When my last post finished, I had spoken with アデカ after finishing up business at the サンギ牧場. The next step was to take on the gym way back in my home town of ヒオウギシティ. On my way back I ran into アデカ again. He forgot that he wanted to tell me about berries and gave me an オレンのみ. Despite his sage words, I forgot to give it to a pokémon for my gym battle. It might have helped.

ヒオウギシティ Gym battle

チェレン runs the city’s gym. He and his cohorts all have normal type pokémon. If you were paying attention to people in the school/gym, you might have noticed that they mentioned you could find riolu in　サンギ牧場. I hadn’t found one before they told me, so I hightailed it back there and ran around until I captured a riolu. What they don’t tell you is that riolu doesn’t get a fighting type move (besides counter) until level 15. I was too impatient to level him to 15, so he was all but worthless for me in the fight. But, I mention it in case you have enough patience to level one and then relish him kicking butt and taking names. Me, I almost got my ass handed to me and was saved only because the opponent was paralyzed and my little level 6 pidove somehow managed to take down the last sliver of HP without getting hit. Anyway.

There are two trainers to defeat before you can challenge チェレン. Each of these has one level 9 lillipup and one level 9 patrat. They shouldn’t pose too much of a problem.

チェレン has a level 11 patrat and a level 13 lillipup. He should have been a pushover, but as previously mentioned, I didn’t level enough. And he has a nasty habit of raising his attack a ton and then one-hitting your pokémon. Oh, and he has a potion, so just when you think you’re doing great he heals. So not fun.

But once you do beat him you get your first badge: the ベーシックバッジ. Pokémon up to level 20 will obey you. Yada yada. He also gives you TM83 るふいたてる—work up. No wonder he hit so hard!

Gym Aftermath

Once you emerge from the gym victorious ベル is waiting for you. She also has a TM for you, TM27　おんがえし—return. チェレン comes out of the gym and sees ベル and there is a little reunion. And then you have a conference call with アララギ博士 where you discuss what everyone’s up to, how being a gym leader is hard, and that you should have fun on your travels.

The party is cut short when your rival zooms in like a whirlwind and demands a battle with チェレン. As those two go off to test each other’s metal, ベル gives you the C-Gear and sends you off in the direction of your next gym battle (that would be east of the mountain man on route 20).

Pokédex Addition

Of course ベル wouldn’t be herself if she hadn’t forgotten something. She stops you before you can even get out of town so that she can power up your pokédex. This is actually an interesting addition to the pokédex. It’s a mode called: 生息地 which according to the dictionary means “habitat”. You can now look up routes and see which pokémon dwell there. If you’ve caught the pokémon there will be a filled in pokéball on its picture. If you haven’t it will be grayed out. And if you’ve gotten all of the pokémon in a given area you get a stamp. I’ve only gotten all of them for route 19. I wonder what I missed on the farm. Anyone know? Route 20 has water, so I don’t think I can complete that one for a while.

また20番道路

So, remember the mountain man blocking your path down the stairs? You can go past him now, but he’ll challenge you to a fight. Once down the stairs you still don’t get very far without being interrupted (is it me or are チェレン and ベル mollycoddling you just a little?). チェレン and your rival run up to you and チェレン introduces you to dark grass! Been there, done that. Still has higher level pokémon and you can still get into double battles. Oh, there’s shaking grass too, but I haven’t seen any yet. チェレン gives you a モモンのみ and leaves just as quickly as he came, while your rival rushes into the dark grass and wanders aimlessly.

There’s not too much between you and the next city, just a few trainers and a little grass.

タチワキシティ

No sooner do you arrive than mom calls. I’m totally wanting some alone time on my journey. After that you encounter a gym leader insulting a ship captain in front of the Pokécenter much to the gym leader’s dismay. I think (s)he wanted a ride on the boat or? I was having a really hard time following. I think it may have been father and daughter arguing? I’m sure it will become clearer as the story progresses.

And with that, I’m really calling it a day. Gym 2 and beyond, tomorrow!