The Let's Play Archive

Pokemon Ranger

by 1234567890num

Part 36: Trials and Tribulations with Timing and Teleports

Music: Go-Rock Squad!


(Sigh...) I got chewed out by the boss again today... He caught me scratching my back with my Styler, and that didn't go over well at all... ...If he caught me goofing off like this, I'd be in for another reprimand. That's enough of a break! Back to work! *returns inside*



It's time to wreak some havoc!
I like that the button is just there, but unless you're paying attention, you might overlook it. Because who would think about odd bumps on a boulder?
I would think twice about odd bumps. Normal bumps, on the other hand...

Music: Sekra Range


Our Magikarp...
The game really doesn't want you to have Magikarp...

Click!

*Circe enters the hideout*

New Music: Go-Rock Squad's Base


Follow the plan. Create a diversion and go deep. Sow confusion among the Go-Rock Squad. Avoid glowing red sensors. Triggering one will send you back here. Be careful. ...? Are you surprised to see "Silent Chris" talking so much? I talk when I need. I get tongue-tied around Elita, though. I'm returning to Wintown. I need to plan things with Elita. We're counting on you. *leaves*

Oh. Oh okay. Sure. Chris won't stop talking at all once he's away from his crush.
Like Chris said, it's now time for...



...a timing section. Fun.
...yay. Good old timing puzzles.



Failing will result in us getting sent back all the way to the beginning. And the only save points are at the very beginning and end.



The first couple ones are easy enough. Both sets flashes on and off, with the second cycling faster.



The next room is where we get into the "fun" stuff. The pattern for this one is easy enough, at least.



This one has a trickier pattern, but it's still very doable.
So far it looks like as long as you keep moving in some direction, you'll be fine.



This one is the widest in the game, being 5 tiles wide. The pattern on the left 2 rows mirrors the right 2 rows with the middle doing its own thing. The middle is the hard past, but getting past it just leave us with the same solution as our last set.



The final room has 2 sets of tiles. They're both the rotated version of the first set from our last room.
Not gonna lie, this looks like it would be a massive pain if you weren't using savestates.



This save point marks the end of the alarm segment and the beginning of the teleporter segment
Teleporter? But why?
Because it's pretty much a mandatory "feature" of every Pokemon villain lair



I'm pretty much just going through these randomly.



Fun fact: Ralts can teleport even through walls. Its assist will be useful shortly, but it's no big deal if you can't grab it now.



Required Loops: 4
Possible EXP: 23/27/31/36


Ralts teleports so often that reaching it isn't as hard as it sounds. It doesn't have any attack, so actually capturing it also isn't hard.

Music: Go-Rock Squad!


Of course, we'll also have grunt battles. Some of them won't have their Pokemon shown in advance.

Hey! It's you again! You remember me, don't you? ...You don't remember?! You really don't remember again?! Gaaaaah, I'm not taking that!

Music: Go-Rock Squad Battle (Weak Grunt)


The grunt battles are starting to get really rough. Ludicolo is the main danger here, so capture it first (or capture the other two Pokemon while it's stunned by Plusle).

Music: Go-Rock Squad's Base
Gaaaah! Don't ever forget this! ...Please remember me next time...

...Who are you again?
Even though they're a generic faceless grunt, the fact that they're the one that keeps insisting we remember them makes them memorable!
I still don't remember who he is though...



In the same room, we see this Swampert.



It's kind of a pushover.



Required Loops: 10
Possible EXP: 88/102/116/130/144/158




Ah, here's our regional battery. It's strange finding Electabuzz so far away from Magmar.
It's a little fucked up to refer to Electabuzz as a battery.
If we can refer to every other Electric Pokemon as battery, we can refer to Electabuzz too



I don't have any mercy for Electabuzz because it has this awful attack.



Required Loops: 6
Possible EXP: 13


At least it heals a lot.

Music: Go-Rock Squad!


Fuhahahaha! Finally! Finally, our time has come! Our new Styler is finished! Using that outrageous new Styler, the Go-Rock Squad can now capture any Pokemon whether they like it or not! Every Pokemon in the world will now do our every bidding!

These guys are like the underpants gnomes, I swear. Sure, they can make every pokemon in the world do their bidding. But why? To what end?
To make the Rangers go out of business, obviously. After that, though,

Music: Go-Rock Squad Battle (Strong Grunt)


Where did the Golem come from?

Anyway, use Ralts or Plusle to halt both Mankey and capture them. Golem should go down quickly after that.

I like to think the Golem just randomly busted into the base and decided to help out the Mankeys.

Music: Go-Rock Squad's Base
I... I'm not suited for the field of battle. I will withdraw into my lab and concentrate on creating the perfect system...

Music: Go-Rock Squad!


You're going to lose, you know. The headquarters assigned us with terrifically tough Pokemon!

If 2 Slakoth is tough then I don't know what Salamence is. I can't give tips for this fight; you really should be able to handle this fight especially considering a certain boss in the next update.
Slakoth are plenty tough! They can be a tripping hazard to the inattentive.

Music: Go-Rock Squad's Base
I wish they'd assign us tougher Pokemon...

Computer It's a computer, but it's not personal. It's doing complex calculations.

Music: Go-Rock Squad!


I don't like the looks of you... What's the password?



I love this game
That's a really good line, hahaha.

Music: Go-Rock Squad Battle (Weak Grunt)


Swalot releases puddle... Plusle stuns the Zubat long enough for us to capture them... You know the drill.

Music: Capture Complete


Required Loops: 11
Possible EXP: 68/74/80/86/92/98


Music: Go-Rock Squad's Base
What you said about my toenails... That made me all self-conscious, so I couldn't concentrate...

Music: Go-Rock Squad!


Wh-why? Why is there a Ranger here?

Music: Go-Rock Squad Battle (Weak Grunt)


The goal here is to quickly capture Scyther. After that, try to lure Heracross away while capturing Pinsir. Blaziken (spoiler) will help greatly.
I can get behind this Go-Rock person. Scyther and Pinsir and Heracross have been awesome as hell since I was 11 and will continue to be for the forseeable!
Yeah. These might fold under Fire, but otherwise this battle is actually very tough.

Music: Go-Rock Squad's Base
(Groan...) This means more demerit points... I am in so much trouble...



Monitors This security-camera monitor is not showing any TV programs.

As you can imagine, Wurmple is completely useless.

Music: Go-Rock Squad!


What?! Intruders here? Where did you get in? I'll make you pay for trying to meddle with our experiments.

Music: Go-Rock Squad Battle (Strong Grunt)


Metang can tackle and do a straight charge. Mankey takes care of them both quickly (they're Steel type). Blaziken should help too.

Music: Capture Complete


Required Loops: 8
Possible EXP: 62/68/74/82


Music: Go-Rock Squad!
Failure leads to success! The data from my loss will be used to our benefit somehow!

Oh god, battle data. Please let this trope go fucking die somewhere. It doesn't make any sense!

Vending machine This is an ordinary vending machine. If you have no money, it's just a metal box.

Music: Go-Rock Squad's Base


Here's the Blaziken mentioned before.



It has a fire kick and moves VERY quickly.



It also jumps because fuck you. We can return the sentiment by using Swampert.



Required Loops: 8
Possible EXP: 95/108/121/134/147/160




Upper locker There is a dyed wig inside. Do underlings have to wear this? It would be awfully hot to wear in the summer.

Lower locker There is a costume inside. Do underlings have to wear this? It's made of very cheap fabrics.

Go-Rock Squad, cutting budgets and forcing painful fashion since 2006.
Hard to feel sorry for them. If you sign up to a group and on day 1 they're like "Here, you have to wear a wig and a jumpsuit" you get the fuck outta there and don't look back!
I'm pretty sure they follow these rules just to get paid

Now I'm wondering how much salary does these guys get.




Anyway, eventually we made it to the exit



Going past some old Pokemon...



Oh, hello. How did you get here?

Hey, Circe! I was looking for you! I was ordered to assist your mission. But you know what? I would've come even if I wasn't ordered. Eheheh.
*When talked to* Let's kick up a ruckus like there's no tomorrow!

Spoiler: It's never revealed
I have many questions about how Lunick got here specifically.



Anyway, we'll go cause more ruckus in the next update. Where there are no more timing or teleporter segments.
Please tell me there are no more teleporter mazes in the rest of the game.
There are no more teleporter mazes in the rest of this game