Board 8 > Scarlet Plays Through the Pokemon Series

(+) Yeah! (+)

It's been a long time since I've played a Pokemon title, so I've decided to do all of them in one long-running playthrough. Starting with Pokemon Red, I will train my way through all of the mainline games and select spin-off titles as chosen by all of you. I hope you'll check in regularly and follow my journey through the world of organized animal abuse.

Here are the titles I'll be playing:

-Pokemon Red
-Pokemon Snap
-Pokemon Stadium
-Pokemon: The Trading Card Game
-Pokemon Crystal
-Pokemon Emerald
-Pokemon Colosseum
-Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team
-Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness
-Pokemon Platinum
-Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky
-Pokemon White
-Pokemon Conquest
-Pokemon Black 2
-Pokemon X
-Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon
-Pokemon Sun
-Pokemon Ultra Moon
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pokemon crystal is my favorite pokemon game!
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Go Team Carbos! I hear you fight them in a cave once.
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tag
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Tag
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Tag
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Here we go with Pokemon Red!


I was tempted to start this particular incarnation as JACK, going with a LOST theme for my naming scheme, but I decided to play it safe. After all, Professor Oak noted that this was a world full of strange creatures. We have no time for nonsense. I decided to stick with the name "Scarlet" for convenience's sake.

I went with the name of my obvious Board 8 rival when the Alzheimer's stricken professor forgot his grandon's name.


First things I noticed in starting this game again after all these years: black and white games feel so weird and archaic. That said, some of this felt extremely familiar. I'll never forget that my PC has a potion, for example. I tried to avoid speaking to my Mom in this incarnation; she's going to be overly emotional about this ordeal even though this is the first time I've ever met her.

I triggered Professor Oak by trying to flee this little podunk town, but I was dragged back to Oak's basement for unknown purposes. Wickle also didn't know why we were there - and neither did Oak:


Of course, maybe I didn't want to know what Oak's intent was after all:


It's the first generation, so let's start our Pokedexes right with our first Pokemon registered in slot #001:


Wickle went with a Charmander just to be difficult (typical Wickle), so I had to beat his ass down. It wasn't too difficult - I didn't even need to drop a Potion. Too much Growling, Wickle. Status-based attacks in the first fight? Weak.


Yes, I'm going with a naming scheme of Presidents on this Generation.

Wickle, sufficiently embarrassed, ran away like a bitch:


And then we began the slow trek to that I call Scarlet's Errand. And so it was that in those days, Professor Oak decreed that his parcel should be retrieved from Viridian City. More to come soon.
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Wickle wishes he was that assertive
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scarletspeed7 posted...

Yes, I'm going with a naming scheme of Presidents on this Generation.

this playthrough gets my stamp of approval
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tag
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Tag
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I originally was gonna tag this and wait for like Snap, but...

scarletspeed7 posted...

I went with the name of my obvious Board 8 rival when the Alzheimer's stricken professor forgot his grandon's name.

d'aww, the one thing that keeps me invested.
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scarletspeed7 posted...

Yes, I'm going with a naming scheme of Presidents on this Generation.

Snorlax as Taft?
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Underleveled posted...

scarletspeed7 posted...

Yes, I'm going with a naming scheme of Presidents on this Generation.

Snorlax as Taft?

Snorlax is fat AND lazy. Trump is the only acceptable answer.
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not only does oak forget his grandson's name, he is blind enough to need to ask someone standing in front of them if they are a boy or a girl
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PrinceKaro posted...

not only does oak forget his grandson's name, he is blind enough to need to ask someone standing in front of them if they are a boy or a girl

And canonically is only 50
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Underleveled posted...

And canonically is only 50

Early onset Alzheimer's is a thing.
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Yessss, I hope you see this project all the way through scarlet. Already starting off strong!
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PrinceKaro posted...

not only does oak forget his grandson's name, he is blind enough to need to ask someone standing in front of them if they are a boy or a girl

Hey, you never know sometimes. MC could be very feminine looking and be a boy, or very masculine looking and yet is a girl. Not only is protag only 10, but also it was very ahead of its time that you probably do need to ask that with some people. I met someone I never ended up realizing the gender of once during work.
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Pokemon protagonists always have a well defined gender
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But he's not asking the Pokemon protagonist, he's asking YOU. And just because you're obvious does not mean everyone else is.
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No Pokemon Ranger in the list

Boo
Most underrated game series ever
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Nanis23 posted...

Most underrated game series ever

AH SHIT NEGATIVE NANIS PRAISE
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I made it a point to level up at least once on each route crossing with Eisenhower; Leech Seed achieved!


Ran into Viridian, and I didn't stick around. I've got shit to do. Gimme the package and let's get. The. Fuck. Out. Parcel achieved, route crossed again, Oak encountered once more. "A Special PokeBall" he says. But you know what? I tried to use it on a Rattata, and it didn't work. So at this point I was thinking, "Whatever this thing is, it's not a PokeBall." I now felt kind of dirty. Wickle and I are then contracted independently to fill PokeDexes, and that's that. I go trick Wickle's sister into giving me her Town Map, and I'm off to capture shit.

I started off simple - I went to Route 22, just off the exit to Viridian City, and grabbed a few Pokemon. I leveled up the gang a bit and decided to head off to Indigo Plateau. Speedrunning tactics. Unfortunately, Wickle is apparently a speedrunner also.


When Wickle dropped that Charmander again, I switched out Eisenhower for my new Rattata, and I literally Quick Attacked the Charmander to death. Nonstop Quick Attacks.


Oh, I should probably show you my early team:




Wickle, sufficiently cowed once again, ran away. I chose to chase after him, and I went north towards Viridian Forest. It was here that I ran into a goddamn Weedle that used three of my 7 remaining Poke balls.


One thing I had forgotten up until this point was that trainers don't have names. It's kind of sad, honestly. These people used to have backstories and deep, meaningful lives. Now they are back to being just shells of their later selves. Anyways, I'm leveling everyone up slowly but really only using Eisenhower in the trainer fights at this point. The trainers were few and far between, so the best plan here was to get a couple strong options just in case I needed to take out Bulbasaur and heal him.

Before I exited the forest, Van Buren went hard.


I also snagged the move that I figured would rock the first Gym to its very foundation.


Before I entered Pewter City, I grinded a couple levels onto Bulbasaur and Kakuna; Eisenhower hit 13 and Van Buren hit 10.


Weirdly, in the gym, Wickle had already been and gone in the Gym, so I sought out an edge to keep me on even keel with him:

This looks like the start of a beautiful friendship.

I slammed the first trainer who informed me that I was light-years away from Brock. This guy also said Han Solo made the Kessel Run in 14 parsecs. Then it was time to d-d-d-duel.


That feeling when you OHKO the Leader's big dog:


Brock, defeated twice in the last hour, decided to retire and gave me his badge. I'm now an official officer of the law in Pewter City!


Next up...the mysteries of Mt. Moon?
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Nanis23 posted...

No Pokemon Ranger in the list

Boo
Most underrated game series ever

I can add it, but I was told that since I'm emulating most of these, it would not be worth trying to do a very touch-sensitive game.
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Ranger is very very touch screen intensive.

I don't have experience with DS emulators so I dunno how good or bad touch screen controls are for them though.
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I thought of ranger earlier but I will say 100% do not play the game emulated.

Fun game, but you really need the touch screen for it.
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PrinceKaro posted...

tag

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tag
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No Pidgey?
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scarletspeed7 posted...

Nanis23 posted...

No Pokemon Ranger in the list

Boo
Most underrated game series ever

I can add it, but I was told that since I'm emulating most of these, it would not be worth trying to do a very touch-sensitive game.

Hmm yeah that would be a problem
There is a boss that might be very well be literally impossible using emulator
The rest of the game is fine though
But that boss (Salamence) is super hard on regular DS and using the mouse makes it even harder and..yeah
The only reason I even won it was because I cheated and used some way to make the emulator slower
The only time I had to do it, because it was so damn hard
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I couldn't beat Charizard on emulator, lol.
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Inviso posted...

Underleveled posted...

scarletspeed7 posted...

Yes, I'm going with a naming scheme of Presidents on this Generation.

Snorlax as Taft?

Snorlax is fat AND lazy. Trump is the only acceptable answer.

Snorlax is also UNQUESTIONABLY one of the 5 best.... so sure, Trump it is.

this is fun
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No time to dilly-dally in the land of Pewter. We're off to the next site of our sightseeing tour. First, however, I encounter Corrik:


However, all was not a loss - Corrik's defeat lent me enough experience to evolve Eisenhower into a real Commander-in-Chief:


I ran into an unnamed Youngster. I wonder who this really is?


Trying to grind up some levels resulted in several trips back to the Poke Center. Let me just tell you one thing about this series - if your game doesn't have the Running Shoes and I have to walk across screens like this, I am going to downvote the hell out of your title:


Meet Quincy, my Pidgey:


I eventually reached the Poke Center outside of Mt. Moon, and I was greeted by a very reputable looking businessman who offered me a rare Pokemon for just 500 PokeBucks. Hell yeah, thought I, until I saw what my greed hath brought unto me:


Naturally I wanted my money bank. Gerald Ford was a terrible President, and I deserved something in at least a size 16. Sadly, it was not meant to be.


Fuck you, President peddler!

I moved into Mt. Moon at this point and I ran into Corrik again. Naturally, we battle once more, but this time he didn't seem to be paying too much attention:


I caught President Buchanan on the first floor:


Good ol' Garfield was around a couple of bends after Buchanan:


Trainers here were pretty rough on poor ol' Eisenhower, especially those with Leech Life laden Zubats, so I made a few trips in and out. During one such trip, I found Ulysses S. Grant:


Hikers look like Samoan Santa Clauses:


I would like to know how a Team Rocket member can break the laws of physics in Pokemon:


Also, Team Rocket's introduction is sudden and uninteresting. You almost don't even realize there's any difference between those guys and the regular trainers in this tunnel. Frankly, they are all assholes who assault you for little to no reason. As I pushed on, it was interesting how much I really did remember about the game. Who needs an Itemfinder when you can just remember little nuggets like this?


Made it through the last trainer with a little difficulty. Congrats on living long enough to get the EXP there, Eisenhower!


Made my fossil choice and then ditched the Super Nerd (TM) for greener pastures:


On the path outside of Mt. Moon, Jackie Kennedy did a thing:


Thought about visiting the reclusive Pokemaniac I heard about north of Cerulean, but as soon as I started on that trek, Wickle jumped me:


Holy shit, Wickle, learn2Pokemon. You can't use Teleport in a Trainer Battle:


Eventually I beat Wickle's team (including landing the killing blow on Charmander with Eisenhower) and he relented:

Visual novels are video games too.
Shut up Scarlet.

Hey! Take it easy!
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Actually, here's my actual dialogue pre-Nugget bridge fight.

Before battle: Heyo~!

After battle: Hey, you seen my gun?
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WickIebee posted...

After battle: Hey, you seen my gun?

"Hey you know when they're gonna turn the water back on?"
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Started down the gauntlet on the bridge (I chose L then R then L then R then L then R). Pretty sad sack parties. How did these guys come together? Did they just unilaterally decide that they would be a gauge for what a good trainer could beat? Bizarre. Anyways, JFK evolved.


The guy at the end of the bridge offered me a nugget and I was like, "Whoa, man. Just say no." This apparently offended his stoner sensibilities and he rambled about Team Rocket (, so I had to beat his ass, too. But not before he tried to recruit me with the worst opening pitch line ever. Really give away the farm there, bucky.


The horde of trainers above the bridge really reinforced how terrible the bridge trainers actually were. Like, a massive conglomerate of mediocre hikers and random young shorts-wearing kids topped the entire bridge gang. That's embarrassing. You ever notice how the reasons trainers give you for fighting are utterly idiotic? I'm glad this girl decided that this sliver of wisdom was worthy of battling some random passerby:


Then I went into Bill's house, and was greeted by this random talking Pokemon:


I don't believe you!

Bill attempted to shirk his responsibilities by purporting a fraud against me. I saw through it however and shoved him in a metal cabinet and messed with his computer until he relented and gave me a ticket out of the country.

You know how Team Rocket steals some safari explorer's machine? I like that, when you get it back, you just never mention it to the poor guy. How are you any better than Team Rocket? Answer: You aren't. You leave this poor guy alone, forced to restar his digging business from scratch.


How did Wickle get to the gym so quickly?


Anyways, I OHKO'd the entire gym with OPasaur and become the Sole Officer of the Peace in Cerulean City:


The worst part of success is the fact that everyone will try to ride your coattails.

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Making good progress!
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Thanks Ermy :D
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I can't wait till you get to the Mystery Dungeon games. With me as your partner, I'll never let you down!
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oh no misery dungeon

run before it's too late!!
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Naye! I missed you *Big Hug*
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:) :) :)

you too ermine
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scarletspeed7 posted...

How did Wickle get to the gym so quickly?

I'm just always one jump ahead. one could say my only friend is Abu.
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OMG screenshot LPs, it's been like years. Tag.
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I like your wit
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Raka_Putra posted...

OMG screenshot LPs, it's been like years. Tag.

I just hope he will continue like this for the rest of the games
He might get lazy though
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