Part 25: Extreme Makeover

Music: Mission Start!


Welp, this sure is a drastic change of scenery.
Good thing convection doesn't exist in the pokemon universe because yiiikes.

New Music: Olive Volcano
Unbelievable! Everything's completely changed here... There's lava where water flowed... The tremor and the roaring noise were from the eruption of an underground volcano.



Oh, so you are safe after all. I was about to leave Summerland after a mission when that earthquake hit. I got a feeling that this was no ordinary quake. I thought maybe, just maybe, something unthinkable happened. I'm hoping it didn't happen, but... You didn't clear the fourth challenge, did you?
...! Aria... We, uh... The fourth challenge... Um... We did it... But... There's a good reason... We can explain... There was a Charizard in pain...

That's an awfully specific question to be asking.

*A Pokemon cries to interrupt Lunick's ellipses barrage*



What is that over there? Is that an Entei?!

*Entei flees*

An Entei? Why would a legendary Pokemon appear here? I don't know why, but it must be linked somehow to the volcanic eruption.

Seems like both Aria and Cameron don't know about the Entei statue. Is that a new addition?

Anyways... I can't let you handle this anymore. I can't believe you would clear the fourth challenge. No Ranger would be so foolish to do such a thing. I'll calm the Entei. That will stop this disaster from getting any worse. You can do whatever you want, but don't do anything to mess things up anymore. Understood? *leaves*
We caused this! We have to do something about it!
*When talked to* We caused a lot of trouble for the people of Summerland...
*When talked to* This is all our fault, isn't it? We have to do something about it!

As you might have guessed, Lunick won't let us leave until we do "something" about it. That's very vague.

*When talked to* We've got to find the Entei! Before this calamity thing gets any worse!

"Hey stay put and literally don't do anything. I'll fix your fuckup." "WE CAN'T STAND AROUND WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING." Also major props to Aria for actually being competent here.



Somehow, the eruption also causes Pokemon to appear. Sure, why not.
At least it's a fire type!



It's weirdly fitting that the first Pokemon we see in a volcano is a Numel.



All the challenges are now blocked off. The boulder near this challenge is still here, by the way.
Spoke too soon. Why is an Electrike here?
Gameplay convenience, I guess. Not that it's that useful, only healing 5 HP.



It's better to go left first here, but I go up because I am a master of planning.

Music: Go-Rock Squad!


Both directions have a grunt battle right away, but this one is harder.
Just this one screenshot and I think I completely understand the Go-Rock plan. And... if I'm right it's actually pretty ingenious.

Music: Go-Rock Squad Battle (Weak Grunt)


Slugma and Magcargo is just faster versions of Grimer and Muk, complete with the sludge trails and shooting puddles. Slugma is dealt with quickly.



Magcargo, however, is a problem. Magcargo and Muk both leave a long trail of sludge. But since Magcargo is faster, it leaves a longer trail of sludge. This is one of the few points where line length is important.

Plusle is useful here assuming you have the gauge ready. Otherwise, grab some Friend Pokemon from the other fork to humiliate Magcargo just like how we humiliate Muk.

Music: Capture Complete


Required Loops: 3
Possible EXP: 43/49/55/63



Required Loops: 4
Possible EXP: 70/76/82/90

Music: Olive Volcano
This just isn't my day... Earlier, some snooty Ranger girl knocked me aside when I tried to stop her. She didn't bat an eye and just kept going. I feel like such a loser... *flees*

That answers how Aria can go past the grunt
Aria gives no fucks.



There's a Graveler here which will be very useful against all the Fire Pokemon.



It is also useful for crushing boulders, such as the one near what used to be The Challenge of Water.
0/10 graveler didn't suplex the boulder.



It's another secret area with a new Pokemon!

We have to approach Sceptile from behind, because...



...if it spots us, it will jump over us. That's one way to flee, I guess.



Yes, it can also jump randomly during battle. Yes, it's as annoying as all of the others.



It also hits HARD. That's more damage than any of the challenge bosses put out.
Holy crap!
The best thing to do here is to use Fire assist and then capture it before the effect wears off (more on that later).



I love when a Level Up saves me from having to capture 5 Electric Pokemon to heal



Required Loops: 8
Possible EXP: 100/112/124/136/148/160

We have the cut master! This Sceptile can give us HM01.

Before we move on, let's see what's behind the other fork.



Now that the Jungle Relic has turned into a volcano, the colorful fires have turned into the boring red ones.

Music: Go-Rock Squad!


Music: Go-Rock Squad Battle (Weak Grunt)


Rapidash charges in a straight line and...that's pretty much it. Just deal with it like any other charging Pokemon.

Music: Capture Complete


Required Loops: 7
Possible EXP: 56/62/68/76

We're getting a lot of level 3 field moves now...
Makes sense considering we're in the final third of the game (not including postgame stuff).

Music: Olive Volcano
I don't like how it ended, but it felt good interfering with you. I did slow you down, didn't I?

Considering that what you're guarding is entirely optional, I guess you're slowing us down more than you'd think.



There's Magmar, but it's very unnoteworthy.



Magmar can shoot the fire several times consecutively, but it's nothing we haven't seen before.



Required Loops: 6
Possible EXP: 70/74/78/83

Try to guess how many updates until we capture Electabuzz.
Many, probably!



Remember this dead end? We'll finally take a look at it after we get this Macnetric.



I don't know how a puddle of electricity works, but that's what Macnetric makes.



Required Loops: 3
Possible EXP: 12

Any amount of recovery is appreciated, I imagine.
I certainly appreciate Manetric here more than Electrike.



Here's what lies beyond the stairs in front of what used to be The Challenge of Wind. These Beldum wasn't there before, by the way. Otherwise the trial bosses would be mubh easier.



It may not look like it, but Beldum is actually charging here.



Required Loops: 5
Possible EXP: 32/38/44/50/56/62



I don't want to use for Sceptile for this fence (near what used to be The Challenge of Fire), but there doesn't seem to be any other Pokemon with Cut around.



I ended up not using it.



The way forward was the second path blocked by the boulder. Looks like the Squad has opened it up for us.
I really like when previous dungeons get new terrain. Or the paths through them get recontextualized. Tyrano Lair remains one of my favorite endgame dungeons in Chrono Trigger for that reason!