Part 44: Pokémon Colosseum (JP)

Pokémon Colosseum (JP)
At another time, in another world, decisions were made differently. In a foreign land, an entirely different team came together.



Notable Game Differences
Major thanks to Doug Dinsdale (Nob Ogasawara), the original translator of all of the Pokémon games, from Red and Blue up to Platinum for the DS, for getting the game text into English. Couldn't have done it without you.


The intro is a bit more awesome, for starters. Another minor detail, the flourishes for Purification have a few more beams of green light coming from the Pokémon.

There are many more visual glitches in the Japanese version: people appearing and disappearing from the edge of the screen and less fluid non-Pokémon model animations are just a few. Beluh drifted forward a few feet in her sitting position before being replaced with her standing-up model.

The credits, unexpectedly, are in English, as are some other bits of menu here and there. Some romaji as well, for things such as ID and DNA, as well as the code letter of the files. The UFO is still referred to as just that, as is the P*DA. Instead of the text bubble, NPCs you don't know the name of are referred to as * instead of the dialogue box icon.

e-Reader Room


One of the greatest changes to the game can be found here. The left set of blue doors in Phenac Colosseum's lobby are replaced with green ones. After defeating Evice, it is unlocked.

As far as I can gather, this room houses a battle simulator, designed to work in conjunction with the Japanese e-Reader and certain cards, known as Double-Battle-e cards. Lacking these materials, I'm afraid I can't cover much of the info here, but I can tell you what I know about them.

Contained within these packs are cards that allow you to use the virtual battle simulator in the game. There are three modes of difficulty for each pack: Easy, Medium, and Difficult. Defeating each trainer in a row, on a given difficulty, will allow a Snag of one of three secret, hidden Shadow Pokémon in the game. The reward for Easy is a chance to Snag a Lv.20 Togepi that knows Metronome, Charm, Sweet Kiss, and Yawn, for Medium is a Lv.37 Mareep that knows Thunder, Thundershock, Thunder Wave, and Cotton Spore, and for Difficult is a Lv.50 Scizor that knows Fury Cutter, Metal Claw, Swords Dance, and Slash. Most sources I have consulted state that the gender is pre-determined for these Pokémon, to be female, female, and male, respectively, but I cannot verify this information. Coincidentally, at the time this game was released, the first two could be easily bred on Ruby and Sapphire, if one had a male parent compatible with a Snagged female Pokémon from the Story Mode, but the third would not otherwise be obtainable.

Thanks to Dinsdale, though, I was able to get the text translations:


>: This is the Card E registration counter. Would you like to try some Card E battles?
YES: >: I'll access the Card E Reader now. Please set a Card E Reader+ in your GameBoy Advance. Please connect the GameBoy Advance to the Game Cube system's Controller Port 2 using a GBA Cable. Once it is connected, please turn on the GameBoy Advance. Are you ready?
NO: >: Please do come again.


>: Here, you may view the guides to Card E battles or your battle record. How may I serve you?
Battle Record
Panel Battle Info
All-Out Battle Info
Quit

BATTLE RECORD: >: Oh? There appears to be no record of you having battled.

PANEL BATTLE INFO: [/i]>: Here, using a Card E Reader, you may battle against many virtual Trainers. At first, you may only challenge Trainers in Panel Battles. By winning Panel Battles, panels on the board are filled. You will also earn Poké Coupons. By beating top-ranked virtual Trainers, you will earn the right to take on the All-Out Battle challenge. If you would like to conduct a Card E Battle, please register at the other counter.[/i]

ALL-OUT BATTLE INFO: >: You may take the All-Out Battle challenge if you win against top-ranked virtual Trainers in Panel Battles. In All-Out Battles, you may battle any virtual Trainer you faced in Panel Battles as often as you like. But that's not all--there is no healing or switching. It's survival battling! By winning successive battles and then the Bonus Stage, you will earn Poké Coupons.

EXIT: >: If you need me to explain anything, please feel free to ask!

Pokémon Colosseum Bonus Disk (JP)

There is one thing, however, that draws people to play this game, even outside of Japan. Much as the American version has a bonus disk that gives the player Jirachi, so too does the Japanese version, and the prize is a much rarer Pokémon: Celebi. However, much more work needs to be put into it, in order to obtain the time-travelling Grass/Psychic type.

The guardian of the Relic, Celebi can be yours, but only after Snagging and Purifying all 48 Shadow Pokémon. With a save file like that on the Memory Card, putting in the Bonus Disk will give you access to the following cutscene:



EAGUN: Ah, if it isn't [NAME]. Good of you to come. So, how goes it? I trust the purification of Shadow Pokémon is going well? Ah! You've purified all the Shadow Pokémon of the Orre Region?! Fantastic work, [NAME]! Hats off to you!


EAGUN: Oh? Th-that...! It's Celebi! Celebi appears to be congratulating you as well, [NAME]!
Celebi descended to [NAME]!
[NAME] obtained Celebi!
EAGUN: It's incredible! This shrine is still overflowing with Celebi's blessing! [NAME], if you have a friend who wants to receive Celebi's blessing, you should bring them here.
Since I don't live in Japan, nor do I have access to 48 Japanese GBA games that have beaten the Elite 4, I don't believe I'll be able to obtain the text for a depleted save file.


Celebi will then be deposited to your PC. It is a Lv.10 Celebi, with the original trainer of アゲト (Ageto, Japanese name for Agate), ID No. 31121. It knows Confusion, Recover, Heal Bell, and Safeguard. It will have a random nature, and random IVs. The work needed to do this is not rewarded only once, though! 48 more Celebi await if you retain the Memory Card and Bonus Disk. By becoming Champion in a Japanese copy of Ruby or Sapphire and connecting it to the Gamecube, one Celebi will be transferred to that game, assuming one has not already been awarded for the victory.

If you attempt to get Celebi without a completed save file (48 Shadow Pokémon Snagged/Purified):
EAGUN: Ah, if it isn't [NAME]. Good of you to come. So, how goes it? I trust the purification of Shadow Pokémon is going well? Hmm... It seems you've not purified all the Shadow Pokémon yet. Capture and purify all the Shadow Pokémon of the Orre Region, and then return.


Another Pokémon is available through the bonus disk: a Lv.10 Pikachu, holding a Light Ball, with the original trainer of コロシアム (Colosseum). In Gen 3, the Light Ball gives a boost to any Pokémon of the Pikachu species that holds it, by doubling its Special Attack stat. (In Gen 4, it also doubles the Attack stat.) It knows Thundershock, Growl, Tail Whip, and Thunder Wave.

Obtaining it is correlated to this menu option. In order to do so, simply collect Poké Coupons (by going through Mt. Battle) until your rank advances to the Silver Poké Ball symbol. Other things are given by this person as well: a Master Ball, for a Gold Poké Ball symbol, and a PP Max, for a Bronze Poké Ball symbol. Other than its OT, there is nothing particularly special about this Pikachu (moves, etc.), other than the fact that it and the Celebi are "Encountered at Lv 10, obtained in a fateful encounter." If your party is full, you cannot receive either Pokémon. The details are listed below.


>: Here, you may claim gifts depending on your Poké Coupon title.
Check the Poké Coupons of Pokémon Colosseum
Check the Poké Coupons of GBA Pokémon
Info
Quit

>: Oh, my! You've earned the Gold title! In honor of your achievement, we present you this Master Ball, a Pikachu holding a Light Orb, and PP Max. Will you accept your gifts? (YES/NO)
[NAME] obtained a PP Max!
[NAME] obtained a Pikachu holding an Light Orb!
[NAME] obtained a Master Ball!

INFO: >: By collecting many Poké Coupons, you will earn the titles, Gold, Silver or Bronze. Here, depending on your title, you can claim gifts.

So, with this bonus update, this is the end of the material I can cover in this LP. The e-Reader room, as mentioned, is entirely optional, but requires items which I do not possess. I will likely make some modifications to earlier updates, in order to make the previous styles match those I used towards the latter half. Distribution of Pokémon will start tomorrow evening.

One last Spiffy Point:
This LP required two and a half playthroughs to complete: one of the English version, one of the Japanese version (in order to show off the stuff for this last update), and a half-completed version using a "Make all Pokémon Snagable" code, for some of the Fake Hero details I threw in at arbitrary points of the LP. The game does not play up this character at all; there's no indication that he even exists until after the Snag of Shadow Shuckle, giving it a real tacked-on feel. I felt it deserved a bit of build-up, even if it was a cliché "twist" out of left field.

I hope I made this LP enjoyable for those who followed it.