09: Nacrene City

09: Nacrene City

As you enter town Cheren is waiting for you – and asks you to come with him.  He shows you where the Pokemon Center is and gives you some Chesto Berries – what a mate!  He tips you that the Gym Leader here uses Normal-type Pokemon and suggests you use Fighting-types against it...  And that is actually really good advice that we will be following!

So first thing first, hit the Pokemon Center to heal and save, and then chat up the Trainers here for some tips.  Drop by the Poke Mart Counter to re-supply (the Mail Clerk has Net Balls if you can afford them), being sure to restock any kit you used and get more Poke Balls.  After that it is time to explore the town!

From the gate the first warehouse is Loblolly's, an interior decorator.  The second warehouse has a pair of Trainers on the ground level who will offer observations, and up one level is a Trainer who will trade a Petilil for a Cottonee – which we don't have right now but mark this down for future reference.

The first warehouse past the Pokemon Center is a shop that sells X-Items and Battle Utilities.  There are TV's in some of the warehouses that you can watch if you like, just to keep current, right?  On the second level are a pair of Trainers who will offer comment on trading with items.

The next (and last) warehouse on the main street is a good stop for you – the Trainer on the left as you enter will give you a hold item for your Starter that will help boost its power.  Just talk to her and answer her question to get it. 

Heading back to the first cross street and then north, check the east warehouse to meet a bard and a poet, then head down the street past the Gym/Museum (the marble building) and drop into the Cafe Warehouse for a moment, and chat up the Trainers and staff inside for more tips.  Outside on the patio is an accordion player – sadly he does not take requests.

Now head over to the Gym/Museum just to take a quick look around and get a minor task out of the way.

– N Battle Number Two --

As you go to enter the Gym you run into N, who wants to battle you again! 

He leads with is Level 13 Pidove, then his Level 13 Tympole, and finally his Level 13 Timburr.  If you use your Blitzle it is three one-hit battles.  By the way, Blitzle is an Electric-type Pokemon, and those work pretty good vs. Normal-types too.  I am just saying.

After the battle N talks about needing the Legendary Pokemon Zekrom – which is the first we are hearing of it...  Hmmm...

At this point you have to decide how you are going to proceed – whether you are going to face the Gym Leader now (your team should be a mix of Levels 16 and 17 at this point) or whether you are going to take my advice and properly prepare yourself for this battle.  You can do it either way, but if you run in and try now you are going to get wiped. 

OK, so now let us prepare for this battle by adding a Fighting-type or two to our team, shall we?

Take the upper road to the west and you will leave town for the Pinwheel Forest!

– Pinwheel Forest --

As you progress up the road you will see a Trainer by the side – stop and talk to her to get TM94, Rock Smash, and then chat up the next Trainer for a hint.  Read the nearby sign – you do have Antidotes right?

South of you is another Trainer and, when you chat them up, they ask if you are going deeper into the Forest or to the challenge rock?  Then we battle them!  Nurse Shery has a Level 15 Munna, and it is actually a pretty strong opponent!  After the battle she heals our team – and though we cannot answer her question, the answer is no to both as we are where we want to be – at the first patch of Tall Grass on the Route! 

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Pinwheel Forest Outside Area Pokemon Report

Dex No.     Pokemon     Rarity     Season     Capture Note
#025/519    Pidove      (U)        All        Grass
#037/531    Audino      (C)        All        Shaking Grass
#038/532    Timburr     (U)        All        Grass
#041/535    Tympole     (C)        All        Grass
#044/538    Throh       (R)        All        Shaking Grass
#045/539    Sawk        (R)        All        Grass
#050/544    Whilipede   (R)        All        Dark Grass 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

It would be easy to simply grab one of the Pokemon from the wild and then head for the Gym, but hey, since when is easy important?  We are here, they are here, so why not catch 'em all?  Come on!  We gotta!  Catch 'em... All!  So don't stop until you have them all – see you in a bit mate!

Remember that Nurse Shert can heal and revive so if you get your peepee slapped go see her!

After you catch a Timburr, Rtmpole, Throh, and Sawk, follow the inside of the fence east to grab the Ether from the treasure ball hidden by the fence there.  Backtrack out and head to town to use the PC in the Poke Center to swap out your place-holder for one of the Fighting-type you just captured – or two if you like (that would be a bit of insurance) – before returning to the tall grass to level it/them up to your team's level.

What I did was to swap my Audino out for the new Tympole – which is a Water-type – because that is the final major archetype that I needed for my team – if you did not choose the Water-type starter than you may want to do this as well.  Finally I temporarily swapped out my Pidove for the Throh just for the upcoming Gym Battle.

Now head back to the tall grass and level up!

Instead of trolling head further into the grass to battle Preschooler Juliet, who has a Level 13 Cottonee, and a Level 13 Petilil.  Preschooler Homer has a Level 14 Roggenrola. At the east end of the tracks is the treasure ball we saw earlier – grab the Great Ball from it now.

Take the south path and battle Youngster Keita, who has a trio of Level 13 Tympole.  Head all the way south then west to grab the treasure ball with a Super Potion, then grab the Antidote from the treasure ball northeast, then battle Youngster Zachary who has a Level 14 Venipede, and a Level 14 Lillipup.

Head up the stairs to the east and battle Battle Girl Lee who has a Level 16 Timburr, then Black Belt Kentaro who has a Level 16 Timburr.  Head down the stairs and grab the Net Ball from the treasure ball before jumping the ledge and returning to the first patch of grass where you can finish leveling up.

Once you have that managed it is finally time to head over to the Gym and win your next Gym Badge!

A Trail of Bookshelves

– Nacrene City Gym --

Right then, as you enter you will notice that this does not look much like a Gym – but that is because this part is actually a Museum!  Talk to the clerks at the left counter to learn that and where the Gym proper is, and the clerk at the right counter to learn that this is where you should bring any Fossils you find in the game.

The Assistant Director gives you a very brief tour of the Museum – he only hits the high points so you may want to check out each exhibit before heading into the Gym proper.  In addition to the tour he tells you that he is the husband of the Gym Leader as well – good to know?

After you take in the sights return to the rear and enter the Gym area you'll be surprised to see it consists of a large collection of Pokemon books!  After the Gym Greeter gives you a Fresh Water – gotta love that – he tells you that all of the Trainers use Normal-type Pokemon, that they are weak versus Fighting-type Pokemon, and you can obtain those in Pinwheel Forest!

We already knew that, but hey, way to betray your Gym Leader mate!

He goes on to explain that this Gym features a sort of puzzle based upon answering questions from the books found in it – and that the first book you will need to read is one called Nice to Meet You, Pokemon.

As you step forward thinking you will be reading a book soon School Kid Carter (AKA Bookworm) steps up to you and pulls a knife, grabbing your arm and screaming 'Die Nazi Scum!'  God, wouldn't that make this so much more exciting?  Sigh.  But no, what he does is challenge you to your first AGL battle – with his Level 17 Patrat.

After you handily beat him with one of your regular team members, you should head over to the first shelf on the left and go up the ladder to read the book that the Greeter mentioned, Nice to Meet You, Pokemon!  It is a fairy tale about a little boy who met a Pokemon for the first time in his life.  Just as the story starts to get good you notice a memo page sticking out of the back of the book, and sure, you could have finished the story mate, but oh no!  Not you!  You had to go and read the bloody memo, didn't you?!

It reads: 'Pokemon Trainers!  I am the Gym Leader, Lenora!  I hid four memos in this Library.  Each of them has a question.  Can you solve the questions and come find me?

'Now this is the first question!

'Q: What is the first Pokemon you met in this Gym?

'The hint is...  on a bookshelf in the middle row!  Now try to find it!'

Right then, cannot be any clearer than that can she? 

The next shelf on the left has a book called The Biology of a Patrat.  And what do you know, that is the first Pokemon we met in the Gym thanks to Bookworm!  So we should read that book, right mate?  And on the back is another memo!

'As I thought, that question was easy.  Well, this is the second question!

'Q: Flame burns inside its body, and it gives off smoke from its head while it runs...  What is this book?

'The hint is...  Somebody may be reading it.'

Right, well we have been following the left side of the Gym since we started, and the blokes who come up with this stuff tend to be consistent fellows, so next we should chat up the AGL in the last shelf on the left – who fires back with the clue we are following and tells us that she is reading a book called The Structure of a Locomotive.

Fits the clue just fine, so yeah, I believe that book is the best answer to the question – and it is!

Of course you know what this means, right?  Our next AGL battle, that is what!

Scientist Satomi has a Level 17 Herdier, which actually is not a bad Pokemon for a Normal-type...

After the battle she climbs down to allow us to access the book – and reading it reveals another memo!  You were not expecting anything else were you?

'It's impressive you found this place!  That's what I'd expect from a challenger like you!  Well, this is the third question!

'Q: If you heat it up in a pot, it'll be delicious.  What is it?

'The hint is on a bookshelf closer to the entrance than here.'

That would be the first bookshelf on the right as we enter – but if you took a beating at all from her it may be an idea to go heal up and replace any kit you used – I am just saying, you have a battle coming up and if your team is down a few members you should fix that.

As you climb the ladder and read the book you find the book Sweets for a Pokemon – and that sounds about right!  The next memo says:

'Did you manage to get here without being tricked by the questions?  Now this is the last question!

'Q: From this bookshelf...  Move two backward, move one to the left, move two forward, move one to the right, and move one backward...  Now, where is it?

'The hint is...  Find it yourself!'

Right – you can try to decipher that but they are not telling you what to move, are they?  Well, the things you are moving are shelves – and she is using the ones on the wall as part of that to add to the confusion – but if you follow those directions you end up at the second shelf on the right side, where the next AGL – a little girl – occupies the ladder!

She asks you a simple question – Can you challenge the Gym Leader if you win against me?  The answer is Yes.

Your next and last AGL Battle is with School Kid Lydia – the girl on the ladder – who has a trio of Level 15 Lillipup for you to put the beat-down upon!

After the battle ends you climb the ladder to read the book, triggering a hidden switch that causes the shelf to slide to the side and reveal a set of stairs leading down to the actual battle area and the Gym Leader's office. 

If you need to heal up head to the Pokemon Center and do that now, because this Gym Leader Battle is not going to be as easy as you think – sure her first Pokemon will be a decent match, but the move set and abilities of her clean-up Pokemon might give you some trouble...

When you are ready head down to face her, and you will find Lenora waiting for you.

She has a Level 18 Herdier that should not be too hard to handle, but it is her Level 20 Watchog that will give you the most trouble if you did not take my advice and grab a Fighting-type Pokemon from the Forest and level it up.

If you did, you may find that the move Vital Throw can be a one-hit kill on this one.  I am just saying...

For beating her you get $2400 and the Basic Badge.  Now all Pokemon up to Level 30 will obey, even those obtained by trade.  She gifts you with TM67, Retaliate, and just when everything seems settled her husband Hawes comes running in!