Pokemon Propitiation: Day 636

I have finally begun my quest anew on my 3DS, complete with all the convenience of save states and… wait… what? I can’t use save states on the 3DS games? Seriously? It’s a freaking Game Boy game from 1996 for crying out loud! How is this game so complicated that it costs more than any other Game Boy Virtual Console release and it doesn’t have save states??? Oh, whatever. I’m here now. Let’s do this.

In the interest of keeping things consistent, I once again chose Squirtle as my starter Pokemon. Also, Squirtle rules, so why would I pick anyone else? Professor Oak is still bizarre, my rival is still a jackass, the music is still delightful, and every living human in this world still belongs in an institution. Everything’s just like I remember, but I can put my 3DS in sleep mode now, which has made things very convenient. Also, the screen is bigger and brighter, so I’m sticking with my restarting my quest on 3DS as being a good move. A solid play. But the system isn’t the only thing that’s changed this time around. It seems I learned more from my previous attempt than I thought, and I’m happy to say that I think the game has finally clicked with me. 

Let me explain. My first time through (the beginning of the game, at least) I would up with my Wartortle (and his dumb-ass headgear) being this unstoppable juggernaut, and a bunch of other Pokemon who were essentially worthless. Sure, they were cute, but next to my Wartortle they were incredibly weak and really only there to keep my big gun company. I decided this time around I’d change that. This time I made the decision to train a small group of creatures I liked, and not progress further in the game until they were on the same level as my Squirtle. This decision led me to my newfound love and understanding of the world of Pocket Monsters. The first Pokemon I caught was a Rattata. Level 3, I think. Squirtle was chilling up at level 9. So I hunkered down and started training. I’d walk through the grass and only use Ratatta to the best of my ability, and you know what? I felt for the guy. He just kept on trying, getting stronger every battle. I’d bring him back to the Pokemon center over and over to heal, and around level 6 or so, I really started rooting for him. I’d get attacked by a wild Pokemon or some asshat on the street and I’d toss out the Rattata and say “you can do it!” And most of the time, he did. 

I kept this up until he reached the same level as my Squirtle, and now they’re an unstoppable murder machine. I did the same with a Metapod because he just seemed like a cool dude. Now he’s a Butterfree and while I have no clue what to do with him, I couldn’t be more proud to have him on my team. 

Anyway, I started progressing through the game proper, and I made it to Veridian Forest, where I encountered a Pikachu. I remarked on how cute this chubby little thing was on a previous post, but with my newly found team-building skills in tow, I hit another Pokemon landmark: I needed to have a Pikachu of my very own to bond with. This was the character that was the face of my hatred back in the old days, and now I’ve come to love him. I certainly never saw that coming. Anyway, I needed to have this chubby little thing. I was genuinely excited. I decided to bring out my Rattata for some gentle scuffing up in order to ensure Pikachu’s capture, and wouldn’t you know it, Rattata landed himself a critical hit and knocked the Pikachu out. And you know what? I couldn’t even be mad at him. I wanted to. I wanted that fat little Pikachu. But he did his job, and he did it well. Too well. He didn’t know I was just trying to catch the Pikachu. So yes, I was sorely disappointed that I would have to search for another Pikachu, which was likely to take a loooooooooooooong time, but Rattata tried his best. How could I not love him for that?

In the end, I probably spent more time Pikachu hunting than was worth it, but I eventually landed myself a Pikachu of my very own. He’s a level 3, meaning he’s weak as all heck, but I’m going to get right to work and train him up to level 12 with my other friends. Once I’m there, I’m probably gonna take it easy on the team building for a bit and stick with these guys, unless I find myself in the presence of something that I simply must have. 

So, I would say that in my humble opinion, Pokemon has been Propitiated. I am a fan. Not a fanatic, but a fan. Still, I set out to complete this game, and complete it I shall. It’s also worth pointing out that I downloaded Pokemon Go. It’s also a blast, and I’m very happy I started on this quest so I can be part of that conversation. It really is a remarkable thing, but that’s an article for another time. Now, it’s time to train my Pikachu, stop Team Rocket, and find out just what the heck the real plot in this game is. See you next time!