Part 31: Realgam Tower, Part Two

Realgam Tower, Part Two

When we arrive, and move forward, we get an e-mail from Nett, of the KIDS GRID:

Huh. Well, most of the updates we'll be getting from him will be of no use, as we've probably Snagged the Pokémon by the time he's recovered the data, and we won't be getting any more e-mail from him in this area.


>: You are the thousandth guest to enter REALGAM TOWER since its opening! Yeah, like, as if. We just opened today. So that's not likely!
BANDANA GUY KLEST, P$672
Nuzleaf (Lv.39)
Graveler (Lv.42)
Hariyama (Lv.41)
Lombre (Lv.42)
KLEST: Sorry! You don't need to get so steamed over my little white lie!
KLEST: Heheh. I bet I made you happy when I said you were the thousandth guest. Isn't that right?
Weaknesses: Flying (All but Graveler), Ice, Fighting (Graveler, Nuzleaf), Poison, Bug (Lombre, Nuzleaf), Water, Grass (Graveler)
This guy just loooooves to use Fake Out, a 40 base power, 100% Accuracy Normal-type attack with +1 priority that makes the target flinch. Use Pokémon that can't flinch (at this point, only Sneasel, but it most likely can't handle the physical attacks) or is immune to Normal-type attacks (Misdreavus). It's only a mild nuisance compared to Venus, though, since Fake Out only works the first turn a Pokémon is in play. After the first turn, using Fake Out will fail.

So, guess what? All these trainers in this area are completely optional. They also follow very predicable themes, are much weaker than the Admins, and are very easy to take down if prepared for. There's also a Healing Machine two rooms away from this lobby, but it takes some finding. Let's take care of that first.


'Sup, Silva? Any idea how that construction lot got cleaned up so fast?
I snuck in here under disguise. I surprised you, huh?
Was it Teleport? Psychic Pokémon or something? Why didn't they do this sooner?
That's not important, though. The word is that CIPHER's boss is waiting for the both of you at the top of the TOWER. And he's supposed to have the ultimate SHADOW POKéMON! [NAME], ♀! Good luck, and please be careful always!
Eh... whatever.


>: [NAME] and ♀. I welcome you to the REALGAM TOWER. My name is NASCOUR. Do you remember? The time that we met in PHENAC CITY.
… No, not really. To be fair, though, it was over 6 months ago...
(Wow, my updates were kind of rubbish back then...)
NASCOUR: I did have the feeling that I would one day face you in battle... But I never imagined that you would be the one to seek me out here. Very soon, we will be ready to greet your arrival in style. I will go ahead and wait for you. Don't keep me waiting too long.

Nascour takes an elevator upwards, as ♀ remarks:

This once again brings up a fundamental flaw of transportation in this game; there's no "call elevator" button, be they horizontal or vertical. The UFO disks only work on that terminal on the side opposite of the Colosseum; you have to have the UFO in F-Disk position to get aboard it. Everything is so inconveniently structured... well, let's go heal up.


… So... uh... wanna move? Please?
Okay, that's that, then. My POKéMON are all nursed back to perfect health and readiness. Now we can go full tilt against you in battle!
CHASER RUGEN (Optional), P$820
Vigoroth (Lv.41)
Shelgon (Lv.40)
RUGEN: Darn it! I don't like you!
Weaknesses: Fighting (Vigoroth), Ice, Dragon (Shelgon)
Rugen is optional insomuch as you need to battle him to use the Healing Machine, but don't need the Healing Machine to heal; the deposit/withdraw mechanism of the nearby save computer can be used to heal your Pokémon if need be. Fortunately, even though you're battling right next to the Healing Machine, he can't heal after the battle, for some reason, and keep you in an infinite battling loop.

It's time for the optional battles, now that we have a nearby save and healing spot.


I can demonstrate my battling to all sorts of influential people. I can become famous worldwide! You're lucky. Before anyone I'll show you how skilled I am at battling!
ST.PERFORMER LUPER (Optional), P$640
Qwilfish (Lv.40)
Seadra (Lv.38)
Octillery (Lv.39)
Feraligatr (Lv.40)
LUPER: Ohh! You dashed my dream of fame!
LUPER: What I'll do... I'll hone my skills and position myself as a charismatic trainer!
Weaknesses: Electric (All), Grass (All but Qwilfish)
I'm only going to bother with one or two Weaknesses for these, because almost all of the optional trainers' Pokémon share them.


But you need bait to get the attention of people like that. Something big and exciting. Yep, you guessed it. SHADOW POKéMON battles!
CHASER TRUS (Optional), P$800
Swellow (Lv.40)
Magneton (Lv.40)
Ninetales (Lv.40)
Machoke (Lv.40)
TRUS: Tch! This isn't like me to lose!
TRUS: Do you get it now? Win or lose, battles attract people.
Weaknesses: Ground (Magneton, Ninetales), Rock (Swellow, Ninetales), Psychic, Flying (Machoke)
Flygon grew to Lv. 49!


It's me. We met quite a while ago in PHENAC CITY.

You Snagged my CROCONAW back then! Yeah, you remember now! Well, today's the day! It's payback time!
CIPHER PEON BLUNO (Optional), P$1,800
Grumpig (Lv.44)
Muk (Lv.45)
Croconaw (Lv.30) (If not Snagged earlier)
BLUNO: B-Blast it! I can't lose again!
Weaknesses: Ground, Psychic (Muk), Ghost, Dark, Bug (Grumpig)
The location he says you've met is the Snag location of Croconaw... You know, I really have no idea what he says if you've failed to Snag his Pokémon at other points in the story. Oh well. Feraligatr's been a major contributing member to this team, so thanks, Bluno!


Hehehe. I've been hoping that I'd get a shot at battling you. Let's see this high-level battling that everyone's been talking about!
RIDER KEVEL (Optional), P$410
Sandslash (Lv.40)
Donphan (Lv.40)
Quagsire (Lv.41)
KEVEL: Turfed out!
KEVEL: You're on the other side, but I still have to hand it to you!
Weaknesses: Grass (All), Water, Ice (Sandslash, Donphan)
Flygon grew to Lv. 50!


Well? How about a battle as an event to commemorate the opening?
HUNTER ALINE (Optional), P$656
Lairon (Lv.41)
Mawile (Lv.40)
Metang (Lv.39)
ALINE: Waaaah! I was supposed to win!
ALINE: Since you bothered to come, you may as well enjoy yourselves. Hohoho.
Weaknesses: Ground (All), Fire (Mawile, Metang), Fighting (Lairon, Mawile)
Christmas was over a week ago, but thanks. If you don't have one of these types, be careful; Steel-types have many resistances.


>: I gave you a good jolt, eh? Wahahah! I've been waiting behind the door for you to come along. Been waiting a looong time! Next, I'll shock you even more with my POKéMON battle!
BODYBUILDER GIVERN (Optional), P$1,080
Loudred (Lv.45)
Wigglytuff (Lv.43)
GIVERN: Kwaah! That's a shocker! You're, like, outrageously tough!
GIVERN: Do you know how hard it is to just wait and wait and wait without moving. Try imagining it. Now think about it, eh? I doubt very much that you could keep it up for long. Wahaha!
Weaknesses: Fighting (All)
Well... Givern at least gives us some insight into the life of your average Pokémon NPC. Poor folks, their legs must get awfully sore. Still, I have to say, Givern's pretty awesome. Instead of jumping down from the ceiling, he jumps out of a door as you try to walk into it, with a loud THWACK sound.

Oh, and in the room behind him is a diner, with a trainer.

NO: >: Is that so? That's okay, then.
YES: >: Sorry to disappoint you. We're not ready to serve anyone yet. Let me make up for it. I'll serve up a full-course menu of a POKéMON battle!
RIDER ELOSE (Optional), P$400
Cradily (Lv.40)
Swalot (Lv.39)
Noctowl (Lv.39)
Chimecho (Lv.40)
ELOSE: Thanks for dinner!
ELOSE: That was too heavy for some light exercise before a meal.
Weaknesses: Ice (Cradily, Noctowl), Bug (Cradily, Chimecho), Psychic, Ground (Swalot)
Flygon grew to Lv. 51!
Hitmontop grew to Lv. 60!

So, back to that whole "after him!" thing.

♀: Oh! I know! How about over that way? Couldn't we take the other elevator?
Well, there's no elevator over here, and when we head over there...
♀: Oh... It's no good. We can't take this elevator, either.
But, thanks to some good plot timing, the elevator actually descends... with a passenger.

>: You're not gonna break my heart and tell me you've forgotten my face, are you now?
♀: That face! It can't be... TEAM SNAGEM? But why here?
>: Even if you don't want to believe it, you're absolutely right, little lady! I'm GONZAP, the boss of TEAM SNAGEM. And don't you forget it!
GONZAP: Did you ask what I'm doing here?
♀: Yes. Isn't this CIPHER's HEADQUARTERS? TEAM SNAGEM shouldn't have anything to do with this.
GONZAP: Uhehe. Well, surprise, surprise. We do have a lot to do with this, missy. We were just thieves before we got hold of the SNAG MACHINES. And where did we get them? From CIPHER. What they wanted was this: Go Snag superior-grade POKéMON from trainers everywhere!
♀: What?! So this is all one big plot hatched by CIPHER?
GONZAP: That's what I'm saying. Aren't you the brainy one, missy. Master NASCOUR's waiting for you upstairs, but you've got me to deal with first. We've got a little score to settle here. It's time you paid up for wrecking our HIDEOUT and wiping out TEAM SNAGEM! Don't get any ideas about beating me! Gwaahahah!
What a massive plot twist! The team of people who have been stealing Pokémon have been working for the team of people turning Pokémon into Shadow Pokémon... wait, why is this a plot twist?


SNAGEM HEAD GONZAP, P$5,300
Crawdaunt (Lv.52)
Hariyama (Lv.53)
Shiftry (Lv.53)
Pinsir (Lv.52)
Skarmory (Lv.47, F, Premier Ball)
GONZAP: You've grown a lot better, [NAME].
Weaknesses: Flying (All non-Shadow but Crawdaunt), Bug, Fighting (Shiftry, Crawdaunt), Ice (Shiftry), Fire (Shiftry, Skarmory), Electric (Skarmory)
Hello there! Yeah, Gonzap's Pokémon are at a much higher level than the rest we've been seeing up to this point, other than the Mt. Battle trainers. As rude an awakening it is, it's a fitting preparation for the upcoming area. Don't worry about being a bit firmer physically against Skarmory than you'd think it can handle; remember, it has a beefy Defense stat. It also has a hideous catch rate, so be ready to use up many Poké Balls (unless you're swap-duplicating them).

GONZAP: What do you say, [NAME]? Why don't you and me team up, again? Just like old times.


YES: GONZAP: Humph. I can tell when you're just joshing me. But that doesn't matter anymore.
NO: GONZAP: Humph. I figured you'd say that. But that doesn't matter anymore.
GONZAP: There's no going back now. Get going.
Behind Gonzap, who moves aside, is the elevator that will bring us into Realgam Colosseum, and the battles ahead of us.

_____________________________

In this upcoming section of the Colosseum, I could intentionally lose any battle after Snagging a Pokémon; it is the only way you can save between a successful Snag and the end of the Colosseum battles, as all six battles are back-to-back. Flygon was in the Day Care while the Shadow Pokemon were wall-walked to Purification, and is now Lv. 61 as a result, forgetting Screech to learn Sandstorm.

Snags:
Skarmory: Keen Eye, Impish w/Sharp Beak (Lv.47, F, Premier Ball): Drill Peck, Metal Sound, Air Cutter, Steel Wing

Oh, and one plot-spoilery thing, but relevant:  when we go up this elevator, NOW we end up at the top of the tower... we weren't there yet, but Nascour has to be the boss, right? He soliloquized! He looks evil! 

The next update will bring us to the game's exciting climax, a battle against Cipher's boss!