POKEMON GOLD PROGRESS, DAY 7
Well, when you can't get any action in two Gyms, you go where you can. I've also realized there are certain types of rocks that can't be pushed by Strength so you have to find another special Hidden Machine- besides the original five, there are two more added to the mix in this game for a total of 7 HMs.
NEW POKEMON
Today's progress was surprisingly varied. I got three evolutions from my existing Pokemon...
"Bayleaf" (#153) hit its third and final evolved state today, becoming a "Megaranium" (#154).
"Ladyba" (#165) evolved into its final form, "Ladian" (#166)
"Blue" (aka Snubble) (#209), evolved into its final form, "Granbull" (#210), a big, feisty bulldog Pokemon.
I also caught some other new ones:
Neity (#177), a ball-like bird Pokemon;
Himanattu (#191), which looks kind of like a killer soybean with a
sprout on its head;
Mantain (#226), a manta-ray Pokemon with a remora-like component on
one wing.
Seen in trainer battles:
Teppouo (#223), a froglike water Pokemon.
I also fought an odd Pokemon called a "Double" but it was wild and the Zukan didn't pick it up. I'm heading back to where I found it, a solitary hard-to-find patch in a secret area. It was so tough it wouldn't even stay down for a Super Ball, and it weakened itself with each escape attempt until it fainted. I tried three times to catch one, and failed each time. Time to dig out a sleep-inducer...
PROGRESS...
Since I wasn't able to get any satisfaction from the gyms at Asagi City
or Chouji Town,
I decided to surf the waters to the west and sailed quite far, fighting
Swimmer Trainers and Menokurage and Dokukurage (Tentacruels and Tentacools)
right and left. I ran into two "protected" island areas, Uzumakijima- the
way in was blocked by whirlpools, so I couldn't' go there. I continued
to surf west and came to Tanba City, which is apparently just where I needed
to go! After making contact with the locals, I visited the Tanba Gym, and
fought the Gym Leader, Shijima. This gym was a piece of cake as far as
I was concerned- all Fighting Pokemon which were high level, but I threw
my Gengar and the Bayleaf at the trainers and breezed through.
Interestingly enough, you CANNOT meet the Gym Leader unless you have the Strength HM already, because you'll have to move rocks out of the way to get to him after you beat the first three trainers! I was surprised- all he had were a high level Okorizaru (Primeape) and a Nyorozo (Poliwrath). The Nyorozo was his toughest, but he was wiped out with one attack (Razor Leaf) and the Shock Badge was mine! (Wazamachine 1- "Bakuretsu Punch" was, too!) So now I have five badges...
There were no places to search for Pokemon on the beach, but the landscape is dotted with these new rocks that require a special way to destroy them. These rocks are found in some of the towers, too, blocking critical paths, and I bet some underground entrances lie hidden beneath them.
There was nothing else to do but surf back to Asagi, and now I'm on my way back to the tunnels to get the Pokemon I saw before... and see what else lies deep inside Mount Suribachi (no Marines or US flags seen there, I noted).
OTHER NOTES...
Something I thought readers would find interesting is that you no longer have to write down or refer to a list of what the different items, Wazamachines, or Hidden Machines do. The Rucksack index not only shows the name of the item and what pouch it's in, but provides you with contents, applications, and descriptions of the items as you step through. Wonderful touch!!
Togepi seems to be the king of Cute Attacks. (By the way, Togepi is a "Normal" Pokemon type.) I elevated him to a higher level today (in his mid 20's) and he got a new attack, "Angel Kiss", a cute attack which confuses its recipient. So far, he's got Nakigoe (cry), Amaeru (act like a baby), "Yubi wo Fue" (Play the flute [aka Metronome]), and now "Tenshi no Kisu" (Angel Kiss). There's a slot open at Zukan location 176... will Togepi evolve?? Guess we'll find out.
More tomorrow!
--Richard