Let's Play Pokémon FireRed Chapter 5: Far Over The Moon-Stoned Mountains Cold

Previously on Pokémon FireRed:

Chapter 5: Far Over The Moon-Stoned Mountains Cold

I am unexpectedly in a Pokémon Center which is installed by itself outside of a mountain pass. I can't help but worry what's ahead if it was deemed necessary for this.

Really? This is only the second time I've heard that name. Are they an actual sports team or just like particularly bad football hooligans? Or am I way off and "Rocket" is a character in some Young Adult novel and shipping wars have gotten out of hand again?

Oh really now?

Karp? Like a fish? A Water Pokémon before a likely Rock-infested tunnel? For the price of a Pokéball and a Potion? That's a steal!

I'd be an idiot not to!

She looks so serious. Thanks, Mister!

...Odd way to say "You're Welcome", but hey! So, benching Agnew for now, what kind of Water moves does my new Water Pokémon know?

Oh......Well, at least it's another Pokédex entry. And I have a feeling Agnew's benching will not be in vain in the long run.

[[Nilbog Notes:

Magikarp

#129

Water

"In the distant past, it was somewhat stronger than the horribly weak descendants that exist today"

Magikarp is the ultimate lethal joke character. It does absolutely nothing until Level 15 when it learns a weak Tackle (and as the Gens progress a Flail), and then at Level 20 it evolves into one of the strongest non-Legendary Gen 1 Pokémon in the game with a crippling 4x weakness to Electric moves being the only way to reliably hurt it.

This is the earliest point in the game that you can get a Magikarp, and there are several modes of thought as to whether it's worth buying here or waiting until you can catch one for free later. I usually buy it for the Pokédex entry because I don't like to fish more than I have to (more on fishing in the future). Most professionals see it as a newbie trap and a waste of time and money. But the truth of it is, and this is what the developers intended: if you want Gyarados on your final team, there is no reason whatsoever not to buy it now, because if you put in the effort and slog it out, you can have a nightmare of a sea serpent before you even set foot in the second Gym of the game.

We will not be using Gyarados, however, as for this run I wanted to avoid Pokémon that Cesario would have on his team aside from starters, and had we picked any other starter Cesario would have had Gyarados as his Water-type instead of Squirtle.]]

Well, no use stalling.

Well that's a good sign. Hey, miss, do they really mean "bloodsucker"?

Okay, but what has that got to do with -

Of course you do...

Ugh, another high-levelled pink wall. Well you're probably Normal so...

To a punchy monkey.

Really? Fossils? I want a fossil...

What is that ominous flapping noise?

Oooh, it's really cute in an ugly sort of way...

I need to read more Anne Rice books.

[[Nilbog Notes:

Zubat

#041

Poison/Flying

"Forms colonies in perpetually dark places. Uses ultrasonic waves to identify and approach targets."

Zubat gets a bad reputation because, especially in the original Red/Blue, the encounter rates in caves was overtuned to ridiculous levels and Zubats are most common in caves. Really, they are a solid and dependable little monsters that I really only didn't use originally because they and their immediate evolution couldn't learn a certain Flying-type move until Gen 4. I've always had a fondness for bats, being even today my favorite extant animal, and if I decide to do more games in the series you will likely eventually see me giving this monster some love.]]

Might be good if I had a Grass-type.

Do I look like "Men" to you?!

Axel, buddy, I love ya, but could you maybe have learned this BEFORE the Rock gym?

[[Nilbog Notes: Yet another anti-frustration feature added in FireRed so that people who chose the Fire Type didn't feel completely helpless against these early-game Rock Types. Steel as a Type was not introduced until Gen 2, and it's often slept of offensively as when it's super effective against (Rock, Ice, and starting in Gen 6 Fairy) have more easy-to-find weaknesses. But I always find it kind of fun to bust out a Steel move when nobody is paying attention.]]

"Team Rocket" just sounds weirder and weirder the more I hear it. That said, maybe I should start taking them a little seriosuly...if so many people are afraid of them, it's probably wise to be on my guard.

Let's double back and keep going through.

Ack! Falling Rocks!

Ooh, just like Brock had! You know, if I wanted to represent that gym on my team, I could do worse...

Not quite as big as a rolling boulder yet, but I like her adventurous spirit.

[[Nilbog Notes:

Geodude

#074

Rock/Ground

"Found in fields and mountains. Mistaking them for boulders, people often step or trip on them"

Geodude are sort of the quintessential Gen 1 Rock types. This will be my first time raising one as while I've always been quite fond of its final evolution, its initial stages have actively put me off. And that final evolution normally takes an additional hoop to jump through, which has been conveniently removed in this particular save file. More detail on that when we get to it.]]

I know just the perfect way to honor the giver of my first League Badge!

Gee, I didn't realize it was as simple as slapping a CD on their forehead, jeez.

Oh, and looking at my pack I just realized I never actually looked at the Town Map Daisy gave me...god, it can't be more than a day ago and yet it already feels like weeks.

So it looks like I'll be going in somewhat of a spiral potentially...

Ooh, a ladder guarded by a bat! A perfect chance to try out my new Pokémon's new move!

Wicked! So, what's down here?

Ohhh, I don't like that glassy look...

I don't like the look of those mushrooms man. I get the feeling they'll make you dance douchily down the street and help create an overexposed supervillain.

[[Nilbog Notes:

Paras

#046

Bug/Grass

"Burrows to suck tree roots. The mushrooms on its back grow by drawing nutrients from the bug host."

Leaving aside the fact that they're based on a horridly disturbing species of parasitic fungus, I actually find Paras sort of underrated as a Pokémon. Sure it has two common 4x weaknesses in Flying and Fire,but honestly it's worth the risk as these guys are pretty good status-effect-dealing monsters, with all the Grass powders plus Spore, the only 100-accuracy Sleep move in the game, and from Gen 3 on their ability Effect Spore which has a chance to leave a random status effect upon being hit.]]

What...what ARE you wearing?!

Gangsters?!

Then why call yourself a 'team' when you're actually gangsters?

"Um...because it sounds cool I guess?"

It really doesn't.

"Shut up, kid! I'm going to make you a statistic!"

This is why I love the world we live in. Anyone wanting to disappear me has to go through my animal bodyguards first. But as non-threatening as he was, organized crime is serious business. I should throw some wrenches into whatever they're doing here if I get the chance. Arceus knows the cops won't.

Well, this is pretty but useless. Let's go back up the tunnel we came and explore some more.

Let's see if I can get this item without that guys noticing me yet.

Damn pebbles!

Raise them! You have electric types, and there's bats everywhere!

[[Nilbog Notes: I'm not usually showing random encounters that I don't either catch or learn new moves from, but they are happening and my team is training. Not as much as the memes would have you believe, but steady enough]]

I generally prefer to raise my Pokémon through battle rather than give them these, but it's good to have as a backup if someone needs to catch up quick.

As was made quite clear to me many times.

So why don't you have a Zubat?

Oh, a Get Out Of Dungeon Free card!

I REALLY want a fossil now...

I love how happy it looks, even though it's getting Jerry'd.

This one less so...

Go back, make kind of a u-turn around some rocks, head south-ish at the girl standing next to a sign. Can't miss it.

Oh, another ladder!

Ugh, more of you guys. Hey, get lost!

I asked you first!

No, I don't think I will.

Hmm.....

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...

Not sure you'll be on the star lineup much longer, Jerry, but this should be a little more reliable than your fury and poison in the meantime.

Anyway, back up and onwards.

Just passing through...

Well you showed off something all right.

I feel demeaned...

Dude, I have a newt on fire, an electric rat, a living rock, an angry monkey that can crush stone, a poisonous butterfly with psychic powers, and a honking great bee. I think I'm fine.

Ooh, moon rock! Score! If I find my fossil too, maybe I can open up my own museum!

Now, down the final ladder...

Oh look, another bat.

Can't wait until I can start affording more of YOU.

Dude, you're trying to poach fossils. I'll stop you any way I can.

That tends to be how it works, yeah.

Alright, I'd better run like the wind and hope I can get to the end in time to make sure they don't make off with valuable specimens. 

AHH PINK!

Wow, I'll clap my hands because I certainly believe!

[[Nilbog Notes:

Clefairy

#035

Normal (Fairy in Gen 6 and on)

Evolves from Cleffa at high happiness

"Its magical and cute appeal has many admirers. It is rare and found only in certain areas"

Clefairy here was actually supposed to be the series mascot before Pikachu ended up stealing the show thanks to the Anime. Shares a niche with Jigglypuff, though it generally beats it in everything except HP. They are a relatively rare spawn exclusively in Mt. Moon, but nine times out of ten I run into two or three naturally just going through and grabbing all the items and trainers on my way.]]

Poacher ahead!

R...Reviving?! Look, I'm pretty sure there's a couple of books on the subject and a handfull of famous movie adaptations thereof that pretty much points to that being a bad idea.

Oh because I so wanted to join you guys and get a fancy R sweater of my very own. Get out of here, you putz.

More moon rocks! And are those fossils I spy up ahead?!

Wait, we can talk about i-aaaaaand the Pokéballs come out.

Why thank you! So, let's see what we have here...

Hmmm, this appears to be an ammonite of some sort...

And this looks like either a horseshoe crab, or maybe even a trilobite! This is far cooler!

Again, so preoccupied on whether or not they could that they didn't stop to think if they should.

Is that sunlight I spy?

Almost there!

Oooh, a Great Ball! And it's blue! I better save this for something special!

Now, what are you two doing over there? You look like you're doing interpretive dance.

Hmm....

[[Nilbog Notes: I missed the screen, but this TM is Roar]]

Okay, if I jump here, I can't get back, and I need to venture through here to go forward. Tally ho?

Snek!

Epans, Epans, Sureves Epans....

[[Nilbog Notes:

Ekans

#023

Poison

"Moves silently and stealthily. Eats the eggs of birds such as Pidgey and Spearow whole"

Not the strongest Poison type, but versatile enough and my personal favorite (well his evolution anyway). Exclusive to Red and FireRed, its  Blue/LafGreen counterpart is Sandshrew. I usually have one on my team when playing those versions. Yes, its English name is just "snake" spelled backward.]]

After getting assaulted by Spearows (revenge for benching Agnew for Indy?)

And we're finally here! First stop a Pokémon Center to rest, and then we get our bearings!

***

[[Nilbog Notes: Our team at the end of this chapter - 

Indy has a Jolly nature like Raiden, but since Geodudes are naturally slow and not prone to learning Special attacks, sacrificing Sp.Atk for a Speed boost actually works in her favor. Her Sturdy Ability protects not just from specifically 1-Hit-KO attacks (which are rare and only have a 30% chance of hitting so are almost never worth using), but from any attack that would bring her from full health to 0 in one sitting. in both instances, she'll be left with 1hp. If she's not at full to begin with, it won't work.

Tune in next week!]]