, you get a lead-in as in the other game, but oops! It's just a picture. (No more hidden Rocket-dan base in the basement!) The prizes are even more outrageous in cost now, though.
In Sekichiku City [Fuchsia City], the gym has a new Leader, a girl named Anazu (Kyou, the former Gym Leader, is now the second of the Elite Masters you face during the League Championship battle). Her trainers are Mini-skirts, Camp Boys, and Picnic Girls, and her Pokemon are pretty tough (all in the forties)- no problem getting the Pink Badge. (The original Japanese Badges are named by color.) Previously, besides getting the Orange Badge from Matisse, I'd also acquired the Gold Badge from Natsume in Yamabuki City [Saffron City]. Kasumi [Misty] wasn't in the Hanada City [Cerulean City] Gym, but while exploring I came upon a lone Rocket-dan member who fought me (and, like Matisse, spoke in awkward English rendered in katakana and mixed with Japanese in spots). He is shocked to learn that the Rocket-dan is finished, but tells you that Kasumi has been gone for a while and that you might find her up where Masaki used to live...
Once you get to that spot, you do find Kasumi (giving a heart-in-a-balloon
farewell to some fellow who runs off. As you talk to her and she asks you
if you've gotten the Blue Badge yet, she suddenly remembers that SHE'S
the Gym Leader of Hanada City, and scurries off to the gym. I suspect this
was an in-joke to her being out and about in the anime series When you do go back to Hanada City, she's in the Gym with several swimmers
and Bikini Girls, and she's certainly had her own make-over! Kasumi has
changed her hair a bit and wears an open coverup over her swimsuit, but
she's still an expert on Water Pokemon, and she uses three old favorites
and a new one. She was pretty easy to defeat, and so now I have the Blue
Badge and a total of 12 Badges in the stats.
While prowling the grasses outside of the Power Plant, by the way, I
caught a male and a female Elebuu (Electabuzz) and promptly decided to
head back over to Kogane City and put them in the Breeding Center.
Sure enough, when I went back tonight after some further adventures,
the two had produced an egg. I'm counting on it becoming an Elekid, and
am carrying the egg around now to see if my theory is right. Stay tuned!
--Richard