Let's Play Pokémon FireRed Chapter 3: Into The Woods

Previously on Pokémon FireRed:

Chapter 3: Into The Woods

Okay, so I have two Normal/Flying Types with the same Ability, except one has better stats and a flying move.

I think since I can only have six on me at once, I should put one in the PC stasis so the Professor can study it.

But because Squit did help me beat Cesario kind of (seriously, why was he waiting there? I should be better prepared going forward), I'll make him a special box just for my former team members. I know as I meet more Pokémon I'll need to diversify.

Now, I need to create a training regiment....

[[Nilbog Notes: And now the full Start Menu.

* Pokédex lets you vew your Pokédex for information on Pokémon you've seen or caught, such as location and vital statistics

* Pokémon is team management,

* Bag is your Items

* Character Name is your Trainer Card showing play time and money among other things

* Save saves the game

* Options is the Option screen seen in the first chapter]]

So our plan here is to try and level everyone equally, so high Axel goes in the back for now, and everyone else ordered more or less by how much I like the cut of their jib. Thade feels like he'll be an asset for a while, but we'll see about the others.

No...you know what? I shouldn't think like that. I captured these creatures and they put their trust and faith in me. Yes, my team will be built strategically and members will be rotated as I meet new ones, but I need to show them all the proper respect. They are not only my team, they are my friends. Like Squit going in the Team box even though he only fought once and will likely never be used again,- he's part of the team. He's family.

We're a family now.

So, with that out of the way, let's see if I can actually buy stuff now.

Beautiful! I would like 10 Pokéballs and a handful of Potions.

Ahhh, so this IS my Trainer school's physical building. Worth a visit.

Ooh, a seminar on Status effects. One of my favorite subjects.

[[Nilbog Notes: While I rarely use buff/debuff moves, moves that inflict Status Effects definitely have a place in my party. They make capturing Pokémon easier (Status Effects affect capture rate more than health does), and can grant an edge in tough battles. They do last after battles until healed, though,

*SLP is Sleep. If a Pokémon is asleep, it can't attack, though it has a chance of waking up every turn and answering with an attack. Sleep by itself can be cured early with an Awakening.

*PSN is Poison, which deals a small amount of damage each turn until the Pokémon is either cured or fainted. What's particularly nasty about this one is that if your Pokémon still has it after a battle it will lose 1HP every five steps walked until again healed or fainted. Two moves in the game can leave a creature Badly Poisoned, where the Poison damage taken per turn increases exponentially rather than being a fixed small percentage. Both forms of Poison can be cured by itself with an Antidote. Poison and Steel types are immune to being Poisoned.

*PAR is Paralysis, which cuts a Pokémon's speed considerably and gives them a chance each turn to fail to attack. It can be cured with Parlyz Heal. In future games, Electric types have an immunity to Paralysis, but in this game they can be paralyzed just like everything else.

*BRN is Burn, which is very much like Poison in doing small bit of damage. Fortunately, unlike Poison, a Burn does not deal damage outside of battle. Unfortunately, unlike Poison, a Burn slashes your Attack stat to ribbons. Fire types are immune to Burns, but a Burn Heal will cure anyone else.

*FRZ is Frozen, which is like Sleep but essentially permanent. In future generations, a Frozen Pokémon will thaw after a certain number of turns, but here only an Ice Heal or a hit from a Fire attack will let it go. Ice types are immune to Freezing.

You can only be afflicted by one of these at a time, but there are two more mini-conditions that only last until being switched out and can be afflicted on top of these: Confusion, which gives a Pokémon a 50/50 chance to hit itself in the face for masic Attack damage for 2-5 turns; and Infatuation, which works kind of like Paralysis but without the speed drop and only against differently-gendered Pokémon (how depressingly heteronormative).]]

Wait, there's a Gym here? I need to check that out!

But that means going past...

Oh good. So can I go pas-

Wait, how do you know about that? I thought this was a super secret project?

Yes, I am very much aware that's how it works. How do you know, though?

What? I didn't say that! I am a certified trainer and I have already caught several -

Dude, it's fine, I -

That...that ball rolled backwards, hit a tree, and then rolled up to the Weedle...

(note to self, get a Weedle)

Thanks, I guess? (I will literally never use this)

[[Nilbog Notes: This tutorial was optional in the original Red/Blue and was a key piece of one of the most infamous exploitable glitches. Here there is no longer any such glitch and it is now mandatory in order to get this somewhat charming item that is useless to anyone who has played any of these games before. I had to sit through it, and now you do too.]]

This sign looks faded...

I guess that's a blessing in disguise. I'm in no shape to take on a gym yet.

Actually, I'm more interested in that item ball behind that skinny tree near the old man. I have a hunch the little path on 22 I neglected before will help...

[[Nilbog Notes: There are items strewn about everywhere, some visible and some hidden. I will try to show you guys as much as I can, but I may miss a few. Happy hunting!]]

Alright, time to move forward and see what else is out there.

More of these obstructive saplings. I'll find a way to get past you at some point...

What is this, a gatehouse?

Ooh, sounds interesting. I may make some new friends here...

This is ever-so-slightly spooky...

That tells me I should stay in this part of the forest until my team is in better shape. Cesario had Level 9s, which means I'd feel safer going forward with a full team of Level 10s. 

[[Nilbog Notes: This is something I learned to do that many players, even professional ones, don't. Keeping everyone equal level, I grind to 10 before the first gym and to 50 before the final trainers, and otherwise I don't have to grind at all in the game. I simply make sure to switch after every level up and only break order for important fights or emergencies.]]

I think there's only one way to go about this...

The hour's approaching to give it your best

And you've got to reach your prime!

(I bet Jerry likes Jazz)

[[NilbogNotes:

Weedle

#013

Bug/Poison

"Often found in forests eating leaves. It has a sharp venomous stinger on its head"

One of two early-game Bug types that evolve quickly but tend to get outclassed for fully-evolved Pokémon fairly quickly after. Weedle is the stronger of the base forms because of its Poison sting, but its learnset doesn't improve much.]]

That's when you need to put yourselves to the test

And show us a passage of time!

(He looks very hungry)

[[Nilbog Notes:

Caterpie

#010

Bug

"Its short feet are tipped with suction cups that enable it to tirelessly climb slopes and walls"

Caterpie is the other earlybug. It's weaker at first, but its final evolution is far more useful.

Bug types in general, weak to Fire, Flying, and Rock, and resistant to Grass, Fighting, and Ground, suffered from having no really good S.T.A.B. moves until Generation 4]]

We're gonna need a montage!

A  Poké-training montage!

[[Nilbog Notes: Any Pokémon that appears in battle for any length of time and survives gains an equal share of the total experience]]

[[NilbogNotes:

Kakuna

#014

Bug/Poison

Evolves from Weedle at Level 7

"Almost incapable of moving, this Pokémon can only harden its shell to protect itself from predators"

Metapod

#011

Bug

Evolves from Caterpie at Level 7

"This Pokémon is vulnerable to attack while its shell is soft, exposing its weak and tender body"

The wild Kakunas and Metapods in this forest are, frankly, a Newbie Trap. You're supposed to notice they are evolved Pokémon, with stronger stats and perhaps closer to the final evolution. The problem is that the only moves the wild ones know is Harden, which is a Defense buff. It's worth evolving the caterpillar Pokémon so you can keep their damage-dealing moves and slaughter the wild pupas for double the XP of anything else in the area]]

Show a lot of things happening at once

(It's funny - I look at him, and you know what I see?)

(Dolls with suction cups staring out car windows)

(He did launch himself bodily while screaming and sparking)

(I think we need to detour to a Pokémon Center. Electric rodent fills a better niche than Normal rodent)

[[Nilbog Notes: 

Pikachu

#025

Electric

Evolves from Pichu at high Happiness

"When several of these Pokémon gather, their electricity could build and cause lightning storms"

The unexpected series mascot and cultural icon. I would almost be inclined to avoid this one out of sheer overexposure if its underappreciated evolution was not one of my favorite Pokémon in the entire series. Electric defensively has a single weakness in Ground and resists Electric, Flying, and Steel. Offensively, Electric moves are resisted by Electric, Grass, and Dragon, and cannot hit Ground, but is super-effective against Water and Flyng - meaning that last episode's Cesario battle would have been a breeze had I picked up this little guy first]]

Remind everyone of what's going on!

And with every shot show a little improvement

To show it all would take too long!

That's called a montage!

Ooh, we want a montage!

In anything if you want to go

From just a beginner to a pro

You need a montage!

Even Rocky had a montage!

Always fade out in a montage...

If you fade out is seems like more time has passed in a montage...

[[Nilbog Notes:

Butterfree

#012

Bug/Flying

Evolves from Metapod at Level 10

"In battle, it flaps its wings at high speed to release highly toxic dust into the air"

Beedrill

#015

Bug/Poison

Evolves from Kakuna at Level 10

"Flies at high speed and attacks using its large venomous stingers on its forelegs and tail"

So here's where we see Butterfree start to outclass Beedrill move-wise. I'll get more into the history of Psychic-types when we actually catch one, but even here having a 50 base power special attack that's super-effective against Poison and Fighting and only resisted by Psychic and Steel (and ineffective against Dark) AND has a chance to cause Confusion this early in the game is a major boon. Meanwhile, Fury attack is a weak Normal attack that hits 2-5 times depending on how nice the computer decides to be at any given time. Beedrill gets some halfway-decent moves later on - in fact two of the three only somewhat "good"  Bug type moves introduced before Gen 4, one of which being unique to Beedrill - but its stats have a hard time keeping up by that point]]

Okay, I think we're finally ready. Let's get through this forest and its itchy battlers....wait...

Yes I do.

[[Nilbog Notes: If you are seen by an NPC Trainer, you are forced into a fight.]]

Flame beats Insect.

Not on its own, but keep at it. I did!

Hey, you engaged me!

I beg to differ. I think my song really helped!

That's just how it goes.

Hmmm, I think I'll avoid the grass by going up and around...

I wouldn't have it any other way.

[[Nilbog Notes: The bane of every Pokémon trainer for the better part of 26 years is that Pokémon can only know a maximum of four moves at any one time.]]

Please don't make me feel bad for following Trainer protocol.

This is less a "natural maze" and more of a "natural linear path"

Yes. as a matter of fact, even though it's out of order, I'll show you firsthand.

Sure.

Ooh, another gate building! I'm almost there!

Yes, stealing is wrong.

All right, now to just get out of he-

Oh, you're getting Jerry'd for this. Let's see if Fury Swipes will hit more than twice

Well then!

What did you lose?

"Two Potions, two Antidotes, and a Pokéball."

....I'll keep an eye out...

Good!

[[Nilbog Notes: Evolved Pokémon are by definition stronger, so it is never really a good idea to do this. The only reason to delay evolution is to learn a move that an evolved form doesn't learn, and that usually only happens with Pokémon who evolve in non-standard ways, meaning that you'd never need to actively cancel evolutions in progress, merely not do the thing that triggers evolution until the right moment.]]

Pewter city! A new horizon! Before I explore, I need to visit a Pokémon Center....

Oh yeah? Show me!

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz..................

***

[[Nilbog Notes: Our Team

Hasty raises Speed at the expense of Defense. Swarm is Blaze but for Bug-type moves. As an aside, I didn't get screencaps of it, but both Jerry and Eric changed Abilities each time they evolved. Most Pokémon don't do that, but a fair number do, so watch out for that.

Jolly also ups Speed but this time lowers Special Attack - not ideal, but Pikachu are rare in Viridian Forest and I'm not picky. Static, however, is a fantastic ability that has a chance to Paralyze an opponent when either Pokémon uses a move that makes physical contact.

CompoundEyes is a lesser version of Keen Eye, whereyou can still have your accuracy lowered but you start with a boost.

Tune in next week!]]