POKEMON GOLD PROGRESS... ENTRY 23
NEW POKEMON
Caught, hatched, or evolved:
Lugia (#249)! See below for more information.
PROGRESS:
CATCHING LUGIA, THE HARD WAY
Today I decided to pick up right where I left off, and after thinking a bit I came to the conclusion that with only one Master Ball in the game, there HAD to be a way to catch even the most difficult Pokemon available using other Hyperballs. With that in mind, I decided to take a scientific approach to catching Lugia.
For a change, I thought the reader might enjoy reading the thought process, technique, and approach I used to achieve success with this high-level Pokemon.
First thing I did was save my game away from the destination, and always turned the GBC off if the battle ended with Lugia's fainting (or as with Houou tries, when I ran out of Hyperballs).
Beginning each time from my saved position (near a ladder, away from the landing that leads to Lugia's cavern), I juggled my line-up and did some "probing" to see what would work best.
My Yoronozuku was low-level and I essentially took him along as a light source (he has Flash) and flight transport (he has Fly). He does have a hypnosis attack that can put Pokemon to sleep, but he was ineffective against both Houou and Lugia (and he's put quite high level Pokemon to sleep before), either due to his low-level or their possible resistance to sleep attacks. In any case, he was usually blitzed immediately by the Legendaries and therefore not really of any use. Besides, any Pokemon that is of one damaged or progressive status (paralyzed, poisoned, burned, etc) never swaps states.
I actually wound up using really only two of my Pokemon to battle the level 70 Lugia; my level 58 Granbull, and my level 51 Denryuu.
When I used attacks, I kept my eye on the enemy's HP meter and gauged how far down it dropped with any particular successful attack (provided it didn't cause a critical hit). In this way, I could decide when a hard-hitter like "kairiki" was called for, or a soft-hitter to creep the meter towards zero without actually pushing it over the edge-like "iwakudaki (on anything but a Rock Pokemon)". Same as with the powerful "Kaminari-Punch" versus a slightly less-potent "Denkishock". I also gauged how far the HP meter filled when it used "Jikosaisei" (Recover), then tried to utilize an attack that removed the HP gained. I also decided to try to paralyze the Pokemon to keep it from attacking first (if at all).
When I faced off with Lugia "for keeps", I decided the best strategy was to bide my time. I chose to paralyze it soon, knock Lugia's HPs as low as possible without fainting and keep them there. I also realized that most really powerful attacks, like HydroPump, only are allowed about 5 PP and therefore can be only used 5 times. I'd looked at Houou's stats and he could Recover and use about 20 times, but use the deadly "Seinaruhonoo" ["Sacred Flame"] attack 5 times only. I would use potions, PP recovers, and heals to try to weather its attacks and keep my Pokemon in the fray while I forced it to use up its PPs and- therefore- lose its attack abilities, making it truly helpless.
This strategy proved to work the best! The Denryuu laid into Lugia with two Kaminari Punches and a Denkishock to take it to the "red" zone on the HP meter- and the Kaminari Punch actually paralyzed Lugia right off. I then had a very long, drawn out process while Lugia used up the HydroPump attacks (up to 100 HP damage each time!) and its other "black rain" attack, while healing and recovering as I needed to. Suddenly, I noticed Lugia was using the less-potent SpeedStar (about 40-50 HP damage) and Recover a LOT, and I realized I might be out of the woods. I then began lobbing Hyperballs and a few Superballs (hey, if they worked, they're less expensive) when opportunities allowed, frequently calling on the Granbull to use "Kairiki" and "Iwakudaki" as called for to keep Lugia's HP in the minimal red zone, or the Denryuu to do the same thing. It seemed to have no end of Recovers or SpeedStars, but one Kairiki would knock its HP back down to its starting level, and I called on not only "Sugoi Potions" but minimal HP restorers as needed (but I didn't lose any Pokemon).
I think this went on for about a half-hour. I finally lobbed one more Hyperball- as I anxiously watched (expecting it to go "boom" as it had so many times)- it twitched three times- then changed color! Yatta-ze!
After 15 Hyperballs and 4 Superballs, not to mention lots of attacks and a great deal of care to avoid fainting it, Lugia was captured. And without a Master Ball.
In retrospect after I analyzed Lugia's stats, I was astonished to see that it had 5PP each for HydroPump and "Black Rain", and 20 PP each for SpeedStar and Recover... and I think it used them all, or came awfully close before the ball "took". But it didn't matter- I got him.
I also realized that Houou, on the other hand, while only a level 40 compared to Lugia's level 70, could nearly outlast a player- while the "Sacred Flame" attack only had 5 PP, it had 20 PP for Recover, 25 for "Shinpi no Mamori" [Mysterious Protector], and 35 for "Kazeokoshi" (literally "tornado"). So, perhaps Houou was the better choice for the Master Ball, after all!
MORE PROGRESS...
When I finished with Lugia and came out of the caves, I decided to take the Scenic Route back up from Kogane... I then stopped back at the dairy Farm (with several Miltank cow Pokemon in the corral ) to see if I'd missed something there. And, indeed, it looks like I did.
I forgot about a set-up with a Miltank that's in the barn- there are two little girls tending it, and it's sick- its "nakigoe"- voice- is messed up! The cow doesn't go "Moo" so much as "Oom" <g>.
The girls say that "Kinomi"- one type of the fruits/nuts that grow on the trees scattered around the world- will cure it. (When fed to your own Pokemon, Kinomi act like a potion and cure a small amount of HP.) Of course, unless you know where the trees that produce only Kinomi are located, this "task" could take a while- especially since Kinomi of any sort only can be harvested once a day. I, however, remembered where three Kinomi-only trees were, and fed the Miltank three. The dialogue box says the Miltank is getting better, so I'll visit it again tomorrow and give it some more Kinomi to see if it improves (and what kind of gratitude the farmer, his wife, and kids might show).
I also went back to Otsukiyama and decided to go Pippi-hunting... mostly to get a pair to see what, if anything, comes out of a Pippi egg. Ah, but Clefairies are rare in Otsukiyama, and I finally got a female... and after a ton of Sands, Sandpans, Ishitsubute,and Zubats, yet another. So, I gave up on finding a male today and will revisit later.
Incidentally, I forgot to mention that when I was in Enjyuu at the base of the Suzu Tower, a girl I spoke with said something I hadn't previously taken the time to translate... it seems I was wrong in my earlier assumption! The three Pokemon who took off from the basement weren't Burbars [Magmars]... they are, apparently, three other non-avian Legendary Pokemon! I haven't run into any of them yet and I haven't a clue where they might have gone. Oh, well. I suspect they'll turn up...
Another new development! Since I've found both Lugia and Houou, I went back to Professor Okido to see if he thought that was cool. Indeed he did, and he has now sent me off to the previously closed and inaccessible route to Shiroganeyama (Whitecloud Mountain) to go find lots of rare Pokemon that hang out there.
Ah, but before I went to Okido, I stopped back at Fusube City to enter the Dragon Cave and see if, perchance, a way into the mountain was located there. It wasn't, but... yikes, it's the Rival!!
But the Rival doesn't attack you- in fact, when you talk to him, he has more reason to scorn you- it appears he's run into a "saikyo Trainer" who he says will put me in my place. I suspect he's also going to hang around to fight me again after I find this "saikyo Trainer" (though I think I know who it will be, since he wasn't home in Masara Town)! Well, we'll see.
I've taken the "short-cut" from Tokiwa City into the Gate of Champions, and- finally- the guard is gone and the way is clear into Shiroganeyama. More on my adventures there, tomorrow!
--Richard