Part 2: City and Surroundings

Part 2: City and Surroundings

Lucas Theme




Welcome back... to an unskippable tutorial. Cool.




Since we're being temporarily replaced, it still has my most recent item, which are Pokeballs I used to catch Pokemon with!!!



Actually, I should have lowered the target's HP some more. Yup, the important thing is to lower the Pokemon's HP as much as possible. See, a healthy Pokemon isn't easy to catch. Oh, yeah. They also get easier to catch if you make one of your Pokemon put them to sleep or such. Here, Hikari, I'll give you five Pokeballs to get you started.



That way, you'll have a better shot at meeting more Pokemon. See you around!



Riveting stuff, let's put it into practise by catching our next team mem-



Eh, actually we'll go for this one.



Etrian, calm the fuck down.





One of the more popular mons and our choice for second team member due to a pretty mediocre starting selection, Shinx is pretty simple and doesn't get a lot of moves. Its high Atk is useful for early Tackle wars, but it gets rubbish physical moves and quickly learns the best physical Electric move, Spark. But due to it being swapped with Bite from DP, it actually makes it less useful for fights coming up. Still, it'll evolve quickly and that Return TM will give it a solely needed coverage move, it doesn't get much else.



Ehhhhh, Jolly isn't all that great since Shinx has to be a mixed attacker due to lack of coverage, but he's balanced out by IVs, with 2/8/4/18/20/15. You might think I'm crazy not choosing Intimidate, but having that activate every five seconds will get annoying and it's a real good ability, so I want to use Rivalry for a challenge. It boosts a move's power by 25% when facing an opponent of the same gender, but also decreases the power by 25% if they're the opposite gender. And then no change if either Pokemon are genderless. It also powers up confusion damage, so this ability is either great, or awful, just how I like them.




And lo, begin the Tackle wars. Shinx will get a nickname shortly, I've recorded a bit of this game in advance so we can quickly move past the tutorial stuff, as I like doing, but I went a little bit further so you guys won't be voting on it. Fret not, there's plenty more to vote on in this game and the next.



I searched 10 bloody minutes for this bastard in the last route and here it pops up again just like that with the same encounter rate. Bah.



We'll get him caught up slightly and then move on to the interesting part, our first regular trainer battle!

Trainer Battle




It's still early days, so the fights aren't that interesting yet, of course.



Don't be shy about talking to Trainers you'd like to battle. Pokemon grow stronger and stronger from battling.




Ugh, that's gonna draw this fight out, especially since I'm fighting a g-g-g-girl!



Oh right, that'll make the battle even longer!



Not too much to this route, but early routes are never exactly exciting. Not much to the trainers either, after all, I remember this guy having a pretty easy Kricketo-





Woah, Platinum changes so many things!!! Anyway, you can see this bug is trash, since again they're skipping the pupa stage, you've just gotta carry this useless thing around until it evolves. We'll go into the more interesting aspects of this mon when we can catch it (ugh), but at least its saving grace is learning Bug Bite in Platinum at level 15. That's the only way it'll ever get Bug STAB until much later, or at all, depending on the evolution, but like with Kricketot, it's gonna be a hell of a time getting it to that point.



It was fun battling! Yup! I'm going to battle everyone!



I will also be battling everyone. Because I have to. Just for you guys.

Jubilife City Day / Night



Whoa! You already have 5 Pokemon with you! Hey, that's right! Don't you think it's better to know more about Pokemon? Sure it is! There's this great place for that. Come on! It's all right. Follow me.



Looker Theme



...how did you know? How did you unmask me as a member of the International Police?!

Huh? What? Are you kidding? I was just making small talk...

...heh. You claim you were only making conversation, do you? But, I know better not to believe that. No, no, no. You recognized right away that I was someone extraordinary. That is why you spoke to me, is it not? Your power of observation is fearsome! Quite admirable, you are! Now that my cover has been blown, let me introduce myself. I am a globe-trotting elite of the International Police. My name... ah, no, I shall inform you only of my code name.



Y-Yes? That's a saying?

Yes, that is correct. Taking what belongs to others is wrong. Unfortunately, there are apparently those who do not heed those words. In Sinnoh, in fact, there are criminals stealing the Pokemon of others. I have, therefore, been on the lookout for characters arousing my suspicion. Incidentally, you are Trainers, yes? Perhaps you can make use of this?



I obtained it because it is quite popular these days. But myself, I do not do Pokemon battling very often. It will be in better hands with you. Also, I have a request. If you were to see me again, I ask that you not talk to me, for I am on duty. ...actually, yes, yes, you may speak to me. You must. Not because I am lonely, no, no! You must inform me of bad guys! You must inform me of any happenings!



...working for the International Police sounds hard.



Your pal Barry went in earlier. He might still be studying in there. OK, see you around!



Jubilife City Day / Night



Jubilife City: City of Joy
From jubilant and life.
Kotobuki City: The town of happiness where people gather.
From 寿 kotobuki (felicitation), praise for an achievement, or good wishes on a special occasion.

There's a fair bit to do in this city, though some of it will be for when we revisit soon enough. Let's get started!



Oh, I'm sorry, you don't have any Gym Badges. The Global Terminal is off-limits if you don't have a Gym Badge. Sorry!




I guess we should go over the VS Recorder on the topic of the Global Terminal. New to Platinum, this device lets you record certain battles in facilities and against other players. It's a pretty handy bit of kit later on and has a fair few functions we'll go over later. You can change the colour by tapping the borders on the side and you can use it in various rooms of the Global Terminal to access all kinds of features. Of course, getting it before our first badge isn't too useful, but of course we'll visit the Global Terminal later. Have to pay your respects to the deceased after all.



I went ahead and memorized everything that was up on the blackboard. After all, it's the Trainer's job to avoid having their precious Pokemon hurt in battle, right? So, Hikari, what brings you? Huh? You've got something for me?



Score! It's a Town Map! Huh?! Why are there two in here? I like it a lot, but I don't need two. Here, Hikari, you take one!



Well, according to the Town Map, I guess Oreburgh City is where I should be going next. There's a Gym, so it'd be perfect for raising the Pokemon I just caught. Well, I'm on the road to becoming the greatest Trainer of all time! See you around!




There's a bit more to this place, but whether it's worth it is up to you.




It's hard to win if you don't have some Pokemon to choose from.




Oh boy, another Tackle war, can't wait.



Well we're not winning this, especially since I don't feel like using a Potion.



We were actually pretty confident that we would do pretty good. But I'm completely impressed by how tough you are. If you'd like, talk to my friend and get a nice item from him.



We've been studying every day, but we were no match for you at all! You'd be able to use this Potion properly. Here you go!



Being a good Trainer isn't only about ordering your Pokemon around. A superior Trainer knows how to use items to the full advantage!

I wonder if we could have done better against you? Like if I used Potions right when we needed to.

I think you both know exactly what you're doing. These battles are completely different in DP, instead facing Abra with various Hidden Power types and getting the TM afterwards. Since we got the Return TM recently, we'll have to get Hidden Power another, more annoying, way.



The Town Map is a nifty little thing, telling you all the main attractions of a location and showing the path you've recently taken. Otherwise meh.



You call yourself a Pokemon Trainer? And yet you have no Poketch? That is, Pokemon Watch, or Poketch for short! Oh my, you are a rare case indeed! You see, I invented, and now manufacture, Poketches. Not only that, I'm now conducting the Poketch promotional campaign! All you have to do is find three clowns in Jubilife City. If you can find them... I will gift you with a Poketch! The three clowns will each ask you a skill-testing question. The questions will all have to do with Pokemon. After all, a Poketch is a tool for Pokemon Trainers. Collect a Coupon from each clown, then come see me, OK?



We're never free from tutorials!!!

Ding-ding! You're absolutely correct! Pokemon grow stronger by defeating other Pokemon in battle. Some Pokemon even grow into an entirely different form in a process known as evolution. Here you go! Your Poketch Coupon!



We'll also use this as an excuse to explore the city, so it's shopping time!



Like I mentioned, the right clerk won't change until later, but the left clerk depends on the locale. Since Mail has its own bag slot, I'm perfectly fine with picking some up, even if I'll never use it. Heal Balls, meanwhile, are Pokeballs, so a 1x catch rate, but fully heals the Pokemon caught. Completely useless if they're sent to the PC, since that's what happens anyway, so only useful if you want to use the Pokemon right away. So yeah, hardly any uses, but it's very pink!




A Pokemon holding that Quick Claw can sometimes attack first, even if it is normally a little bit slow. There are other items that are only useful when given to a Pokemon. Try finding other items that you can make your Pokemon hold. ...I sound like I'm a teacher or something.



Hah, reference. A 20% chance of going first in a priority bracket, so it'll outspeed any Pokemon that are going for regular attacks, but won't outspeed Pokemon going for priority moves, unless you're also using the same or higher priority moves. Very useful for a slow boy like Etrian.



Incidentally, have you not obtained a Poketch? I believe a Poketch is now free in exchange for some Coupons?

As you can see, he's very busy.




Any remember this feature? It's actually pretty important, so we'd best take advantage of it!



The GOONMET group, huh? That's a great name! The leader is Hikari. I hope the group gets more members.

Well, you guys probably did this and then completely forgot about it, as it's something that requires local multiplayer to actually use. So, whenever you mix records with someone (remember that feature?) you can join their group if they've made one and all members of that group will have their game events synced up. You can only be part of one group at a time, but most random day to day activities, such as swarms, Great Marsh Pokemon, Lottery numbers, slot machine odds, Feebas locations and even Battle Tower trainer order will all be the same, though obviously some stuff will depend on the game, such as swarms. So yeah, if any of you see me out and about, we can mix records and you can join in on the LP fun! Haha, just kidding, only real loser nerds actually play Pokemon!!!



Please refer to 9 screenshots ago.

Ding-ding! You're absolutely correct! A Pokemon may hold a single item. Some items become effective as soon as they are held by a Pokemon. Berries are eaten by Pokemon as necessary during battle. Here you go! Your Poketch Coupon!



I've never understood why these are numbered in this way.



All I'm getting so far are Normal moves, but yeah, I guess!

Ding-ding! You're absolutely correct! If a Pokemon's type matches its move's type, that move is made much more powerful! Here you go! Your Poketch Coupon!



Simple enough, I assure you we'll learn some STAB move eventually, but we've got some chaff before that.



You think so too, am I right? Yes! Good answer! We can be friends! Here you go. That's my Old Rod!



Oh, and by the way, did you need any tips on using that fishing rod? No! Good answer! When you're fishing for Pokemon, the first hurdle is getting a bite. When you reel the Pokemon in, you've got to battle it. So, fishing gives you twice the fun!



Finally, a tutorial I can say no to. Thankfully, fishing is not as awful as it was in Gen 3, we're back to the simple one press to reel in.



Unfortunately, we're back to Gen 1's Old Rod with the only thing we can obtain is Magikarp. A shame, since it offered some nice Water variety in the early game, but whatever.



Almost tempted to give Shinx Return now and not have to bother with the fucking accuracy, but we can wait a little longer.



Thankfully, I haven't made more infographics for any old Pokemon, I do try and stay sane during these LPs. However, a lot of things have changed for older Pokemon in this generational shift, so it would be remiss to not discuss them. Not for Magikarp, though, it'll become a terrifying physical monster later, but you can catch stronger Magikarp too, so wait until then. At least Burmy gets STAB!



One, two, three! Bravo! I say, bravo! In return for these Coupons, I present you this Pokemon Watch, or Poketch for short!




The Poketch is a nifty little thing that is the main use for the touch screen. There's a fair variety of apps, and while most of them are pretty useless, it's still a fun little tool. The main use for it is a clock, and the app we'll use the most.



It lights up when you touch it! The next app is a calculator, which can be useful for some quick mathematics. Uh, I can't really think of a time you'd use this in Platinum, but it does have a use in DP.



The step counter is actually pretty handy and useful for a number of things, from tracking happiness, to egg steps, to other, uh, interesting uses we'll get into... muuuuuuuuch later.



The last app we currently have is the Pokemon List, letting you quickly see at a glance the state of your party, though you can't really interact with them aside from tapping to hear their cry. Again, eh.



I'm developing a new Poketch app, but it's not quite done. My guess is that it will be ready when you get a Gym Badge.



On the top floor you can get various descriptions of Poketch apps, but you have me instead. Thankfully there's not too many apps, but we'll be picking them up here and there.

Route 204 Day / Night



Last up for this update is Route 204, it's a dead end right now, but a good one.



Could be scary, but it also barely attacked, so you know.



Oh, you're so mean! I just started training Pokemon!



Oh. Oh honey no.




Who gave you your first Pokemon? Your first Pokemon is the one with the most fond memories, I think.

We should expect a lot of Quick Claw activations, it's pretty helpful sometimes. But at least we've finally learned STAB! Yay?





Oh babies, we've got a fair few this time around, so getting one pretty early can be nice to raise into a real strong mon, the only problem is it's a miserable time getting it to that point. Happiness evolutions are never fun, nor is your best move being Mega Drain until you finally evolve. There's not much to help that otherwise, but finding babies in the wild makes them more appealing, however the main reason for babies is to enhance their evolutions with more interesting moves and Worry Seed and Water Sport are not that, so there's not much point to it, it's probably worth waiting until later and just catching Roselia.




Maybe I could have won if my Pokemon was holding a Berry...



Nice Pokemon, I'll take it.

Ravaged Path



Alright, seems we can't go very far, but a cave is a new area for us.



Hm. We'll get back to this one.




Please do not mistake Water Sport for Water Spout. Psyduck hasn't changed too much, being a perfectly fine choice with its range of special attacks. Especially Water HMs. We'll need slots for those, oh lordy.



While Zubat still doesn't have the easiest time levelling up, having some alright Flying moves and gaining Cross Poison while losing Sludge Bomb makes it also a perfectly fine candidate. Might be worth waiting until later on to use it so it isn't stuck with Leech Life for a while.




We'll finish this update off with a quick time switch for this rubbish bug. There's a fair few tweaks with wild encounters, such as Psyduck no longer being 2% and Wurmple being available a good two towns earlier, but I won't note every little difference, some of these I'm only finding out as I record! Since you don't know what Wurmple will turn into, we'll wait until you evolve it and work with that. They're both pretty alright special attackers, but fall off very quickly, so this is a temporary addition, unless you like to live dangerously.

And next time, we've got our first badge to obtain and plenty new mons to catch!