Part 8: Down Under

Part 8: Down Under

Pyrite Building



There's the elevator to take, but we're actually going to go all the way back to Miror B.'s cave for absolutely no reason whatsoever. Just feel like it, okay?



What the heck is that bullshit? Oh yeah, every trainer here will rematch us since we left the area. Unlike other games with a rematch feature, it's not optional, since they will battle you if you enter their sight. It's kinda completely bullshit, since I don't really wanna rematch all these trainers. But I must.



Still, since we beat Dakim, their teams have levelled up and are more interesting to fight. Well, slightly more interesting, but it means we'll get even more exp, which I don't want, since I wanna make this game kinda challenging.




They act exactly the same as the first time we fought them, which is a bit of a shame, but flicking the instant rematch switch was probably nice and easy to ensure you wouldn't get stuck without some form of infinite exp the main games have in wild Pokemon.




Through the endless boosts, we gain some levels.



It was a very good level, cause damn did Dhalsim need that boost, look at that Attack! Uh, well, you gotta double it first...



Okay that wasn't too painful, but at least for trainers you had to talk to in order to battle them, such as the ones down in Duel Square and the cave sentinel, you need to talk to them again to rematch them.



So we can run right past mister short-sighted, but mister normal-sighted will battle us.



Oh yeah we haven't used Solarbeam yet, how is it in this game?



Fuckin perfect.




For whatever reason, Hunter Zalo is the only trainer we rematch here that has different dialogue. But only when he first talks to us.



Octillery does not have a good level up movepool after the goldmine it got as a Remoraid.



But we've made it to the depths. Could it be... COULD IT BE???



No. But pretty damn close.

Mirakle B.'s Theme








Not off to the best start, especially with that Light Screen. Unless you know to come back here before the postgame, you would have no idea that Mirakle B. is even here, unless you need to backtrack for a Shadow Pokemon or a missed item or what have you. Especially since you have to fight so many trainers to get here. I wouldn't have known to do this in the LP if I wasn't following a guide my first time playing just to make sure I didn't miss anything.



Everyone's picking on Umbreon... even though Mawuh is right there with an Electric weakness. This AI man.




Okay please stop doing that



...Dhalsim.




Okay, now we can start doing some damage.



Though this Ludicolo that entered the battle might be a problem. We've got practise in fighting them though.



Hmm, maybe this isn't a Ludicolo after all.



Even though my hair hasn't grown to a full afro do...



Well wasn't that fun? The best time to do this is before we head down, since he only appears after beating Dakim and disappears without a trace after beating the game.



We have to go around this girl, but if you hug the wall she won't see you and we can avoid a battle. Neat! Let's head down.

The Under



Oh! Wait a second. It has been a long time since anyone has come down here.

The Under Time



Now this is one hell of an interesting location for a Pokemon game.




It's horrid. There are spies right here in THE UNDER. Can you imagine? We don't really know all the details, but if you see anyone suspicious, please let us know. Everyone, please, I'm counting on you! We need you to get lots of information for us!

And that was Lady VENUS! Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, thank you for watching. Please do tune in again!

The Under



While that might be the case, I think we should do some SHOPPING down there!



Ohhhhhhhhh baby, this is where most of the non-Colosseum battle TMs are hiding, there are some real good ones. We've got Blizzard, Hyper Beam, Light Screen, Protect, Safeguard, Thunder, Reflect, Fire Blast and Hidden Power, all really excellent moves to consider for your team, especially in a doubles focused game with lots of team support options.



We'll get some elemental shells for our tank, since even at 75% power, Blizzard still does more than Aurora Beam and Fire Blast is a really good move, though I'll always be upset when we miss. It's also good to give your Earthquake weak Pokemon Protect, though while I debated giving Protect to Carbuncle, I decide to next update. Our team is looking pretty good!



But even though I'm so near to her, I've not seen even a glimpse of her in person. Oh, it hurts deeply!



Everyone seems as normal as Pyrite Town, so they've got that going for them.



Let's see what's past this locked storage area.



Holy crap it's the only vending machine in the game! We could use some Lemonade to save on Super Potions. Moomoo Milk aren't in this game, alas.



Humph. I don't mean any offense, but you don't exactly look tough. I'll test you to see how well you can battle.



I have my gripes with Hi Jump Kick, but god I love it too.




I'm tempted to give Dhalsim Hidden Power, but it'll only be useful for Ghost types if it's physical and has a high enough power. Since the rest of our team can deal with them no problem, I don't think they'll be an issue for Dhalsim this game. Mostly.



I know right, apparently people are saying I don't look like a spy! Honestly...



Some weird kids in the corner, well whatever, kids are dumb and never do anything, so we'll ignore them.



Let's dive deep into the nightlife. Uh, since it's underground, I guess there's always nightlife here...



That's a little bit much for a heal, especially since we blew all our money on TMs.



Oh, uh, I'm sorry.

The Under Time



I'm very disappointed. The spies haven't been caught yet. Can you imagine? Everyone, please, I'm counting on you for mre cooperation!

And that was Lady VENUS! Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, thank you for watching. Please do tune in again!

The Under



What is with that "I'm your VENUS" shtick? It's revolting!







Everyone's being really mean to me today.



One day, I'm going to enter and get me a SHADOW POKMEON. Before that, I'll test the opposition starting with you! Here goes!



I mean, uh, if you insist...



Surely you've got something else up your sleeve?



Yes... hahaha... YES!



I love Wailord so much.



Looks like the same thing is happening here. Ooh, I can't wait to enter the Colosseum with no interruptions!



Ah he's just making a spaceship to visit Mars. Man remember when I said the last three Keen games were coming October 2015? Hahaha...



Huh? How do you know who we are?

I thought so! This makes things easy. Please, can I get you to deliver this part to NETT's house?



Just tell NETT that it's from PERR. He'll tell you the details. NETT's house is the one with the big, rotating antenna dish. You'll know which one it is as soon as you see it.



Alright, I think I remember where that is. And so you're not watching me backtracking, how about I tell you a joke? So, three Electrode walk into a bar...



We'll catch them right away, pulverize, and mash them up. Giggle...

...fine. The priority is to distribute SHADOW POKEMON. Don't forget. As for you, EIN, hurry. Complete the SHADOW POKEMON development as soon as possible.

Your trust will not be misplaced, Master NASCOUR. Already, sufficient SHADOW POKEMON battle data has been gathered from our minions. My masterpiece... the most powerful SHADOW POKEMON in history shall soon be ready!

Good. I will be waiting for good news. That is all.

Now... it is time we returned to the LAB and put on the finishing touches.




Huh? Are you... are you "the" THOMAS and ANCA? Oh, wow, this is too awesome! Come on, you have to get inside. Quick, quick!



...and then I said "That's not a Pokeball, that's my wife!" Man, I've been wanting to tell this joke for ages, I hope you liked it.



Try not to be too shocked when you hear it! It's THOMAS and ANCA!

No! Really?!



THOMAS, you two are, like, totally famous on the KIDS GRID. Every kid in THE UNDER knows that you're the hero who's taking on CIPHER.

This is like a dream come true! THOMAS, ANCA, I'm so glad to meet you. I'm MEGG! The KIDS GRID is bringing together kids from faraway towns.



Oh, this is from PERR. Great, this is all that I needed to get the KIDS GRID back up and running again.



But this POWERUP PART you delivered will let me boost up our equipment. When we get the KIDS GRID back up, I'll track to hack their computers for useful data.



May I have your P*DA number? We'll contact you just as soon as we discover anything. Thank you! We'll do our best to gather useful information for you.



It's cool to meet the too cool for school h&ck3rs club, but I wonder what kind of dumbass got caught in a place full of idiots.



Goddammit Silva... guess we should go rescue him.



I got it! You came to rescue your pal here! You two are spies, too!

Cipher Peon Battle



Man it has been a while since our last Shadow Pokemon, right?



Due to its massive SpDef, it can take a super effective hit and be a great example of our new Net Balls.



Ledian, 90 catch rate (99%, low health, Net Ball), starting moves: Comet Punch, Supersonic, Safeguard, Shadow Rush/Baton Pass

Hoo boy is this a tough Pokemon to use, we're gonna have some real interesting choices coming up and, well, you're not using Ledian for damage, since the best move it'll know for the entire game is Swift shortly after you purify it. It cannot learn a single STAB move in this game, as Silver Wind is via breeding and Aerial Ace isn't in this game, but if you want some damage, you could go for Giga Drain, but Dhalsim has higher SpAtk than Ledian. DHALSIM. Thankfully Ledian is in a double battle game, so team support is absolutely something it, uh, has to do, so you've got dual screens and Baton Pass, one of two Shadow Pokemon that can have it, if you want to pass Agility boosts. Aside from that, you can Toxic stall and, uh, that's about it. It'll take special attacks quite comfortably, but doesn't agree with any kind of physical attack. Ledian is cool, but goddamn its stats are just a real shame, since I can't even recommend Comet Punching fools all day.



No




Ahah, now we've got a Shadow Ariados!



Oh, no, actually, instead we have Bug types with Bug type moves, something I was not expecting.



That's fine, I'll just apply some oils to my weapons...



Haha, that's the good stuff! Fire Blast is too good a move to pass up and will really annihilate Grass types when the sun is up, which I can do with Magnolia. Alright, now for a Blizzard showcase.



Uh, yeah, that's as good as it'll get. Since Ice Beam is postgame, Blizzard is a super useful move for this game since it's like hitting both opponents with a fairly inaccurate Ice Beam. If only there was Abomasnow in this game... and the Blizzard Hail combo.

The Under



You can fight those peons in any order, but going for the Shadow Pokemon first is probably a good idea in case you need to reset.



I discovered that they were bringing SHADOW POKEMON to PYRITE from here. That's as far as I got when they caught me like this... but I did manage to filch this from them. Here you go.



If you find the key to this place, please let me out.



These disks let us ride the UFO! We'll use the F-Disk first and visit the Colosseum.



I hate that item and I hate this man. We'll see why later.



At least the Herb Shop is here and, despite being released just after RS, Revival Herbs are back to normal and are a buyable Max Revive, instead of a shitty expensive Revive.



We'll check out the Colosseum in a second, but there is something you really should do.



We've now got a fast travel point to The Under, so we never have to go through Pyrite Building again.



I will start registering trainers for the next knockout challenge just as soon as Lady VENUS finishes giving prizes to the winner.



We're never gonna challenge a Colosseum as soon as we reach it...




Nothing else to do, but to head to the right. Let's crash this party!



Oh I love a good audience.



You ready to face another Cipher Admin? No you're not, you're never ready.



Those faces were on the blacklist from HEADQUARTERS! How did you find us?! But that's not important now! I'll squash you myself and collect a reward from Master NASCOUR!

Cipher Admin Battle









Venus is a very dangerous opponent, since her Pokemon can do the worst thing imaginable: make you flip coins every turn. Attract and Confuse Ray are some of the worst moves in the game and her Pokemon pack some real power behind them. Thankfully she led with a Normal type, so it gets instantly deleted. What? Dhalsim needs exp!



Most of the time Magnolia will survive a hit or two, so can easily set up sun. Sure, a Sunny Day and Solarbeam does as much as two Giga Drains, but the real numbers and utility come from three or four Solarbeams.



Brave choice using Earthquake first turn, usually you see Taunt.



Let's deal with this bad boy right now.



Oh god this thing.



I might be slightly clowning Venus right now, but her Pokemon are strong and an Attract at a bad time will really fuck you over.



Like that. FUCK



I'll just switch Mawuh right into that Giga Drain, oh yes I will.



Okay phew, though it's a shame that plant on plant action is still gonna keep happening.



Hope you didn't use up too many Pokeballs against Entei, cause we've got another dog to catch!



Ah, right, well this was a big mistake on my part. I should've used Fire Blast, but what can I say, when I'm up against a Grass type with a Water type, I just go for the Ice move, I'm so used to it. But Fire Blast is not only boosted by the sun, it's also more accurate AND is single target, so would've knocked out Vileplume regardless, whereas Blizzard hits, but is just too weak to knock out.



So yeah, my bad. I'm also not using Solarbeam on Suicune, cause a timely crit would be, uh, kinda bad.



Since I've been on the offensive from the get go, Venus hasn't been able to wear my Pokemon down with all kinds of status, which can quickly build up to being a massive problem, as you can see with this Vileplume running wild.



Focusing it down works out just fine, so now we're on the last mon.



Suicune, 3 catch rate (5%, low health, paralyzed, Net Ball), starting moves: Surf, Gust, Leer, Shadow Rush/Rain Dance

Oh hey it's another thing that can snap the game in half, since it has a much better typing than Entei and just will not die, no matter what you do! Surf is a real blessing and we just got Blizzard access, so it's a real no-brainer. However, that's all it does, since you won't be getting any more interesting moves for a long time, way past the postgame, so just stick Toxic and Protect on it and watch the world burn around you. It is an option to catch it later as it is the only Shadow Pokemon in the SERIES to have a different move when you encounter it in the postgame, with Hydro Pump instead of Surf, much earlier than you would normally have it. Of course, the postgame is pretty short, so it's not really worth it, but hey, you know what Suicune does and while it won't have Calm Mind until level 81, it'll easy beat the game for you, how could you not with a typing and stat spread like that?



Oh hey I got it, I showing every Pokeball I used, so, uh, two. Yeah there's no way in hell that's a 5% chance.




Remember this! I'll get you back for this!



And thus we end with the bad guy running away like always and us doing nothing to stop it. ...wait a minute let's not do that. Let's chase after her!