The Let's Play Archive

Pokemon Shield

by Falconier111

Part 22: I've Seen More Than Enough To Judge You

Update 23: I've Seen More Than Enough To Judge You

Pokémon Sword and Shield - Battle! Bede (8-bit; N163) (ft. SS5K)







Well, this is a thing. I completely forgot you actually face him down here. I’m not prepared and I’m still using that B-team, but I think it will be enough. Despite his Rock/Ground typing, almost all of this Pupitar’s moves are Dark, which Bede’s Psychic-types are weak to. His first Pokémon goes down like a brick.





I’m sure you do, buddy. Next up comes none other than Morgan, his signature Pokémon. Bizarrely, both it and the previous Pokémon got super effective’d AND critted, too; I guess they picked up on the fact that Gloria wasn’t in the mood for mercy. The pattern breaks with his Gothorita, but he downs her in two hits and the following Ponyta in one.

So, that was a very short fight. I think my overwhelming victory here comes out my move choice. Practically the only move I used in this fight was Crunch, a powerful physical Dark-type move. Psychic-types, on the other hand, almost always lean towards special moves and defenses; by leveraging Pupitar’s high Attack against their weak Defense, combined with the type advantage and extreme luck with all those crits, Bede went down like a sack of bricks. On the third, mutant hand, a lot of Bede's Psychic Types are tricked out with countermeasure moves for Types Psychic is weak to, but Pupitar there lacks any type weaknesses to those; they had no options they could readily use. I mean, I could have chosen a less cheesy monster to show this fight off better. But, nah.

Funny thing? That Copperajah back there is Rose’s Pokémon, and he’s canonically a Champion finalist; it should be enough to wipe my team by its lonesome. But I guess Bede wasn’t willing to go that far.



Stow-on-Side - Pokémon Sword and Shield OST



I was the one chosen by the chairman… I was the one who was to defeat the Champion… I’m one of the elite – someone who can shoulder the future of the Galar region!

No, you convinced yourself you were. Unfortunately, no, as it turns out you –

Bede! What are you doing!?



I can’t believe you try to use the chairman’s Pokémon to destroy a historical site!

Oleana, this is IMPORTANT! Chairman, this is just some ugly old mural, it’s so much less important than the fate of the region!



It pains me to have to say this, but… I am truly disappointed. Trying to destroy the mural – part of Galar’s history! You show no love toward Galar! You are clearly not a worthy challenger for the Gym Challenge. We will decide what to do with you later. For now you will return to Hammerlocke.



You’re disqualifying me from the Gym Challenge? But you’re the one who endorsed me! There are hundreds of different ways to sort this out… Why are you choosing the worst possible option?!

… It seems I really haven’t taught you anything. Do you really think you know better than me?



Oleana, take his Wishing Stars.

Sir, are you certain…

I always am. Oleana.

Of course, sir.

But – I – I



...



I never wish to see us lose challengers for this sort of reason. Yet we do what we must do to keep things fair and sportsmanlike. I’m afraid I must take my leave. I have much to clean up.

… Gloria? You know what he said was all a load of bollocks, right?

Like all good lies, it had a seed of truth. I’ll be fine, but… I have no idea how he even found all that out. Probably just good detective work, but I hope he broke into some database somewhere so they can slap him with criminal charges.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen that angry at someone. Are you –

Look, can we talk about something else? Like the mural?

Fair enough. At least we got here in time. Look, it’s a bit scuffed up but still intact –

Destruction of the Mural - Pokémon Sword and Shield OST













Stow-on-Side - Pokémon Sword and Shield OST

That’s… That’s them. That’s the Brother Kings.

No.

… What?

Oh, sorry. The art style’s a lot older – look at those strong lines. And that round shield shape. Well, not round, but, you know. That’s Alfredine design.

… You know, normally, you love to gab about all this, but you’re practically monosyllabic. How you feeling?



That bad, huh?



Call a rain check on this conversation, yeah?

… I have plenty to say, but just… Not now. Meet you back in Hammerlocke after I beat Ballonlea?

Take a break. You’re halfway through, you earned it.

…

Postwick - Pokémon Sword and Shield OST

Gloria, welcome –





What’s wrong, love?

… Very long day. Someone brought up a lot of bad memories.

Oh, I’m sorry, hun –

He did it on purpose.

Oh.

I’m pretty sure he’s going to jail, though.

… And I think there’s a story here. Why don’t I put a kettle on the stove and dig out some of your chai for you?

No, no, I’ll do it, give me something to keep my mind on while I’m talking…

…



…

I know you’re dillydallying in there, call her!

Mum!



Rotom, mobile phone mode, please.

…

Marnie! Hey, have you reached Ballonlea yet?

…

Then, can I ask you to hang around for a little bit after you beat the Gym? I really need someone’s shoulder to lean on… I mean –

…

Yeah, it is pretty serious. Not like… World-ending serious, but… I could really use a neutral party to talk to, you know?

…

You have no idea how much I appreciate this.

…

I would drop everything to do the same for you, you know.

Oh, how romantic~



…

Glimwood Tangle - Pokémon Sword and Shield OST



Welcome to one of the strangest and most beautiful environments in the game: the Glimwood Tangle. According to that tourism pamphlet I referenced earlier earlier, it’s based on Sherwood Forest – as in, the Robin Hood forest. Check me if I’m wrong, Britgoons, but I don’t think Sherwood has quite as many giant glowing mushrooms. While other areas’ Pokémon have either no theme or really obvious themes (water routes contain water Pokémon ), the Tangle is staffed by a mixture of Psychic and Fairy Pokémon.



It also houses possibly my least favorite Pokémon in this game. I mean, it’s not that bad, all told, but its name is… IMPIDIMP. Good Lord. I kill it on principle.



Not that this place is has many Pokémon that makes sense, mind. But it DOES house Pokémon that can take me on. This the first time in the game that my Pokémon start regularly dropping into the yellow. Part of it is that my current party loadout has a very few solid counters to the Pokémon you find here, but part of it is that the Pokémon here are legitimately challenging. On the other hand. Well. I didn’t really see it last time because I put away most of the Pokémon I’d been grinding Affection for, but with my original team restored, I’m seeing them dodge hits and score extra criticals all over the place, it’s nuts. It makes what otherwise might have been a bit of a slog into something genuinely entertaining. But this place does have a little secret. Something very, very important to me, in fact. One that my first time through I spent a solid 20 minutes just finding one in the tall grass



FINALLY. Unlike almost every other area in the game, all of the Tangle’s Pokémon hide in the tall grass and force you to come in after them, so it’s really hard to track where Pokémon could be. So finding this after just a few minutes of searching has me like . I originally chose Shield over Sword because Shield has Galarian Ponyta, so you’d better bet it’s going to end up in my party in SOME capacity.

Ballonlea - Pokémon Sword and Shield OST





Uh, hey, Britgoons. Is this based on a real place? Asking for a friend.



Man, I love this town. It’s one of the prettiest places in Galar, in my opinion. And it has an appropriately mystical side quest!





Frank: What’s this? You’ve got a letter addressed to me?

We hand it over.

Frank: Now who could be sending me letters? Oh! Why, says it’s from Paula! That does take me back ages… Paula was the name of a girl I spent all my time playing with when I was a young lad… She fell ill. Didn’t tell me, though. She kept it a secret just how sick she was. We ended up having a great row about it… Then I moved away not long after that fight. I never met her again after the day I left. How was she? Did she look well? Dear old Paula…

… She looked younger than she had any right to.

Frank: That’s a comfort to hear.

Hm.



Not to mention a literal Otherkin over here. He wants us to put on some clothes that will inspire a fiery spirit, whatever that means. I’m assuming he wants me to put on a Fire Gym uniform or something. I’ll consider it, but I have something else I need done first.



Marnie! Oh, you’re a sight for sore eyes.

You wanna to find somewhere t’sit down? I have a feelin’ this is gonna get hairy and I wanna make sure you’re good 'n' comfortable before you begin.

Yeah, you're probably right. Thank you


So, bookkeeping. What I should name my Galarian Ponyta and who it should replace in my party? The current roster is: We have a couple updates before I go back to combat in earnest, which gives me enough time to ask.

Also, second question: how familiar is everyone in this thread with the Pokémon franchise? Are we all long time veterans, do we have any duties first checking in, what? I enjoy rambling about the contrast between earlier Gens and this one, but I can’t tell how much of an impact it’s making on the thread and whether I should start cutting down on its influence.