(note: next chunk pasted from the original "pokeplans" file on my work computer. Dates left as-is rather than attempting to create back-dated blog entries for each.)
(3/17/2009)
Progress is being made.
It did indeed take a solid evening of trades, but the Arceus game was quite thoroughly cleaned out. The legendaries were Pal Parked to Pearl, and all other Pokes and items were transferred over to the Rue LG game to keep them available for use in the new game of LG. I was even able to trade Arceus' Articuno and Zapdos for a Lugia and a Latios on the GTS.
So now I have a second trainer named Rue with a Bulbasaur. I re-started 'till I got a female and named her Cybele.
I had taken a look at the Pokedex for Pokes I had always liked but never properly raised: mostly stone-evolvers that I'd just evo'd then released, but never really put the time and effort into. Some breeding gave me offspring with at least a couple good moves to raise:
--Vulpix with Hypnosis (an egg move), Flamethrower, Quick Attack, and Faint Attack (though I might replace that with Dig).
--Staryu with Water Pulse and Surf (has since learned Recover and Swift, and I might teach it Psychic)
--Horsea with Ice Beam, Dragon Rage (an egg move), and Twister (not sure yet what the fourth move should be)
--Dodrio with Tri Attack and Fly (still levelling to learn Uproar and Drill Peck)
Unfortunately Eggs can't be traded before obtaining the Nat'l Dex in FR/LG (if they can be traded at all). This meant that my carefully bred core team had to be hatched in the first Rue game, and suffered from obedience issues early on. It also meant having to catch another Pikachu to get past Misty, though I did hold out for a male this time.
But now that I've got the Rainbow Badge and the obedience of any Pokemon up to lvl. 50, things should go smoothly as long as I don't overlevel TOO much. The idea is to just blow through the game, catching whatever appears but concentrating most of the training on the core team. Grab all items (including the hidden Leftovers and Macho Brace). Get the one-offs like Evee, Lapras, the fossils, and the dojo Pokemon, but don't worry about trades. Hopefully that'll give me a nicely levelled team by the time I hit the E4, and still enough Pokes caught to get the Nat'l Dex.
Then it's just a case of nabbing the birds and Entei, wrapping up on the Islands, grabbing Mewtwo, and clearing out the cart again. For space considerations, all Pokes and items can go over to the main Rue game; I can then Pal Park the legendaries I need from there. That leaves me with a fully-opened LG game containing a bunch of high-level Pokes and multiple items/TMs, plus another cartridge I can restart and sell back.
One thing though: I will not allow myself to buy Platinum until I have finished this game of LG. One game at a time is more than enough...
(3/24/2009)
While the HR expansion runs...
This weekend Dave told me he'd finally caught Entei. WHOO. That means we can do that last data-trade on Thursday, and our Nat'l Dexes will be complete! The only Pokemon I don't have credit for in Pearl is Celebi.
That makes it really tempting to: 1) Defer the LG game and just go out and get Platinum; or 2) Put Pokemon aside entirely for a while and concentrate on art or writing. I should probably give deep and sober consideration to that second option, and should definitely resist the first.
Because LG is progressing well. I've evolved Salome, Savannah, and Stellar to Ninetales, Dodrio, and Starmie -- all with their final attack sets. I ended up teaching Dig to Salome and Psychic to Stellar, and that's working out nicely. Not sure yet about Sparks' or Cybele's final attack sets. Trident needs to learn Hydro Pump before I'll let him evolve.
But I've defeated Koga, and have caught around 55 Pokemon. My team's all at lvl 37 (gotta be careful in Saffron not to go over 50). If I blow off the islands 'till after beating the E4, I can go for Entei first, then nab the rest of the legendaries and finish the post-game later.
And then I should probably put Pokemon aside and do some drawing....of course by then Traci (and possibly Kate and Dave) will have started Platinum and be talking about how cool it is, so I'll probably get sucked in. *sigh*
Oh well. Back to HR...
(5/1/2009)
All right, so I did buy Platinum and the guidebook, when I bought Traci the book as well. But I have held off starting it.
LG is going well. All of my core team are at their max evolutions (well, except I need to snag a King's Rock for Trident so he can evolve to Kingdra) with their final attack sets (allright, except that I want Sparks to learn Body Slam instead of Strength) and I've beaten the E4. I've caught the legendary birds, as well.
As it turns out, though, you don't get the Nat'l Dex until you've done that first little island gig with Lostelle. I hadn't known that, since I'd never let that wait until after the E4 before. (I also bet you can't trade eggs 'till you've retrieved the Ruby and have the pass to all the islands, though I should test that).
I should rightfully be Entei-hunting, but I need an HM slave. I want a Kangaskhan, 'cause they can learn Cut, Strength, and Rock Smash -- I replaced Cybele's Cut with Solarbeam (then Frenzy Plant, which is awesome) and want to replace Sparks' Strength with Body Slam, and I don't wanna mess with anyone else's attack set to learn Rock Smash, which I'll need in the Islands.
Of course, Kangaskhan are a bitch to catch, and just seeing Entei will take FOREVER. (Plus I've been transferring stuff from LG and Sapphire to Pearl, for the ranch plus the extra Sapphire TMs, but that's secondary).
But it's only 11 days left now to get Rotom's Secret Key for Platinum -- I have to get to Jubilife by then and activate Mystery Gift. So maybe I should get crackin' on Platinum, get it to Jubilife, then go back to LG. Or just snag Entei and break there, and finish the Islands later.
As to Platinum -- I figure on Chimchar as my starter this time; though I need a good name for a fire-monkey. I also want to raise some different Pokes this time around -- a Budew, definitely; possibly a Buneary. Also possibly: Shinx (or Pachirisu?), Drifloon, Gible, Riolu (though I'd have to wait 'till Iron Island), a Feebas (if I can catch one), Umbreon (from the one Eevee, should also reset for a female), Swablu ('cause Altaria are so pretty!), Houndour (Fire + Dark = awesome). Plus I am planning to trade over an Empoleon to use as an HM slave, since they can learn everything.
Really, I should look at the book and see what I can catch in the early portions of the game.
That's it, I'm starting Platinum by next week. =P
